Den of Writers | Alan Rain | Mentions https://www.denofwriters.com/members/alanr/activity/mentions/ Activity feed mentioning Alan Rain. Mon, 25 May 2026 07:26:59 +0000 https://buddypress.org/?v= en-GB 30 hourly 2 2e7491a561355ce46e63305996eb67c8 JaneShuff posted a new activity comment https://www.denofwriters.com/activity/p/12560/#acomment-12568 Tue, 14 Jan 2020 09:37:59 +0000 Lots of things @alanr. Some of us have embarked on a DIY MA. Some blogs from Ath and Richard. The monthly competition.

In reply to - Alan Rain posted an update Just calling in to see if there’s any activity. What’s happened? ]]> a52251c4d11d8f1b2c81c3f93480e6c2 Philippa East replied to the topic NaNoWriMo in the forum Coffee Shop https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/nanowrimo/page/7/#post-3205 Fri, 23 Nov 2018 20:22:42 +0000 I so agree that it’s useful to drill down into the actual function of a particular behaviour (e.g. scrolling on Twitter, ironing socks etc.)

It MAY be avoidant procrastination (i.e. continuously putting off something we’re for some reason afraid to face). Or that same behaviour could be a much-needed and healthy break from the keyboard / page -…[Read more]

]]> 0 e696fcaa401459adcad482ef3437c6f9 Raine replied to the topic NaNoWriMo in the forum Coffee Shop https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/nanowrimo/page/5/#post-3157 Wed, 21 Nov 2018 12:36:21 +0000 @alanr that seems a doable timeline. I usually take about 6 months from starting to plan to end of first draft, although this one might be quicker thanks to NaNo. The six zillion edits are kind of scattered about in between other projects, beta readers etc, so I don’t really know how much actual time I spend on that. Plus it’s bloody endless anyway init?

]]> 0 b6c2b1d1187376b67262eb62c79974f2 Raine replied to the topic NaNoWriMo in the forum Coffee Shop https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/nanowrimo/page/5/#post-3122 Tue, 20 Nov 2018 12:33:14 +0000 Yay for plots resolving themselves @alanr! Always a good feeling. πŸ™‚

HOw’re other NaNoers doing? I’m on 36k, struggling a bit with days being taken up with RL, but am hoping to make it early next week – before a family invasion!

]]> 0 56ed01ba7cff216c95e2ed142153a743 Elle replied to the topic NaNoWriMo in the forum Coffee Shop https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/nanowrimo/page/5/#post-3072 Sat, 17 Nov 2018 16:48:44 +0000 @AlanR β€” it’s not often but it can happen Meg Hunter’s debut, The End We Start From” was only 17,000 or 18,000 words if I remember correctly.

]]> 0 e7fa24429106a48a2f8e6d950d55ac24 KazG replied to the topic NaNoWriMo in the forum Coffee Shop https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/nanowrimo/page/4/#post-3036 Thu, 15 Nov 2018 09:26:08 +0000 Well done on the creative burst @alanr – that must feel good. And I really like that title.

]]> 0 029b3e49654bcf403a5bd7f979bb38d8 Elle replied to the topic NaNoWriMo in the forum Coffee Shop https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/nanowrimo/page/4/#post-3031 Wed, 14 Nov 2018 17:51:02 +0000 @alanr β€” intriguing title! I like it.

]]> 0 b98106c2418bd7bd3c9ce0eeb8aa83ce Raine replied to the topic NaNoWriMo in the forum Coffee Shop https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/nanowrimo/page/4/#post-3014 Wed, 14 Nov 2018 12:33:26 +0000 That’s great, @alanr! Hope the flow keeps going. I am in the process of hauling myself over my 25k wall. Getting there, but oof.

]]> 0 405358141bf440e42b8938b0299ffe76 Philippa East replied to the topic CB Creative in the forum Podium https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/cb-creative/#post-2862 Wed, 07 Nov 2018 10:21:53 +0000 Oh wow, @alanr, that is such exciting news about the request!!!! Amazing. Have you sent it off yet? Whatever happens, I am sure you’ll get some invaluable feedback. Congrats again!!

]]> 0 7031989e6101dce1c772a7458c0c7184 Hilary replied to the topic CB Creative in the forum Podium https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/cb-creative/#post-2764 Sat, 03 Nov 2018 13:01:28 +0000 Oh, well done, @alanr! That’s fantastic. So which course are you going for?

]]> 0 e744d3c5a37cd5bbf350be30f4eca83a KazG replied to the topic CB Creative in the forum Podium https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/cb-creative/#post-2759 Sat, 03 Nov 2018 10:09:12 +0000 That’s a fantastic achievement @alanr! Congratulations! What an exciting choice to be faced with …:-)

]]> 0 9f721b9afe34a251378698aa8d1863a6 Philippa East posted an update: Congratulations @Alanr on your #WRITECBC win!! https://www.denofwriters.com/activity/p/5146/ Fri, 02 Nov 2018 15:43:52 +0000 Congratulations @Alanr on your #WRITECBC win!!

]]> 2 7f0204b1bf6b647338ee1df393f267de Raine replied to the topic Some notes on Dara Marks' Transformational Arc in the forum Blogs https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/some-notes-on-dara-marks-transformational-arc/#post-2594 Fri, 26 Oct 2018 10:01:26 +0000 @richardb and @squidge – I don’t think there’s anything wrong in not wanting to use models like these! I have a penchance for graphs, which is probably ~60% of why I love it! No – I like the tie-in between internal and external, but it’s definitely not for everyone.

@athelstone, yeah you’re totally right, I agree it’s foolish to think that any…[Read more]

]]> 0 41380ddb11b99dcd433e6d0d071444fb KazG replied to the topic New title needed for 'Snatched' - help! in the forum The Writers' Lifeboat https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/new-title-needed-for-snatched-help/#post-2512 Tue, 23 Oct 2018 16:16:12 +0000 Ooh interesting list @raine. I also like the feel of The Girl and The Missing. And yes, I like the idea of exile too @alanr.

I sent a list of ideas to my agent before I left for India (below) and the one that jumped out for her was When Days Tilt – which I have to admit is one of my favourites, even though it’s a bit more aslant to the…[Read more]

]]> 0 aa2dc82dc7e6628665a03801444d5d72 KazG replied to the topic New title needed for 'Snatched' - help! in the forum The Writers' Lifeboat https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/new-title-needed-for-snatched-help/#post-2393 Wed, 17 Oct 2018 22:07:58 +0000 You lot are fantastic! Thank you all so much for brainstorming for me πŸ™‚

@seagreen and @janeshuff – I think you’re really onto something there with The Time Stealer/Snatcher’s… and using that to bundle the series together. Going to ponder that.

@jd73 that made me snort – Iron Maiden’s back catalogue πŸ™‚ But I love them. And I’m leaning…[Read more]

]]> 0 2672b04986726655979905607f7d4cf7 KazG replied to the topic Titles in the forum The Writers' Lifeboat https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/titles/#post-2354 Tue, 16 Oct 2018 22:35:25 +0000 @alanr – just saw that I basically suggested the same as you!

]]> 0 c2a5d81fbdfd997300908d8dee8a49ab Philippa East replied to the topic Example Cover Letter in the forum Blogs https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/example-cover-letter/page/2/#post-2214 Tue, 09 Oct 2018 18:47:21 +0000 Hi @Alanr
Sounds like a plan. My understanding of the “read our books before you submit” guideline is to help prospective authors determine whether their own MS would be a good fit. I’m sure you’ll quickly work this out by consuming a few of their titles to see if your own seems similar in style and flavour. Good luck!

]]> 0 99d463379374a2d221f02755648f16db Daedalus replied to the topic Agent Samantha Wekstein reopening for subs in the forum Competitions, Open calls and Writing Opportunities https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/agent-samantha-wekstein-reopening-for-subs/#post-2042 Wed, 03 Oct 2018 06:16:54 +0000 @Stevie – definitely sounds worth a shot

@alanr – no idea but thought it might warrant further exploration (and we may even have some US based people here anyway)

]]> 0 405ef2916ac221326e2b8d337d2a47dd Philippa East replied to the topic Example Cover Letter in the forum Blogs https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/example-cover-letter/page/2/#post-2029 Tue, 02 Oct 2018 15:27:28 +0000 Hi @alanr,

Great! That makes sense. I think all of the points you make about how the manananggal operates within Galina could be turned into a great hook in your blurb, while also satisfactorily answering the agent’s burning question of ‘how does this possession thing work?’

A final couple of super-picky points.

I would be wary of ‘selling’…[Read more]

]]> 0 ea64a4af94550883e63c5be56e7a9ca3 Daedalus replied to the topic Den monthly competition September 2018 in the forum Competitions, Open calls and Writing Opportunities https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/den-monthly-competition-september-2018/page/2/#post-1980 Mon, 01 Oct 2018 15:31:47 +0000 Thank you so much to everyone who entered the first Den of Writers monthly competition. We now have a whole new section of the forum just for the monthly comp, so all future versions will be held there. Here’s the link: https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/forum/den-of-writers/monthly-competition/

For those not familiar with the monthly c…[Read more]

]]> 0 d0e5070bbc665e10acdbbb73a182c872 Philippa East replied to the topic Example Cover Letter in the forum Blogs https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/example-cover-letter/#post-1927 Sun, 30 Sep 2018 19:08:11 +0000 Hi @alanr

I think this definitely sounds clearer and more focused, well done. You sound like you understand your own book, because you have described it clearly in para 1.

Couple of thoughts for the blurb bit (the bit we want to “zing”) – given that the book centres around the manananggal, I am curious to know how Galina becomes possessed……[Read more]

]]> 0 5b9f2fc148613abfb4ea64e72b491746 Philippa East replied to the topic Example Cover Letter in the forum Blogs https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/example-cover-letter/#post-1900 Fri, 28 Sep 2018 21:37:43 +0000 Hi @alanr,

Ooo, thanks for sharing! I like the sound of these supernatural elements, and the interplay between your three main characters. I was just thinking today about then book “Ice” by Anna Kavan. I think yours has similarities to this too.

Okay, I’ve dived straight in and edited, as I see fit. Feel free to disagree with any or all of my…[Read more]

]]> 0 82f50ff35d05922376f37d58a61166b8 Philippa East replied to the topic Example Cover Letter in the forum Blogs https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/example-cover-letter/#post-1888 Fri, 28 Sep 2018 16:05:51 +0000 Hi @alanr,

Nice typo spot! Man, there’s always one (or 12).

Yes, this is the novel I’ve now rewritten in dual POV. The original version I was peddling here was too much of a coming-of-age story and (in Sarah’s words) “not twisty enough”. Cue complete rewrite!

Though, as I’ve mentioned before, the suggested changes simply helped me get it…[Read more]

]]> 0 8e7dce2e77f6c45cbf4b3101ad3ba48d Andrew Wille replied to the topic My failure in the forum Podium https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/my-failure/page/2/#post-1876 Thu, 27 Sep 2018 20:27:01 +0000 @Daedalus – that’s exactly what I am getting at. It’s often about a mismatch. And there can often be luck involved, too, though also we can all create some of our own luck. A lot of writing that does not get taken is not picked up because it’s not yet at a professional standard in terms of craft and technique, or because it’s simply unlikely to…[Read more]

]]> 0 a14ebd8c401b464767b8b8bcaf5eca8a Philippa East replied to the topic My failure in the forum Podium https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/my-failure/#post-1788 Tue, 25 Sep 2018 13:58:44 +0000 @alanr, commiseration on the “failures”, but it’s never a failure to put your work out there and to try. Glad you got some useful feedback at your one–to-one and you’ve found a way to implement it

@bellam I am excited about the new computer. I do agree that we remain writers even when not physically writing. It’s nice that you can see that your…[Read more]

]]> 0 fa2689e66dc5f244d500fb1bf883aa5d Philippa East replied to the topic Getting an Agent. in the forum Blogs https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/getting-an-agent/page/7/#post-1785 Tue, 25 Sep 2018 13:51:12 +0000 Hi @alanr. My hair IS kind of chestnut, but I wouldn’t call it vivid! So don’t think that was me…. Hope we will cross paths another time.

Yes @daedalus – I suspect there is a US / UK split. The writer I knew who kept putting “c”s on things was from the States.

I think I recall @Debi weighing in on the discussion previously to say no “c”…[Read more]

]]> 0 c10f12a0e4f02ac435806760d63b6420 Raine replied to the topic Getting an Agent. in the forum Blogs https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/getting-an-agent/page/6/#post-1771 Tue, 25 Sep 2018 09:51:32 +0000 Gosh, no @alanr! That seems fairly ott and kind of paranoid. Plus a lot of hassle, right? Spending time and money to copyright something on the small chance that an agent will like it, and even smaller chance that they can be bothered stealing a promising idea rather than just requesting a full ms.

Who was the published author? I’m intrigued…[Read more]

]]> 0 15ac15640e59be469cea763f2af017f2 Raine replied to the topic Getting an Agent. in the forum Blogs https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/getting-an-agent/page/6/#post-1737 Mon, 24 Sep 2018 12:25:31 +0000 I find Twitter really useful. Keeping track of publishing news was the reason I finally succumbed and joined it! I guess the closest we can do to a centralised MSWL is just to search the hashtag. Other than that, it’s the slow business of googling each agent for recent interviews as well as their agency page.

I’m like Ath – I don’t really notice…[Read more]

]]> 0 85b63d6c3aefcee5f5a65e1703a633ca Sandra posted an update: @alanr - sorry, case of the blind trying to help the blind - […] https://www.denofwriters.com/activity/p/3610/ Sun, 23 Sep 2018 19:02:34 +0000 @alanr – sorry, case of the blind trying to help the blind – never a good idea!

]]> 0 7dad356063a533b1347599abc7cfb382 Sandra posted an update: @alanr Alan you CAN edit - the pale grey bar with date above […] https://www.denofwriters.com/activity/p/3586/ Sun, 23 Sep 2018 14:57:40 +0000 @alanr Alan you CAN edit – the pale grey bar with date above your original post has am even paler REPLY on it, RH end.

]]> 0 e7ebd30a13436840ac6442aabc5b5e9c Amanda Berriman (Skylark) replied to the topic Festival Dreams in the forum Blogs https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/festival-dreams/page/2/#post-1671 Sat, 22 Sep 2018 16:55:33 +0000 @philippaeast Lovely to see you too! Was Cynthia the one I was chatting to with you? I’m pleased to have inspired her πŸ™‚

@alanr Ha! Thank you very much, kind sir πŸ˜€

@squidge Indeed we do!! πŸ˜€

]]> 0 7626dec688cba7d22c3d0f30b76fe86a Raine replied to the topic New Blog from Emma Darwin in the forum Blogs https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/new-blog-from-emma-darwin/#post-1504 Tue, 18 Sep 2018 11:32:51 +0000 Ugh, toothache is awful @alanr. Hope it eases. I know that guilty feeling for not writing, but sometimes its good to step away for a while too. Or at least that’s what I tell myself when school hols make time to write a rare commodity!

]]> 0 dd021a661464c0201e94cb82698903c9 Raine replied to the topic Hello All in the forum Coffee Shop https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/hello-all/page/8/#post-1448 Mon, 17 Sep 2018 12:25:14 +0000 @alanr It’s definitely v tricky to find a balance between not selling yourself enough, and being horribly ott, isn’t it? Factual seems to work best. Actually ‘tidy’ isn’t bad! Means you havent waffled on too long or included unnecessary info which can both be fatal.

Hope the 1:1s gave you some direction for what could be changed, even the…[Read more]

]]> 0 df33c8df30b9a4f75cfb5b291f194208 Raine replied to the topic Hello All in the forum Coffee Shop https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/hello-all/page/8/#post-1432 Mon, 17 Sep 2018 09:33:46 +0000 Good luck @alanr! If you want a hand with cover letters etc, then post in the Forum & I (and others) will be happy to throw some advice at you! πŸ™‚

]]> 0 0b5fd7915603f523252469635ff281cc Amanda Berriman (Skylark) replied to the topic Festival Dreams in the forum Blogs https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/festival-dreams/#post-1426 Mon, 17 Sep 2018 07:21:30 +0000 Thank you, lovely people! Are you all trying to make me cry?!
@athelstone wish you’d been there too but we’ll certainly catch up another time and you’re not half bad at the encouragement yourself
@janette I laughed about the train once I was safely home! And thank you for not setting me off from the front row!
@johnt3 same fears as me but it was…[Read more]

]]> 0 86318f39bc16e73d99df045569a4a049 Daedalus replied to the topic Hello All in the forum Coffee Shop https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/hello-all/page/8/#post-1420 Sun, 16 Sep 2018 19:58:20 +0000 Big step @alanr – best of luck with the subs, keep us posted with your progress

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