April Writing Wrap‑Up: A Month of Mild Chaos, Small Wins, and Creative Nerve

This month felt like one long exercise in pretending I know what I’m doing. Apparently, that’s the entire writing life, so in that sense: success.

Finishing Beta Feedback (aka: Accepting Other Opinions)

The biggest milestone was finishing the last of the beta‑reader feedback for Our Crooked Houses. I’ve been patching holes, tightening screws, and generally behaving like a person who definitely didn’t write half of this draft in a caffeine haze.

The feedback was generous, sharp, and occasionally confronting in the way that only “you might want to rethink this entire emotional arc” can be. But the story is stronger for it. The political tension is clearer, the character motivations make more sense, and the setting feels even more like the cold, bureaucratic labyrinth I intended.

Progress. And only a small amount of muttering at my laptop.

Emerging Writers’ Festival: Inside the Publishing House

I also went to the Emerging Writers’ Festival session Inside the Publishing House, which felt a bit like sneaking backstage at a show I’ve been watching for years.

Then came the pitch opportunity.
Eight minutes to try and condense things into a compelling premise.

Somehow I managed to string words together in a way that resembled a pitch. It was terrifying and energising and made me realise that publishers are, in fact, real people and not mythical gatekeepers who live in towers made of unsolicited manuscripts.

Nine Hours in the London Writers’ Salon Sprint

I joined the London Writers’ Salon 24‑hour sprint and clocked nine hours of writing. Nine hours! That’s practically a part‑time job.

There’s something comforting about writing alongside strangers who are also hunched over their keyboards, trying to coax sentences into existence. It made the whole thing feel less lonely and more like a collective act of stubbornness.

Learning Social Media (Send Help)

This month I also started learning how to use social media as a writer.

It turns out there’s a whole world of people who talk about their writing online without spontaneously combusting from embarrassment.

I’m not quite there yet, but I’m trying. Slowly.

On Beginning, and the Fear of Being Seen

If there’s a theme to this month, it’s this: I’m still learning how to put creative work into the world without immediately wanting to hide under a table.

Sharing drafts, pitching, posting online—it all feels like peeling back a layer of armour. But I’m realising that the fear doesn’t mean I’m doing it wrong. It just means I care.

And maybe that’s the whole point.
To care enough to keep going, even when it feels uncomfortable.
To show up, even when the voice in your head says, “Are you sure?”

So yes—this month was messy, energising, nerve‑wracking, and unexpectedly fun.
A good start, I think.