As most blog readers will be aware, I no longer write women's magazine fiction. Actually I stopped writing and submitting short stories over two years ago now, might be even longer. I began writing novels, and now I can't stop writing them!
I know many people manage to write occasional shorts in between writing novels, or whenever they feel like a change, but that hasn't worked for me. I have limited time to write so need to make the most of the time I have, and I enjoy novel writing more than short stories these days. Also as I have another two book deal from my publisher, I'm under an obligation to get more novels written in a pretty short time period!
This blog has suffered a bit since I stopped actively writing short stories. I don't buy as many women's mags as I used to, and although I've tried to keep in touch with what's going on in the world of womag (and thanks to all those who sent news and snippets for the blog) it's not been easy to keep it up to date and relevant.
It feels like the end of an era. For a while at least I'm going to remain an author of this blog and will contribute the occasional post, but mostly it'll be Patsy. I'm also going to amend my blogger name - I can't be womagwriter if I don't write womag or run this blog, now can I?
I'd like to thank EVERYONE who's visited this blog, commented or contacted me. It's been great, guys, and I've had such fun building this blog up. There was a time when it was mentioned in almost every issue of Writers' Forum magazine. And when magazine editors began commenting or sending me news to publicise on the blog it felt amazing to be considered an official resource. I never wanted the blog to close or fade away, so I am delighted that Patsy has offered to take in on.
Thanks so much, Patsy, and good luck!
To stay in touch with me and my writing career, please visit http://kathleenmcgurl.com/ where you can sign up to follow by email. I hope to see you all there!
39 comments:
I'll be so sorry to see you go, Kath. You supported me a great deal when I was first starting out and in the years since. I wish you and your successor, Patsy, all the very best in the future.
Thanks for the lovely intro, Kath.
I do understand this was a hard decision for you to make. This blog has been a wonderful resource for many short sory writers - it certainly helped me enormously when I first got serious about submitting my work to magazines. You've put so much time and effort into it and helped so many people.
You're doing the right thing in deciding what's important to you writing wise and making it your priority. (Someone should write a book about that - and maybe point out how much more important writing is than ironing!)
Wishing you all the best with your novels - and huge congratulations on the latest deal!
Thanks Alan.
Patsy, what a fab idea for a book!
Look after the old blog for me. xx
Wow, Kath. It really does feel like an end of an era. And I'd like to lead the round of applause for all the hard work you've put in over the years educating other womag writers about the market and various opportunities. This blog really is a gold mine for anyone writing for the womags. Equally I'm utterly delighted that your novel-writing career has taken off (hooray for the new book deal!) and I can't wait to read more about that. *claps and whistles* xx
Your success with novel writing is wonderful and so well deserved.
This blog has been the most brilliant resource for short story writers and was the first site I ever turned to. I can't imagine how I would have got started without you and will follow your writing career with great interest.
Thank you for being such an inspiring and generous blogger. x
Sorry to see you go, Kath, but happy that you've found success with the novels! Like others have said, yours was the first writing blog I ever turned to for advice and information - thank you.
And I'm sure Patsy will do a great job too!
Welcome to Patsy, and a massive thank you, Kath, for all the hard work you've put in and all the help you've generously given and advice you've shared over the last few years. Not only are you an extremely nice person, you are good writer who deserves every success.
Things change, people move on. All the very best Kath, and a very warm welcome to Patsy. :-)
Great blog. Sorry to see you go but looking forward to reading your books. Welcome to Patsy. x
Great blog. Sorry to see you go but looking forward to reading your books. Welcome to Patsy. x
As others have said, this is very much the end of an era. This blog has been one of the best things on the Internet for a long time and I'm sure that won't change when Patsy takes over. Good luck, Patsy!
But it's still with a bittersweet wave that we see you off, Kath. xxx
Congrats on the success with your novels, Kath, and thanks for all the info & advice on your blog. All the best for your career as a novelist.
Thanks so much for all your hard work over the years, Kath - this blog was an oracle to me when I was writing short stories regularly.
Best of luck, Patsy, I'm sure you'll do a great job>
Sam x
The end of an era! Thank you so much for all the helpful advice you've posted in the past, Kath. Good luck with your novel writing. Welcome to Patsy. I'm so glad that the womag writing blog will continue and is in safe hands.
Thanks for everything, Kath, and good luck to Patsy!
Thank you for all of your hard work, Kathleen. And welcome to Patsy, who's wealth of experience will no doubt take this blog forward.
Kath, thank you so much for this blog over the years. It has helped me enormously. Welcome Patsy. :)
Kath, like many others, I have been so grateful to you and your blog for the mine of information it contains. Sorry to see you go but best of continued good fortune with your novel writing.
Patsy, so glad you've agreed to take on this most important of duties! I hope you enjoy your time managing Womagwriter.
Thanks all for your lovely comments here. I feel quite emotional!
Good luck for the future, Kath, and thanks for all your hard work. The resources and information you provided to us have been much appreciated.
I'm sure Patsy will do a great job.
Thanks so much, Kath, for such a brilliant resource. It's been wonderful and I wish you lots of continued success with your novels.
I'm really glad to hear that the blog will continue and that Patsy has agreed to over! Welcome, Patsy, and thanks again to you both.
Thanks for creating this blog, Kath. Without it I would never have broken into the womag market. It is a brilliant resource. I wish you success with your novels and I'm so glad you've found someone to take over the blog.
Welcome, Patsy - I hope you'll continue your own blog too!
Alyson
Enormous Thanks, Kath, for this sparkling and massively useful and inspiring blog!
Delighted you`re moving on to further success in novel writing - will miss you here but love your books.
Thank you greatly, Patsy, for taking this on - Huge Welcome!
Kath, I so agree abotu novels v short stories. Since I started writing novels, I've found short stories really difficult.
The very best of luck with your own novel-writing, and thank you for all your hard work keeping up this blog. I'm sure Patsy will do a great job.
Sorry to see you go Kath, but you're absolutely right to concentrate on what feels most important to you. Welcome to Patsy. I know Patsy will do a great job.
Thanks for running such a brilliant and useful blog, Kath. Such a great resource for womag writers and much appreciated. Good luck with the novels.
Amanda
Yes it's the end of an era, but every ending harbours a new beginning. We'll miss your distinctive voice Kath. Thank you so much for all the time and effort you have devoted to running this blog over the years.
And a huge welcome to Patsy whose own blog is a wonderful resource, so we know you are leaving your 'baby' in very capable hands.
Kath, I thought at first it was going to be the END of the womagwriter blog, which would have been gutting, so I'm so happy to see that you've handed over the reins to Patsy. I'm sure she'll do very well and we'll all be behind her. As lots of people have already said, your blog has a fantastic source of inspiration and support to me over the past few years. I owe much of my short story writing success, contacts with writerly friends and even the idea to start my own blog, to womagwriter, so thank you. You deserve all the success you're now having with your own writing and long may it continue.
Hi Kath
I just want to say many, many thanks for all the advice, help and support and thanks too for running my appeal for Fiction Addiction. Without your kindness, I'd have no online writing group at all!
The very best of luck and a very warm welcome to Patsy. I'm sure she'll be great!
With all best wishes for future blogging!
Kath: Thank you for all your hard work and useful information during your time in office. It never ceases to amaze me how generous writers can be. Good luck with the novels.
Patsy: Greetings and thank you for taking up the reins.
I presume the blog is staying where it is, in terms of URL?
Thanks for keeping me in the loop, re short story markets. End of an era, but like Dr Who Womagwriter is regenerating.
Oh I love the idea of regenerating like Dr Who! Spot on, Anon!
I'm so glad that so many people have found this blog helpful or inspirational. It was worth doing then. :-)
It's not goodbye, Kath - it's au revoir!
Ditto everything that's been said already and a big THANK YOU for all your help over the years.
Thanks for all the advice and support you've given to us aspiring writers on your blog, Kath. Yours was one of the first blogs I followed when I started out. You are leaving it in safe hands and so a big welcome to Patsy! :-)
Thanks for everything, Kath. I found your blog when I first started writing and really believe it contributed in no small measure to my eventual sales. I still check the guidelines on "Womagwriter" almost every time I submit. Welcome, Patsy, lovely to see you here.
Yours was the first writing blog I ever came across, Kath, and I've followed it ever since. You'll be missed on here, but I look forward to reading news about your novels and your continuing writing journey.
Best of luck xx
Thanks once again, everyone.
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