2022 in Review

2022 was a strange year for me. It was bookended by two more short story publications, in February and December, but for the most part my writing slowed to almost none. As it turned out, 2022 became a year of resurfacing mental health problems, and so I took a step back from writing to focus on recovery. It was the right decision, and I can now thankfully approach 2023 with renewed vigour and optimism.

Looking back on 2022…

In February 2022, my satirical comedy story, The Man in the Rain, was published by Bandit Fiction. This story about two teenagers waiting for a night bus during a storm was my fourth publication with Bandit, and was a light-hearted ode to the memories of youth. The piece received warm reviews and readers from around the world commented on the likeability of the two protagonists, Nathan and Cassie.

April saw the release of my satirical poetry piece, Hashtag Break. Written about the dark and needy side of social media, and with a healthy dollop of sarcasm, the piece made some laugh and others shake their head in dismay (hopefully at social media, not me).

In summer I developed a short obsession with writing comedy pieces – lists, monologues, fake news articles – mostly for my own amusement. I doubt most will see the light of day, as I want to focus on short story and novel writing, but perhaps some will surface on my Instagram page or a satirical website in the future.

December saw the publication of Ward 31, my short story about a hospital ward and the irritating clock that keeps everyone awake. Ward 31 was the first short story I wrote, way back in 2016, and it was nice for the story to finally see the light of day after so many years. This was my fifth publication with Bandit Fiction, and I am grateful for the opportunity they provided to showcase my work over the last two years alongside so many great authors. Thank you to Greg, Alisdair and the team for their support and guidance since 2020.

Onward to 2023…

So after a turbulent 2022, with some fantastic highs and also pretty lousy lows, 2023 promises more time and optimism for my writing. With one publication already confirmed for February 2023, five more short stories in draft (which I feel are my best yet), and the hope of finding an agent for my novel (a full length adaption of my first published short story, The Infinite Woes of Being a Hero), the year holds much promise.

As always, thank you to everyone who reads my stories, poetry or needy blog posts 🙂 your support is much appreciated.

Dave