Den of Writers | Martini Rosso | Friends Activity https://www.denofwriters.com/members/martinirosso/activity/friends/ Activity feed for Martini Rosso's friends. Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:19:15 +0000 https://buddypress.org/?v= en-GB 30 hourly 2 af5555c51838bf08b683d95e474e9624 Libby replied to the topic Monthly ompetition March 2026 in the forum Monthly Competition https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/monthly-ompetition-march-2026/#post-17638 Thu, 02 Apr 2026 14:44:29 +0000 Congratulations, Terrie! What a wonderful story. Loved it.

Thank you, Janette, for stepping in. Btw does Ath know he doesn’t have to worry about judging?

]]> 1 f67697d18ed2ddaa42d56cf15fd30716 Libby replied to the topic Monthly ompetition March 2026 in the forum Monthly Competition https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/monthly-ompetition-march-2026/#post-17634 Thu, 02 Apr 2026 10:15:29 +0000 Thank you, Janette!

]]> 0 e36dff013b308d9adabfa915d0b89123 Libby replied to the topic Monthly ompetition March 2026 in the forum Monthly Competition https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/monthly-ompetition-march-2026/#post-17631 Thu, 02 Apr 2026 08:29:21 +0000 That’s a great shame. All best wishes to Ath.

How about finding another judge?

Could anyone else reading this be willing to judge the comp? Five delightful entries. Then the winner can set the April comp.

]]> 0 19739a9b24fbc29a7452dded91b3f0c2 Libby replied to the topic Monthly ompetition March 2026 in the forum Monthly Competition https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/monthly-ompetition-march-2026/#post-17615 Tue, 31 Mar 2026 10:19:42 +0000 Running

499 words

 

My sister’s boyfriend dumped her so she booked a day at a willow-weaving workshop – in the countryside, calming and therapeutic. She’d make a sculpture of a hare though she’d never seen one in real life. Ironic, I thought, as she’d never seen herself either.

 

I admit the dumping had been nasty. Sis waiting to meet the…[Read more]

]]> 0 a23a2c7f4f4c7286ce3befd94fdb08f0 Libby's profile was updated https://www.denofwriters.com/activity/p/25600/ Sun, 15 Mar 2026 09:52:51 +0000 0 5fa914c6aed3d6a389d3e2d555886f7e Libby posted a new activity comment https://www.denofwriters.com/activity/p/25513/#acomment-25523 Sun, 01 Mar 2026 11:30:43 +0000 Hi @Janette Thanks for your note. No need to apologise. I’m intrigued about what news may be coming up!

In reply to - Libby replied to the topic February 2026 Monthly Competition in the forum Monthly Competition Amid the excitement of the annual Den Challenge there’s also the February monthly comp!! A reminder that there are two […] ]]> 3350f718a450db88a036a5de3cdcae84 Libby replied to the topic February 2026 Monthly Competition in the forum Monthly Competition https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/february-2026-monthly-competition/#post-17527 Sun, 01 Mar 2026 11:26:41 +0000 The February comp has drawn a delightful selection of stories.

@jillsted Jill, you do an evocative encapsulation of Isabel’s memories of different kinds of love. Her memories are compelling, a sense of her moving through a full life. The ending has a twist, if I’ve read it correctly, that adds a shiver to the story, a question of whether Lydia’s…[Read more]

]]> 0 838fec923e3f10a07a166d350a568c6f Libby replied to the topic February 2026 Monthly Competition in the forum Monthly Competition https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/february-2026-monthly-competition/#post-17519 Thu, 26 Feb 2026 14:51:02 +0000 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.

]]> 2 1e5859db2c997b916733f13cb512b70f Libby replied to the topic February 2026 Monthly Competition in the forum Monthly Competition https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/february-2026-monthly-competition/#post-17445 Mon, 16 Feb 2026 08:31:34 +0000 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]

]]> 0 e313e83db2ec512fecc61a63263851c2 Libby started the topic February 2026 Monthly Competition in the forum Monthly Competition https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/february-2026-monthly-competition/ Sun, 01 Feb 2026 15:52:24 +0000 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.

]]> 0 e1136b927b23e9feb8dc912e0356546e Libby replied to the topic January 2026 Monthly Competition in the forum Monthly Competition https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/january-2026-monthly-competition/#post-17288 Sun, 01 Feb 2026 13:56:16 +0000 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.

]]> 0 6de7b867f4d1b59de7369e9db2f0259b Libby replied to the topic January 2026 Monthly Competition in the forum Monthly Competition https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/january-2026-monthly-competition/#post-17284 Sat, 31 Jan 2026 10:25:35 +0000 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]

]]> 0 b7ceb7ab8b6128b711ebeae3d0594fc2 Libby posted an update: Happy New Year for tomorrow! https://www.denofwriters.com/activity/p/25153/ Wed, 31 Dec 2025 09:04:52 +0000 Happy New Year for tomorrow!

]]> 0 a23eb86428700e0901526f7cdfe9bfaa Kate posted an update: Happy Christmas for tomorrow to all you lovely Denizens. Xx https://www.denofwriters.com/activity/p/25144/ Wed, 24 Dec 2025 13:06:14 +0000 Happy Christmas for tomorrow to all you lovely Denizens. Xx

]]> 1 b22cb65bb9add3614c0fbabd247aceea Kate posted a new activity comment https://www.denofwriters.com/activity/p/25113/#acomment-25143 Wed, 24 Dec 2025 13:05:24 +0000 Congratulations, Libby.

In reply to - Libby started the topic Short story published in the forum Podium The story I wrote for the November comp. ‘I Lied When I Said My Daughter Lived Abroad’ has been published […] ]]> effdaae4a7778dbcba8fd34a51d29858 Kate's profile was updated https://www.denofwriters.com/activity/p/25132/ Tue, 23 Dec 2025 17:23:47 +0000 0 f0194922d85aa4e1be3d1ad6a955cfa1 Libby posted a new activity comment https://www.denofwriters.com/activity/p/25113/#acomment-25120 Thu, 18 Dec 2025 15:44:29 +0000 Thank you, Ath.
And Bella.

In reply to - Libby started the topic Short story published in the forum Podium The story I wrote for the November comp. ‘I Lied When I Said My Daughter Lived Abroad’ has been published […] ]]> a9c03d0f10bcbf931fb5d682f3a4b915 Libby started the topic Short story published in the forum Podium https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/short-story-published/ Wed, 17 Dec 2025 17:10:41 +0000 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!

]]> 3 9b65b529bf2b028914962357496b1ea8 Libby posted a new activity comment https://www.denofwriters.com/activity/p/25089/#acomment-25112 Wed, 17 Dec 2025 12:45:36 +0000 You are well prepared, Janette! Good luck with the self pub.

In reply to - Janette posted an update So sorry for my absences. I have made the decision to self-publish my books after careful consideration, reading how some trad friends have fared, and revisiting notes from my last […] ]]> ff695a73ce19f6ba0120c46dee8b71ad Libby posted a new activity comment https://www.denofwriters.com/activity/p/25098/#acomment-25101 Mon, 15 Dec 2025 14:27:17 +0000 I’ll try my best but the diary is pretty full at the moment.

In reply to - Athelstone posted an update Christmas is coming, The Goose is getting fat, please to put a penny in the old man’s hat, If you haven’t got a penny, a ha’penny will do, If you haven’t got a ha’penny then enter the […] ]]> f9bff7b1b87d57913af5fade019d3e97 Libby posted a new activity comment https://www.denofwriters.com/activity/p/25089/#acomment-25100 Mon, 15 Dec 2025 14:24:49 +0000 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]

In reply to - Janette posted an update So sorry for my absences. I have made the decision to self-publish my books after careful consideration, reading how some trad friends have fared, and revisiting notes from my last […] ]]> 9a7a42715a94f0ce9dcac67a2aa34e66 Libby posted a new activity comment https://www.denofwriters.com/activity/p/25065/#acomment-25080 Tue, 09 Dec 2025 18:23:32 +0000 That’s marvellous news, Jill.

In reply to - Jill posted an update On a personal note – thank you again fellow writers for the good wishes when I first returned to the Den. I can now report that I am in remission. Hope this good news yesterday will spur me […] ]]> 77e4a22f67768ecb3d22b571c2b61fdb Libby replied to the topic November 2025 monthly competition in the forum Monthly Competition https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/november-2025-monthly-competition/#post-17122 Mon, 01 Dec 2025 14:27:23 +0000 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.

]]> 0 7469ddae022b5c3d7965b3cc6ff39041 Libby replied to the topic November 2025 monthly competition in the forum Monthly Competition https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/november-2025-monthly-competition/#post-17099 Sun, 23 Nov 2025 08:53:09 +0000 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]

]]> 0 c515d1738222bdaf548f5b0c30e71fce Libby posted a new activity comment https://www.denofwriters.com/activity/p/24961/#acomment-24988 Thu, 13 Nov 2025 09:04:31 +0000 It sounds as though it presents frustrations. Thanks for keeping it all going and working with its idiosyncracies.

In reply to - Athelstone posted an update I’ve added a few pieces to the Profile settings. The new entries are all entirely optional, but I do encourage you to take a look at what’s there. It’s nice to know a bit about your […] ]]> 47c1f4d1e475eb84352954ed9c2aa799 Libby posted a new activity comment https://www.denofwriters.com/activity/p/24961/#acomment-24979 Wed, 12 Nov 2025 08:26:33 +0000 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.

In reply to - Athelstone posted an update I’ve added a few pieces to the Profile settings. The new entries are all entirely optional, but I do encourage you to take a look at what’s there. It’s nice to know a bit about your […] ]]> d8053679bee365e69295594a1172795c Libby posted a new activity comment https://www.denofwriters.com/activity/p/24961/#acomment-24969 Tue, 11 Nov 2025 11:21:03 +0000 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.

In reply to - Athelstone posted an update I’ve added a few pieces to the Profile settings. The new entries are all entirely optional, but I do encourage you to take a look at what’s there. It’s nice to know a bit about your […] ]]> c3a6d1b1f426d5a33dc6f67846e8d3d4 Libby replied to the topic Monthly competition October 2025 in the forum Monthly Competition https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/monthly-competition-october-2025/#post-17026 Sat, 01 Nov 2025 18:56:01 +0000 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]

]]> 0 3c26c6e3b8f3ac45c1eb059e45d29da3 Libby replied to the topic Monthly competition October 2025 in the forum Monthly Competition https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/monthly-competition-october-2025/#post-17023 Fri, 31 Oct 2025 07:10:34 +0000 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…

]]> 0 d5508a1e947395c57493dead11351bc9 Libby posted a new activity comment https://www.denofwriters.com/activity/p/24870/#acomment-24890 Wed, 22 Oct 2025 13:25:39 +0000 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

In reply to - Daedalus replied to the topic Chit Chat in the forum September Song I finally managed to read Ulysses earlier this year after numerous failed attempts over several decades (Middlemarch likewise). So I’m going to m […] ]]> 7774d3fd2e8ff48541806e360ea1cc26 Kate replied to the topic Choices in the forum September Song https://www.denofwriters.com/groups/september-song/forum/topic/choices-7/#post-16982 Tue, 21 Oct 2025 14:55:16 +0000 Ice

The Last Kingdom

]]> 0 0fd1cda7c44d5d6779463459a78a2c99 Kate posted a new activity comment https://www.denofwriters.com/activity/p/24826/#acomment-24886 Tue, 21 Oct 2025 14:49:47 +0000 Having fun writing and publishing. The marketing… less so. But a necessity!

In reply to - Athelstone posted an update Welcome to a new member Silver. Some may remember her as Catasshe back in the Wordcloud days ]]> de2fdb26fc85bf8a05eb4884c0d60bfc Libby posted a new activity comment https://www.denofwriters.com/activity/p/24870/#acomment-24881 Tue, 21 Oct 2025 07:19:56 +0000 I enjoyed Middlemarch when I read it some years ago. I like politics in novels – didn’t mind those parts. As for Rosamund Vincy: poor Lydgate. The mistakes we make.
The classic that’s had most impact recently is Wuthering Heights. I had to reread it for a book group or else wouldn’t have bothered. Teenage memories of a depressing story of a grim…[Read more]

In reply to - Daedalus replied to the topic Chit Chat in the forum September Song I finally managed to read Ulysses earlier this year after numerous failed attempts over several decades (Middlemarch likewise). So I’m going to m […] ]]> 8ae66e2f31b58ecc0645ed0fc901f972 Libby replied to the topic A scheme to show books written without AI in the forum Coffee Shop https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/a-scheme-to-show-books-written-without-ai/#post-16978 Tue, 21 Oct 2025 07:05:15 +0000 Thanks, Ath. Yes, I was thinking that writers might collect some AI produced fiction and do something with its tropes, sort of like Pop Art did. I’m vague about this. Am looking for reasons for optimism!

]]> 0 19957c8bdf79f5146a32cdd5f88cfc76 Libby posted a new activity comment https://www.denofwriters.com/activity/p/24870/#acomment-24873 Sun, 19 Oct 2025 07:33:45 +0000 Congratulations on finishing Ulysses. I’ve never even tried.
The thought of reading The Magic Mountain crosses my consciousness from time to time. But Ath, did the philosophy professor explain why it should be read?

In reply to - Daedalus replied to the topic Chit Chat in the forum September Song I finally managed to read Ulysses earlier this year after numerous failed attempts over several decades (Middlemarch likewise). So I’m going to m […] ]]> 234a6a673c7cf062290ee4f48dd889d1 Libby replied to the topic A scheme to show books written without AI in the forum Coffee Shop https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/a-scheme-to-show-books-written-without-ai/#post-16975 Sun, 19 Oct 2025 07:29:40 +0000 Hi Sandra, I saw your comment about self-pub authors but it has disappeared from the thread. As you say, it’s harder to see how authors could guarantee their own writing. I expect someone will think of something to address this, or try to address it.

I also think some readers will seek out AI novels because AI writing will be reliable. It will…[Read more]

]]> 0 d1cb01537873a87a82dbaf2341ce1ba9 Libby started the topic A scheme to show books written without AI in the forum Coffee Shop https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/a-scheme-to-show-books-written-without-ai/ Sat, 18 Oct 2025 07:19:38 +0000 As boundaries continue to blur between human creativity and AI, here’s a  new kite-mark scheme to help readers distinguish. It will be interesting to see what happens from this small beginning.

https://booksbypeople.org/

]]> 1 2d11780970057d9660794815b21cee03 Libby replied to the topic Chit Chat in the forum September Song https://www.denofwriters.com/groups/september-song/forum/topic/chit-chat-7/#post-16965 Thu, 16 Oct 2025 06:52:33 +0000 Good idea, Ath. I’m always curious to know what people, especially fellow writers, are reading.

]]> 0 473cb46504bc1a4413da68d2357a6f1d Libby posted a new activity comment https://www.denofwriters.com/activity/p/24826/#acomment-24857 Thu, 16 Oct 2025 06:50:00 +0000 I’m fine, thanks. Trundling on 🙂

In reply to - Athelstone posted an update Welcome to a new member Silver. Some may remember her as Catasshe back in the Wordcloud days ]]> 08bfb5e769e6f193237c2a3ca6cff6f3 Libby replied to the topic Monthly competition October 2025 in the forum Monthly Competition https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/monthly-competition-october-2025/#post-16956 Wed, 15 Oct 2025 07:16:07 +0000 Some great stories have already come in. We’re half way through the month – plenty of time for more entries.

A reminder of the details:

It’s October and I’m going for the obvious: Halloween. Or All Saints’ Eve or Hallowmas Eve or whatever you prefer. It doesn’t have to be ghostly, though if you can give us all the shivers that would be fun.

M…[Read more]

]]> 0 36e05772bf81f03b2f6ca3d4aec60651 Libby replied to the topic Chit Chat in the forum September Song https://www.denofwriters.com/groups/september-song/forum/topic/chit-chat-7/#post-16955 Wed, 15 Oct 2025 07:10:50 +0000 Such a brilliant range of novels in the Choices!

]]> 0 b451ae90b0f72e8951b9c3fcb548629c Libby posted a new activity comment https://www.denofwriters.com/activity/p/24826/#acomment-24844 Wed, 15 Oct 2025 07:08:29 +0000 Hi CAS/Silver, good to hear from you again!

In reply to - Athelstone posted an update Welcome to a new member Silver. Some may remember her as Catasshe back in the Wordcloud days ]]> 51afa0aeb568c4356ea5f4f673ea763f Kate posted a new activity comment https://www.denofwriters.com/activity/p/24826/#acomment-24835 Tue, 14 Oct 2025 11:18:56 +0000 Hello my old SE buddy! Lovely to see you here.

In reply to - Athelstone posted an update Welcome to a new member Silver. Some may remember her as Catasshe back in the Wordcloud days ]]> a44dd23e389300ac9bb29a01350a2ec4 Kate joined the group September Song https://www.denofwriters.com/activity/p/24798/ Thu, 09 Oct 2025 17:54:31 +0000 0 f3bda7a5b6ab46f9a9085260d8ed7155 Libby replied to the topic Choices in the forum September Song https://www.denofwriters.com/groups/september-song/forum/topic/choices-7/#post-16924 Thu, 09 Oct 2025 06:21:02 +0000 Rain

The Hearing Trumpet

]]> 0 f5bef0e331c562f81305bb1e0921d8d6 Libby joined the group September Song https://www.denofwriters.com/activity/p/24785/ Thu, 09 Oct 2025 06:14:40 +0000 0 8e0c17081c9e47f37c467079fa240e5f Libby started the topic Monthly competition October 2025 in the forum Monthly Competition https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/monthly-competition-october-2025/ Wed, 01 Oct 2025 10:29:37 +0000 It’s October and I’m going for the obvious: Halloween. Or All Saints’ Eve or Hallowmas Eve or whatever you prefer. It doesn’t have to be ghostly though if you can give us all the shivers that would be fun.

Max 400 words, connected to 31st October in some way.

Deadline midnight 31st October.

]]> 0 3b764548d91d2a1cca66b755a9de90a4 Libby replied to the topic Monthly Competion - September 2023 in the forum Monthly Competition https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/monthly-competion-september-2023/#post-16875 Wed, 01 Oct 2025 08:39:39 +0000 Thank you, Jill! That was a lovely surprise when I switched on this morning. Such brilliant writing from Knicks and Ath, everything so vivid and pleasurable to read.

]]> 0 4da2c3528f6d4fdf7328aaaedb01063d Libby started the topic Emma Darwin has started a youtube channel in the forum Coffee Shop https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/emma-darwin-has-started-a-youtube-channel/ Wed, 24 Sep 2025 08:42:08 +0000 At present it’s only advertising her new novel.

The ad is fabulous.

https://www.youtube.com/@emmadarwinwriter/videos

 

]]> 0 72b4aac2c379af32ff03c2812049e455 Libby replied to the topic Monthly Competion - September 2023 in the forum Monthly Competition https://www.denofwriters.com/forums/topic/monthly-competion-september-2023/#post-16846 Wed, 17 Sep 2025 15:21:47 +0000 This month I’ve gone for an essay, or at any rate not a story.

338 words

Outside my window there’s the small garden and then a field, where a tractor drags a harrow. The harrow’s arms are open and horizontal. Metal discs hang below them, making contact with the ground, and I hear the discs rattling along the soil and bouncing over flints. The…[Read more]

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