To Blog or not to Blog that is the question:

MONDAY 15th DECEMBER 2925:  T Minus 18.....

There was a tine when I wrote a daily blog and had a really great following but then Google updated its blogging tool and destroyed the system. Typical of technology giants with no touch on reality. I scrapped writing. 18 days to David's Writing Challenge starting, I am going to experiment with a blog publishing a page each Monday until the New Year. If it works then it can continue as a support factor for OUR Writing Challenge with a newsletter every Monday. If it doesn't then I'll scrap it.

T Minus 18 days until everything starts....

WHAT IS THE CHALLENGE ALL ABOUT

Writing has been a hobby of mine since I was a teenager. When The Beatles had a number one hit with Paperback Writer in 1965 it was my ambition to be a paperback writer.

It was in 1994 that I actually became a paperback writer publishing PETER'S MAGIC FOUNTAIN PEN for my son's 12th birthday. In March 2017 Amazon accepted me as an author, today I am a prolific paperback writer as well as being a Kindle e-book writer.

I love our NHS (N H S = National Happy Smile) and have for many, many years organised different support projects.  David's Writing Challenge is bringing together these two passions.

David is a collective noun

I may be fronting the challenge but it includes each and everyone who wants to make 2026 the year they gave LOVE to our NHS. Are you part of this collective noun ?

Yes that video dates back to the early part of the decade but the love within the song remains.

Barbara Cartland pictured left, born on 9^th July 1901 and left us on 21^st May 2000, holds the Guinness World Record for the most books published in a single year, writing 23 novels in 1976.  My challenge - the challenge YOU are giving to me - is to write ONE MILLION WORDS across 2026 and publish them in 24 books and e-books on Amazon. I am seeking sponsorship of £10,000 for this writing, money to be given to Milton Keynes Hospital Charity. £10,000 = 1p per word. That's the target but I hope it will be smashed and £25,000 actually given to support our NHS. I am actually in the process of setting up a JustGiving page people can use to support those one million words. Today I have a meeting with Milton Keynes Hospital Charity to discuss how everything will fall into place.

On the agenda is to talk about giving teddies to children in hospital, teddies for little ones to cuddle and be well.  Last year I promised 1,000 to Milton Keynes Hospital. I honoured my promised and delivered 1,260.

REMEMBER DAVID IS A COLLECTIVE NOUN

Within this challenge let's promise to match that number. Let's reach out and send teddies to children in hospitals the challenge includes:

Bristol Hospital For Children

Birmingham Hospital For Children

Evelina Hospital London

John Radcliffe Hospital Oxford

Alder Hey Hospital Liverpool

WE can do this.

The challenge seeks to fund these soft toys using royalties from my book sales.

Last year I promised to sign 10,000 SMILE cards sending them to patients in hospital. On Saturday I met that figure. Here is SMILE card number TEN THOUSAND.

With 18 days to go until 20255 comes to an end what will the final total be ? 2026 let's smash that total.

OUR challenge includes supporting some special organisations that support our NHS.  One of these is YOUNG MINDS.

Not far from where I live Young Minds has a charity book swap, each Monday within the challenge I will be dropping off some of my books and popping coins into the charity box.

You can read all about this on our Facebook page:

www.writingchallenge2026.co.uk

Feel free to share what you read and invite friends to join our challenge.

This is another good cause within the challenge. In the New Year I will share some truly beautiful stories on our Facebook page telling of the work it does. Stories like the one this little girl has to tell.

Her name is DOLLY.

I think I am going to bring this blog to an end. Let me remind you:

DAVID IS A COLLECTIVE NOUN

BE PART OF IT

Visit our Facebook page:

www.writingchallenge2026.co.uk

And let's end THANKING OUR NHS. Speak again next Monday.