@johnalty
Active 4 years, 11 months ago-
RichardB replied to the topic The Future of the Den – Part 2 in the forum Blogs 4 years, 6 months ago
Let me be the first to give you a huge thank you for all the hard work you’ve obviously put in.
The new navigation is a huge improvement over the old impenetrable one. I think you’ve addressed all the concerns I raised. I particularly like the little explanation boxes that pop up when you hover over a heading. Finding your way around the site…[Read more]
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Athelstone started the topic The Future of the Den – Part 2 in the forum Blogs 4 years, 6 months ago
What’s new? I’ll tell you what – the Den, that’s what. OK, not exactly new, but different.
Some of you may have seen my blog a while back, where I questioned the future of the Den. Well, I’m sorry if it all seemed to go quiet, but the truth is I’ve been beavering away finding how stuff works and how some of it it doesn’t. Long story short,…[Read more]
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Athelstone posted an update 4 years, 6 months ago
21 November already! Time to knuckle down and enter the monthly competition. All it takes is between 1 and 500 words and the prize could be yours.
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Athelstone posted an update 4 years, 6 months ago
Half way through the month. Time to dig deep and enter the monthly competition. You know you’ll enjoy it.
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Sandra replied to the topic Monthly comp – November 2021 in the forum Monthly Competition 4 years, 6 months ago
Failed on the basics.
I’d been riding pillion on a BSA since my teens. Clandestinely to start, because my parents forbade me, but by 2004 I was well past that, and three years past my first BSA rally, which had taken us to Australia. Being one of 200 bikes wending our way across rolling golden hills an unforgettable experience. Even so, that…[Read more] -
Newbie replied to the topic Monthly comp – November 2021 in the forum Monthly Competition 4 years, 6 months ago
Hi Ath, I’ve got my thinking cap on so hopefully something will light up.
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Janette posted an update 4 years, 6 months ago
Can anyone help me with my book research? I’ve come across a fatal flaw in my book and need to age up a character a little (otherwise it’s a full book rewrite, which I’m trying to avoid).
Did anyone (or anyone you know) leave school in Summer when you could have/were due to leave in the Easter break?
My MC leaves at Summer, but I need to add…[Read more]-
I can’t think leaving at Easter would’ve been that likely, because of ‘O’levels.
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Hi, Sandra,
I was one of the ones who had to stay on an extra year and leave aged 16 (in June 1974 – oops, showing my age!), which I was pleased about because I wanted to sit exams and my parents wanted me to leave to earn a wage. It was a common thing then, that some kids were expected to leave the earliest opportunity to ‘bring home a wage’, and…[Read more]-
I was 16 at Easter 1963, so can’t help you there, sorry.
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Steve says school leaving age was 15, but you could stay on. Also see wikipedia Raising_of_school_leaving_age_in_England_and_Wales
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Thanks, Sandra. I’m trying to find someone who could have or did leave at Easter. Better still, someone who remembers if it was mandatory or whether there were exceptions. My MC wants to stop on, but her parents are insistent she leaves asap. However, if something meant she couldn’t or shouldn’t leave at Easter …
It’s a long shot, and I’m fast…[Read more]
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I don’t think it’s ever been mandatory to leave at Easter – short of expulsion. You are required to choose your subjects for a full year well in advance of Easter, so that staying on is the default position, even if it’s obvious to all that a specific student is going to leave. In theory, I could have left school at Easter in 1972, but at that…[Read more]
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Thanks, Ath, that’s very helpful. My MC is being pressured by her parents to leave school and earn a wage, but the employer/employment route might be the way to go. Pity I didn’t think of this when I drafted the book.
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Knicks replied to the topic Monthly Comp – October 2021 in the forum Monthly Competition 4 years, 6 months ago
I really enjoyed your story too, Newbie!
Thank you Raine, for being a wonderful comp host, it was funfunfun like I knew it would be 😃🦇🎃👻
Couldn’t agree with Ath more, we duh best 🥳✨
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Daedalus posted an update 4 years, 6 months ago
Recovering from Covid. It’s no joke. Be careful out there people, the risk is real
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Sorry to hear you caught it. Did it break through jabs? Hope you recover quickly and fully x
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Take care of yourself and take time to recover.
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Thanks. Difficult with all the work I have on, unfortunately
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Yes, double jabbed, last one in July.
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Ugh Daeds, as if you needed an extra thing to deal with now. Hope it doesn’t linger & hope you are able to treat yourself gently & get extensions if needed. x
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Newbie replied to the topic Monthly Comp – October 2021 in the forum Monthly Competition 4 years, 6 months ago
Congratulations, Athelstone. A well deserved win. 🙂
Love your story too, Knicks. xx
Thank you Raine for organising the comp. xx
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Athelstone started the topic Monthly comp – November 2021 in the forum Monthly Competition 4 years, 6 months ago
OK NaNoWriMo: this month I’d like you to write just 50,000 words on anything that strikes you as appropriate. No, on second thoughts, I’d like a maximum of 500 words on the topic of something difficult, a target that would take a great effort to achieve, that was either met or missed.
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🤣🤣🤣
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Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly Comp – October 2021 in the forum Monthly Competition 4 years, 6 months ago
Awwww!!! Thank you Raine, I really enjoyed the comp.
I love the other entries. We are the best! -
Raine replied to the topic Monthly Comp – October 2021 in the forum Monthly Competition 4 years, 6 months ago
Hi all! Thank you so much for entering this month – sorry I’m not the actual winner of last month but I’ve had fun being undeserved organiser anyway!
@knickylaurelle, I loved the dark, shadowy atmosphere to this. Lost boys and forests and witches – *chefs kiss* Some utterly beautiful imagery in here, my favourite has got to be ‘a cackle can be…[Read more]
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Thank you Raine for so topically filling the breach, setting and judging (always the hardest part) the monthly comp. I am making good progress after stroke + surgery so hope to be back to full-strength participation soon
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*giant hugs*
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Oh my goodness, Sandra, I had no idea you were going through such a hard time. Pleased to hear you’re making good progress. Take it easy. Best wishes to you and yours. xxx
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Thanks, Newbie. I count myself lucky to have come through it with minimal side effects – and a huge warm glow from the quantity and breadth of caring messages which have come my way from friends and family.
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Seagreen replied to the topic The world, her dog, memories-dot, dot, dot. in the forum Blogs 4 years, 6 months ago
On the phone so I’ll keep this short…
I’m not the same person I was ten years ago (or even five years ago) and the things that impacted me then are not the things that impact me now.
I see it as growth ☺️ -
Bella replied to the topic The world, her dog, memories-dot, dot, dot. in the forum Blogs 4 years, 7 months ago
Interesting. I’ve used writing as a way to process the emotions linked to some pretty unpleasant episodes in my past. I know that a lot of therapists advise one to write a letter (never meaning to send, a la Nights in White Satin). I’ve tried that, though the letter format doesn’t work for me, whereas more of a blog style recounting does.
I’ve…[Read more]
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Gerry Fenge replied to the topic The world, her dog, memories-dot, dot, dot. in the forum Blogs 4 years, 7 months ago
Great! I’d love to read some blogs from ten years ago – before all the nonsenses that started in 2016, and when there were busy Writers Forums full of blogs, shallow or profound but always fascinating…
Please post an example…
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Athelstone started the topic The world, her dog, memories-dot, dot, dot. in the forum Blogs 4 years, 7 months ago
Read some blogs I wrote about 10 years ago that recalled events of 30 years before that. Curiously, unable to connect directly to those events anymore, in that I remember them and can recount the details, but much of the emotional impact that was there when I wrote about them is no longer available. I can remember that there was an impact and can…[Read more]
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Raine posted an update 4 years, 7 months ago
One week left to get your spooky flashes in for the October comp. Come unnerve and delight me. 🙂
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Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly Comp – October 2021 in the forum Monthly Competition 4 years, 7 months ago
=)
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I too spent some time checking out the new improved site and, without any IT knowledge as to what and how achieved, found it easy and intuitive. (My commenting on it was delayed by my rediscovery of a blog about the narrative arc which, having read Seagreen’s 7 ‘C’s I spent much of the rest of the day trying to apply to my current wip, before…[Read more]