Philippa East

I’m with @philippaeast on this one. Often if I find myself fiddling back and forward with one thing, it’s because the issue with that bit is actually because of a different bit being wrong. If that makes sense.

But also, yes to @jd73, it can just be about mood & what aspects of the book are at the forefront of my mind during that edit on tha…[Read more]

And do any of you find that sometimes, you change something, only to change it back again?

Bah! Editing? My text comes out publisher-ready, no rewrites.

OK, total-lying mode switched off now 🙂 Yes, I change it, change it back, forget why I wanted to change it in the first place, then forget entirely what the whole fracas was about or what I was…[Read more]

WASTE NOT, WANT NOT (391 words)

Early evening, and the headache that had been stalking me all day slammed into me with the force of a rear-end collision, scattering coherent thought into the ether and making further editing of the new book impossible. I wasn’t surprised by it – the headache, I mean – the pain in my temples had been building up…[Read more]

In general,Squidge, although I know exactly what you mean, I don’t. Partly because a lot of the time I am writing ‘badly’ to start with, so much needs to be improved (and the correct word substituted for the one I couldn’t remember – I’m grateful for Emma D’s suggestion of putting then in [ ] so as to later find.

At the moment, writing a…[Read more]

Only got a couple of minutes, Squidge, so a very quick response. Yes, I do. But it is mainly about how I tell the story. I might decide something needs more dialogue or less description or more inside head and then I’ll change my mind. Because none of them are wrong per se … or right. It is something to with varying the pace and style, I think.

I certainly blog less when I’m writing – or busy, generally. The Scribbles are sadly neglected at the moment…

I try to keep some level of engagement with the Den going, but when writing it can be either extreme; popping in to read but not comment, so I appear absent, or lots of posts asking for opinions or having a rant or despairing about the…[Read more]

You made me think long and hard Gerry because it doesn’t work like that at all for me. It tends to be when I am submerged in a writing project that I’m most active on my particular forms of social media either seeking help or discussing writing or just having a good moan about every part of the process from drafting to submitting. I’m quietest…[Read more]

Excellent … your fame is spreading, and rightfully so.

This story has just been accepted into the Mechanics Institute Review. Randomly named journal, but I’m pleased it’s found a good home. 😊

OK yep that all sounds good 🙂

Yeah, I’d agree, i think the comp works best as a pressure-free place for people to dip their toes in the water or play around a bit. Nice, encouraging comments are a great way of supporting that, but more critiquey comments, although a wonderful thing would perhaps be more useful in the critiquey Forum, or direct posting/messaging, and of course…[Read more]

‘Specific questions’? – yes indeed, particularly in the light of the current one – Raine’s saying “It’ll be judged purely on ‘how much do I want to read on’” (which strikes me as a genius note to strike when setting a competition.) Of those posted so far I would say there are those which I am unlikely to pursue, simply because they are not the g…[Read more]

I think this discussion is clarifying things. We want the monthly/bi-monthly/whatever frequency competition to be somewhere where people can post unfinished/half-finished/incomplete/never going to be finished/trying-things-out bits of writing as well as more finished and considered things. As such the tone of comments should be positive. If a…[Read more]

Entirely agree with Knicks and Jane. If critique is wanted it should be specifically asked for; where someone believes it would be helpful, a pm is the best place to start. For myself, comp entries are often little more than the flexing of writing muscles.

Compliments are what comes to mind when I consider the definition of positive commentary. Stating what you liked about a piece to encourage its writer. If someone specifically wants a critique they can ask for it plainly when posting their entry. But I think the general consensus is that this won’t really be the forum in which to offer…[Read more]