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Kate posted an update 6 years, 10 months ago
Can anyone remember who, or was it anyone on this site who wrote that rather chilling food based story in Whispers and Glances on the Cloud. I’ve come across this call for subs and it would be perfect. https://www.bloodgutsandstory.com/chew-on-this?fbclid=IwAR328nEPYjVhG9jgw2UriQMwHA4cge8TXwYDCt1wa_5uBuewb8yTmTFjWcg
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Squidge replied to the topic Multiple Den Success in the forum Podium 6 years, 10 months ago
I am about half way through and loving this. Especially how there’s an link between each story which binds them all together.
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Squidge replied to the topic Multiple Den Success in the forum Podium 6 years, 10 months ago
Must get this…I’m a bit Pratchetted out at the mo, and this is going to be good!
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Squidge posted an update 6 years, 10 months ago
Dilemma:
Book 1 with publisher being edited. Waiting for their response to my responses.
Book 2 with publisher, waiting to see if they like it – though I know it needs work.
Book 3 story outlined in notebook.Question is, do I get stuck into writing up Book 3 properly on the computer, knowing I’ve got 1 & 2 to work on edit-wise; start…[Read more]
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Do whatever excites you the most? Or do something else entirely? If neither of those are the answer, then I’d crack on with Book 3. Having a better idea of what happens in it, will inform your edit of Books 1 and 2 when the time comes.
If ’twere me, I wouldn’t start yet another project (planning Book 4) as that’ll create more unfinished-ness and…[Read more] -
Take time out to write something completely different and come back to this with fresh eyes and unexpected directions?
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Personally, I’d get started with book 3, but that’s possibly not the wisest, knowing you’ll have to switch away from it again. BUt it’s not like you are having to enter an entirely new world, is it? (this is the next in series, isn’t it?). So perhaps it could even be good to keep you in the right place mentally and keep you enthused for the…[Read more]
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Thanks all… I actually went on to outline book 4 after all, but pretty loosely. Rather lost my writing mojo this week due to a bout of hormones… I tend to want to sit in a corner and shut the world out when that happens. Not helped by a few things going rather wrong this week that left me feeling disappointed with life. But hey ho, we get back…[Read more]
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@Raine – don’t worry re beta reading; as and when! I’ve begun to realise that book 2’s not as oven ready as I thought it might be…
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Boo to the hormones, but pleased you’ve found a way to keep things moving forwards nonetheless. It all has to be done at some point, so in a way it doesn’t matter in what order. Whatever helps keep the momentum flowing(ish)
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good for you, @squidge. Moving forward despite all that is a major achievement. My (belated) approach would be to move on with the next bit of the story, I think. especially if you’ve got exciting bits to look forward to writing! I also find that writing the future can often inform the ‘past’ in that you can tweak and foreshadow knowing what comes…[Read more]
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Kate replied to the topic Prose-Ode to Waterstones Café, York Minster and a Couple of Streets in the forum Blogs 6 years, 11 months ago
This had a wonderful energy and so many great observations. I loved the quirkiness of phrases like ‘lean forward talker’ and laptop caresser’. I’m going to try and keep this style in mind next time I have to describe something. It was my bedtime read, and most enjoyable. Thanks Gerry.
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Squidge posted an update 6 years, 11 months ago
So… I’ve seen an advert for a ‘Write a book in an hour’ event run by a bookshop. To give the author credit, he has actually written a book that’s been well received.
But surely, ‘writing a book in an hour’ is a poor description? Surely, the most you can hope to achieve is the outline of your story? There is no way on earth you can write teh…[Read more]
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YEah, that would irritate me too. LIke one of those godawful gimmicky diets/fitness regimes/etc. It’s both deeply unrealistic and misleading, but also demeaning to the effort it takes to create worthwhile writing. If he means an hour to *plan* your novel, then, meh, perhaps, in the roughest of rough outlines. But *write*? At 80k for a book, that’s…[Read more]
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Yup. Irritating in the extreme. You might be able to have the glimpse of an idea in an hour if you were lucky…
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So glad to hear it’s not just me, then. Mind you, I don’t suppose it would have the same appeal if it was called ‘Write a book over the next few years that might never see the light of day.’ 😉
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No but it would be a lot truer! Which brings me to a serious question…. if you had known just how much work was involved in writing a passable book, would you have started in the first place?
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A single book, yeah I’d probably have still dived in. Being six zillion books in and still nowhere… I think I’d run a mile, screaming. Maybe I still will!!
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The “How to write a book in an hour” thing is a one hour course in how to write a book.
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In this case, I’ve been told it’s an hour with the author explaining how he wrote his book – hints and tips, kind of thing. Not even a course, more of an author talk.
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THAT IS MISLEADING ADVERTISING, SURELY! So funny that we all interpreted it the same way!!! “Grr, how can anyone claim to write book in an hour, grrr!!!!”
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I’ll come with you…
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Libby replied to the topic Unediting in the forum Blogs 6 years, 11 months ago
Yep! And turn sub-clauses into separate sentences then merge them again.
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Squidge replied to the topic Unediting in the forum Blogs 6 years, 11 months ago
Laughing @jonathan! Comes out publisher-ready… in our dreams!!
I understand what you mean about the ‘something bigger’s going on’ scenario. I had places where I could definitely see that happening and rewrote whole sections. And I also know what Jonathan means about being in a particular mood.
I think my rule of thumb is going to have to be…[Read more]
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Squidge started the topic Unediting in the forum Blogs 6 years, 11 months ago
I’m editing Book 1 of Tilda’s story series at the mo for Bink (good news – looking like it’ll be published earlier than I thought, in Sept. Yay!)
I was told that there weren’t many things to look at – all nit picky stuff. Woo-hoo!
Thing is, I had worked my way through half of the MS on paper, because I needed to get more into Tilda’s head (if…[Read more]
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Squidge replied to the topic On Submerging and Re-emerging in the forum Blogs 6 years, 11 months ago
I certainly blog less when I’m writing – or busy, generally. The Scribbles are sadly neglected at the moment…
I try to keep some level of engagement with the Den going, but when writing it can be either extreme; popping in to read but not comment, so I appear absent, or lots of posts asking for opinions or having a rant or despairing about the…[Read more]
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John S Alty posted an update 6 years, 11 months ago
Just back from Mallorca with lots of new writing ideas. Well, one.
I see we have a few more spammists – they’re getting smarter, using names and not anagrams! -
John S Alty replied to the topic Regular Den competition – where next? in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 11 months ago
I think you have to activate reply threading, but I don’t know for sure.
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Squidge posted an update 6 years, 11 months ago
Tilda Book 2 got formatted and sent off to the publisher yesterday… Not sure it was the best way to spend a Bank Holiday Monday, but hey ho.
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Squidge replied to the topic Terminal discouragement? in the forum Coffee Shop 6 years, 11 months ago
I think it feels sometimes as though it’s trying too hard… The kinds of words used, particularly. I know there’s a place for fabulous language – certain Denizens often take my breath away when I read what they’ve written, for eg! – but sometimes it feels laboured. As if the author thought ‘I must describe this thing beautifully to get across how…[Read more]
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John S Alty replied to the topic Regular Den competition – where next? in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 11 months ago
Guidelines suggest not posting on the thread with the entries, until after judging is complete, but you can make a general discussion comment tagging the appropriate person. I think I have that correct.
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Squidge replied to the topic Terminal discouragement? in the forum Coffee Shop 6 years, 11 months ago
I think some ARE young, Sandra, but what I’ve seen of the Masters, it tends towards a fairly older crowd, often folks who’ve been doing other things in life first.
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Squidge replied to the topic Terminal discouragement? in the forum Coffee Shop 6 years, 11 months ago
I think there is a different approach to writing if you do a degree/Masters in it. It’s almost as though, at the point of graduation, most folk have a perceived idea of what writing should be. Qualifying this because I know a creative writing lecturer, and am in a facebook group for one of the CW courses at a local uni. Some of the stuff I see…[Read more]
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Libby replied to the topic Terminal discouragement? in the forum Coffee Shop 6 years, 11 months ago
Sometimes professional book reviewers complain that creative writing graduates have a CW style. I haven’t spotted it myself and perhaps am being dense. If any Denizens can describe it I’d be grateful!
I do notice trends and fashions but they seem to apply to most trad published novels.
Re the workshop style, there must be a danger that if you’re…[Read more]
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John S Alty posted an update 6 years, 11 months ago
For anyone wishing to avoid me over on JT, I’m Wildman. (I’m not really wild at all, Wild is my mother’s maiden name).
I’m having fun trying to spot Denizens over there, it’s quite tricky. -
Squidge posted an update 6 years, 11 months ago
Anyone else been tagged by fellow ex-cloudies to say that the JW Townhouse is now free? Or does anyone in JW know anything about it? Not particularly tempted, but interested…I opted out of their mailings a while back.
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I posted an update here a couple of days ago when JW issued an email. Some here have joined – some have not. The Forum looks far more useable than their last effort, but not many posts yet.
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It could hardly have been worse! For me the Word Cloud was all about the people, the Cloudies, who made it what it was, and I don’t think Harry ever understood that. Let’s see what happens.
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Yes, the Cloud was something very special, and I don’t know if that particular vibe can ever be recaptured. Though it has to be said that it had already soured before it vanished, due to the efforts of A Certain Person. My daughter has wide experience of forums devoted to her ruling passion, football, and when I told her about the souring of the…[Read more]
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I’m giving it a tentative try but doubt the same vibes can be captured
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I think that would be ‘Pied Bleu’, which was written by @bric
That was the one! Hopefully she’ll pick up on your tag of her.
Ooh – thanks Kate and Matt – I shall have a look at that!
Best of luck!