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Raine posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 1 month agoMorning slomoers. I need a KICK goddammit. Please someone put a knife to my throat or something. I am translating agent/publisher silence into a complete inability to motivate myself and GAH. And now the sun has only gone and come out and I have bulbs to plant so I see more procrastination happening…
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Athelstone posted an update 7 years, 1 month ago
Updates losing comments:
OK, there’s a bug, probably in the BuddyPress code or in a plugin (or somewhere), that is preventing the ‘show all comments’ button from appearing (but only sometimes) after old comments have been tucked away out of sight. Very irritating. Here’s a workaround if you get this. Not pretty, not convenient, but at least you…[Read more] -
Athelstone posted an update 7 years, 1 month ago
Hoorah! At last, after an overload of dithering, I am back on the path that Julie Cohen recommends and writing sh*t.
Don’t you hate it when people put an asterisk in a word, converting a perfectly good piece of Old English into the illegitimate cousin of a euphemism? It’s as though it’s somehow more pol*te.-
Not getting at anybody in particular and I’ve done it myself many times over the years. Anyway – main point, writing!
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Me too Ath. As of this morning. Mine is utterly shit too. 177 words of complete garbage so far. And I don’t care! I might even try to write another 100 words of tosh before lunch!
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But CONGRATULATIONS. If I could remember how to insert an emoji, I would. So just imagine champagne bottles popping, streamers and smiley faces.
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🙂
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I haven’t written any shit today, because I haven’t written anything at all. I’m mulling stuff over. But one H*rry B*ngham once pointed out that he’d spent a whole week in his study mulling things over and not writing a single word, and still counted it as writing time because it produced results later. A murrain on daily targets, that’s wot I say.
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Yes, but my mulling had moved on to how to add to my collection of noir films, or should I make myself another PC and had even reached the outskirts of ‘I wonder what’s on Channel 4’. Luckily that turned out to more Brexit so I started writing again.
The most immediate problem is that my characters are having a conversation and won’t stop bloody…[Read more]
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And congratulations on the tosh, Jane!
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and now I can only see my original update and my own first reply. No other replies and no ‘show all replies’ prompt.
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I’m just getting your two comments, too. So I reckon the rest were so full of swearing that the Den went all puritanical on us??
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Yep, not pointing fingers but somebody here is 100% potty-mouth!
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Your bug work around worked! I managed to find all the comments. Congratulations on all your characters talking. I rewrote the first chapter of my WIP for the thousandth time this morning. It might be getting close to being THE ONE. But there again…
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Hoorah, your kind comment has made the ‘Show all 10 comments’ button to appear, for me anyway.
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Congrats on getting back to writing, Ath. And working round the program glitch.
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Daedalus replied to the topic Interview with Fiona Erskine, author of The Chemical Detective in the forum Blogs 7 years, 1 month ago
@s-p-moss It does, doesn’t it? Quite intrigued by that
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Squidge posted an update 7 years, 1 month ago
I am writing again… One whole chapter further on in The Black Ruby than I was at the start of this week.
About bloomin’ time! Oh – and for those who’ve read Rurik’s story (which is now about Tilda!), remember I said the publisher didn’t like ‘Mage of Merjan’ as a title cos they thought it gave the plot away too much? Am I being daft by…[Read more]
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HUGE well dones on getting writing again! That’s fab news. 😊 Re the title, quest just makes me think of the six BAZILLION dragon quest books, so for me it’s too tied up with that. But given the age bracket, I wouldn’t have worried so much about LOTR overlap. Not much help, sorry.
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I know – Beast Quest too… Ring Hunt sounds a bit dodgy if you say it quickly (!) but the search for the ring is central to the story, and there’s only so many ways you can describing hunting for something! Thinking cap on again…
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Can it just be about the ring, rather than the search? The lost ring, the ring of x, a something in gold (if it’s gold!)…?
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I can’t help with the title. I struggle with them as well, but great that you are back to writing!
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The ring of Ambak… Perhaps.
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Works better for me than Quest etc does. 😊
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Thanks Raine…will see what Bink think… Mind you, not heard from them for ages.
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Philippa East replied to the topic Interview with Fiona Erskine, author of The Chemical Detective in the forum Blogs 7 years, 1 month ago
Brilliant, can’t wait to read. I’m so sorry, @bric but I don’t think I’ll make the launch, but I will be getting my copy for sure!!
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Philippa East posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 1 month agoHi guys,
Hope you’re all getting on well. I have been mostly crying in a corner since getting a further round of edits from the publisher / editor. 😭
I honestly though I was done when I sent her my draft in January, so this really knocked me for six. I am (once again) slowly working through them. Please send writerly fuel and hugs!-
Oh Philippa, I’m sending tonnes of hugs and tea. That’s a hard thing to face, but you’ve got this. You really have.
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Sorry being brief as on my phone I have the most insanely small typing window! You’re so close now, and your editor must be so invested in your story to be taking such time over it. It’s A GOOD thing, I think. Although it must feel like a kick in the teeth. Hang in there. It’ll be so so worth it. X
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sending hugs and chocolate and repeating everything Raine said.
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oh @philippaeast how bloody EXHAUSTING. I’m sending a lovely batch of re-fuelling scones, some good Ceylon tea (do you like Orange Pekoe?), chocolate and some gin. you can combine as you see fit. But you have definitely got this and this book is going to be polished to a painfully high sheen at the end of all this. It. Will. Be. Worth. It! xxx
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Oh gosh…just when you feel it’s there, and then you find it’s not quite as there as you thought. Keep going. You are this *pinches finger and thumb together with a hairsbreadth between them* close. Sending love and writerly energy x
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So sorry you’re feeling down @philippaeast . I know you know it will be worth it in the end but the road there is hard. Am sending moral support.
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Thanks guys, I really appreciate it. The scones and tea are delicious.
“Exhausting” “painfully high sheen”. I think you’ve got it, @kazg!
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Philippa East replied to the topic You'll find us in the "activity" section….. in the forum
December SloMo 7 years, 1 month agoOh, thanks for sharing @kazg!
I just put this note up on the December SloMo section, because the forums were empty for it so it looked like there was no one here!
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Sandra replied to the topic Interview with Fiona Erskine, author of The Chemical Detective in the forum Blogs 7 years, 1 month ago
I’m going to the launch on 2nd April. Local bookshop will be there with a goodly supply.
But thanks Daeds, for an excellent interview.
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JaneShuff replied to the topic You'll find us in the "activity" section….. in the forum
December SloMo 7 years, 1 month agoHopefully it might work for me @kazg. Especially if I don’t have to start until April.
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Fiona replied to the topic Interview with Fiona Erskine, author of The Chemical Detective in the forum Blogs 7 years, 1 month ago
Thank you Daeds for uncovering some of my deepest, darkest secrets!
Couldn’t have done any of it without the Word Cloud that was! -
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Daedalus replied to the topic Interview with Fiona Erskine, author of The Chemical Detective in the forum Blogs 7 years, 1 month ago
I should have tagged @bric of course… Sorry
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Raine replied to the topic Plotting workshop notes in the forum The Writers' Lifeboat 7 years, 1 month ago
I’ve just printed out Annie Neugerbauer’s worksheet to see if it helps me tackle the next round of wip edits. 🙂
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Raine replied to the topic Interview with Fiona Erskine, author of The Chemical Detective in the forum Blogs 7 years, 1 month ago
Great interview, well done both @daedalus and @fiona. 🙂 Can’t wait to see the book in all its glory.
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Squidge posted an update 7 years, 1 month ago
@athelstone – can’t find the donations thingy in forum. Thought it might be under admin, but no joy and it doesn’t seem to be listed anywhere else in there?
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Hi Squidge, from login select Groups, then scroll down and select Donations, then select Forum 🙂 There are two topics. the first is a summary of where we are and how to donate. The second is for chat.
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I’ve checked there too Squidge, and it’s showing as not having a forum. No topics Ath.
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That’s odd. There aren’t any settings I can see to make the forum more visible, or even to hide it or anything really. It’s a public group, can you see the forum if you join it?
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Yes, you have to join.
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Ah, well that’s my inexperience with the site then. I should have added ‘join’ as a step.
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Maybe not allow yourself to plant bulbs until x words written/edited? Lx
Morning. FEEL YOUR PAIN. So… what is it that you want to be getting on with?
Oh! That project?
THAT IS AN AMAZING PROJECT, AND YOU NEED TO GET THIS FANTASTIC PIECE OF AMAZINGNESS WRITTEN!!!
It’s never about publishing / publishers. You are a writer. You are an artist. Fuck everyone else. You know you’re calling. Do it because it’s play, it’s…[Read more]
I am liking the Fuck Everyone Else motto! I did some plot editing and then planted bulbs. Today I am going to stare at the next round of paper edits whilst dying of endometriosis. But I will be dying with my special purple editing pen in hand, which totally counts!
Oh, Raine – I feel your pain. Hope you manage to feel more comfortable soon. Endometriosis is a real be-arch! And yay to getting bulbs planted AND doing some writing as well. x
Oh Raine my daughter has endo (we think) and it’s a killer. That, plus writerly lack of mojo, definitely calls for the Fuck Everyone Else approach – henceforth FEE – and gin, and tea, and chocolate. And I just read your beautiful, heartwrenching In the Dark Garden and I am reminded again of your writerly superpowers – even if you’re not feeling it…[Read more]
Henceforth, this is the official Den motto:
‘It’s never about publishing / publishers. You are a writer. You are an artist. Fuck everyone else. You know you’re calling. Do it because it’s play, it’s creating, because it brings you joy.
Just do it.’
Thanks to @philippaeast 🙂
You’re welcome! *doffs cap*
And I threw a typo in for good measure. Just to prove (kinda) my point.