@helen
Active 4 months, 4 weeks ago-
Squidge replied to the topic Multiple Den Success in the forum Podium 7 years, 1 month ago
OK – finished it. Did not put it down…
Bloody brilliant.
I have to ask – how much of the premise dd you get beforehand? The stories all link so well together, I can’t work out whether it’s down to extreme luck in terms of the arrangement of the stories or whether the links written between each story are simply very well done to link what might…[Read more]
-
Jules replied to the topic Multiple Den Success in the forum Podium 7 years, 1 month ago
Glad you’re enjoying it @Squidge I love the interlinking text – it really adds sometjing to the collection. I love the shared world aspect of the anthology too.
-
Squidge replied to the topic Multiple Den Success in the forum Podium 7 years, 1 month ago
I am about half way through and loving this. Especially how there’s an link between each story which binds them all together.
-
Seagreen posted an update 7 years, 1 month ago
Some of the comments in our SE group have gone into hiding. Can anyone remember what the fix is for this? @athelstone? @jillybean?
-
There should be a little double speech box icon in the bottom right corner of the main post. If you hover over that it should give you the option to ‘view conversation’ and if you click on it should open up the entire chat. If someone has commented on a comment rather than on the main post, you may need to do the same on the comment. Occasionally…[Read more]
-
Fingers crossed the will reappear – same lack on phone & laptop, of both links and double speech boxes.
-
The other thing to consider is that if you repky to a comment, and the author of the comment deletes it, all the replies to that comment will be deleted to.
-
In this case, it’s a writing exercise, each of us posting for others to comment on. One seen and disappeared, the other never seen at all.
-
I’m afraid I have no immediately explanation but I’ll attempt to access it from the back end and see what can be done.
-
-
-
-
-
-
Jules replied to the topic Multiple Den Success in the forum Podium 7 years, 1 month ago
This was such a great project to be a part of (not least because I was basically asked to write war of the worlds fan fic π ) Matt is being humble by the way. He’s written the opening novellette The Battle of the Alma, which sets the scene and tone for the entire anthology. It’s an excellent piece of fiction with stellar world building. (I keep…[Read more]
-
Seagreen replied to the topic Multiple Den Success in the forum Podium 7 years, 1 month ago
Been meaning to do this since it came out… Now downloaded and awaiting the quietness of mind and spirit to enjoy it 😊
-
Squidge replied to the topic Multiple Den Success in the forum Podium 7 years, 1 month ago
Must get this…I’m a bit Pratchetted out at the mo, and this is going to be good!
-
Squidge posted an update 7 years, 1 month 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]
-
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?
-
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]
-
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]
-
@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…
-
-
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)
-
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]
-
-
-
Athelstone posted an update 7 years, 1 month ago
Have thoroughly enjoyed reading the monthly competition entries so far. Glad I’m not judging.
-
Jules replied to the topic MIR folktale festival short story comp. in the forum Competitions, Open calls and Writing Opportunities 7 years, 1 month ago
Thanks, Raine. Looks good 😊
-
Squidge posted an update 7 years, 1 month 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]
-
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]
-
Yup. Irritating in the extreme. You might be able to have the glimpse of an idea in an hour if you were lucky…
-
-
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.’ π
-
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?
-
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!!
-
The “How to write a book in an hour” thing is a one hour course in how to write a book.
-
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.
-
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!!!!”
-
-
I’ll come with you…
-
-
-
-
-
Sandra posted an update 7 years, 1 month ago
For those that befriended Sally Hopgood on Jericho’s Townhouse – she is no more. Tried and found wanting.
-
Just as she was growing on me.
-
Oh, heavens! This means I have no friends π
-
Just looked for you (on t’house) to remedy this – but no Seagreens were available…
-
I’m there as Jean Hunter, Gerry π
-
Aha, found yer!
-
-
-
-
makes her sound like mould … π
-
-
Have just sought out Sally Hopgood (on t’house) and found she is not good at hopping-it. Still there it appears…
-
Damn! I’ll have another go at offing her tomorrow. Thanks Gerry.
-
Hey, don’t go – now I know it’s you. Stick around – something might happen. Y’never know…
-
What happened was that the rigmarole of unrecognised password/user name has to be faced again … thanks but no thanks.
-
-
-
-
-
Squidge replied to the topic Unediting in the forum Blogs 7 years, 1 month 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]
-
Philippa East replied to the topic Unediting in the forum Blogs 7 years, 1 month ago
Such an interesting post, Squidge. In general, if I find myself changing something then changing it back again, it’s usually because that isn’t really the problem, and there’s something slightly different which I actually need to fix.
For example, I might fiddle around with a sentence structure or a word choice and then realise the real problem…[Read more]
-
Philippa East posted an update 7 years, 1 month ago
Oh my God, I’ve begun writing Book 2.
I wrote a first 2,000 words today, and my plan is to write 2,000 words a day, five days a week for the next 2 months (=80,000 words). I am writing without editing or looking back. I have an outline which covers the first half of the book, but the second half is still pretty foggy in my head. I feel I’ll only…[Read more]-
YAY for starting book 2! Thatβs fantastic. And oof to that target, but you can totally do it, go girl!!
That is similar to me, when I start out. I have a pretty solid character arc for my main characters, a moderately clear plot for the first half, and although I do plot the rest, I always have to redo that once I get to that point as so much c…[Read more]-
Thanks Raine! Good to know I’m not alone in my fogginess. Not sure I’m ready to share what it’s about yet. Better get more to grips with it myself first!
-
-
Well done Phillipa. Good policy to just dive in and I’m sure you’re right that the plot will get clearer. I write in the same foggy way, heading into the mist with just the odd tree top showing through. I’m about to hit mid point on my current WIP and really don’t know what happens next, so I understand that terror. Just don’t let yourself think…[Read more]
-
Thanks Kate! What is it about second halves, eh? I think maybe I’m still not clear yet about what core elements a second half needs to have (other than a climax), whereas I feel I quite naturally understand first halves now. Hum.
-
-
-
Seagreen replied to the topic Bi-Monthly Comp – May/June 2019 in the forum Monthly Competition 7 years, 1 month ago
WASTE NOT, WANT NOT (391 words)
Early evening, and the headache that had been stalking me all day slammed into me with the force of a rear-end collision, scattering coherent thought into the ether and making further editing of the new book impossible. I wasnβt surprised by it – the headache, I mean β the pain in my temples had been building up…[Read more]
-
Sandra replied to the topic Unediting in the forum Blogs 7 years, 1 month ago
In general,Squidge, although I know exactly what you mean, I don’t. Partly because a lot of the time I am writing ‘badly’ to start with, so much needs to be improved (and the correct word substituted for the one I couldn’t remember – I’m grateful for Emma D’s suggestion of putting then in [ ] so as to later find.
At the moment, writing a…[Read more]
-
Squidge started the topic Unediting in the forum Blogs 7 years, 1 month 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]
-
Squidge replied to the topic On Submerging and Re-emerging in the forum Blogs 7 years, 1 month 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]
-
Sandra replied to the topic Writers & Artists short story comp in the forum Podium 7 years, 1 month ago
Excellent … your fame is spreading, and rightfully so.
- Load More
