My goal for 2023 did not happen. In fact, I hardly touched my second novel the entire year. In part this was I expect down to my continued struggles with depression, in part it was due to rehearsing for another show, in part it was because I found myself in a new and exciting relationship, and in part it’s because I still feel a bit stuck with it.
But things have already begun to change for me. At the end of 2023 I moved in with my new boyfriend and we’re now happily living together with Milo (who is behaving so well), then at the start of January I hit another milestone in life and turned 30, and in the last few weeks I got cast in my dream role (Princeton in Avenue Q) for a production in June. There’s a lot going on and typically this would be where my brain starts to crumble, but as I’m gradually getting the house together, I’m gradually getting my life back on a reasonable track and that gives me hope for the year ahead.
I have three main goals for this year:
1. Create a new poetry collection: 30 A Year of Poems
2. Finish and publish A Place Where We Belong
3. Have an amazing time making my performing dreams come true in Avenue Q
And you know what? This time, I think I might actually get somewhere and I can’t wait.
Create a new poetry collection: 30 A Year of Poems
July was born of a challenge to write a poem a day for a month to get me out of my writing rut. 30 A Year of Poems is a much bigger challenge – a poem a day for an entire year.
I’m already about 7% of the way through and it’s been nice to get back to writing some poems about whatever strikes my fancy that day. It’s a great tool for feeling productive at a time when I’m struggling with fatigue or at a loss for something to do. Plus, since I can quickly type away on my phone or in a notebook, I have absolutely no excuse for not writing something each and every day.
The hope once again is that in forcing myself to write, I will re-energise my love of writing and get myself over the hump I’m at with A Place Where We Belong.
Look forward to this poetry collection in January 2025!
Finish and publish A Place Where We Belong
I was here last year and here I am again. I love this story and its characters and I want to finish it. I published The Burning Ash when I was 25, so it makes sense that I should release my second novel while I’m 30.
There’s still 60% left to go or about 48,000 words and a lot of work to do, but I know it’s possible and I just need to get on with it.
Please keep me on my toes with this one as it’s been on the backburner for far too long and I can’t let it stay that way for another year!
Have an amazing time making my performing dreams come true in Avenue Q
The other week I was officially cast as Princeton in Avenue Q with Your Chance Productions!
This role has been a dream of mine to perform for the longest time and I hoped I’d be able to do it one day before I got too old, but in reality I suspected it would probably never happen. The fact that I got cast in the leading role for any production (that I wasn’t on the creative team for) is a massive confidence booster for me and I hope I do everyone proud!
The show will be at MMC Venue, 105 Leicester Rd, Mountsorrel, Loughborough LE12 7DB from Tuesday 25 to Saturday 29 June 2024.
Tickets are on sale now and it’d be great to perform to a packed audience every night! So if you can, why not come and see me living my dream!
