Guest blog for the Writers of the Future contest
I was asked by the good folks at WOTF if I would write a blog about the inspiration behind my story, “The Stench of Freedom”. I was, of course, more than happy to do so. The WOTF contest gave me one of the highlights of my life and whatever I go on to do next in writing, I struggle to think how that experience can be topped.
When I was submitting stories to the contest, I’d often read the guest blogs on their website from former winners, trying to gather every bit of advice I could find and try and use it to craft a winning story. So it is a real privilege and an honour to have now written one of those blogs and I hope there’s a morsel of advice in it that helps someone else achieve their dreams too.
362 days later
After I hit “publish” on this blog post, I will be off to watch Swansea City play Plymouth Argyle in the second round of the League Cup. I don’t often go to the football and when I do it is invariably a midweek evening match. This may seem like a random bit of information but the opening rounds of the League Cup are now inextricably linked to my Writers of the Future journey. ‘How?’ I hear you ask.
Well, as previously covered in my blog about the importance of perseverance, during halftime of the first round match between Swansea City and Gillingham on 13 August 2024 I received a voicemail from the very lovely Joni Labaqui, Contest Director. I nervously watched the second half unaware–but optimistically hopeful–that I was one of eight finalists in Quarter 3 of Volume 41. It was a wonderful, surreal phone call at just gone midnight GMT, when I spoke to Joni, who told me I’d have a little wait while the judges for that quarter picked their favourite stories.
Two weeks later, on 28 August 2024, I was packed and dressed and just about to head out to watch Swansea City vs. Wycombe Wanderers in the second round of the League Cup when I received an email from Joni letting me know the results were in. She said to expect a call later that evening. Well, there was no chance I was going to risk missing another call from Joni–or trying to talk to her in the stadium–so I stayed home instead and, even more nervously, waited for THAT phone call where Joni told me I was a winner of the Writers of the Future contest. I don’t remember much about that phone call, it seems like a blur, but now I have the trophy on my desk which tells me it wasn’t just a crazy dream after all.
So, you see, it is very fitting that my blog was published on the WOTF website almost a year to the day (362 days, to be precise) since I became a winner of the Writers of the Future contest, and also that I am off to watch the Swans in the second round of the League Cup. It’s funny how two completely unrelated contests can be linked together.
It’s been a whirlwind of a year and I have no idea what the next 362+ days have in store for me. All I know for now is that, this time around, I’ll be able to watch the Swans feeling nervous only about whether we will get humbled by lower league opposition.