@daisydown
Active 6 years, 8 months ago-
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Sandra replied to the topic DIY soapbox in the forum Podium 6 years, 10 months ago
‘Commission & omission’, book three in the series Love triangles with murder, is now available for sale on Blurb.
DIY promotion (which I am strenuously uncomfortable with) takes up a helluva lot of writing time. Book 4 – ‘Drink with a dead man’, whose opening 400 words was declared winner of Raine’s monthly competition, isn’t likely to see…[Read more]
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Squidge posted an update 6 years, 10 months ago
So it turns out that Amazon can reformat your ebook when you upload it for Kindle. Who knew?
And I’d been blaming the publisher for all the extra line breaks, large text and blank pages…
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Amazon is a menace, but we seem to be stuck with them if we want to sell books
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I’m currently attempting to re-format my novels for publishing as ebooks – fiendishly tricky at times and not sure I’ve cracked it yet – sudden and random centering of paragraphs or indents, to say nothing of the change in fonts. A good reason to stick with print IMHO!
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There’s definitely a knack to formatting ebooks but it’s easy when you’ve got the hang of it. I recommend the Smashwords Style Guide to get yoy started (perma free in ebook). And I might be able to help point people in the right direction if anyone is really stuck?
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Some extra spaces end up turning into extra lines…apparently. SO glad it’s not up to me to do the formatting.
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Sandra replied to the topic DIY soapbox in the forum Podium 6 years, 10 months ago
Longest shadows reach, book 2 in the Love triangles with murder series now available
‘Step so grave’ indicated a wealth of history between Luke Darbyshere and Baz Rose. They’d been born within a week of each other; lived half mile apart, in a Hertfordshire village small enough to allow no escape. Each had successfully come through adole…[Read more]
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Athelstone posted an update 6 years, 10 months ago
Joining and choosing, joining and choosing! A brief reminder that there are fewer than 10 days to join “Songs of Innocence & Experience”.
We now have 26 members and 19 choices.
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26 and 20 🙂
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26 and 21 🙂
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Philippa East replied to the topic Flash fiction success in the forum Podium 6 years, 10 months ago
Just seen this – FANTASTIC, WELL DONE! Have a brilliant time at the ceremony. Bask bask bask!!!
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Sandra replied to the topic DIY soapbox in the forum Podium 6 years, 10 months ago
Phew – and thanks. The Orkney Distillery is gin, not whisky, and given the amount of free gin, good value as well as entertaining.
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Sandra replied to the topic DIY soapbox in the forum Podium 6 years, 10 months ago
Damn! Sorry @Raine (AND I posted that before the distillery tour!)
Hopefully my name &/or ‘Step do grave’ ought to find me – links I see might not be different.
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Sandra replied to the topic DIY soapbox in the forum Podium 6 years, 10 months ago
I’ve a couple of reviews on Blurb already, but would be pleased for a few more – honest ones, of course, (I’m not wanting to bit it up for sales) just whether you enjoyed (or didn’t) and why. Or Goodreads.
‘Longest shadows reach’ and ‘Commission and omission’ will be added within a couple of weeks – unless I get them out there I’ll fiddle with…[Read more]
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Squidge replied to the topic Flash fiction success in the forum Podium 6 years, 10 months ago
Brilliant news, Kate – well done!!!!
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Sandra replied to the topic Flash fiction success in the forum Podium 6 years, 10 months ago
Brilliant, Kate – mega congratulations!!!! Really well done!!!
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John S Alty replied to the topic Flash fiction success in the forum Podium 6 years, 10 months ago
Brilliant, Kate. Well done!
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Squidge posted an update 6 years, 10 months ago
Anyone from York dropping in to the Den over this weekend? How did Friday Night Live go? How’s Janette’s wheels? And have you all spent a fortune at the bar yet?
Say hi to all the Denizens and cloudies from me.
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Good fun. John’s was easily the best but he didn’t win 🙁 Drank my way through a week’s pocket money on Friday. Bit green on Saturday morning. Enjoyable so far. Series of new 2 hour workshops called ‘labs’ this year. Went to Jail Duncan’s “World Building” and he still overran by 25 minutes. He used the f-adjective so many times that after the…[Read more]
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A blog will be nice. I’ve missed catching up.
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Looking forward to the blog. Missed the real thing. (Would never like to go to another of H Duncan’s workshops, if that’s who you mean, though I know some think they’re great.)
Specially sorry to miss John’s reading, which I can quite believe was the best, and seeing ‘Cloudies’/Denizens. Maybe next year. There’s been lots of ‘family stuff’ this…[Read more]
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Oh, what a shame for John. Hope he got some interest though from the agents? I don’t remember Hal Duncan using the f-bomb when I sat in his workshops a few years ago.
Fingers crossed that next year, I might be able to go again; currently in the throes of getting T ready for uni a week on Monday (a week earlier than we thought, thanks to Freshers…[Read more] -
A blog will be very interesting. Thanks, Ath.
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Blog, please, Ath.
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Yes, HAL not Jail – never was great at typing onto a phone. Blog when my mind’s all connected back up and the M1 is out of my bloodstream.
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Hal is the weegie, right? He cracks me up slightly & yeah, I remember some pretty fluent swearing going on.
Hurray for @johnt3 doing so well. I’m not surprised his reading was fantastic. 🙂-
The scooter went very well, thanks, @squidge. I couldn’t have done York without it (and the help of our friend group, who were awesome). Debi created a messenger group to help us communicate (and so that I could call out for help when needed), which was a brilliant idea and worked so well, I think it should be repeated, injuries or not, next year.…[Read more]
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Squidge posted an update 6 years, 10 months ago
Looking forward to hearing about York from everyone who’s going… Have a fab time and may you have plenty of ink in your pens! x
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Squidge started the topic Tilda of Merjan Book Launch in the forum Podium 6 years, 10 months ago
Folks did ask when I was going to do a launch – details here: https://squidgesscribbles.blogspot.com/2019/09/book-launch-tilda-of-merjan.html
It’s a full daytime event in half term, although half term seems to run over two weeks and this is the first of the two.
But I have been wondering whether any Denizens would be up for an evening…[Read more]
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Sandra replied to the topic September 2019 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 10 months ago
Early because I’m about to go on holiday (and yes, Squidge, definitely Valspar!)
Battle drab (400 words including title)
DS Fran Lloyd had visited Lucy before; remembered the picture window framing a stunning view of Edinburgh’s Castle perched on its volcanic mound; the stepped backsides of the buildings fronting the Royal Mile and a sliver o…[Read more]
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Athelstone posted an update 6 years, 10 months ago
Calling all writers – this means you! There are 3 weeks left until the group “Songs of Innocence and Experience” becomes private and is closed to new members. This annual short story event has led to winning National Competition entries and inspired novels. It can draw out the best in you and at the very least is tremendous fun. To join, head…[Read more]
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Squidge replied to the topic September 2019 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 10 months ago
Sandra, they are fun, aren’t they? Valspar (Other paint companies also available!) are the absolute best ones – much more imaginative than others I could mention!
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Sandra replied to the topic September 2019 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 10 months ago
Squidge, you mentioned paint colours when we did the Lords and Ladies, and I’ve been gathering them as prompts ever since.
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Squidge posted an update 6 years, 10 months ago
September comp’s up – realise it might be a bit quiet this month because of York, but looking forward to reading those who decide to give it a go.
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The JW self-edit course, Ath? Yes. I think even a writer as good as you would find it worthwhile. D’you want to check the syllabus first to make sure you don’t know it all already? I can supply basic details, assuming it hasn’t changed much in the past three years.
Yes!! Even though you know what you’re doing, there are elements of it that are still useful. I think there will be lots you already know, but in reading others’ work and particularly seeing Debi and Emma’s comments (as well as fellow readers’) is like mini-critique course in itself.
Ta to you both for saying some nice things…but I know I need some pushing and shoving and just straight educating. Here’s hoping the January course is a classic!
Best l thing I got out of it was the friendship of a core of valuable fellow-attendees; we still regularly meet, though not as often as desired and have done since January 2014.
YES! I think this course is so good that it will help almost anyone. I would do it again in a flash. And the one to one attention is worth the price alone!
Definitely not as often as desired! But agreed – the course was great, but the group of friends is greaterer.
Hell, yes – to all of that.
All signed up.
Good luck!! I kind of assumed you’d done it already! Is January the course @johnt3 is also signed up on (for his second time around)?
No, I’ve just started. It’s a promising and very varied bunch of writers. Good luck, Athelstone, you’ll enjoy it. PS I’d forgotten how hard the first exercise is!
Nope, never done it, although I’ve been on various workshops etc. that touch on some of the modules. I have a feeling it will be a very different thing to be engaged on my own work and working with a group. When I looked the Sept one was full, but I wanted another few months to write some more crap (as Julie C puts it) before starting anyway. All good.
Yay! Starting when?
21 January. Really looking forward to it