Bren

Hi Elle,

I really enjoyed this, and it works for me! It’s the classic issue of the ex, right? The one you can never compete with properly. I like it.

Only spotted one typo: “She was the seed of doubt planted in me which feed on those silences” – should it be fed?

Great work!

Yes, it was a bit of a million candlepower searchlight moment. In a sense, it’s not that the MC doesn’t try to change, he just completely misinterprets the kind of change he needs. He (and I) had been thinking it was one thing, and it was actually almost the opposite.

Well done, Daeds, a star is born!

Spot on, Kaz. That’s exactly what he is.

Thanks all! This is my second TV credit, but the first was only for archive materials and this is definitely my first proper TV appearance. I don’t think I did too badly, though no doubt a lot of editing was required!

Wooooah! I’ve just had a massive revelation about my MC. I thought that he accepted the necessary change, but it just turned out badly. I actually think he got completely the wrong idea about what change was needed, spectacularly FAILED to change…and that’s what ends badly.

Well done indeed, Daeds. Authoritative, erudite and lucid. Once again you display that knack you have of making technical things clear to the layman.

I’m just watching it now. It’s brilliant. Well done, Daed 😁

Darn. It does seem to be UK only, I’m sorry to say

Before I start writing (these days, anyway) I need to know the beginning (obviously) and some idea of the ending, but not necessarily everything that happens in between. Nothing is set in stone, though, and either may change before I’ve finished, depending on what happens along the way.

The two novels I’m prepared to own up to came about in quite…[Read more]

I’ve never started a piece of fiction knowing the ending. I like to start with a scene, put a character into it, and see where it goes. I enjoy the ride.

Yes, sorry, meant to congratulate the worthy winner – great, unsettling and dreamlike tale that owns the innate silliness of the tiny guitar and the bizarre phenomenon of the vast ukulele band. Great stuff, and thanks Sea for a challenging and fun competition

That’s great Alan, well done. The courses sound superb

AAARRRGGHHH! (as it used to say in my comics)

Up with the count. Resisted the temptation to count the 2500 “seed” words that I had before the start. I think I’ll have a couple of hundred more to do before I give up tonight. Remarkable difference in the way I feel about making myself write at this pace which, honestly, isn’t that high a word…[Read more]

I haven’t entered a comp for a while though lack of time but this one intrigued me and my entry is short.

I suppose it’s a form of Writer’s Block – except that I can’t stop writing. Does that make sense? Probably not. Think of it as writing your way around the surface of a Klein bottle. Yes! That’s it exactly. Thank you. I know where I am now. I…[Read more]

@kazg, thanks so much for that link.

And you’ve expressed above so beautifully my exact thoughts on story structure – including the necessity of balancing all our technical knowledge with room for the subconscious to speak.

Last day to put in an entry for the Den monthly competition, people… 🙂