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Raine posted an update 6 years, 3 months ago
Our lovely Fiona (Bric) is on this tmrw – register here to watch….
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_p0_gtnBjRMyAoswPP36ZbQ -
Raine posted an update 6 years, 3 months ago
For those of us in the North – Harper have opened their ‘northern’ (Manchester, still quite south from where I’m standing 😀 ) office & are doing an open submissions to northerly writers. I don’t know how long they’ll be doing that & imagine they’ll switch to agented only fairly quickly so if you’ve got something ready, might be worth a punt?
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sorry – forgot to add: Harpernorth.co.uk
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Coming from the Manchester area myself I’m pleased one of the big publishing companies thinks this very populous, diverse and influential area is worth direct support. (If I knew how to add an emoji signalling a combination of weariness, irony, relief and some kind of optimism, I’d put it here.) I have to agree, Raine, that Manchester is hardly…[Read more]
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Barny joined the group
A place for Stupid Questions 6 years, 4 months ago -
Jules joined the group
A place for Stupid Questions 6 years, 5 months ago -
Raine posted an update 6 years, 5 months ago
7 weeks of homeschooling (9 of lockdown) done. 5 & 1/2 weeks of homeschooling left. The end is just beginning to appear over the horizon!
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Hurray! And well done on the home schooling. Have you managed to get any writing done as well?
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Mixed feelings about the whole school thing here – some are going back, some not, some parents agree, some don’t… Having seen reports where teh libraries are being taped off with hazard tape to stop the kids handling books, I don’t think I’ll be putting my volunteer librarian hat back on for some time…
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Yes, much as I and the mini are missing school (!), I am so glad we aren’t in England & facing going back to schools when it isn’t safe and when the measures schools are forced to use seem to be stripping all joy and light out of the school environment. Those photos of taped off bookshelves, and of chalked squares in the playground make me feel sick.
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Bits, yes. I am struggling health-wise, and my capacity to structure and concentrate is shot to pieces. But I am doing lots of ‘research’ reading (about hedge magic, herbal remedies, victorian women botanists and the British Raj!), and pantsing a couple of novels that are almost certainly destined for the bin but are providing some escape for now.…[Read more]
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Glad to hear you are managing to write ‘bits’ but very sorry about the ill-health. It’s a bugger, especially when you know that you’re not firing on all cylinders – so frustrating on top of everything else. However just reading about your research makes me want to read the novel that will result! It’s an enticing concoction. There’s every chance…[Read more]
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Raine replied to the topic Monthly comp – April 2020 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 6 months ago
Thank-you all. I just realised as I logged on to write this that we talked about making these comps run over two months rather than one? I’ll stick to one month being as that was how I set it. So. These were all a delight to read. So many memories and things that resonated with me very powerfully. Anyway, on to my thoughts.
@jllsted I am very…[Read more]
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Raine posted an update 6 years, 6 months ago
24hrs ish left to enter this month’s comp… Give me something to do tomorrow other than supervise maths. Please. 😀
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Anything to dilute the maths 🙂
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Raine posted an update in the group
CoronaMo 6 years, 6 months ago1900 words today despite my computer (actually) screaming at me when I first turned it on this morning! Seems to have exorcised whatever ghost that was – phew. But then realised today’s words were about a ghost of a recording of the Little Red Ridinghood story so am expecting the computer to turn on with a howl tomorrow!
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Raine posted an update 6 years, 6 months ago
10 days left to post something in the Monthly Comp. Not a ‘create a story’ prompt this time, so much as a ‘play with words’ one. So even if you’re feeling low on inspiration, give it a go.
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I started working on something this morning, enjoying, just at the moment, not to have to think up a story. That’s not because of the virus but because have been editing the novel and my brain isn’t flexible enough for a sudden shift to other fiction.
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Only a very small proportion of my payments are in cash these days and I think the last cheque I wrote was about 3 years ago. I have two pound coins in my pocket and I think that’s all the cash I’ve had for about a month. These are unusual times in that we are trying to minimise the shopping we do in person, i.e. I’m unlikely to nip out to the…[Read more]
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I had to hunt out our cheque book when confinement started as we’re having to do a lot of payments by cheque. I couldn’t even remember what colour it was.
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I’ve not written a cheque since October 2019. The one before that was written in April 2019. I haven’t handled cash since 31st March when the pharmacist called round with a prescription I had to pay for. Credit card points are building up nicely. Silver linings and all that.
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Raine posted an update in the group
CoronaMo 6 years, 7 months agoAnyone got swallows back yet? Was looking for them today but no luck yet. Walk along the beach did turn up a white sea brick though (now called Beatrice, mini lugged it home), a bit of sea tile with the letter E on, and a perfect conch shell. Along with the usual sea glass & good painting stones. A moderately good haul which will all end up in one…[Read more]
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None at the palace yet. I checked yesterday.
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“sea glass” – such wonderful connotations.
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No swallows as yet but in the evening the beach (forbidden to humans) is full of birds congregating along the water line. It is getting light enough after supper to slip past the ‘interdit’ signs and watch them dart in and out of the little frothy waves or stand still on the sand and watch the sun set behind the islands.
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What a delightful picture you paint, Raine. No, I have not seen any swallows yet, but many other birds visit our garden, as we have countryside all around our home. We are a long way from the sea and beaches, but we do have terracotta bowls of such items as you describe in our home – many dating as far back as when we lived in Cyprus! Have a…[Read more]
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Looking out for swallows here. We only moved in in January, so not sure what the avian fauna are like, except there a rooks/ravens plucking twigs from trees and then flying off to build nests, and seagulls doing their squawking thing, and since we started putting food out the sparrows, tits and similar have been very enthusiastic, also the rats…[Read more]
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Yes @raine, What is a sea brick?
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😂 It’s a brick that’s been washed up by the sea so it’s all eroded and smooth. We get a fair few normal ones but a white one was special! Sea tiles are my fav – bits of broken and smoothed ceramic from all sorts of things. Old decorated plates are the best.
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Sounds lovely. I’ve never seen them though. Is there a reason why they wash up? Our beach, although lovely in every way, doesn’t get much washed up apart from bits of fishermen’s nets.
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Raine started the topic Monthly comp – April 2020 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 7 months ago
Bit different this time in an attempt to find beauty in our (confined) surroundings – look around the room you are in & find the oldest item (not counting people!). Now tell us something about it. Why is it precious, why have you kept it so long, who owned it before you… whatever.
400 words. Hope it brings a little light. 🙂 -
Raine replied to the topic March competition in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 7 months ago
Thank-you so much John and everyone! I am delighted to have worried you all! I love how utterly different all our stories were, so well dones are due to the rest of you as well – each one was great. 🙂
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Daedalus replied to the topic Short story in Barren magazine in the forum Podium 6 years, 7 months ago
Thanks all. Was glad this one found a home, not having had much success with short fiction recently
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Daedalus replied to the topic My ride so far on the rollercoaster that is publishing in the forum Blogs 6 years, 7 months ago
That’s amazing Elle, well done. Thoroughly deserved, of course. I love your craft, your prose is amazing and you’re one of those writers where every word is perfectly chosen, so I look forward very much to the result!
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Raine posted an update in the group
CoronaMo 6 years, 7 months agoSubmitted a bunch of flash things to various magazines today AND did my monthly comp entry. For day 1 of homeschooling, I’m giving myself a gold star! 🙂
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Well done, Raine. I managed a newsletter and 1000 words of current wip but a) I don’f have children so I did not have home schooling to contend with and b) every one of those words felt like I extracted them with pliers!
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Gold star is well-deserved!
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Well done, Raine.
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That’s good going, Raine. Your comp entry is amazing.
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Aw fankyoo! I am pantsing everything (writing and life) at the moment, but it was a fun one to write. 🙂
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Pantsing seems to be working very well for you 🙂
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Raine replied to the topic March competition in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 7 months ago
(Bang on 400 words, I think)
Spring-Hollow Secret God Sleeping
Bring withy willows with you to weave a net on a night when the moon rides high. We will catch her face in the black mirror at our feet, dance her widdershins and threefold so that our withies weave moonlight all around.
Bring silver sage and silver blades and your hair hanging…[Read more]
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Raine replied to the topic My ride so far on the rollercoaster that is publishing in the forum Blogs 6 years, 8 months ago
I said on Twitter, but will say again here because this is worth double congratulations …. YAY!!! I’m so delighted for you. Not at all surprised that you’ve found yourself an agent, and cant’ wait to see where you go from here. 🙂
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Raine posted an update in the group
CoronaMo 6 years, 8 months agoI did the decluttering exercise the other day, @janeshuff. But yes @janette, I might try the monthly prompt as a mini-challenge next week. I’ve actually just speed-written 1,300 words of a brand new wip with NO PLANNING WHATSOEVER, which is Very Not Me! I figure in the absence of an ability to concentrate, maybe I should give pantsing a go! 😀
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@Raine, I feel very guilty about this, but my meeting with the agent today has left me with quite a list of ‘to do’s’ she wants done quickly, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to make the comp.
Re the new wip, best of luck, though I feel it is in very capable hands and sometimes no planning comes up with surprising results! -
@Raine – sounds liberating. Long may it continue.
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