Here I am!
I know I haven’t posted for ages, but I was hoping to do something with this out-of-date website. As you can tell, nothing’s happened with it.
I’ll let you know what’s been happening: I spent a LONG time contributing to an interview that was to be featured in Psychologies magazine in their January 2010 issue (out now). It was all about teenage diaries (like in Karma) and how it felt to re-read them. It was also about how things had changed and what the person you were then would think of the current you. I did a telephone interview and many email follow-ups. It was quite emotionally exhausting to revisit the past, discussin things like my ME/CFS and my enforced changes in career. The journalist told me I the mag would send someone to get my photo (if they wanted one) but lady from Psychologies emailed me to ask about me coming to London for a photoshoot. Obviously, this was out of the question. I explained that it would be a 3.5 hour journey there and a 3.5 hour journey back (that was just the train part of the journey) - I wouldn’t have been able to function at an afternoon photoshoot. They came back to me and said they’d arrange travel for me and there’d be somewhere I could ‘rest’. Still no go, so they relented and said they’d send a photographer and a hair stylist to me. Yay! I wouldn’t miss out!
They said they’d be in touch about the shoot, so I curtailed my activity (basic though it is) so that I could participate fully in the photoshoot. I waited and waited. Eventually, I emailed the journalist, who didn’t even reply to me. A few more weeks went by, and I realised that they probably weren’t going to get in touch. I emailed the Psychologies lady, saying, “Have I been dropped from the article due to my ME/CFS?” The only response were the following words, “Yes. Sorry.” She didn’t even address me by name. It made me feel bitter, as they’d always been aware that I had the condition. Perhaps if they’d even contacted me, so that I wasn’t resting up ALL November…
Speaking of disappointment, I’ve heard a lot of people talking about Gumtree, so when I decided to sell my netbook (barely used it, despite thinking I’d take it everywhere and write every day) I posted an ad. Within a few hours, several people had already decided to try and relieve me of my netbook in a non-legal way. Fortunately, I’m quite savvy to various scams, and didn’t fall for them. However, it has made me very cynical about selling on the internet (ok, MORE cynical).
As for the writing, what writing? A New Year’s resolution? Thought I’d made some progress in getting paid by Discovered Authors (almost 3 years since Karma came out and they still haven’t managed to pay my meagre royalties). It’s now a principle. Would be nice to get it before Christmas, but I have my doubts.
