This year, I have had over 125 rejections, and that, at times, has really dropped my confidence. HOWEVER, I have had some incredible wins that I am so grateful for this year. Here is my round-up!

I made a short film with some really amazing people. The short film in question, She Lives Alone, has gone to seven film festivals (BAFTA and OSCAR Qualifying would you believe!) I just feel incredibly lucky to have made this film, because nothing in life is a guarantee. I learned that hard work pays off and that the class ceiling cannot and will not stop me.

Here are some highlight reviews:

“…Rose’s film is a dark and unsettling take on the period film, with a finale that’s bound to etch itself into the mind of FrightFest goers this weekend…” – Twelve Cabins

“Bleakly haunting.” – FrightFest Goer

“This genuinely gave me chills, which is hard to do these days.” – FrightFest Goer

“A beautifully haunting film [that] gives off Bronte vibes, with ghostly moors. And yet, despite the beautiful scenery, I did not want to venture here. Nope, far too creepy. In many scenes you are unsure whether your eyes played tricks on you or if you really did see a face there in the shadows.” – FrightFest Goer

I’ve had publications I am SO proud of:

• Fleeting Tale of Demeter published by The Selkie ∙ May 2020 ∙ Short Story
• Damn Spot published by Analogies & Allegories  ∙ Oct 2020 ∙ Short Story
• LIFF Report published by BFI Network ∙ Nov 2020 ∙ Nonfiction
• The Hanged Woman published by Eerie River ∙ Forthcoming ∙ Flash Fiction
• The Lady Crow published by Kandisha Press ∙ Forthcoming ∙ Short Story
• A-Ok published by Sink Magazine  ∙ Forthcoming ∙ Personal Essay
• Fragments published by Boshemia ∙ Dec 2020 ∙ Creative Nonfiction

I wrote a book that I am incredibly proud of, and because of that book, I found my literary voice. I am really looking forward to continuing to work on the novel over the next year or so. Through really finding my authorial voice when it came to prose, I’ve been able to write a small bank of short stories I am thrilled with and I can’t wait to query them in the new year with various wishlist presses.

I’ve read 65 books! Some highlights for me were In the Dreamhouse by Carmen Maria Machado, My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite, Grief is a Thing with Feathers by Max Porter, Roald Dahl’s Book of Ghost Stories, Let me Know When you Get Home from Dear Damsels, The Lodger by Marie Lowndes, A Haunted House By Virginia Woolf. Anyone who knows me, knows that reading is one of my biggest passions, and this year has been an amazing year for me when it came to reading. I really searched for voices and stories that would challenge my school of thought and bring out the best in me as a creative.

I am looking forward to 2021. I know I will continue to make mistakes, grow, and learn, but I will do it with the tools I have made this year.

Wishing everyone a very happy new year in advance!

Lucy Rose x