annethology
  • Home
    • About Annethology
    • About me >
      • A little more about me
    • About my books
    • Author talks
    • Contact me
    • Forthcoming events
    • World Mental Health Day
    • Privacy
    • Sign up for my newsletter
  • Sugar and Snails
    • Acknowledgements
    • Blog tour, Q&A's and feature articles >
      • Birthday blog tour
      • S&S on tour 2022
    • Early endorsements
    • Events >
      • Launch photos
      • Launch party videos
    • in pictures
    • Media
    • If you've read the book
    • Polari
    • Reading group questions
    • Reviews
    • In the media
  • Underneath
    • Endorsements and reviews
    • Launch party and events
    • Pictures
    • Questions for book groups
    • The stories underneath the novel
  • Matilda Windsor series
    • Matilda Windsor >
      • What readers say
      • For book groups
      • Interviews, articles and features
      • Matty on the move
      • Who were you in 1990?
      • Asylum lit
      • Matilda Windsor media
    • Stolen Summers >
      • Stolen Summers reviews
  • Short stories
    • Somebody’s Daughter
    • Becoming Someone (anthology) >
      • Becoming Someone (video readings)
      • Becoming Someone reviews
      • Becoming Someone online book chat
    • Print and downloads
    • Read it online
    • Quick reads
  • Free ebook
  • Annecdotal
    • Annecdotal blog
    • Annecdotal Press
    • Articles >
      • Print journalism
      • Where psychology meets fiction
    • Fictional therapists
    • Reading and reviews >
      • Reviews A to H
      • Reviews I to M
      • Reviews N to Z
      • Nonfiction
      • Themed quotes
      • Reading around the world
  • Shop
    • Inspired Quill (my publisher)
    • Bookshop.org (affiliate link)
    • Amazon UK
    • Amazon US
    • books2read

About the author and blogger ...

Anne Goodwin’s drive to understand what makes people tick led to a career in clinical psychology. That same curiosity now powers her fiction.
A prize-winning short-story writer, she has published three novels and a short story collection with small independent press, Inspired Quill. Her debut novel, Sugar and Snails, was shortlisted for the 2016 Polari First Book Prize.
Away from her desk, Anne guides book-loving walkers through the Derbyshire landscape that inspired Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre.
Subscribers to her newsletter can download a free e-book of award-winning short stories.

TELL ME MORE

More of the same, please, but with nicer politics

31/12/2016

14 Comments

 
Picture
We approach the New Year as if we’re trading in the old one for a better model, but it’s not like replacing a car. Or if it is, it’s with the old car rusting in the garage while we’re driving around in the new one, hoping the weather won’t tarnish its shine. Alas, a change of digit won’t cancel out our bad decisions – I’m looking at you Brexit and Trumpeteers – but it can provide the impetus to strive to fail better next time. While I think it’s weird that the traditional time for taking stock and recalibrating our intentions for the future should be now – rather than synchronised with the winter solstice the first day of spring (for those of us in the northern hemisphere) – I am sufficiently obsessional to join in.

All in all, it’s been a good year for me personally and professionally in my reading, writing and blogging. Here, in pictures (with links), are some of the highlights:

For next year, I’d be happy with more of the same (but with nicer politics). Specifically, I’m looking forward to the release of my second novel, Underneath, in May, with a couple more library events in Derbyshire for Sugar and Snails before the end of the current financial year. I want to pick up again on the article writing course which was part of my prize for the Writers’ Bureau Short Story Competition and has been shamefully neglected. I also have in mind at least five new short stories I want to write, as well as pulling a few together for a possible anthology loosely on the theme of identity. I want to move forward with Closure, perhaps completing a fourth draft but, if not, certainly a third. In my reading, I aim to monitor the proportion from small independent publishers. Finally, I hope to keep up with the weekly flash fiction challenges.

Over at the Carrot Ranch, Charli Mills is talking both taking stock and hygge. The latter, a Danish term which conjures cosy, has captivated a fair few English-speaking thinkers in 2016 and now comprises the prompt for my final 99-word story of the year. I think we need a concept of home to appreciate hygge; my flash is for the introverts too:

Picture
Yay, the party has been cancelled!

“You’re still welcome to come over, but I wouldn’t advise it. The roads are treacherous around here.”
Fog shrouds the window; inside, disappointment burns. Home alone on New Year’s Eve! Ah, well, I could use the time to write that article, scrub the kitchen floor.
In fluffy slippers, jogging pants and the blouse I ironed for the party, I dance between cooker and fridge. I pour a glass of Prosecco; a soup made of leftovers bubbles on the stove. Rolls crisping in the oven, the final challenge looms. Which book to snuggle up to, which chocolates to eat first?


Thanks for reading. I'd love to know what you think. If you've enjoyed this post, you might like to sign up via the sidebar for regular email updates and/or my quarterly Newsletter.
14 Comments
geoff le pard link
1/1/2017 10:17:48 am

Happy new year Anne and here's to successful book publishing. And more thought provoking posts. And yes nicer more long term thinking politics... oh well I can dream

Reply
Annecdotist
2/1/2017 04:06:24 pm

Thanks, Geoff, of course I’m not expecting nicer politics but it doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like them!

Reply
Norah Colvin link
1/1/2017 12:27:04 pm

Happy 2017, Anne. I'm pleased you are happy with your wonderful achievements in 2016. I love the way you organised your photo gallery with the captioned explanations.You did very well. Looks like 2017 will give you continued success. I guess that will only be as a result of the effort you put in though. It won't really be a gift as such.
I've been struggling with the concept of cosy as we swelter in summer's heat, so I enjoyed reading your flash. What a wonderful picture it creates and how well I understand the joy at the cancellation of an engagement - not all, of course, but sometimes. Curling up with a good book is a wonderful way to spend a few hours. Or days. How I remember that pleasure!

Reply
Annecdotist
2/1/2017 04:10:11 pm

Thank you, Norah, I really enjoyed putting the post together but of course it took a lot longer than expected – what doesn’t? Well, I expect to have to work hard but there’s also a lot of luck – as I’ve written about before – and I wouldn’t say no to a little more, but I do appreciate what I have.
Oh yes, it must be hard to think of hygge in midsummer, although I imagine your morning swims are quite relaxing. I look forward to seeing what you come up with for the prompt.

Reply
Rowena link
2/1/2017 01:48:40 pm

Happy New Year Anne.
I am desperately trying to make a fresh start in 2017 and trying to be more organized with the rest of my life which get overrun by my writing. No more forgetting this year.
I'm an extrovert but I've lost the thrill of heading into the city these days on NYE. Not the best night for it anymore.
My wisdom for 2017 came from a collection of quotes from many of the inspirational people who died last year. I thought you might appreciate it, given your own reflections. Good luck with the books.
xx Rowena
https://beyondtheflow.wordpress.com/2016/12/31/goodbye-2016-the-words-they-left-behind/?wref=tp

Reply
Annecdotist
2/1/2017 04:14:28 pm

Thanks for visiting Rowena, and I enjoyed your tributes post. I wish you all the best with your fresh start but it’s not so easy to achieve. That’s why I prefer aspirations to resolutions – and those I’ve flagged here ought to be achievable.

Reply
sarah link
3/1/2017 10:02:07 pm

Ha! It's not like replacing a car. No, it's really not. Excellent year for you, politics aside. :-) I'm fairly sure winter solstice is the first day of winter, technically, but it does usher in more light daily and would be a great time to begin the new year. I like that idea.

I love your flash (both the story and the idea of it actually happening). :-) It's a dream come true for me! Happy New Year!

Reply
Annecdotist
4/1/2017 11:45:50 am

Thanks, Sarah, and happy New Year. It does amaze me that some grown-ups still set themselves resolutions that, on the basis of past performance, they have little chance of achieving, unless they put in lots of structures to make that change. But pointing ourselves in the direction we’d like to travel makes sense for me.

Reply
Charli Mills link
5/1/2017 02:33:44 am

I rather like the winter solstice time for recalibration because of the return of light to days. I don't know about those politics on your side of the pond, but our Trumpeteers have settled in to be thorny. At least they are predicable now exposed in their true sentiment. I feel stronger for having had a faltering year of displacement. I'm encouraged by all your success and plans for continuing. Fabulous collage! I hope you print that and hang it over your desk. Wishing you quiet space to choose your choice of chocolates!

Reply
Annecdotist
5/1/2017 04:14:14 pm

Thanks, Charli, now you’ve got me thinking – I could make a giant poster if I had the right kind of printer! Glad you’re feeling revived and hope your personal year isn’t as thorny as the last though I can’t imagine the politics getting hygge for a while on either side of the pond.

Reply
Luccia Gray link
5/1/2017 08:16:52 pm

Fabulous, Anne. I know exactly how she (you?😂) feels! I have to make an effort to be sociable because although I love being with my friends and family, a cosy evening alone beats anything else!

Reply
Annecdotist
6/1/2017 12:09:25 pm

Thanks, Lucy, I think it’s often difficult to strike the right balance between sociability and aloneness, especially if the invitations come together, so it can feel like a gift when things get cancelled.

Reply
roger shipp link
7/1/2017 12:47:19 am

Doesn't sound like she missed a thing!

Reply
Annecdotist
9/1/2017 06:50:02 pm

Ha, I’m sure you’re right, Roger.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Free ebook: click the image to claim yours.
    Picture
    OUT NOW: The poignant prequel to Matilda Windsor Is Coming Home
    Picture
    Find a review
    Picture
    Fictional therapists
    Picture
    Picture
    About Anne Goodwin
    Picture
    My published books
    entertaining fiction about identity, mental health and social justice
    Picture
    My latest novel, published May 2021
    Picture
    My debut novel shortlisted for the 2016 Polari First Book Prize
    Picture
    Picture
    My second novel published May 2017.
    Picture
    Short stories on the theme of identity published 2018
    Anne Goodwin's books on Goodreads
    Sugar and Snails Sugar and Snails
    reviews: 32
    ratings: 52 (avg rating 4.21)

    Underneath Underneath
    reviews: 24
    ratings: 60 (avg rating 3.17)

    Becoming Someone Becoming Someone
    reviews: 8
    ratings: 9 (avg rating 4.56)

    GUD: Greatest Uncommon Denominator, Issue 4 GUD: Greatest Uncommon Denominator, Issue 4
    reviews: 4
    ratings: 9 (avg rating 4.44)

    The Best of Fiction on the Web The Best of Fiction on the Web
    reviews: 3
    ratings: 3 (avg rating 4.67)

    2022 Reading Challenge

    2022 Reading Challenge
    Anne has read 2 books toward their goal of 100 books.
    hide
    2 of 100 (2%)
    view books
    Picture
    Annecdotal is where real life brushes up against the fictional.  
    Picture
    Annecdotist is the blogging persona of Anne Goodwin: 
    reader, writer,

    slug-slayer, tramper of moors, 
    recovering psychologist, 
    struggling soprano, 
    author of three fiction books.

    LATEST POSTS HERE
    I don't post to a schedule, but average  around ten reviews a month (see here for an alphabetical list), 
    some linked to a weekly flash fiction, plus posts on my WIPs and published books.  

    Your comments are welcome any time any where.

    Get new posts direct to your inbox ...

    Enter your email address:

    or click here …

    RSS Feed


    Picture

    Tweets by @Annecdotist
    Picture
    New short story, “My Dirty Weekend”
    Picture
    Let’s keep in touch – subscribe to my newsletter
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Popular posts

    • Compassion: something we all need
    • Do spoilers spoil?
    • How to create a convincing fictional therapist
    • Instructions for a novel
    • Looking at difference, embracing diversity
    • Never let me go: the dilemma of lending books
    • On loving, hating and writers’ block
      On Pop, Pirates and Plagiarism
    • READIN' for HER reviews
    • Relishing the cuts
    • The fast first draft
    • The tragedy of obedience
    • Writers and therapy: a love-hate relationship?

    Categories/Tags

    All
    Animals
    Annecdotist Hosts
    Annecdotist On Tour
    Articles
    Attachment Theory
    Author Interviews
    Becoming Someone
    Being A Writer
    Blogging
    Bodies
    Body
    Bookbirthday
    Books For Writers
    Bookshops
    CB Book Group
    Character
    Childhood
    Christmas
    Classics
    Climate Crisis
    Coming Of Age
    Counsellors Cafe
    Creative Writing Industry
    Creativity
    Cumbria
    Debut Novels
    Disability
    Editing
    Emotion
    Ethics
    Ethis
    Family
    Feedback And Critiques
    Fictional Psychologists & Therapists
    Food
    Friendship
    Futuristic
    Gender
    Genre
    Getting Published
    Giveaways
    Good Enough
    Grammar
    Gratitude
    Group/organisational Dynamics
    Hero’s Journey
    History
    Humour
    Identity
    Illness
    Independent Presses
    Institutions
    International Commemorative Day
    Jane Eyre
    Kidney Disease
    Language
    LGBTQ
    Libraries
    Live Events
    Lyrics For The Loved Ones
    Marketing
    Matilda Windsor
    Memoir
    Memory
    Mental Health
    Microfiction
    Motivation
    Music
    MW Prequel
    Names
    Narrative Voice
    Nature / Gardening
    Networking
    Newcastle
    Nonfiction
    Nottingham
    Novels
    Pandemic
    Peak District
    Poetry
    Point Of View
    Politics
    Politics Current Affairs
    Presentation
    Privacy
    Prizes
    Psychoanalytic Theory
    Psychology
    Psycholoists Write
    Psychotherapy
    Race
    Racism
    Rants
    Reading
    Real Vs Imaginary
    Religion
    Repetitive Strain Injury
    Research
    Reviewing
    Romance
    Satire
    Second Novels
    Settings
    Sex
    Shakespeare
    Short Stories General
    Short Stories My Published
    Short Stories Others'
    Siblings
    Snowflake
    Somebody's Daughter
    Stolen Summers
    Storytelling
    Structure
    Sugar And Snails
    Technology
    The
    The Guestlist
    Therapy
    TikTok
    TNTB
    Toiletday
    Tourism
    Toxic Positivity
    Transfiction
    Translation
    Trauma
    Unconscious
    Unconscious, The
    Underneath
    Voice Recognition Software
    War
    WaSBihC
    Weather
    Work
    Writing Process
    Writing Technique

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    Picture
    BLOGGING COMMUNITIES
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos used under Creative Commons from havens.michael34, romana klee, mrsdkrebs, Kyle Taylor, Dream It. Do It., adam & lucy, dluders, Joybot, Hammer51012, jorgempf, Sherif Salama, eyspahn, raniel diaz, E. E. Piphanies, scaredofbabies, Nomadic Lass, paulternate, Tony Fischer Photography, archer10 (Dennis), slightly everything, impbox, jonwick04, country_boy_shane, dok1, Out.of.Focus, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region, Elvert Barnes, guillenperez, Richard Perry, jamesnaruke, Juan Carlos Arniz Sanz, El Tuerto, kona99, maveric2003, !anaughty!, Patrick Denker, David Davies, hamilcar_south, idleformat, Dave Goodman, Sharon Mollerus, photosteve101, La Citta Vita, A Girl With Tea, striatic, carlosfpardo, Damork, Elvert Barnes, UNE Photos, jurvetson, quinn.anya, BChristensen93, Joelk75, ashesmonroe, albertogp123, >littleyiye<, mudgalbharat, Swami Stream, Dicemanic, lovelihood, anyjazz65, Tjeerd, albastrica mititica, jimmiehomeschoolmom