Bren

  • A not-so-idle threat

    Even though she knew looking left and right as she opened the discreet dark green door was a dead giveaway for anyone watching, she couldn’t stop herself. Crowds and dazzling Christmas lights made it harder to spot a spy, but surely, after five days at Ivo’s cottage they’d’ve given up by now. Wouldn’t they? The low-level…[Read more]

  • The Future

    “The future is the time we haven’t had yet,” he said, “simple as that.”
    “That may be what the future is but not what it holds,” she responded, “not what’s in store, where it might take us.” Then she got up from the picnic table outside The Black Bull and walked off.

    He thought about that last exchange…[Read more]

  • MAY I remind all participants in the Songs of Innocence & Experience challenge that there are only three weeks remaining in which to complete and submit an entry. Thank you.

    • And only five entries so far? What’s happening to us?

      • I don’t think mine’s going to happen. Sorry.

        • I’ve struggled this year. Too many other things happening but I have the beginnings of an idea and will do my best to get it to the finishing line even if it’s a bit rough.

          • Mine’s definitely not going to happen I’m afraid. The two months up to Christmas were very slow for writing and I had to prioritise the novel WIP.
            Have drafted a monthly comp entry which I’ll post soon to assuage some of my guilt and disappointment.

            • I’m going to have to hold up my hands in defeat. I’ve got two thirds of a very rough first draft and defintiely not enough time to produce anything readable although I am pleased I had a go because it has possibilities. I’ll carry on working on it in between all the other things and maybe post it some other time. I’d love to stay part of the group…[Read more]

    • All members stay members – unless they actually choose to drop out – and I’d be sorry to see anybody choose to leave. We can’t always do everything we’d like too and the group challenge is for enjoyment, not pain! Sad you didn’t get there, but you mustn’t fret about it.

  • Squidge posted an update 6 years, 6 months ago

    If anyone’s interested – States of Independence, at De Montfort Uni in Leicester on the 21st March. Free event: talks, stalls, publishers etc, and Benjamin Zephaniah is one of the speakers! Hoping to go and have a stall so I can sell some books…

  • Is anyone else getting bogged down with some of the examples in Burroway? I read them and just can’t make the connection to what she’s trying to portray. Beginning to think that it’s me at fault – that I haven’t got the ability to understand the more subtle nuances of the techniques. And if I did understand them, would it make me write any…[Read more]

  • Squidge posted an update 6 years, 6 months ago

    Can someone remind me how to read comments that have been listed but don’t appear, please? Ta very muchly.

    • Do you mean missing comments on an update? 1) Click on the name of the initial poster to open their profile. 2) Select Activity from below their avatar/picture. You should be able to find the missing posts – not necessarily in a sensible order, but possible to work out what went where.

      • Even if it’s me that was the poster, Ath? I’ve got the notifications, but when I click on them to read, the original post isn’t showing more than one comment…

        • Even if it’s you who is the original poster. In other words, instead of logging on to the site and selecting Activity, go to the troublesome thread, select the profile of whoever started it, select Activity from their (or your) profile when it opens. Then scroll through the results below. If this doesn’t work then I’m not sure what to recommend.

  • How’s this for a weird coincidence? You may remember my story, “Lost and Found and Lost again”, involving a yoyo competition, that won a monthly comp late last year? Well, I slightly edited it, renamed it “the Yoyo” and entered it in the Reflex Fiction winter contest. It didn’t make the list, but another story did – it’s called “The Yoyo”. By…[Read more]

  • Athelstone replied to the topic A Blast From the Past in the forum Blogs 6 years, 6 months ago

    That used to be the way of it, doing all your own basic (and sometimes advanced) car maintenance. Sadly it was all mixed up with “manliness” which meant that if you didn’t know how to refit a complete gearbox you were somehow not quite fit for the gene pool. As I also lacked any interest in football, I was widely viewed as a bit of a no-hoper…[Read more]

  • RichardB replied to the topic A Blast From the Past in the forum Blogs 6 years, 6 months ago

    I have a friend (though I don’t see much of him now), of a much more practical bent than me, who for nearly twenty years kept the first new car he’d bought back in the seventies (a Vauxhall Viva – remember them?) doing all his own maintenance and servicing. He doesn’t do that anymore. You can’t service a modern car without a garage’s specialist…[Read more]

  • Athelstone replied to the topic A Blast From the Past in the forum Blogs 6 years, 6 months ago

    Great blog, Richard. You captured both the disaster of the car journey and the pleasure of the holiday. Perfectly done.

    With modern cars, it’s easy to take things for granted and forget that comparatively recently many things about cars were surprisingly simple, if not primitive. Heating is a classic case. Today many vehicles have in-car air…[Read more]

  • Well, it’s a couple of months since we had a blog, so I’m taking a leaf out of Athelstone’s book and digging up one of my old blogs from the Cloud. Apologies to any who remember it, but I think it’s one of the more entertaining of my efforts because (a) it recounts probably the nearest thing to an adventure in my generally staid life, and (b) I…[Read more]

  • Yep. Of course.

    I figured I’d check as it is scheduled for tomorrow, but no posts have been made on Class 3, and I wondered if that meant people had been too busy with Christmas things etc.

    Is a week longer enough time?

  • Are people ready for the next class?

  • Hello Everyone and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

    Well, this means that it is THIS YEAR that Little White Lies comes out…

    Most of you already have these details, but below is a link (via Facebook) to the OFFICIAL LAUNCH!

    https://www.facebook.com/events/566502330574153/

    I’d be delighted to see you there, if you fancy coming along.

    Wishing you a…[Read more]

    • Exciting times. I can’t come but I hope you have a great event. Looking forward to reading it!

    • This is brilliant news. Pretty unlikely I’ll be able to make it, much as I’d love to, although there is a small chance. Can’t wait to read it in any event

    • Thanks guys!

      • Very exciting! I’ll be there, and if anyone else is coming and likely to be in Lincoln early… I might be in a pub somewhere. Or I’ll be visiting the cathedral all by my little old self! Or with @elle maybe?

        • So very exciting @philippaeast! I would love to be there but won’t be, obviously 🙂 Have a fantastic time and enjoy every minute of this very significant first! xx

        • @hilary I should be in Lincoln early afternoon so definitely happy to have a drink and catch-up before the launch. I know someone else who will be in town early. Cannot wait for it!

  • A belated “well done”, Jane!

  • Squidge posted an update 6 years, 6 months ago

    Happy New Year to all the Denizens – sorry I’ve not been around much.

    Hope 2020 brings you joy in all your writing xx

  • Well done Jane – very well deserved – and thanks to Janette for the opportunity to try out a scene.

  • Well done to Janeshuff – well deserved. And thanks for the competition, Janette.

  • This year, Santa brought me, Mrs Ath, and the in-laws…..norovirus.

  • Slipping through the door at (nearly) the 11th hour. 400 words with title.

    The Tent

    When I was eight, my parents gave me a tent for Christmas. Of course, I insisted on spending the night in the garden. The coldest night of the year, but I wore them down with my relentless pleading until finally, with three pairs of pyjamas, two sleeping bags, a…[Read more]

  • Load More