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Athelstone replied to the topic September 2019 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 7 months ago
Thanks for a fab competition, Squidge. You’ve brought a tear to my eye. I’ve been doing the monthly competition for nearly 10 years, although with fewer entries in the last few months, and this is my first win! There were some super entries this month; I’m really pleased.
I re-read my entry and worried that it might be steering too close to the…[Read more]
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Athelstone posted an update 6 years, 7 months ago
Wow! Came across some notes I scribbled down about 5 years ago: events in the life of a character in a book I’ve put aside. Not prepared for how guilty it would make me feel. It really seemed as though I abandoned somebody important – almost like a real person. What are my life lessons here? Stop scribbling stuff down? If I do, don’t read it…[Read more]
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Perhaps the last question is the right one. Or return to the character if not the same story. It sounds as though the character has life or you wouldn’t feel bothered about them. Someone to come back to when the time is right?
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I’ve got two notebooks full of random notes on characters or ideas. Most of it will never turn into something, but they’re great for when I’m feeling a bit blank – looking through and seeing what wants to be written. If you’re feeling that guilt, then perhaps that idea wants to be written enough for you to spend a little bit of time expanding on it?
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I’ve written a fair amount of this character, but killed her before her history unfolded later in the story. It was during that unfolding that I began to like her. I was feeling bad enough about having done her in, but then I came across a load of notes about a chance encounter she has with an old friend after a separation of several years. I have…[Read more]
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Athelstone replied to the topic replying to agent rejections in the forum Coffee Shop 6 years, 7 months ago
Do you mean that you sent a ‘thank you’ to the agents after they declined? I haven’t done that in the past. Not that I’ve made many submissions lately.
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Athelstone replied to the topic September 2019 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 7 months ago
Oh yes, 373(ish)
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Athelstone replied to the topic September 2019 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 7 months ago
Tortoiseshell Specs
I wear tortoiseshell specs. My dear old mum did too. And Dad. A family tradition that I hadn’t really thought about. I mean, we had so many things that I hardly even noticed. Family traditions, that is. There were words we used that I thought were just normal. Mum called me dinny if I did something daft and lairy when I was n…[Read more]
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Athelstone posted an update 6 years, 7 months ago
Well, here I am looking out at the Haymarket tram stop in Edinburgh from a cosy AirBnB. It would have been nice to catch up with local Denizens but I have my family with me and it’s been a packed weekend around a family wedding so not much opportunity. Flying back to Sussex by the Sea later this PM so won’t be feeling much like doing responsible…[Read more]
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Athelstone replied to the topic Syllabus and course materials. in the forum
Andrew Wille's DIY MA course 6 years, 7 months agoHi Jane, do we need a common start time as it’s a DIY course? I imagine it would be nice/useful to have people at roughly the same stage, for support and encouragement, but real life and so on.
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Athelstone posted an update 6 years, 7 months ago
URGENT!!! The weekend approaches. If you wish to enter the challenge “Songs of Innocence and Experience” then you only have until Tuesday at 22:00 to join the eponymous group and make your choices.
MORE IMPORTANT STILL there are several Denizens who have joined the group but have yet to POST their choices. You must both join AND post to be in…[Read more]
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PS I’m travelling around until Monday PM (family wedding) so probably won’t be able to answer questions until then.
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Athelstone replied to the topic Syllabus and course materials. in the forum
Andrew Wille's DIY MA course 6 years, 8 months agoThanks for kicking all this off, Raine!
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Athelstone joined the group
Andrew Wille’s DIY MA course 6 years, 8 months ago -
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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!
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Definitely not as often as desired! But agreed – the course was great, but the group of friends is greaterer.
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Hell, yes – to all of that.
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All signed up.
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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)?
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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!
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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.
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Yay! Starting when?
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21 January. Really looking forward to it
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Athelstone posted an update 6 years, 8 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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Athelstone posted an update 6 years, 8 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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Athelstone posted an update in the group
Songs of Innocence and Experience 6 years, 8 months agoSome intriguing choices being made. I hope that expectations are not knocked too far off kilter when the theme and meaning of the choices is revealed. I’m sure that kind, clever, wise, reliable and wholly impartial Jules will make my choices quite perfectly.
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You’re not trying to butter me up there at all, are you, Ath?
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Simply speaking the truth – as I learned to at my mother’s knee…
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Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly comp – August in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 8 months ago
You see, what Mrs High and Mighty Rachel Jacobs doesn’t realise is that every time her big shiny car overlaps my drive, I go and walk by it – and I knock her door mirror flat. Of course, it’s an expensive mirror with an expensive motor, and one day my efforts will make that motor fail. Sometimes I brush against the side, just casually. And if I…[Read more]
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Athelstone and
Margaret J Evans are now friends 6 years, 8 months ago -
Athelstone posted an update 6 years, 8 months ago
Songs of Innocence and Experience
OK. New Short Story Challenge. SEE THE NEW GROUP FOR DETAILS.
As Joey Ramone once remarked, “Hey Ho Let’s Go”
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Athelstone posted an update 6 years, 9 months ago
My head says NO, but against this better judgement I have decided to run another winter short story challenge. Autumn seems to have arrived early in this corner of Europe with cold wind and rain, alternating with fickle sunshine. Even Eratigena atrica has begun its amorous invasion of my home a few weeks ahead of schedule, so to take my mind off…[Read more]
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Fab, Ath. These are always so inspiring. 🙂
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Brilliant, Ath. I was just about to message you and ask if you were running a winter comp this year 😁
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Hooray!!! Good on you Ath. And a kick up the bum to me to clear the decks of some current stuff.
Three cheers, I say.-
Is that the time already? I still haven’t finished the last one.
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Didn’t manage the last one. Must try harder. Good for you, Ath.
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Great news and thanks Ath
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Fabulous news – love the name. All sorts of possibilities springing to mind there… Thanks, Ath x
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I promise to try harder for this one. The last lies somewhere among other penned ideas, in one of my jotters.
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This is great but good Lord where has this year gone?
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I ate it
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Can I offer you a blackberry tart instead? I need some of the year that’s left
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Make it crumble. With custard
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Can I have a bit of both, please? Oh, and yes, custard definitely.
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Athelstone posted an update 6 years, 9 months ago
Just sailing out of Cherbourg. Bit sad really. Probably last visit as an EU citizen. For a while anyway.
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