Martini Rosso

So for example, instead of saying ‘Elspeth hoped he was asking about Dad.’ You could say. ‘Please let him be asking about Dad’. that gives us Elsbeth’s thought directly, without filtering her thoughts through her.

Or, instead of ‘Elspeth decided to ask Launde about it.’ ‘She would ask Launde about it.’ Because we’re in Elsbeth’s POV, you…[Read more]

Hi MCave – thanks for sharing with us. I can see flying around on giant dragonflies would be very appealing to your MG market.
While this is fun, it does feel a bit distant and telly in places. It would be nice if you could move us a bit closer to the MC and let the reader experience the excitement, particularly with the flying, that Elspeth w…[Read more]

Thank you @Raine and everyone, this is a lovely surprise! I enjoyed the challenge of writing some non-fiction. I loved everyone else’s entries too. A captivating variety as always, and such good writing.

I’ll go away now and think of a theme for the May competition.

Well done, Libby, thoroughly deserved.

The Portrait

In the mid 1980s I bought a Victorian water-colour portrait of a young woman: anonymous, unfinished, unsigned. In the window of a London antique shop the half-profile head and shoulders were almost life size but only her face was complete. I stood on the pavement and dithered. Did I like this picture?

Part of the problem was her…[Read more]

Congratulations, Raine. Your story has made me shiver with anxiety! Well done – fabulous writing.

Thank you John for setting the competition. I’m sorry March passed me by in a blur, what with one thing and another, and I didn’t manage an entry.

So, four very different entries this month. Eenie, meanie, minie, mo.

Seagreen made me laugh, Jill made me smile, Raine worried the hell out of me and Athelstone made me melancholy.Can’t separate you, all excellent.

But I’m going to give this months prize to Raine for all that energy and power.

Well done all of you!

Last day to get your entries in!

Great news, Janette! So pleased for you.

Well done, Janette, good luck with the book!

Congratulations, Janette. Lovely news.

Great story.

Great story telling, Daeds, congratulations.

Brilliant Daed. Congratulations.

Another interesting blog, Richard, thank you.

Thank you Raine. Yes it turned out to be a pretty cunning ploy.