Clebs

Nice one, @athelstone 🙂 I want this to be part of something bigger!

Thank you all! I am looking forward to readying them. I am out most of today so results will be posted this evening.

‘You don’t have a future, not really,’ said Gregor. He shifted his bones on the stone floor making his chains rattle.

‘Ah,’ said the philosopher, at length, ‘you’re one of those Zenonians. A Stoic I suppose. You imagine that because we can never sufficiently divide the instant we call the present, then it must be an illusion, as is the future. A…[Read more]

Just reading through these, and much fun it is. 🙂 Thank-you all for brightening up my lunch break.
@johnalty – that sneaky wee twist made me laugh. 😀
@sandradavies – erk!! Love the ‘not fat – not quite – not yet’ line, instant image of the man!
@seagreen – wow, hard and powerful, and I am totally siding with her!
@libby – impressive world…[Read more]

OK, late and rather unedited entry, soz! Content warning for miscarriage.

Tomorrow I Will Rise.

Tomorrow I will rise. I will smile and talk with friends and I will be braver than I am today. Tomorrow I will rise. Next week I will laugh. Next month, next month I will bleed.

Today, I count your futures, each possible thread, each vine and…[Read more]

Thanks @RichardB 🙂

And bloody good it is too. Highly recommended. Well done.

I forgot to mention that book 2 of my ‘Fortress of Malta’ series of WW2 novellas was out, but it’s now on 99p promotion on Kindle, so a good time to point it out https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bastion-Fortress-Malta-Book-2-ebook/dp/B07Y5MDLWZ/

@squidge hello! Great to hear the Tilda series is progressing. I’ve got the first one in the queue for bedtime reading to the boys and can’t wait to see how it’s evolved from when I first read it years ago on the Cloud. I think I missed that there as going to be a remake of David Copperfield as well. I see most films at our community cinema club…[Read more]

@kazg yes, how I will laugh! I came across my very, very first shitty draft a year or so ago and it was quite something. Good to see how far I’ve come, at least!

@philippaeast Hello Philippa!! Good to see you too. I’m not sure I’m at the elbow-grease point yet. Mostly shovelling all the words into various sorting piles while scratching my head and wondering when the novel will apppear. But it’s all good. Ideas firing off all over the place. How’s it all going at your end? So excited for you. Are you not…[Read more]

Just a quick reminder that you have until Friday midnight to get your entries for this month’s competition (around 400 words on the theme of The Future interpreted in any way you wish). I know some of you, like me, are fighting to finish your entries for the Winter Competition but can I tempt those of you who are sitting back and basking in the…[Read more]

Skylark! Hullo! So glad you’re here with us after such a long and difficult break. I’m not around here as often as I’d like to be either, but it’s lovely to know that the Den’s still here, even if I’m not.

First drafts are a pain, aren’t they, when you revisit and find all the issues you missed in the excitement of getting it down initially.…[Read more]

I’m SURE she will @skylark 🙂

I think all second book doubts/worries are very normal and to be expected, especially with a big change eg of voice. But push those doubts aside and let that shittiness have its day. It’s all part of the process (and shitty first drafts are always so entertaining to look back on!).

WELCOME HOME, MANDY!!!!

So great to have you back. I have been wondering how you’ve been getting on. I know a lot has gone on for you.

I’m pleased you’re engaging with your draft. It’s rough, that point int he process!

Power to your elbow…

@raine Hello! Yes, I think I’ve solved it, though it would help if everyone could just accept that in the first few chapters of my novel, Thursday becomes Friday without anyone sleeping 😀

@kazg Hello to you too! I’m feeling a bit of second book pressure, mainly because Home had the USP of a child’s voice and this one doesn’t have that so I’m…[Read more]

@libby I didn’t for a long time (esp with Twitter) and now I have, it’s hard to switch off from it as it is addictive. But I think I’m learning to manage it better to get the best bits out of it without the worst bits dragging me down.

@janeshuff I’m sorry you and your family have been through a similar thing. It does change everything. I hope…[Read more]

Hello @skylark! and everyone else! How nice to see you all here having a chat. Exciting about your second book Mandy, I’m sure it’ll be a cracker. Are you feeling any of those second book pressures after a successful book 1? I loved Jessika so much – in fact there is a wonderful book shop here, my local one luckily, called Brunswick Bound. They…[Read more]