Happy Holidays from Notes from the Slushpile!

2016. 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness. It was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity' ... doesn't Charles Dickens describe this outgoing year to perfection? Rather than dwell on the worst, the foolish and the incredulous, we thought we'd celebrate the festive season by looking back on our personal highlights and reflecting on the inevitable lessons learned. May the holidays be a time of friendship, love and creativity for all our lovely readers. 

Drifting Away

By Nick Cross

Photo by Horia Varlan

What does it mean to be a writer? It’s a question that I’ve been grappling with a lot this year. And it’s a question that seems to naturally spawn many others:

• Do I need to be published?
• Do I even enjoy writing anymore?
• What would happen if I stopped writing altogether?
• What would my friends think of me?
• How much of my personal identity is bound up in my status as a writer?

A Silly Tale From the Slushpile by Em Lynas

Starring

Em Lynas as The Author

Many publishers as The Acquisitions Monster

Candy Gourlay as The Internet Fairy

Amber Caraveo as The Agent Angel

The Nosy Crow Team as The Awesome Publishing Guru

Once upon a time there was an author tip tapping away in a lonely garret writing rubbish. Total rubbish - but funny rubbish. Over many years, as her slushpile grew, so did the rejections and eventually she developed SYMPTOMS. Nervous tics, blank stares, twitching fingers and, worst of all, doubt.