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Janette posted an update 1 year, 3 months 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.
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Kate replied to the topic New novel from Kate Machon! in the forum Podium 1 year, 3 months ago
Thanks, Sea! 😃
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Seagreen replied to the topic New novel from Kate Machon! in the forum Podium 1 year, 3 months ago
Ooh! Congratulations! 😀
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Seagreen replied to the topic Monthly competition April 2025 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 year, 3 months ago
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]
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Kate replied to the topic New novel from Kate Machon! in the forum Podium 1 year, 3 months 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.
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Athelstone replied to the topic New novel from Kate Machon! in the forum Podium 1 year, 3 months ago
Really well deserved. I love the fact that you carried the two MCs along for ages and are reaping the rewards!
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Kate replied to the topic New novel from Kate Machon! in the forum Podium 1 year, 3 months 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!
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Libby started the topic New novel from Kate Machon! in the forum Podium 1 year, 3 months 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 🙂
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Libby replied to the topic Monthly competition March 2025 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 year, 3 months ago
Thank you, Knicks! @knickylaurelle
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Knicks replied to the topic Monthly competition March 2025 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 year, 3 months ago
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 🙂
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Seagreen replied to the topic Monthly competition March 2025 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 year, 3 months ago
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.
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Libby started the topic Monthly competition April 2025 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 year, 3 months ago
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 to the topic Monthly competition March 2025 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 year, 3 months ago
Thank you, Ath!
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Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly competition March 2025 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 year, 3 months ago
You may not have expected it, but you should believe it, Libby. really sharp story there.
Thanks, Sandra. I enjoyed that prompt. And thanks to all the other entrants; I really enjoyed reading through them this month.
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Libby replied to the topic Monthly competition March 2025 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 year, 3 months ago
Thank you, @sandradavies I really didn’t expect that. The other entries were so good.
I’ll be back later with a comp for April.
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Seagreen replied to the topic Monthly competition March 2025 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 year, 3 months ago
“you will mistake the gulls
for the screaming of a girl
and run out of your flat
to an empty landing”
you will turn your head this way and that and peer over the railing to the stairwell below,
seeing no-one, hearing nothing, not even an echo of the sound you followed in the first place. You will grasp the red-painted railing with both…[Read more]
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Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly competition March 2025 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 year, 3 months ago
Of course, I felt stupid when I realised. There I was standing on the landing in shorts and tee-shirt with my apron on. “World’s Best Chef” it said on the font. Katya bought it for me for Christmas—oh—must be ten years ago. Mrs. Hardcastle from number seventy was out there as well. I wonder if she thought…
‘Morning Mrs. Hardcastle. It was the gu…[Read more]
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Knicks replied to the topic Monthly competition March 2025 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 year, 4 months ago
Promise Landing
(410 words*)
The screams tear Seth like cheap paper from shallow, disturbing dreams, and he gasps awake, eyes on the living darkness that writhes, malevolent with secrets, in the corners of the room. His gut can tell it’s way beyond midmorning, though the blackout curtain over the single window could convince him it’s the wit…[Read more]
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Libby posted an update 1 year, 4 months ago
Change.org has a petition regarding the unlicensed use of authors’ work in AI training
https://chng.it/5rPXS2C2Hy - Load More

Thankyou, @janette ! And I’m pleased you had a lightbulb moment.