I conquered one of my pet fears this year, I read a story aloud to a group of people. Not just any story, but one I’d written myself. Sitting terrified in the Forest audience beforehand, it seemed like more of an ordeal than anything else. But as I walked off the stage again I realised how much I’d enjoyed it. So much so I volunteered to read again not long after, for the Bugged launch in Manchester.

To celebrate the idea that I could join the ranks of those people not too scared to let their stories be heard as well as read, I also applied to cool new audio magazine 4’33”. Luckily for me, they said yes and I set to work recording myself reading Two Dancing Doves – the same story I’d read at the Forest. God knows how many takes later, I was about happy with it (I did it with iMovie, and had to cover the camera up with bluetac to stop distracting myself as I read).

Now that story is up there on 4’33” for anybody to hear and somehow I feel a lot more vulnerable knowing my voice is up there along with my words. If you prefer to read rather than listen and have an iPhone/pod/pad, you can also download Two Dancing Doves and several other short stories of mine from the Ether app.

I’m really chuffed about these two publications. I know I’m a bit old fashioned sometimes and not exactly cutting edge (fountain pen anyone?) but listening to stories on my laptop or reading them on my phone does make me feel a bit like I’m in the future. Now for 2011 – if I can have a robot monkey butler or a hover board that would do just nicely!