EmmaD

That’s the one, John. 🙂 I exclude writing from that because, well, I’m not sure really. Because it doesn’t involve anyone’s needs but my own, and doesn’t involve money!?

RL = Real Life

I’m way behind – my family invasion came early and is continuing. On a more positive note, it has made me get going on a completely new novel that I’m reasonably happy with so far. I’m trying something I’ve seen recommended elsewhere and not bothering with chapters (yet). Seems OK for now.

I’m doing a weekend away in mid-January (Dunford…[Read more]

Yay for plots resolving themselves @alanr! Always a good feeling. 🙂

HOw’re other NaNoers doing? I’m on 36k, struggling a bit with days being taken up with RL, but am hoping to make it early next week – before a family invasion!

Fever Dream by Samanta Scweblin is a novella too – although I don’t know the wordcount – and it got shortlisted for the Booker!! I wasn’t her debut in Spain, but I think it was her first translated book.

I think there is more scope for novellas with the smaller presses, but yeah, I think a new writer would find it nigh on impossible to get…[Read more]

That’s great, @alanr! Hope the flow keeps going. I am in the process of hauling myself over my 25k wall. Getting there, but oof.

Well done @elle. Such a sad little piece, and the bird image is perfect.

Good to know! Coffman starters are great. Basically using a shotgun cartridge to start an engine, minus the lead shot of course. I don’t just do naval aviation btw, my last nonfic was a biography of a RAF bomber pilot, flying instructor and test pilot before and during WW2. Any technical queries, feel free to ask

Thanks Elle. These are good prompts. I’m very into settings, which I think comes from my previous life as a conservation ecologist – working in some amazing wild places. So I’ve always got to have a strong sense of the natural world that my story takes place in – weather, plants, animals, noises, tides, rock types … yeah maybe I go too far, but…[Read more]

Thanks Libby, that’s really nice of you. Glad you found it interesting and informative. I thought they struck the balance pretty well, and as you and Jane felt, did not overdo it with reconstructions. The little bits they did have (a snippet at the start of the Eugene Ely segment and some sailors running through corridors on a warship in the…[Read more]

Thanks Jane, am blushing now! You’re very kind

I liked the prompts, Jonathan – their utter randomness and the idea. Stick with it. Nano will be a slow month, but we all might need a little breather mid month to keep ourselves sane!!

My inclination would be for you to leave as-is Jonathan. I’m sure you’ll get plenty of entries as and when. NaNo month is always a bit difficult for things like this, but I for one am keen to make sure I enter every Den comp

Sounds good. Plenty of things said and unsaid in there. Of course, now you’ve spent ages deciding on that, your editor will definitely want to change it again!!