@athelstone
Active 4 hours, 17 minutes ago-
Athelstone posted a new activity comment 6 years, 8 months ago
Thanks for the thanks, though I assure you there are plenty of selfich reasons to run the comp – it’s fun for starters.
Can’t speak for the Denizens, but things are fine for me. How about you? -
Athelstone posted a new activity comment 6 years, 9 months ago
Can I have a bit of both, please? Oh, and yes, custard definitely.
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Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly comp – August in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 9 months ago
You see, what Mrs High and Mighty Rachel Jacobs doesn’t realise is that every time her big shiny car overlaps my drive, I go and walk by it – and I knock her door mirror flat. Of course, it’s an expensive mirror with an expensive motor, and one day my efforts will make that motor fail. Sometimes I brush against the side, just casually. And if I…[Read more]
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Athelstone and
Margaret J Evans are now friends 6 years, 9 months ago -
Athelstone posted an update 6 years, 9 months ago
Songs of Innocence and Experience
OK. New Short Story Challenge. SEE THE NEW GROUP FOR DETAILS.
As Joey Ramone once remarked, “Hey Ho Let’s Go”
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Athelstone posted an update 6 years, 9 months ago
My head says NO, but against this better judgement I have decided to run another winter short story challenge. Autumn seems to have arrived early in this corner of Europe with cold wind and rain, alternating with fickle sunshine. Even Eratigena atrica has begun its amorous invasion of my home a few weeks ahead of schedule, so to take my mind off…[Read more]
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Fab, Ath. These are always so inspiring. 🙂
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Brilliant, Ath. I was just about to message you and ask if you were running a winter comp this year 😁
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Hooray!!! Good on you Ath. And a kick up the bum to me to clear the decks of some current stuff.
Three cheers, I say.-
Is that the time already? I still haven’t finished the last one.
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Didn’t manage the last one. Must try harder. Good for you, Ath.
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Great news and thanks Ath
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Fabulous news – love the name. All sorts of possibilities springing to mind there… Thanks, Ath x
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I promise to try harder for this one. The last lies somewhere among other penned ideas, in one of my jotters.
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This is great but good Lord where has this year gone?
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I ate it
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Can I offer you a blackberry tart instead? I need some of the year that’s left
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Make it crumble. With custard
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Can I have a bit of both, please? Oh, and yes, custard definitely.
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Athelstone posted an update 6 years, 9 months ago
Just sailing out of Cherbourg. Bit sad really. Probably last visit as an EU citizen. For a while anyway.
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Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly comp – August in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 9 months ago
Just about to lose my data connection before surrendering to the joys of wifi at sea. No inspiration here yet. The pain chocolat is good though.
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Athelstone replied to the topic From Bloom to Blizzard in the forum Podium 6 years, 9 months ago
Absolutely stunning story – one of my favourites. Congratulations! Really well deserved.
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Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly comp – July 2019 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 9 months ago
Really enjoyed this one and it certainly got the words flowing. Congratulations to Kate and to the honourable mentionees! And very well done Sandra.
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Athelstone posted a new activity comment 6 years, 9 months ago
I had something of a false start with my WIP. After getting 40K plus into it, I’ve restarted with a new MC (wildly different character) and a change from past to present tense. The net result is that I’m way behind where I intended to be for York. I’ve decided that if I can’t get an agent who’s a good match then I’ll try a book doctor.
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The same thing happened to me, Ath. The replacement agent I’ve found I don’t know at all, but she looks quite interesting.
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I had something of a false start with my WIP. After getting 40K plus into it, I’ve restarted with a new MC (wildly different character) and a change from past to present tense. The net result is that I’m way behind where I intended to be for York. I’ve decided that if I can’t get an agent who’s a good match then I’ll try a book doctor.
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I know all about changing tense, having changed a whole novel from first person present to third person past (and still not getting it published). One possibility at york is to go for an editor. I had a brilliant session with a commissioning editor: I didn’t expect or get a deal, but she helped me pick out underlying themes in the book. One of the…[Read more]
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Athelstone posted a new activity comment 6 years, 10 months ago
And the decision I made is to have a chat with a book doctor who I trust to tell me if I’m being boring, or brilliant, engaging or execrable. I’ve done a bit of research (which is a posh spin on ‘checked the internet’) about Hal Duncan. Seems to be a very fine writer and all-round star, but I’ll stick with my choice.
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Oh no, Athers, I’d seen that one or two might have been cancelled and it sucks that one was ‘the one’ of yours. I haven’t heard anything, so presume mine are okay, but that doesn’t help you. Nor does having to pick from the remaining places available so late in the day. I really hope you get something out of coming to York and as mentioned above,…[Read more]
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Look forward to that, Janette!
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The same thing happened to me, Ath. The replacement agent I’ve found I don’t know at all, but she looks quite interesting.
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I had something of a false start with my WIP. After getting 40K plus into it, I’ve restarted with a new MC (wildly different character) and a change from past to present tense. The net result is that I’m way behind where I intended to be for York. I’ve decided that if I can’t get an agent who’s a good match then I’ll try a book doctor.
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I know all about changing tense, having changed a whole novel from first person present to third person past (and still not getting it published). One possibility at york is to go for an editor. I had a brilliant session with a commissioning editor: I didn’t expect or get a deal, but she helped me pick out underlying themes in the book. One of the…[Read more]
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Athelstone posted a new activity comment 6 years, 10 months ago
Ah well, thanks all – just letting off steam. The chance to actually get read by an agent and then meet them is very different from submitting into the dark and if things go wrong it shouldn’t be just a logistical exercise to ‘fix something up’ for the unlucky delegate. I’ve seen similar things happen in previous years and the outcome is never…[Read more]
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And the decision I made is to have a chat with a book doctor who I trust to tell me if I’m being boring, or brilliant, engaging or execrable. I’ve done a bit of research (which is a posh spin on ‘checked the internet’) about Hal Duncan. Seems to be a very fine writer and all-round star, but I’ll stick with my choice.
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Oh no, Athers, I’d seen that one or two might have been cancelled and it sucks that one was ‘the one’ of yours. I haven’t heard anything, so presume mine are okay, but that doesn’t help you. Nor does having to pick from the remaining places available so late in the day. I really hope you get something out of coming to York and as mentioned above,…[Read more]
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Look forward to that, Janette!
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The same thing happened to me, Ath. The replacement agent I’ve found I don’t know at all, but she looks quite interesting.
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I had something of a false start with my WIP. After getting 40K plus into it, I’ve restarted with a new MC (wildly different character) and a change from past to present tense. The net result is that I’m way behind where I intended to be for York. I’ve decided that if I can’t get an agent who’s a good match then I’ll try a book doctor.
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I know all about changing tense, having changed a whole novel from first person present to third person past (and still not getting it published). One possibility at york is to go for an editor. I had a brilliant session with a commissioning editor: I didn’t expect or get a deal, but she helped me pick out underlying themes in the book. One of the…[Read more]
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Athelstone posted a new activity comment 6 years, 10 months ago
Thanks Libby. Yes, I suppose I’ll have to try something like that. The annoying thing is that the York 1:1 is a chance to skip the inbox and the slushpile and actually get a submission read (by the agent and not a ‘reader’) and then to actually meet the agent face to face. I’ve done a lot of preparation for this.
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Athelstone posted an update 6 years, 10 months ago
Feeling a bit hacked-off. Just heard that my number one choice of agent to meet at York is no longer going to be there. To be honest, she seemed like such a good fit for my writing that she was a large part of my decision to go this year. My number two choice is a perfectly nice and doubtless excellent agent, but seems interested in rather more…[Read more]
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Sorry to hear this, Ath. Afraid I don’t know anything about Hal Duncan. I suppose that if you submit your MS to the agent at some later date, you can tell them you’d applied to meet them at York and that would catch their attention favourably.
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Hal Duncan? Think he’s the Scottish bloke. Talks nineteen to the dozen in his sessions, but knows his stuff. Can come over a bit abrasive, and I can’t remember what he writes himself. I have a feeling it’s a bit quirky, so you might be OK with him for your non-genre stuff…?
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Yep, just had a look at his website and it is the chap I remember. His how to write a sentence session was brilliant.
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I had a session with Hal Duncan 2/3 years back. Not easy because he knew nothing about my genre. While his sessions were hi-speed and he promised notes (because taking them was impossible), they never materialised. I can’t find my feed-back sheet but though what little he did say was useful.
Bummer though, big time, for you.
My review of Vellum…[Read more]
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That is frustrating, Athers, especially as your other options are now limited and less appealing. I did a sentence structure workshop with Hal Duncan at York years ago. I’m afraid to say I got bored because he was being too methodical (my flaw probably, not his), but that’s not to say he wouldn’t be a good fit as a Book Doctor. Looking at his w…[Read more]
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Heyoop. Just seen I’ve been name-checked here. I do check the Den regularly but missed this. Sounds like you’ve sorted something out, At hers. Bummer though. Hope you’re not regretting coming to York. I’ll be looking forward to seeing you there.
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Ah well, thanks all – just letting off steam. The chance to actually get read by an agent and then meet them is very different from submitting into the dark and if things go wrong it shouldn’t be just a logistical exercise to ‘fix something up’ for the unlucky delegate. I’ve seen similar things happen in previous years and the outcome is never…[Read more]
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And the decision I made is to have a chat with a book doctor who I trust to tell me if I’m being boring, or brilliant, engaging or execrable. I’ve done a bit of research (which is a posh spin on ‘checked the internet’) about Hal Duncan. Seems to be a very fine writer and all-round star, but I’ll stick with my choice.
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Oh no, Athers, I’d seen that one or two might have been cancelled and it sucks that one was ‘the one’ of yours. I haven’t heard anything, so presume mine are okay, but that doesn’t help you. Nor does having to pick from the remaining places available so late in the day. I really hope you get something out of coming to York and as mentioned above,…[Read more]
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Look forward to that, Janette!
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The same thing happened to me, Ath. The replacement agent I’ve found I don’t know at all, but she looks quite interesting.
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I had something of a false start with my WIP. After getting 40K plus into it, I’ve restarted with a new MC (wildly different character) and a change from past to present tense. The net result is that I’m way behind where I intended to be for York. I’ve decided that if I can’t get an agent who’s a good match then I’ll try a book doctor.
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I know all about changing tense, having changed a whole novel from first person present to third person past (and still not getting it published). One possibility at york is to go for an editor. I had a brilliant session with a commissioning editor: I didn’t expect or get a deal, but she helped me pick out underlying themes in the book. One of the…[Read more]
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Athelstone posted a new activity comment 6 years, 10 months ago
It does change, Squidge. It can be a bit disorientating at first and sometimes a bit sad, but you’ll develop a new relationship with them which, even though it’s a totally different shape, completely fills the hole they leave behind. Odd that.
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I’ve been somewhat strategic in helping my daughter to develop her independence. It was I who left home for trips away, leaving her to fend for herself (once she was working, I should add!). Good practice, I thought, for when she gets a place of her own – and she agreed. She has not long returned from her big first trip, spending three months in…[Read more]
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Athelstone posted a new activity comment 6 years, 10 months ago
“they all seem to stay on the payroll for far longer than that anyway”
Tell me about it! -
Athelstone replied to the topic DIY soapbox in the forum Podium 6 years, 10 months ago
6-8 September https://jerichowriters.com/festival-of-writing/
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Athelstone replied to the topic DIY soapbox in the forum Podium 6 years, 10 months ago
Oh well, it won’t be the same at York without you 🙁
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Things are a bit bleurgh tbh. Hence the cave. So am extra glad of the challenge this year. 🙂