Thursday 6 January 2011

Loose ends and murky windows

So, everything's been a bit quiet over here for a while. That's not because, I hasten to add, that I've lost interest in this pursuit of bloggerising, but rather that thing . . . y'know, life . . . seems to be getting in the fucking way of everything, yet again.

After successfully managing to relocate to the gleaming (well, it was when it was covered in ice anyway) city of Manchester, I have successfully not been able to find a job, my band's lost its drummer (last seen somewhere around Yorkshire) and I have been forced to return, cap in hand to the Job Centre. Something I vowed never to do, but unfortunatley, have no choice.

Now I'm not going to get into a rant about the uselessness of the organisation . . . that's going to be a much longer rant and therefore it will be kept in reserve for another day. Rather, this is a time to rediscover old pursuits and see if any of them can actually be made to pay.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of my talents aren't ones which are easily transformed into pay-cheques. Short stories, for example, are back on the list and while there are various competitions offering the flash car and big money prizes, what's already been written isn't necessarily going to fit with the prerequisites of said competitions.

So, I come to the point: any ideas of good literary publications that aren't completely pretentious? Ideally that pay, but you can't have everything!