Ally Aldridge Author Tube, Books, Festival, Goal setting, Goals, My Books, Personal, Reading Challenge, The Soul Heart Series, Writing Challenge, YouTube

Author Life Highlights of 2023

Published on YouTube on 7th January 2024

I think the biggest highlight of 2023 was author events. I got to meet YA Fantasy readers and chat about my books. I got to meet fellow authors and make new friends. I’ve learned so much and surprised myself.

Highlights:

💛 Dial Lane Books, Ipswich where I signed copies of Ocean Heart & the owner displayed a copy in the front window.

💛 Herts Book Festival, Hertfordshire was my first book festival. I had so much fun, I was buzzing! Was like an author getaway, meeting up with two of my long time author friends.

💛 Felixstowe Book Festival, Let’s Talk Fantasy – This was a long time dream of mine coming true & made a new friend that I shared the event with. 🥰

💛 Legends Comic Con, Stonham Barns where I got to befriend the Bury & Beyond Writers thanks to an intro by author Rachel Churcher. I’m looking forward to doing more with this bunch.

💛 MK Lit Fest, Milton Keynes was another excuse to meet up with some author buddies and we got interviewed about our books.

As a shy person, my dreams of being an author involve hiding in a cupboard to write with no peopling. I definitely did not want to make any public appearances! But, the author community is so welcoming and supportive, they gave me the confidence to get out there. Moving into 2024, high on my plans is to do more events. With each one, I get more confident and look forward to the next.

For 2024, I am already booked to do the Foreword Festival on 11 February in Bury St Edmunds’s. And, looking at another Comic Con in the Summer. Please come along and meet the authors. There’s such a good vibe, it’s infectious.

Ally Aldridge Goal setting, Writing

Valentine Poetry Collection

Last year, on Wattpad I set myself a challenge. For the first 14 days in February, I posted one ‘romantic’ themed poem everyday.

I already hIce Cream Partyad a number of draft poems on Opuss but that didn’t make the challenge any easier.  First, I had to identify which poem to post.  Next, I had to edit them (they weren’t great).  Then, I had to remember to post one every day.

 

Poetry is not one of my strong points.  It’s always hard putting my writing out there for others to read and judge but with poetry it’s harder.  It’s raw, personal and makes me feel vulnerable.

Somehow we are already into the second week of February without me noticing, so, I won’t be doing my challenge this year. I’m a bit disappointed as I find it healthy to challenge myself and go outside my comfort zone.  It helps me develop as a writer to do something new, something difficult.

I will still add one more to the collection for Valentines day 2018.  Now I’ve promised, I’ll have to do it!  Please click here to view the collection from last year (and check up on me and see if I kept my word).