@libby
Active 1 day, 22 hours ago-
Libby replied to the topic February 2026 Monthly Competition in the forum Monthly Competition 7 months, 4 weeks ago
Amid the excitement of the annual Den Challenge there’s also the February monthly comp!! A reminder that there are two days left to enter. Max of 400 words on the theme of love.
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Libby replied to the topic February 2026 Monthly Competition in the forum Monthly Competition 8 months, 1 week ago
A reminder of the monthly comp, as we’re over half way through February already.
Here’s the original post:
As it’s February the theme this month is love. It needn’t be romantic. It can be of any sort – for a place, a piece of music, an animal – whatever you like that that provokes a feeling of love.
Max 400 words, deadline midnight Saturda…[Read more]
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Libby started the topic February 2026 Monthly Competition in the forum Monthly Competition 8 months, 3 weeks ago
As it’s February the theme this month is love. It needn’t be romantic. It can be of any sort – for a place, a piece of music, an animal – whatever you like that that provokes a feeling of love.
Max 400 words, deadline midnight Saturday 28th February.
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Libby replied to the topic January 2026 Monthly Competition in the forum Monthly Competition 8 months, 3 weeks ago
Thank you, Terrie. That’s a lovely surprise! Thank you, Jill and Sandra too. The thrill of a new baby from Jill, with other newnesses too. And Sandra – creative writing books are such a mixed bag. I’m glad you have one which is properly helpful.
I’ll post the February comp later.
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Libby replied to the topic January 2026 Monthly Competition in the forum Monthly Competition 8 months, 3 weeks ago
500 words
Jim’s ballet exercises weren’t about dancing, they were about muscle fitness, until he was bent over, clutching the Aga rail which was his barre, and the shooting pains in his back were a quiversful of landed arrows. Gasping for breath he thought of that painting of St Sebastian, a dreary affair in his view, inspirational of not…[Read more]
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Libby started the topic Short story published in the forum Podium 10 months, 1 week ago
The story I wrote for the November comp. ‘I Lied When I Said My Daughter Lived Abroad’ has been published today:
https://www.cafelitmagazine.uk/
Thank you, Terrie @purplewitch for the prompt!
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Well done, Libby. A really fine story and definitely worth another read.
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Thank you, Ath.
And Bella.
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Congratulations, Libby.
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Libby posted a new activity comment 10 months, 1 week ago
You are well prepared, Janette! Good luck with the self pub.
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Libby posted a new activity comment 10 months, 1 week ago
I’ll try my best but the diary is pretty full at the moment.
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Libby posted a new activity comment 10 months, 1 week ago
Hi Janette, I’ve never self-published but am in contact with editors and proofreaders who work with self-pub authors. This tip usually doesn’t apply to experienced writers so I just add it as a general comment. When self-pub authors approach editors for a proofread or copy edit, often what’s needed is a more substantial developmental or…[Read more]
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Thank you, Libby. It has really helped me participating again in this warm, creative and supportive virtual community alongside my mutually supportive real Tim
Thank you, Libby. It is such a pleasure being part of this online community once more. Jill x
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Libby replied to the topic November 2025 monthly competition in the forum Monthly Competition 10 months, 3 weeks ago
Thank you, Terrie! And congratulations on a truly creepy story, Ath. And Jill for a heart-warming, magical tale – exactly right for the time of year.
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Libby replied to the topic November 2025 monthly competition in the forum Monthly Competition 11 months ago
You asked for a heart-warming tale, Terrie, but my story, after I started it and got stuck, became the opposite. You’re welcome to disqualify it or not read it at all.
Content warning: includes postnatal depression
499 words including title
I Lied When I Said My Daughter Lived Abroad
After that walk up and down a steep crag, I sat beside t…[Read more]
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Libby posted a new activity comment 11 months, 1 week ago
It sounds as though it presents frustrations. Thanks for keeping it all going and working with its idiosyncracies.
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I sometimes feel a bit like the man who asked for directions and was told, ‘Well, I wouldn’t start from here.’
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Libby posted a new activity comment 11 months, 2 weeks ago
Thanks, Ath. Some profile updates are mentioned on the Activity page, e.g. Richard’s and Janette’s, and others aren’t, e.g. Sandra’s and mine. Perhaps it’s just an example of its flakiness.
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Exactly that. I’m not even certain whether the activity page is a WordPress thing or one of the plugins that makes it a community site.
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Libby posted a new activity comment 11 months, 2 weeks ago
Thank you, Ath. A good idea. At the moment updated profiles aren’t necessarily being mentioned on the activity page, but you may well know that already.
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I didn’t know, Libby. Have you done an update recently? There’s a full change log in the admin menu, but I didn’t see anything. I haven’t looked at how the Activity Page is built; I know it’s complex and occasionally flakey, so I’ve tried to steer clear.
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Oh, or did you mean that my post about the changes has slipped down because of subsequent posts? That can be a nuisance sometimes. There’s a banner headline facility that I also avoid.
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Thanks, Ath. Some profile updates are mentioned on the Activity page, e.g. Richard’s and Janette’s, and others aren’t, e.g. Sandra’s and mine. Perhaps it’s just an example of its flakiness.
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Exactly that. I’m not even certain whether the activity page is a WordPress thing or one of the plugins that makes it a community site.
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Libby replied to the topic Monthly competition October 2025 in the forum Monthly Competition 11 months, 3 weeks ago
What fabulous entries, all of them fantastical, brilliant and captivating. Halloween has prompted very good stories.
@jillsted – here was an enticing mystery with a comic touch. Told with great pacing and a strong atmosphere of folk tale, it hooked me from start to finish.
@purplewitch (Terrie) – what wonderful creepiness. I loved the rich lan…[Read more]
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Libby replied to the topic Monthly competition October 2025 in the forum Monthly Competition 11 months, 3 weeks ago
A reminder for anyone who, like me, forget this month’s competition deadline is tonight: the October monthly comp deadline is midnight tonight! You might have a suitable WIP hiding away somewhere…
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Libby posted a new activity comment 1 year ago
She did look as though she’d never been on a moor in her life.
Here’s Larry, wondering if he’s done the right thing
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuthering_Heights_(1939_film)#/media/File:Laurence_Olivier_-_1939.jpg - Load More
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So sorry, Libby, that I simply haven’t found the time to fit in the comp yet. There is a crazy amount of things going on for me atm, some of which will become apparent soon.
Hi @Janette Thanks for your note. No need to apologise. I’m intrigued about what news may be coming up!