@jennytong
Active 7 years, 9 months ago-
Athelstone replied to the topic The latest in vanity publishing in the forum Marketplace 1 year, 6 months ago
I tried a 500 word synopsis. It was curiously like a “bad” synopsis that an inexperienced writer might try, too much detail at the outset and then broad generalisations for the middle and end. It always concludes by asking whether you want any refinements, so I asked for more detail about the conclusion and it invented a character and several plot…[Read more]
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Athelstone replied to the topic The latest in vanity publishing in the forum Marketplace 1 year, 6 months ago
As we are in imminent peril of being swamped with things-AI if Mr Starmer and our present government are to be believed, I thought I’d bite the bullet and give ChatGPT a whirl. As an experiment, I thought I’d try for a summary of my WIP. Since that’s something I will have to wrestle with when I come to submit, I wondered whether it might be…[Read more]
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Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly Competition – December 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 year, 6 months ago
Oh Lord. Two entries. Both very different from what I expected. Not that I expected anything in particular, but I know what I mean. Both excellent. Richard’s engrossed me, as the protagonist was engrossed in the model. Terrie’s made me laugh out loud. There’s no winner or loser here, because it was a virtual toss of the coin. Richard, choose us a…[Read more]
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Athelstone posted an update 1 year, 6 months ago
Anybody thinking of entering the last Monthly Competition of 2024? Still plenty of time for a few hundred words, but it’s getting closer.
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Athelstone started the topic One Christmas in the forum Coffee Shop 1 year, 7 months ago
Back on the WordCloud I started a group called Advent for Christmas-related posts. It was slightly popular, but back then we had an active wall and plenty of other groups, so it never flew especially high.
I posted a short children’s story. It needs a good edit that I might give it one day, but i think it’s quite fun, so if you’re in need of some…[Read more]
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Athelstone replied to the topic Happy Christmas in the forum Coffee Shop 1 year, 7 months ago
And many thanks to you, Libby, and to the other happy few who make this place worth keeping. A very happy Christmas to us all.
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Athelstone started the topic Monthly Competition – December 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 year, 7 months ago
I did the first one of the year. Here’s the last. I’ve been fitting a kitchen. Plumbing, carpentry, stuff to a standard I’ve never managed before. Came close to giving up once or twice.
Up to 500 words on doing something really difficult.
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Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly competition- November 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 year, 7 months ago
Thanks Seagreen. Glad you laughed. Well, Terrie, there’s a coincidence. I’ve barely been able to write for the last month having been fitting our new kitchen. Completely new from top to bottom including having to rebuild joists under the floor and fit a kitchen to an accuracy of 1mm per metre. As I’ve never done anything to that accuracy except by…[Read more]
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Seagreen replied to the topic Monthly competition- November 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 year, 7 months ago
Anyone else got ???? Supposed to be a smiley face 🙂
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Seagreen replied to the topic Monthly competition- November 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 year, 7 months ago
Sorry for being so late with this…
Sandra and Ath, thanks for entering – and both with a hair-related topic! ???? Alex, no worries. I’ll catch you next time.
Sandra – your chosen article left me gobsmacked. Clearly, I have been a victim of this. Brainwashed into keeping my hair short because my good looks are a threat to other women. I’ll be on…[Read more]
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Athelstone replied to the topic The latest in vanity publishing in the forum Marketplace 1 year, 7 months ago
I’m not surprised by this. For some time there have been AI editing features available with Prowritingaid, Grammarly and so on. I have the former, and although I seldom use the AI features, some of which are behind an additional paywall, I have given them a spin in the past. What you get from one of the reports does appear to be a reasonably…[Read more]
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Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly competition- November 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 year, 7 months ago
Argus 26 November 2024
Brighton man grows hair for five years for special reason.
I remember the blonde hair on the windowsill. My hair’s brown, so it must have come from Taz. Her hair is, or was, I should say, long, and rich, and blonde. Curious, I ran my fingers through my hair a few times and then examined what had come loose. Not a lot,…[Read more]
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Seagreen replied to the topic Monthly competition- November 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 year, 8 months ago
5 days left to give me the lowdown on what really happened behind the headline!
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Athelstone replied to the topic New BBC Radio 4 book programme in the forum Blogs 1 year, 8 months ago
Looks very promising. I shall be donning the headphones when I set about cooking dinner.
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Athelstone replied to the topic Is a social media Christmas appeal worthwhile? in the forum Blogs 1 year, 8 months ago
If it has any impact at all on the publishing world, I would be pleased. I can see that it is galling when an author with a genuine passion for writing, say for a young audience, hones their craft and achieves moderate success, and then watches a celeb waltz in like an unoriginal bargain-basement Roald Dahl, have a small fortune spent on…[Read more]
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I wholly agree, though in a fit of madness, I thought that an increased gathering of writers might at least get our voices heard, if not have any bearing on sales. It would be a start if some regulation was brought in regards being able to blatantly claim someone else’s work is your own – but too many influential people are on the opposing side to…[Read more]
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Seagreen started the topic Monthly competition- November 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 year, 8 months ago
Find an item of news – online, in the local paper, or on TV – and, in no more than 500 words, write the background story.
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Seagreen replied to the topic Monthly Comp – October 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 year, 8 months ago
Thanks, Knicky, for the challenge and for seeing something in my effort I wasn’t sure was there.
Thanks also to Terrie, Libby and Alex. I would have been more than happy to say I’d written any one of yours ☺️
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Knicks replied to the topic Monthly Comp – October 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 year, 8 months ago
Heya lovelies,
Apologies for the day-late decision making. I’ve been oout and aboout with my egg, enjoying our midterm break from work and school, and foolishly saved the reading until the final day of the month because I wanted to take in each piece at the same time, rather than read as submitted, and also to give everyone who could, a chance to…[Read more]
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Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly Comp – October 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 year, 8 months ago
Darn it! Missed it! A fab selection though.
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Seagreen replied to the topic Monthly Comp – October 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 year, 9 months ago
Fiercely reaching yet afraid of letting go. (756 words)
He wakes. Slowly. Reluctantly. To a feeling of being underground. Air heavy and thick with dust. Throat dry and aching. Eyes full of grit.
He is pinned, lying sideways on a surface, twisted and unforgiving, one arm beneath his hip and the other across his chest. He cannot feel his feet,…[Read more]
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