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Athelstone posted an update 6 years, 10 months ago
Probably be ridiculously busy tomorrow and the day after, so A Very Merry Christmas to all Denizens wherever you may be.
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RichardB posted an update 6 years, 10 months ago
Aha, @daedalus, so you’re now a ‘renowned naval aviation author,’ I see. Fair play to yer, mate.
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I was surprised to see that too! I don’t know who’s been renowning me, I must say
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Don’t knock it…
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I’ll renown you any day @daedalus
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Thanks both. Renowning accepted 🙂
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Janette posted an update 6 years, 10 months ago
I realise Christmas is a hectic time of year, but I’m hoping some of you will find time to chill – and write a wee piece for the December comp. Only 11 days to go.
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If I didn’t still hold out some hope for Scotland, I’d be seriously planning that. My parents might get kicked out anyway, so what’s to lose?
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I’m glad you’ve got some hope left. After long years of clinging on with my fingernails to some vestiges of hope that the slide away from the essentially decent, civilised nation I grew up in might be halted, I have now lost every last trace of it. Merry Christmas.
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Commiserations, UK. It seems we’re all stuck with hideous right wing governments that our compatriots have chosen for us. In the case of the UK it really beggars belief that after 9 years of austerity – food banks, slashes to services, skyrocketing poverty – that the people who suffer the most under Tory rule have gone and done it again. I really…[Read more]
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I came across this view from an ex-pat living in New Zealand. Some strong language for Denizens who prefer to steer clear. But I couldn’t find anything to disagree with.
Britain dutifully bows down to the ruling elite.-
I was going to post this anyway, Ath, but after following your link it has even more resonance: one of Sir Winston Churchill’s less popular pronouncements was that the best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.
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I have read the article. This kind of sneering attitude is exactly why the Brexit leave vote came as a surprise to the great and the good. And it is also why the GE vote has come as a surprise. An 82 year old woman from Co Durham was reported in The Times today as saying (I can’t remember verbatim) “I can’t believe they’ve voted this way in an…[Read more]
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We are a nation of bootlickers, aren’t we?
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“There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people…religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin” – Linus, Peanuts cartoon, 1966.
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Very wise words
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Raine posted an update 6 years, 10 months ago
I am *trying* to get the big climax scene of this godawful wip written but the cat has now knocked over the giant bag of catfood *twice*, got himself stuck under the cooker, made me spill my tea, and had a fight with his brother, leaving tufts of fluff all over the lounge. Anyone want a cat?
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AND its GE day and I am finding that *very* stressful.
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Me too – and the gloom of the weather doesn’t help. (But I am sure your wip isn’t godawful!)
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I’m just dreading hearing the results tomorrow morning…
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I would take your cat, Raine. The trouble is, so would my dog
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Oh no, that sounds like a day not to be repeated. Hope the WIP sorted itself out, though it’s in great hands so I’m confident it did.
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Athelstone posted an update 6 years, 10 months ago
Amazing but true: participants in Songs of Innocence and Experience have just under two months left to complete their short story.
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Sandra started the topic Popshot quarterly in the forum Competitions, Open calls and Writing Opportunities 6 years, 10 months ago
https://www.popshotpopshot.com/
I received a year’s subscription to this as a present, and am a bit ambivalent about the content for myself. That said, they claim to “showcase vivid writing by the literary new blood” – flash, short stories and poetry.
Just missed the deadline for the next issue (each offers a theme) but might be of interest for…[Read more]
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Sandra posted an update 6 years, 10 months ago
On the subject of self-publishing, two to-be-proofed books uploaded to Blurb on Saturday afternoon were received before midday today. I did wait for a 30% discount offer; ordered six titles in all and p&p was £14.
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Barny replied to the topic Monthly Comp – November 2019 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 10 months ago
“… confounded me with his disturbing narrative…”
To explain a little in case this wasn’t clear: Four Ling leaves 🙂
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Sandra replied to the topic Monthly Comp – December 2019 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 11 months ago
Thanks, Janette. I’ve taken the opportunity to post a possible opening of the as yet untitled Luke #5. 362 words.
Prologue?
Lucy Longland, who had only gone to check her hair, emerged from the Ladies in Leith’s Registry Office too prematurely for Dylan Richards to successfully make himself invisible. Her smile a blend of pleasure and warning, s…[Read more]
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Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly Comp – November 2019 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 11 months ago
Well done, Jeanette – super piece. Great comp, John!
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Janette started the topic Monthly Comp – December 2019 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 11 months ago
In honour of a writing exercise recently enjoyed, and to mark the end of 2019, when I will be judging the entries, please write a piece that contains the words: OLD YEAR NIGHT (in any order and not necessarily together). If you could keep it up to 400 words, that would be great.
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Janette replied to the topic Monthly Comp – November 2019 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 11 months ago
Totally unexpected, thanks John. Need to go and put my thinking cap on.
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Barny replied to the topic Monthly Comp – November 2019 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 11 months ago
Congratulations, Janette – nice work! And thanks John for the prompt.
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Sandra replied to the topic Monthly Comp – November 2019 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 11 months ago
Well done, Janette, and thank you John for releasing words I’d not anticipated writing. Thanks also for some brilliantly enjoyable reads.
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John S Alty replied to the topic Monthly Comp – November 2019 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 11 months ago
Well, I’ve read your entries with great enjoyment. Jeanette gave a beautiful allegorical rendition of the passing seasons, Athers made me laugh with his tale of Norman, the folium-phobiac hoist by his own petard, Sandra found a silver lining and Barney completely confounded me with this disturbing narrative – I’m still asking myself, what the h…[Read more]
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Athelstone posted an update 6 years, 11 months ago
“The Book of my Enemy Has Been Remaindered”
The book of my enemy has been remaindered
And I am pleased.
In vast quantities it has been remaindered
Like a van-load of counterfeit that has been seized
And sits in piles in a police warehouse,
My enemy’s much-prized effort sits in piles
In the kind of bookshop where remaindering…[Read more]-
RIP
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Now I know why.
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I met Clive James once. I had long been a fan of the least known – but which he once said was ‘the closest to my heart’ – of his many endeavours, the songs he wrote with Pete Atkin and which Atkin performed. When I first got internet access I discovered and started participating in a mailing list of like-minded souls called Midnight Voices, and…[Read more]
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Sandra posted an update 6 years, 11 months ago
Probably everyone knew this already, but I’ve just discovered George on my new laptop: he reads my novel aloud for me! Gets the names wrong but shows me where commas could be usefully inserted.
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I love my George too. Shows up all my silly spelling mistakes.
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Will I have one? I have an old Mac. Or is there an Apple equivalent?
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Don’t know – it’s Windows 10 I’ve just acquired.
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I love my read-aloud facility, and can change readers and reading speeds. I do have a giggle at the mispronunciations, but it really does highlight the little faults often missed.
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Barny replied to the topic Monthly Comp – November 2019 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 11 months ago
Captive No More
Immovable behind a wide table, the five children sat strangely motionless. From tallest on the right to smallest on the left, they patiently faced an audience seated on ten rows of scarlet-topped hotel ballroom chairs.
The tallest child spoke first. “My name is One,” he said quietly, but loud enough. “I am the oldest. I am…[Read more]
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Sandra replied to the topic Monthly Comp – November 2019 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 11 months ago
Patience undoubtedly a virtue (308 words)
In the same way that Christmas cards seem each year to embrace a different theme – last year it was robins, the year before gold-embossed letters and musical notes – this year’s trend in ‘In sympathy’ cards appeared to be fallen leaves. Drifts of them, beneath trees, along kerb edges, gold and yellow sc…[Read more]
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And from me too. I hope everybody has a lovely day.
Happy Christmas everyone.
Merry Christmas Athers, and all other Denizens xxx
Merry Christmas, all x
And from me Athers, to you and to all. I’ll be quiet for a bit with a dozen new books to read!
xxx