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  • Oh BOTHER! So sorry, Libby. I confess I found the prompt a little tricky, but I was getting the start of an idea. Then I got myself involved with something and forgot all about it.

    Well done to all three entrants, especially Janette. I liked the stories very much.

  • Well done Janette for and Seagreen for such entertaining tales, and thank you Libby for forcing me into finding new characters to deal with this tricky prompt. I was grateful for the part played by Google.

  • @sandradavies

    Sandra, this is an atmospheric depiction of the personalities within a family, all so economically written. I’d never heard of furanocoumarins. What an interesting thing to discover! You built tension with all the possible problems resulting from letting children loose in the kitchen, then there was a fine twist at the end. Very e…[Read more]

  • Janette posted an update 1 year ago

    I wondered if I could ask a favour of any fellow writers who enjoy character-led novels. The current title of my book Saving Grace has never really sat easy with me, being aware it also the title of a major film (one of my favourites), and I more recently learned it is the name of a US series, besides being used several times by other authors…[Read more]

    • Libby replied 1 year ago

      Hi @janette , I immediately liked (Don’t) Call Me Graceless and
      My Growing Chain of Big Fat Lies. Is Fibs an alternative title?
      The first title suggests character, the second plot. They both have voice.
      I’m not keen on Fibs. It feels vague.

    • I like ‘The Art of invisible mending’ which offers intrigue.

  • Ten days left to enter the monthly competition for April!

    Details here

    Monthly competition April 2025

     

  • <u>Parsnip Wine

    </u>

    Our back-facing neighbours were the first to acknowledge our arrival. Each time I looked out, the ever-preened woman was at her bay window, dog-in-hand (at least I think the explosion of fur was of canine origin). Gerald supposed she were sun-worshipping, her glances only polite curiosity – then he always did see the good i…[Read more]

  • Janette posted an update 1 year ago

    And sorry for the belated congratulations, Libby – amid the business of being employed again, I thought I had already posted my response to your comp win, which was a fine, worthy entry.

    I confess I didn’t know what to do with the April challenge you posted, but some thought during a weekend walk gave me a lightbulb moment.

  • Janette posted an update 1 year ago

    Kate, brilliant stuff. Congratulations!

  • Kate replied to the topic New novel from Kate Machon! in the forum Podium 1 year ago

    Thanks, Sea! 😃

  • Seagreen replied to the topic New novel from Kate Machon! in the forum Podium 1 year ago

    Ooh! Congratulations! 😀

  • UNTITLED (357 WORDS)

     

    Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C.

    Scrub the parsnips thoroughly, top and tail, then cut in half lengthways.

    It’s Mum’s old recipe. I’ve never used it before, but George’s parents are coming for dinner and his dad is especially fond of roast parsnips, apparently. Or so George would have me believe. Honestly? I think i…[Read more]

  •  

    Three sleeps become one [342 words]

    Odd the way memory works, Changes shape and emphasis as one grows older. For me, hearing myself  echoing my mother’s faux cheery encouragement as she told me and Robin, my brother, ‘So, you’ll be staying with Granny and Grandad Trent for a little while. Just three sleeps – ‘ shocked me. That I was  …. not ex…[Read more]

  • Kate replied to the topic New novel from Kate Machon! in the forum Podium 1 year ago

    Thanks, Ath – as I’m sure you remember, they came to life in a short story in one of you winter writing challenges. Now I’m about to start writing book 3.

  • Athelstone replied to the topic New novel from Kate Machon! in the forum Podium 1 year ago

    Really well deserved. I love the fact that you carried the two MCs along for ages and are reaping the rewards!

  • Kate replied to the topic New novel from Kate Machon! in the forum Podium 1 year ago

    Thanks, Libby!

    Book 1 in the series was a bronze winner in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards last week too. So I’ve had lots to celebrate on the writing front. A very nice feeling after the years of drought when I was chasing agents!

  • Libby started the topic New novel from Kate Machon! in the forum Podium 1 year ago

    Here’s a chance for me to congratulate Kate, the group admin and stalwart of our SE Course Group Sept 2016, for her new novel The Ghost Orb. It’s  the second book in her Pix and Gabe adventure series. I know how good it is because I was lucky enough to see it in draft 🙂

  • Thank you, Knicks! @knickylaurelle

     

  • Thanks for the kind words, @sandradavies! I appreciate it. And congratulations to you, Libby! I enjoyed yours and every other entry coming out of this prompt. It was a good one 🙂

  • Thanks, Sandra, for the prompt, which I did find somewhat challenging (not a bad thing).

    Fantastic entries from everyone else! You motivated me to (try to!) do better.

  • I’ve taken Sandra’s brilliant prompt idea from last month and tweaked it. On a micro-fiction course some time ago, I was advised to find story prompts by combining a line of poetry with an instruction from a recipe.

    For the April comp please write 400 words max of prose inspired by:
    <p style=”text-align: center;”>”Suntrap bay windows”</p>
    and
    <p…[Read more]

    • Libby replied 1 year ago

      The monthly comp April page shows all this without added text instructions.

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