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Daedalus started the topic My Publishing Nightmare – the story of a book deal gone bad (Part 1) in the forum Blogs 7 years, 3 months ago
Those of you who were on the Word Cloud before it evaporated may remember I had a bit of trouble with one of my novels and was taking legal action to recover the rights. I wrote a blog on it when I was still deep in the midst of the process, and now it is all mercifully resolved, I thought it was time to update. This turned into a mammoth essay…[Read more]
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Libby replied to the topic January 2019 in the forum Monthly Competition 7 years, 3 months ago
Future Sound
On the doorstep in the dark, with a glass of wine. At other times when doing this duty she’d drunk coffee. It didn’t matter, just something to nudge along the twenty minutes which might be slow if there was nothing to report.
She looked out to the lane where bare, rounded oaks stood under a sky that was clear to the stars, and no…[Read more]
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Jonathan replied to the topic January 2019 in the forum Monthly Competition 7 years, 3 months ago
- You Write Like Leo Tolstoy, I Write Like Leo Tolstoy
We all write like Leo Tolstoy. Some of us even like to write like Leo Tolstoy; we tinsel trickling-brook sentences with the most fragile leaflike imagery, drape our select pink-petal verbs over everything – our verdigris mountains kneeling to our yellow-nugget suns – until soon, and before we…[Read more]
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Squidge posted an update 7 years, 3 months ago
Had to laugh – had a query via the Contact an Author website. The date of the event was 24th January. I received it this afternoon…
Hope they’ve filled it in as today’s date rather than the date they want…
Nice thing is, it’s because of a recommendation from a friend in Birmingham who’s a librarian.
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LOvely to be getting recommendations @squidge, shows how well you run your events. 🙂 But yes, hope they weren’t expecting you to dash over there immediately!
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RichardB posted an update 7 years, 3 months ago
Emma Darwin’s latest blog is one of her shortest – and most inspiring.
https://emmadarwin.typepad.com/thisitchofwriting/2019/01/as-a-mentor-and-teacher-and-writer-and-reader-theres-something-i-want-to-say-to-you.html-
Yes, yes, yes. Thanks for drawing my attention to it.
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Thanks @richardb
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Yes indeed. Need a duvet cover with it on. Or window blind..
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Touché!
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Raine posted an update 7 years, 3 months ago
I need a snow census. Who has snow?
I am suffering my annual I LIVE IN SCOTLAND AND DONT HAVE SNOW temper tantrum. I live on the coast, sticking out into the north sea, low level. So its a) dry and b) more salt in the air than oxygen most of the time. And c) that is profoundly unfair.-
Ditto Raine. We live on the coast and snow is a once every twenty year for half a day thing here. Glasgow had snow yesterday though but it melted during the day and I haven’t had an update today.
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We still have a heavy frost, but no snow. Might have some tomorrow morning, apparently.
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No snow. West Suffolk.
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Tiny sprinkling of snow first thing this morning in Cotswolds over a heavy frost. All gone now.
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About half an inch when I got up this morning. All melted now, BUT I can see the Brecon Beacons from my window, and they’re still covered.
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No snow (thank goodness). Essex. Had a few flakes last night but they didn’t settle.
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Got light covering of snow on the Isle of Lewis. Several snow showers but not layering up.
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You have all made me feel much better! 😂 i will cease sulking! High of 2deg here today but stubbornly un snowy.
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Not a snowflake in sight apart from myself. However, I do have foxes in the garden who are raising the temperature like billy-ho!
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I live in the highest village in England and we have a light dusting. However lots of ice – needed to put my foot to the car to open its door today.
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Just a light dusting here.
@Janette, do you write Flash fiction?-
@janette, I had to do some serious door-wrestling too. Whilst thinking ‘how hard can you yank on a door handle before you snap it off?’
And @athelstone, glad to hear the foxes are feeling spring-like, despite all evidence to the contrary! -
@johnalty, I do like to write flash fiction, however at the moment I’ve had to put my blinkers on and concentrate on my current WIP as an agent has asked for the full once I do some requested adjustments. Sorry it rules me out of current comps at least, but I’m hoping it will all be worth it.
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Wow, good luck with that.
Actually I wasn’t drumming up business for the comp, it was a bit of silliness based on the claim by Flash, in the Peak District, to be the highest village in England.-
Sorry, John, I should amend my previous statement to ‘one of the highest’, though at 1200ft above sea-level, we’re pretty damned high.
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Gah! WoW @janette, that is fantastic news!!!! Well done! I’m keeping fingers crossed that she loves it….
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Woke to a thin crunchy layer on Thursday; mostly gone by teatime. We’re ~ a dozen miles from the east coast.
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We had a flurry of snow and lots of sleet. I am almost on the beach, and lots of salt on our windows. For a day Ballard Down was covered in snow which cast an unusual light over the bay but all gone in two days. None settled in the garden.
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Raine posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 3 months agoJanuary update from Fife – Last week I thought that a) I’d never ever in the universe get to the end of the huge wip edits, b) not hit the word count target. And c) not get to write a short for RwaV in time. And d) just meh, really.
But since then, got to end of edits, hitting my word target, and now am mid first RwaV target with DAYS left in…[Read more]-
Wahey! I’ve been working on RWAV too, today, and it’s started to come together. Got an idea for the sting in the tail, too…
Feels good to be able to feel a bit of success in our plans, doesn’t it?
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It so does, @squidge. Celebrate those mini-successes. 🙂
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Ooo! A sting! That sounds great, especially since you were worried your plot was a little linear before. Fab!!
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Poop though, I don’t think I’m going to make the RWaV deadline. I will gracefully bow out, but GOOD LUCK to everyone xx
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Oh, such a shame you aren’t going to make it @philippaeast, I always look forward to reading your stories. But understandable, given the Monster Edit of Doom. 😀
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Well done, @raine! I’m so proud of you, as i know what a daunting task it felt. AND getting that word count down. RESULT! (How do you think you did it, BTW? There might be a useful lesson for all us us about cutting / reducing)
I know what you mean about how impossible it can seem. I honestly couldn’t see how I was supposed to achieve these edits.…[Read more]-
Thank-you @philippaeast. It was a good feeling writing that new word count into my cover letter! I did it partly by stripping out a character, which meant a bit of structural shenanigans but did streamline bits of the plot. I also cut out a minor PoV. But a lot came from just line edits, which is quite scary re how much there was that I could cut.…[Read more]
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Love it! Some big, brave cuts, and then all those little trims of fat round out prose too. And I LOVE a good bit of motivational number crunching!! Well done again. What are the next steps for you, once you are happy with your edited draft?
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John S Alty posted an update 7 years, 3 months ago
Looks like judging the January competition will be an easy task.
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I suspect it’s because many of us are desperately trying to beat our RWAV stories into submission!
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Aye, that’s the likely thing. And my judging late didn’t help. Could always think about extending the comp to the end of Feb?
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It doesn’t bother me at all to have no takers. I know everyone is absorbed with RWAV. Real life intrudes as well. Priorities.
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Have started a submission. Now I’ve admitted it I’d better get on with it 🙂
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Regarding that Raine, how would Denizens feel about making it a two-monthly comp? I suppose Christmas plus Winter Challenge is going to make Nov-Dec-Jan most difficult for most people, so it might not be a problem in the normal run of things to keep it monthly
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Or even a quarterly competition. Maybe we could look at a judging panel, too. It needs new life breathing into it, somehow.
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Possibly. It might just be the time of year – there were ebbs and flows on the Cloud too, and with a smaller pool of people here we’ll always feel it more acutely when people are busy. But I’ll open a thread, and we can put those suggestions to people and get a sense of what might boost participation a bit.
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Philippa East posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 3 months agoHey guys, how are you all doing? I am crawling very close to the finish line with this latest round of edits. I don’t honestly know how I’ve done it! Sheer bloody mindedness, I think. I’m hoping to do an overall read through over the next week to check it all hangs together, and then I think I’ll be done. Until the next round begins….
How are…[Read more]-
Exciting, Philippa – it’s a great feeling when the end just starts to hove into view isn’t it? Hope the rest of the journey is smooth.
Just signed a contract for three histfic novellas. Which is nice, but now I have to write them
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@daedalus! That’s amazing!! Congratulations 😊 and WELL DONE @philippaeast…what a great feeling. I’m staggering towards my deadline this week too and am hoping I’m nearly there with this round!
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Congratulations to all three of you. Lovely to hear what everybody’s up to. Excellent work @philippaeast and @kazg! Histfic novellas @daedalus – tell more! I’ve been bumbling around in the dark. Trying to find my next novel, working on short stories and feeling fairly down – the result of going into 2018 with such high hopes and having them all…[Read more]
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Thanks @janeshuff! And sorry to hear about your dashes hooes ☹️ All credit to you for keeping going, even if it feels like bumbling right now. Hope you feel more positive soon x
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*dashed hopes
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Oh, @janeshuff, I am sorry to hear that. It’s so hard to get back up from dashed hopes. I SO enjoyed reading the extract from your novel, and am keeping everything crossed for a nice slew of successes in 2019
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successes for you
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Well done Kaz!! Is this for book 1? Sounds like we will be reaching our editing finish lines around the same time!
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Oh WOW @daedalus!!! This is amazing!! Can you tell us more? Who is the publisher?? What are your time scales?? And – of course – what will the books be about? This is such amazing news. Should go on the podium really 🙂
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Yay @philippaeast for reaching the end – that really has been an epic act of bravery, so well done. And I’ll keep fingers crossed Sarah’s verdict is ‘Yes! Out on sub now!’ 🙂
@daedalus three novellas!?!? THat’s fantastic news, you kept that quiet, you sly thing you! So pleased for you, hope that gives you a huge, well earned boost.
And @janeshuf…[Read more] -
Thanks @philippaeast and @raine …um, yes, the novellas. I don’t really want to talk about them too much until I’ve written them. I haven’t even started yet and am a bit panicked about it. Will add more when I’m a bit more comfortable with how things are going.
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I don’t think you have any reason to panic, @daedalus. They will be wonderful.
Thanks @raine and @philippaeast. Encouragement and hugs and tea are exactly what I need!
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@daedalus It’s no wonder you are feeling a little daunted. Funny isn’t it? You’d think having the contract there at the start would be a dream, but it’s a whole different kind of pressure I guess. Sending you lots of good luck. You will do them brilliantly, I know you will. xx
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Absolutely fair do-s
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Squidge posted an update 7 years, 3 months ago
OK – question for you. Working on my RWAV story, which is (painfully slowly) coming together.
But – the storyline is obvious if I take it where it’s logically heading. No twists or turns, no surprises. It feels like an A to B kind of story, and I don’t usually write this sort of thing. Is it enough for readers? Do you mind – as a reader – if…[Read more]
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It’s not the destination, it’s the journey 🙂
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Hmmm… hope the journey’s interesting enough then!! 😉
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I wouldn’t be put off. I can often guess the ending of books, or at least of plot lines, but as long as i care about the characters, I’m happy to follow along with them. Keep going – it’ll be grand. X
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Well I got to the end of the story so I know its shape now. Just got to iron out the crinkles and make you invest in the MC now then! 😉
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I agree with Sea and Raine. The characters are the thing that keeps me reading and I’m looking forward to reading your story and all the others in RWAV.
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Ann Enright, for example, writes novels that my son complains has “nothing happening” in them. For me she can do no wrong, part of which is because of the well-writ observations on the way. So I’m sure you’ll be fine.
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JaneShuff replied to the topic Delilah S Dawson on developing an idea in the forum The Writers' Lifeboat 7 years, 3 months ago
PS Great thread @daedalus
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JaneShuff replied to the topic Delilah S Dawson on developing an idea in the forum The Writers' Lifeboat 7 years, 3 months ago
That’s interesting @seagreen. I am still not sure. I don’t think I am but sometimes when I don’t know where something is going, I need to write for it to become clear although what I write at these moments is often utter garbage.
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Seagreen replied to the topic Delilah S Dawson on developing an idea in the forum The Writers' Lifeboat 7 years, 3 months ago
7.
Took me 4 years to discover I’m not the fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of writer. -
Daedalus started the topic Delilah S Dawson on developing an idea in the forum The Writers' Lifeboat 7 years, 3 months ago
An epic Twitter thread from author Delilah S Dawson on developing an idea. She does a lot of these and there’s always a lot of interesting stuff in them, so she’s worth following if you’re on Twitter
For today's #TenThings, let's talk about HOW TO DEVELOP A BOOK IDEA. Because they never arrive fully formed, do they? We get a tiny glimmer, if we're lucky. I hope these tips will help you turn your ideas into fully-fleshed stories.
— Delilah S. Dawson (@DelilahSDawson) January 18, 2019
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Raine posted an update 7 years, 3 months ago
PSA: from an initial 120k behemoth, I now have a 98k mildly rotund wip. 🎉🎉🎉
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Yee-ha!!
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Sounds good!
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Excellent!
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You did it! Yay for word diets!
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Hooray!
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