Special Years by Allison Symes

Image Credit:  Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos

 Every year is special in some way to us all but I hope 2026 will prove to stand out for all of the right reasons. 

I reach a milestone birthday in a few days time after this blog goes out - the big 60 - but it also reminds me of another anniversary. 

This year will mark thirty years since I took up the pen seriously. It did take a milestone birthday and another life changing event (the birth of my son later in 1996) to make me realise if I wanted to get stories written and out there somehow, I ought to get on with it! 

Despite setbacks, and the proverbial rejections (more than enough to cover several walls and possible The Great Wall of China itself), I’ve kept writing since.

This year is also due to see the publication of my third flash fiction collection, Seeing The Other Side too. I hope to have physical book launches as well as online ones for this. 

When my last book, Tripping The Flash Fantastic, came out in 2020, the year we all prefer to forget, online launches were the only thing possible. The world, to me, does seem to be divided between pre-and post pandemic. My writing straddles either side of that divide.

I guess an anniversary is an opportunity to look back at my writing journey. Much has changed - as it should do. The writing journey isn’t meant to be a static one. 

From having my first website to seeing my first story in print; from having an author newsletter to learning to use new social media platforms; from developing an interest in blogging to discovering flash fiction, the journey has been an interesting one to say the least. 

The funny thing is none of the developments have been expected. I wanted to be a published novelist (and still do at some point) but it was the world of short fiction which led to publication. I hadn’t seen that coming. 

Neither had I seen turning to flash fiction and discovering what an addictive and highly enjoyable form it is. And then there was the turning again to non-fiction writing for online magazines, both of which I still adore doing.

I’ve also developed other aspects to my writing life - as an editor, running workshops (especially on flash fiction), which I love but again those hadn’t been on my writing life radar all of those years ago.

I think the hardest thing on starting out is believing a break through will come. You do need a certain amount of grit, determination, and a willingness to learn and be open to good writing advice. You also need some luck. You also need to write, rewrite, be open to what is working and what isn’t and it takes time. 

 

That thought confirms to me my only regret with my writing life is not starting it a lot sooner than I did. It’s the one thing I would change if I could.