@libby
Active 1 hour, 19 minutes ago-
Athelstone replied to the topic Where Does Your Writing Inspiration Come From? in the forum Blogs 2 years, 2 months ago
I have tried for years to get into the habit of using notebooks. Success has been limited. Yes, I can write and I know how to write in a notebook. I also know how to carry things, especially in pockets. I certainly have thoughts that I think, ‘Ooh, that would be good in a story’. If only I could get, carrying the notebook and writing in the…[Read more]
-
Athelstone posted an update 2 years, 2 months ago
OK. A question, dear denisons. Can an author writing for children in the under 10 range include murder in the story? I have a friend who’s a published author for older children and adults who has written a fine story (my guess is 7-12 yo with more sophisticated funny bits for any adults reading to their kids) but it includes a murder. Is this OK?…[Read more]
-
Harry Potter has murder…
-
Skulduggery Pleasant also has murder. In fact, if Amazon is anything to go by, there’s loads of murder out there.
-
Thanks for that. Yes, my view was that it should be fine, but it does seem that the publishing world imposes rules for children’s books these days. I don’t want to get into a debate on the merits of these, but it’s important to know them as an author, if only to stop wasting time writing stuff that will never be published. In this particular case…[Read more]
-
-
-
Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly Comp April 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 2 years, 3 months ago
My route.
Life’s not so bad. Not anymore. Not now that I’ve got a job and a place to live. The job’s easy enough. I have a route and a barrow. I wheel the barrow to the start of the route and then I clear the rubbish along the whole of it. Some people here don’t manage it for long. They say it’s too tiring, or too boring, or we’re expected to…[Read more]
-
-
Fabulous!
Which one?-
Thank you 🙂
Working title is “Thirty days”. Teabreak goes to a new town and finds his memories and experiences are broken. Is it a past life? Is it his current life? Mystery, romance, murder, and disastrous incompetence await him.-
Teabreak? Not what I was expecting to hear. Even more fabulous! 🙂
-
It wasn’t orginally his story (a few years ago) but I was getting nowhere after 12,000 words, so I asked him if he’d mind it being about him. He generously stepped in as the MC and I began to enjoy it.
-
Congrats, Ath. The pitch sounds good too.
-
-
-
-
-
Thanks Libby. I was quite pleased with the pitch. Not thinking about it too hard seemed to work 🙂
-
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.
-
-
-
Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly competition March 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 2 years, 3 months ago
Great prompt, Terrie. Well done, Sea, absolutely well deserved. For my part it was fun to relax with a bit of 1960s -style pulp sci-fi 🙂
-
Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly competition March 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 2 years, 3 months ago
The Leap
Before I knew what The Leap was, I thought it was magic. Like I thought magic was a real thing. Me and Cob and Dez and Piggy were all under ten years old. I mean, I didn’t know what a year was. That was an earth thing. Piggy was nine, and he said that a year was like four and a bit turns of the stars. Turns were an asteroid thing, a K…[Read more]
-
Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly Competition – February 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 2 years, 4 months ago
Well done, @purplewitch. That was an excellent return to the monthly competition 🙂
Liked that prompt @pinkbelt. Super bunch of entries this month.
-
Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly Competition – February 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 2 years, 4 months ago
The Return
Brenda’s dad died in 1983, so when he returned forty years later, it was a bit of a nuisance. Brenda woke up and went down to make a cup of tea. She was rather surprised to see him sitting in the kitchen looking out of the window.
‘You’ve let the garden go,’ he said without looking round. Then he did look round, and he added, ‘Bloody…[Read more]
-
Athelstone replied to the topic Reorganization And Declutteration (have I created a new word) in the forum Blogs 2 years, 5 months ago
Every year I aim to be organised (see Terrie above) and pick presents well in advance. The practice is different. I may not be quite as bad as the proverbial desparate man, the evening before, in the petrol station shop, but I’m cutting it close.
-
Athelstone replied to the topic Reorganization And Declutteration (have I created a new word) in the forum Blogs 2 years, 5 months ago
By the way, ” I’ve even written my gift list for next year”. I believe this is actually against the law.
-
Athelstone replied to the topic Reorganization And Declutteration (have I created a new word) in the forum Blogs 2 years, 5 months ago
Oh yes, prevaricating about the bush as Wallace refers to it. I do a great deal of that. Top tip. Every so often, copy the contents of that 1TB hard drive somewhere else as well. Whether that’s the Cloud (Dropbox, One Drive, Google Drive, Apple iCloud and so on) or another sleek 1TB hard drive. The day may come when your adorable cat decides the…[Read more]
-
Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly Competition – January 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 2 years, 5 months ago
Well, what do you know? Three totally different old things.
Sandra, you brought a bit of Rembrandt’s brutal honesty in your piece. I’m not sure whether I was meant to but I chuckled along as I read this. It reminded me of the moment when I realised that my hands now resemble my own father’s as I remember them from years ago. It was an honest…[Read more]
-
Athelstone posted an update 2 years, 5 months ago
Aha! I’m away at a writing weekend in Bournemouth! Still checking here and really happy to see the action. Must post soon.
-
Athelstone started the topic Monthly Competition – January 2024 in the forum Monthly Competition 2 years, 6 months ago
Last year I asked for up to 500 words on something new. This year it occurs to me that this is also the time of year when we look back. The topic is “something old”. Up to 500 of your finest however you wish.
-
Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly Competition – December 2023 in the forum Monthly Competition 2 years, 6 months ago
Thanks Alex. We don’t get many entrants to the competition any more, so winning can be, if not a poison-chalice, a hot coffee-cup. Your prompt was perfect for Christmas and I had fun writing about it.
-
Athelstone posted an update 2 years, 6 months ago
A very happy, prosperous and successful New Year to all Denizens.
-
Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly Competition – December 2023 in the forum Monthly Competition 2 years, 6 months ago
Not sure what exactly is happening. Maybe old age is catching me up but I posted this already. There was an amusing intro about how it’s too long and how I’d have to take my chances. And so on. Anyway, it is too long (by loads), so I will have to take my chances.
The Stoggy
I’m a magical creature called a stoggy. Don’t get too excited bec…[Read more]
-
Athelstone replied to the topic Season's greetings in the forum Podium 2 years, 6 months ago
Libby, I thought I’d replied, but I was also looking at some site updates that need to be done soon, so my mind was obviously elsewhere and I didn’t press the button.
Absolutely. I quite agree. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and the same to all other Denizens.
-
Athelstone replied to the topic A Corporate Crime Scene: Lac Mégantic, 2013 in the forum Blogs 2 years, 6 months ago
Mr Burkhardt is an interesting character who has, it seems, been profoundly interested in trains his entire life. Your blog inspired me to research the man a bit and it does seem that he knows best in matters of running a railroad. Of course, he had “previous” for being the manager of a railroad that allowed a train to run down a sloap while…[Read more]
-
Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly Competition – November 2023 in the forum Monthly Competition 2 years, 7 months ago
Well done Alex. Also, sorry Janette – I had half an entry written when I glanced up and noticed it was all over. Not good enough ????
- Load More
