Alan Rain

@hilary No, I didn’t expect to win, (but still had dreams.) Before I entered I knew I’d be delighted with a shortlisting, and more than happy with a longlist. I hope my posts now don’t sound defeatist – I’m a long, long way from that, and don’t see a time in the near or distant future when I would be down and out.
Well done for your successes at…[Read more]

@Elle Yes, I’ve heard this, and that judges aren’t able to say who wrote any particular extract. Women writers just seem to be far more active than men. Certainly, at FOW18 on the day I was there, women clearly outnumbered men.

I wrote my own novel for a worldwide audience, for both genders, and for any age. My characters are of mixed ethnicity,…[Read more]

It’s fortunate the police arrived in time to arrest him. Someone like that driving a van is a serious accident waiting to happen.

Stella, I believe the Grindstone ends very soon, so suggest you hurry.
I don’t know about the Bath children’s award, but agree they have a steep entry fee. It’s also £25 for the novel award.
The novel award is highly regarded, and all the winners have ended up with a deal. (For a male writer, though, it’s worth knowing the award is…[Read more]

@Stellaolivetti Bath, Bridport, Yeovil, Blue Pencil.
There are two more with end dates coming soon: Grindstone and Caledonian.

Yes, it’s disheartening when you see newly published books by celebs (assume that’s what you mean). My local bookshop recently had on open display a ‘crime thriller’ by Ronnie O’Sullivan (the snooker player). No further…[Read more]

@Raine Your view of semantics (and that of others) is a moot point. Is failure not trying, or not winning? I think I may be too inclined towards not winning, and some re-education is necessary.
When considering success and failure, I think it’s important not to forget why writers do write. Surely, all the various reasons can be summed-up as…[Read more]

Thanks. I didn’t realise it was a group.

I’m trying to understand this, but it’s like ‘Mornington Crescent’.
All I understand is that it’s a short story competition.
Where are the rules? Where is this ‘chit chat’ – I looked in ‘Room with a view’, but got directed somewhere else.

Maybe it’s not for me because I don’t (as yet) write short stories.

@Bellam @PhilippaEast @Squidge Thanks for your kind words, but it’s difficult for a self-driven person not to be harsh with himself.

@PhilippaEast That’s good to know. But I only recently took mine off, and fortunately before I sent my 50 pages off to agents.
When I started writing it, there was plenty of advice to include the “c”.

Just out of interest, at FOW18 (Sunday) did you have the chestnut hair? At one talk I sat behind a lady with vivid hair of that colour, and…[Read more]

@Johnalty That’s what I thought.
@Raine My first reaction, too. Said author has since rubbished the idea. But otoh, every activity known to mankind has its share of cheats.

There’s a tweet today by a published author saying a ‘budding author’ (unnamed) believes he/she should copyright a synopsis before sending it out.
Does anyone do this?

@raine, of course everyone has their own experience of Twitter, and no two are alike. If a writer follows me, I follow back – the only exception being those who are on Twitter, not to socialise, but to promote their own self-pub books.
Kit de Waal and Kerry Hudson are two authors who are currently working hard to do something about diversity. They…[Read more]

@Jonathan Thanks for the site link, but http://www.manuscriptwishlist.com is only for US agents. I wish we had one just for UK agents.
I agree that the Twitter writing community is basically friendly, but I have to say there is a strong feminist element embedded there who take every opportunity to bash male authors. Yes, I get the impression that the…[Read more]

All, just wondering: in this thread there were 75 posts in the space of 10 days. Then nothing, and abruptly – the last post was on 7th.
Was there a system crash?

Anyway, maybe it can be resuscitated?

I’ve read the entire thread, and agree there’s a lot of useful stuff. Thanks to those who’ve put links in.

I’m in that submitting period, devising…[Read more]

Ditto and ditto.
(sounds like a literary agency)