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Athelstone posted an update 10 months, 1 week ago
I’m going to update some of the software used on the Den. It should be invisible, and I’ve already done it on our test site, but if you spot anything odd happening please let me know.
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Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly competition October 2025 in the forum Monthly Competition 10 months, 1 week ago
Well done Terrie. A truly ghastly tale.
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Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly competition October 2025 in the forum Monthly Competition 10 months, 2 weeks ago
The Estate Agent’s Appointment
I arrived at the house in pouring rain. The light was fading on a day that was already dark with cloud. I didn’t want to go in. I wanted to get in my car, drive home, shower, and settle down with a Scotch and whatever delicious microwave meal was next in the fridge. I had no choice. This old house wasn’t going to…[Read more]
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Athelstone posted an update 10 months, 2 weeks ago
HURRY, HURRY, HURRY! The September Song short story challenge goes private at 10:00. If you’ve joined you must make your choices by then. If you haven’t joined, today is your last chance.
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Athelstone posted an update 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Barter Books in Alnwick is a terrible place for an impoverished reader to be…
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Athelstone replied to the topic A scheme to show books written without AI in the forum Coffee Shop 10 months, 3 weeks ago
Incidentally, Sandra’s comment is still there but she replied to the update on the activity page rather than directly to the thread
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Athelstone replied to the topic A scheme to show books written without AI in the forum Coffee Shop 10 months, 3 weeks ago
I think you’re right.
Of course, AI writing is effectively a sampling of other authors’ work, albeit with some sophisticated algorithms that hide the truth away. An author may say that they are using AI to produce something original, but AI simply won’t work with just small samples such as from one author. It needs a “large language model” as…[Read more]
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Athelstone posted an update 10 months, 4 weeks ago
OK, I just pushed through a batch of updates on the Den. I had already tested them on the Den’s testing site and they seemed to be fine. If anybody finds something not working please let me know. Thanks.
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Athelstone replied to the topic Chit Chat in the forum
September Song 10 months, 4 weeks agoMy sneaky way of finding what people are reading. And yes, an extraordinary range.
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Athelstone posted an update 11 months ago
Welcome to a new member Silver. Some may remember her as Catasshe back in the Wordcloud days
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As in CAS Short Story Competition? Obviously I’m going to welcome you, Silver.
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That’s me Richard, nice to meet you! How’s the writing going?
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Hello my old SE buddy! Lovely to see you here.
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Hello Kate! How are you doing? The writing is flourishing I see!
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Having fun writing and publishing. The marketing… less so. But a necessity!
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Actually we have met virtually before. If you haven’t made the connection, my story came second in that competition, and we had a brief exchange of e-mails afterwards. Nice to see you here.
After two novels were greeted with deafening apathy by the trade, I decided that at my time of life I had better things to do than putting myself through the…[Read more]-
Hi Richard, oh yes, I wasn’t clear in my message but I did remember you from our email exchange – clicked it was you by reading the posts in the Podium section on here where you were posting about the competition. Still remember your story well – a fantastic one. I’m sorry to hear you’ve given up ‘serious’ writing. I empathize as I had a similar…[Read more]
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Welcome back, CAS. Great another Cloudie has found their way here.
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Thank you Janette! Yes, if only all the Cloudies would come! Great this is still going though.
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Hi CAS/Silver, good to hear from you again!
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Hi Libby! Nice to see you on here. I hope you’re well
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I’m fine, thanks. Trundling on 🙂
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Athelstone replied to the topic Choices in the forum
September Song 11 months agoBecause I know what the consequences of each choice are, mine have been made for me, very kindly, by Jules.
Sunshine
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida
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Yikes! That book title is ‘kind’?
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Absolutely. The Sri Lankan civil war, which the west often overlooked as uninteresting, was a terrible but facinating period. I don’t think Jules knew that I was particularly drawn to its history, but if not it’s a lucky accident. The book is a fantasy applying themes from mythology to create a story from the time. It was the Booker prize winner in 2022.
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I’m relieved to hear it, and look forward to your entry. Mine is coming on nicely, but I’m nervous as to what strictures the 25th will bring
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I’ve tried to make the consequences easy to negotiate.
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I chose my title for its inspiration and flexibility; it’s a bonus I’ve already written 286 words.
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Athelstone posted an update 11 months ago
Sometimes when life is busy, important occasions are overlooked.
It’s that time again. In fact, it is way past that time, so I’d better get this party started. There’s a new group in town. Head on over to “September Song” for details of the new Short Story Challenge.
All are welcome. -
Athelstone started the topic Welcome. PLEASE READ THIS FIRST in the forum
September Song 11 months agoWelcome all.
September Song, music by Kurt Weill, lyrics by Maxwell Anderson, is a bittersweet evocation of life and love as one grows older. September, we hear, is when we look back at what seemed like a plentiful supply of time, and recognise how precious is the time to come. A time of contemplation and transition.
I don’t intend you to w…[Read more]
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Athelstone started the topic Choices in the forum
September Song 11 months agoI am not going to explain what these choices mean – not now anyway. They will have an influence on your story, but I have every confidence that you will cope. You have all the skill and application necessary. I will explain them later, but that won’t be until the group becomes private.
And please don’t take these choices too seriously. Yes, there…[Read more]
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Athelstone started the topic Q and A in the forum
September Song 11 months agoAsk questions here. Also, if you have any great ideas that might be answers, feel free to post them.
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Athelstone started the topic Rules in the forum
September Song 11 months agoSome Basic Story Rules and Guidelines
The challenge is to produce a short story. In the way that the term is usually understood, what is needed is a work of fiction. By all means stretch this definition as you like, to include, for example, an imaginative account of true events, but please avoid essays, reportage, political polemic,…[Read more]
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Athelstone started the topic Voting in the forum
September Song 11 months agoOn the face of it, what you have to do is quite simple. However, those of you have been through this before in previous challenges will know that in fact it is extraordinarily tough.
When the writing stage of the challenge closes on 8 February 2026 at 22:00 UK time, the voting stage begins. No doubt most of you will have read many of the entries…[Read more]
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