@libby
Active 2 days, 22 hours ago-
Libby replied to the topic Monthly Comp April 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 week, 1 day ago
Thank you, Seagreen, for the competition. Great, enticing stories from Ath, Sandra and Terrie. I enjoyed them all.
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Libby replied to the topic How I Cope With My Box of Bugs. in the forum The Writers' Lifeboat 1 week, 4 days ago
I like the bugs analogy, Terrie.
Roughly I do something like this: I plan, though not in great detail – usually the ending and a couple of things along the way. When I start writing the plan doesn’t seem to work so I alter the order of events or cut events. After a bit I give up with the plan and hope the writing will suggest what I need to do…[Read more]
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Libby replied to the topic Monthly Comp April 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 1 week, 5 days ago
It’s a while since the 1980s
And why come back? Why, exactly, limp along these corridors after decades, and stop to look at dormitory doors and classroom doors all shut for the summer holiday. There’s no one else in this building – a giant bungalow with many arms – except the senior school secretary who has shown me old records and left me…[Read more]
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Libby posted a new activity comment 2 weeks, 1 day ago
Thank you for sorting this out, Ath. It has made me think more carefully about verbs 🙂
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Libby posted a new activity comment 2 weeks, 3 days ago
In the end, voice is probably the most important thing. If the character or narrator would use a linking verb, there should be one included.
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I think that’s what bothered me the most. It’s far away from a commonplace way of speaking. I’ve had quite a few conversations over the last three score years and (well not quite) ten, and read a fair bit, and I’m pretty certain that this is the first time I’ve seen “accustomed” used in this way.
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Libby posted a new activity comment 2 weeks, 3 days ago
I wondered if the transitive quality of accustomed was playing a part but couldn’t get my head round whether it was or not. This is where my thin knowledge of grammar fails me. I’m also easily lost when having to consider how one word can fulfil different grammatical functions which might overlap.
With accustomed, maybe it comes down to how an…[Read more]-
In the end, voice is probably the most important thing. If the character or narrator would use a linking verb, there should be one included.
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I think that’s what bothered me the most. It’s far away from a commonplace way of speaking. I’ve had quite a few conversations over the last three score years and (well not quite) ten, and read a fair bit, and I’m pretty certain that this is the first time I’ve seen “accustomed” used in this way.
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Libby posted a new activity comment 2 weeks, 3 days ago
I’ll stay sitting on this fence 🙂
And I’ll chuck in a quote. ‘The ear is not accustomed to exercise constantly its functions of hearing, it is accustomed to stillness.’
J. Ruskin, Modern Painters vol. I. 60
Lucky Ruskin. -
Libby posted a new activity comment 2 weeks, 3 days ago
In which ‘opened to darkness’ is adjectival. Sometimes you want a straightforward active verb and sometimes you don’t.
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I’ll stay sitting on this fence 🙂
And I’ll chuck in a quote. ‘The ear is not accustomed to exercise constantly its functions of hearing, it is accustomed to stillness.’
J. Ruskin, Modern Painters vol. I. 60
Lucky Ruskin.
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Libby posted a new activity comment 2 weeks, 3 days ago
My eyes opened to darkness.
My eyes were opened to darkness.-
In which ‘opened to darkness’ is adjectival. Sometimes you want a straightforward active verb and sometimes you don’t.
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I’ll stay sitting on this fence 🙂
And I’ll chuck in a quote. ‘The ear is not accustomed to exercise constantly its functions of hearing, it is accustomed to stillness.’
J. Ruskin, Modern Painters vol. I. 60
Lucky Ruskin.
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Libby posted a new activity comment 2 weeks, 3 days ago
But I think there could be a grammar question in there, Ath. This is where I show my uncertainties about active v passive but accustomed on its own is active. In a compound with an auxiliary verb it’s more passive I think. ‘My eyes became accustomed.’ The OED says, ‘In passive use sometimes approaching the stative adjective; cf. accustomed adj.’
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My eyes opened to darkness.
My eyes were opened to darkness.-
In which ‘opened to darkness’ is adjectival. Sometimes you want a straightforward active verb and sometimes you don’t.
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I’ll stay sitting on this fence 🙂
And I’ll chuck in a quote. ‘The ear is not accustomed to exercise constantly its functions of hearing, it is accustomed to stillness.’
J. Ruskin, Modern Painters vol. I. 60
Lucky Ruskin.
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Libby posted a new activity comment 2 weeks, 3 days ago
I don’t think it has a problem though it perhaps sounds old fashioned, which could be the intention. In a contemporary story I’d be more likely to say, ‘As my eyes adapted to …’.
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But I think there could be a grammar question in there, Ath. This is where I show my uncertainties about active v passive but accustomed on its own is active. In a compound with an auxiliary verb it’s more passive I think. ‘My eyes became accustomed.’ The OED says, ‘In passive use sometimes approaching the stative adjective; cf. accustomed adj.’
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My eyes opened to darkness.
My eyes were opened to darkness.-
In which ‘opened to darkness’ is adjectival. Sometimes you want a straightforward active verb and sometimes you don’t.
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I’ll stay sitting on this fence 🙂
And I’ll chuck in a quote. ‘The ear is not accustomed to exercise constantly its functions of hearing, it is accustomed to stillness.’
J. Ruskin, Modern Painters vol. I. 60
Lucky Ruskin.
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Libby replied to the topic Where Does Your Writing Inspiration Come From? in the forum Blogs 2 weeks, 4 days ago
Coordination: that’s exactly it. I can’t get coordinated with notebooks. I have one on my desk and it travels to my bedside table and back again. I admire people who use notebooks when they’re out – they seem more intuitive and open than I am. I think their minds flow more smoothly. They’re even Romantic with a capital R, with all the creativity…[Read more]
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Libby posted a new activity comment 1 month ago
Being a bit Zen seems to be the way to approach them. Relaxed but focused? Though I’ve yet to achieve this with a pitch.
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Libby posted a new activity comment 1 month, 3 weeks ago
Hi @janette, I grew up close to Manchester in the 1970s. I don’t know a great deal though can remember the atmosphere and what it looked like. There was a sense of desolation despite the moneyed suburbs. I don’t know anything about the theatres – a memory of the Library Theatre but that’s all. But if you think I can help, send me a private message…[Read more]
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Thank you, Libby, I’ll bear that in mind. It’s mostly theatre life I’m interested in, but I may want to pick your brain some time when I come to refining descriptives.
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Hi @janette, feel free 🙂
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Libby posted a new activity comment 4 months, 1 week ago
Sorry I didn’t manage to do a story, Alex. I had work to finish, and it’s a busy time of year.
Congratulations, Ath. A lovely story, exactly right for the season. -
Libby posted a new activity comment 4 months, 2 weeks ago
Hi Ath, you did reply! I received an email on Christmas Day: “And to you, Libby. And a very happy Christmas to all of us.”
It never appeared here on the site. I put this down to a computer glitch.
Thank you for this reply and the next one. Happy new year 🙂 - Load More