Libby

I made the long list for the Ink Tears Short Story Competition 2018.

Brilliant – thanks John and well done Jonathan, a tour-de-force of purple prose

The results are in!

Jonathan: A really clever piece of writing, wry observation. Excellent.

Libby: A pleasing little tale, well written and with a message. Good job.

Daedalus: Hugely enjoyable and accomplished description of life with a new puppy and the utter contentment that comes with its unreserved adoration. Liked it a lot.

So, eenie,…[Read more]

I think you’re right to be absolutely honest and not gloss over the difficulties and how emotionally taxing success can be. As writers we need to hear it and be under no illusions (and I think it would be nice if readers were a bit more aware of that too – a fellow writer and illustrator tells me his daughter’s friends refuse to accept that’s what…[Read more]

Wow, what a ride! Really illuminating blog. This stuff is difficult, isn’t it? Sounds as though you made absolutely the right choice. Heart/gut has to inform head in these circumstances. Loved reading about it, looking forward to the next stage

Well done to the three of you! I’ll give these tales due consideration during the day and post the result by this evening.

Ahead

I cannot look ahead.

There is no ahead. There is only now, and I can’t handle it. He is tearing up the carpet. Chomping the furniture. Treating my arm as a chew toy.

And he’s there. Always. Always having to be watched. Placated. Fed. I am tiptoeing around the edge of my own life. If I slip I will fall off.

Virtually the only place tha…[Read more]

Well done, Philippa – just brilliant news.

Well done Philippa!

Superb news Philippa, and no more than a writer of your calibre deserves. It’s really heartening to see Denizens getting good deals. Delighted for you, and can’t wait to see the final result

I’d hate to think that, @richardb – the truth is that it’s not that hard to avoid what happened to me. If you pursue the agent route, most of it is irrelevant anyway, although you obviously have to do your research into any agents who offer to represent you. In 99% of cases, just being aware of the possible problems means you can avoid…[Read more]

Thanks both. I think I probably did just about everything wrong that I could have done, but that doesn’t excuse the behaviour, or the performance, of the publisher. Caveat Scriptor…

PS Great thread @daedalus

That’s interesting @seagreen. I am still not sure. I don’t think I am but sometimes when I don’t know where something is going, I need to write for it to become clear although what I write at these moments is often utter garbage.

Well done all! Let’s hope a Denizen wins