-
-
John S Alty replied to the topic Short Story Publication/Competition in the forum Podium 7 years, 2 months ago
Thanks, @JaneShuff
-
John S Alty replied to the topic Short Story Publication/Competition in the forum Podium 7 years, 2 months ago
I made the long list for the Ink Tears Short Story Competition 2018.
-
John S Alty replied to the topic January 2019 in the forum Monthly Competition 7 years, 2 months ago
The results are in!
Jonathan: A really clever piece of writing, wry observation. Excellent.
Libby: A pleasing little tale, well written and with a message. Good job.
Daedalus: Hugely enjoyable and accomplished description of life with a new puppy and the utter contentment that comes with its unreserved adoration. Liked it a lot.
So, eenie,…[Read more]
-
John S Alty replied to the topic January 2019 in the forum Monthly Competition 7 years, 2 months ago
Well done to the three of you! I’ll give these tales due consideration during the day and post the result by this evening.
-
John S Alty replied to the topic Publishing Deal in the forum Podium 7 years, 2 months ago
Well done Philippa!
-
John S Alty posted an update 7 years, 2 months ago
Looks like judging the January competition will be an easy task.
-
I suspect it’s because many of us are desperately trying to beat our RWAV stories into submission!
-
Aye, that’s the likely thing. And my judging late didn’t help. Could always think about extending the comp to the end of Feb?
-
It doesn’t bother me at all to have no takers. I know everyone is absorbed with RWAV. Real life intrudes as well. Priorities.
-
Have started a submission. Now I’ve admitted it I’d better get on with it 🙂
-
-
Regarding that Raine, how would Denizens feel about making it a two-monthly comp? I suppose Christmas plus Winter Challenge is going to make Nov-Dec-Jan most difficult for most people, so it might not be a problem in the normal run of things to keep it monthly
-
Or even a quarterly competition. Maybe we could look at a judging panel, too. It needs new life breathing into it, somehow.
-
Possibly. It might just be the time of year – there were ebbs and flows on the Cloud too, and with a smaller pool of people here we’ll always feel it more acutely when people are busy. But I’ll open a thread, and we can put those suggestions to people and get a sense of what might boost participation a bit.
-
-
-
-
-
-
John S Alty started the topic January 2019 in the forum Monthly Competition 7 years, 3 months ago
OK, everyone, we’ll make this short and sweet because the RWAV competition is reaching its finale this month and many will be busy with that.
It’s a new year so the theme is “Looking Ahead” and you have to do it with a mere 200 words.
Good luck! -
John S Alty replied to the topic Monthly comp – December 2018 in the forum Monthly Competition 7 years, 3 months ago
Well, I didn’t see that coming. Thanks, Raine.
Well done to all the entrants for taking part. -
John S Alty replied to the topic Speed Kills: Salisbury, 1906 in the forum Blogs 7 years, 3 months ago
Another interesting and entertaining story from the world of railways – thank you Richard.
-
-
Happy new year, @johnalty and all Denizens.
-
Thanks. You too, and all Denizens. May 2019 bring you all you want it to.
-
Happy New Year, friends!
-
Happy New Year. Que de bonnes choses en 2019
-
-
Happy New year all. May it bring success with your writing
-
Happy New Year John!
-
Happy New Year, all!
-
Happy new year all.
-
-
-
John S Alty replied to the topic Monthly comp – December 2018 in the forum Monthly Competition 7 years, 3 months ago
Road to Redemption
It was the hour before dawn on Christmas morning. Robert stood under a pair of bay trees at the far end of the garden and breathed deeply, calming himself. The darkest hour it’s sometimes called, but he could see the light was coming fast now, a sliver of red showing on the eastern horizon and he knew he’d have to hurry. Sho…[Read more]
-
John S Alty posted an update 7 years, 4 months ago
I’m working to finish this month’s competition entry (come on, you lot!) and fiddling with the Room with a View thingy. Had a piece published in Across the Margin, always a little boost.
Real life is quite demanding right now, also, so just popped in to say Merry Christmas!-
Have a good one.
-
Thanks Kate, you too.
-
-
And a Very Merry Christmas to you too, John. And to you, Kate.
-
Wish you all the best, John x
-
Thanks Athers, thanks Janette.
-
-
-
John S Alty replied to the topic Writing Advice in the forum The Writers' Lifeboat 7 years, 4 months ago
I came across this piece of writing advice by Sol Stein which appeals to me:
“….be sure you don’t stop the story while describing. You are a storyteller, not an interior decorator.”
Probably a shot across the bows of so-called literary prose. King likes to emphasize this point too, but doesn’t do it quite as succinctly.
-
John S Alty posted an update 7 years, 4 months ago
I see we have four new members who could use a vowel or two in their name. What’s that all about?
Anyway, Wlcme!-
Suspected bot. Jules has squished them
-
-
John S Alty replied to the topic Monthly competition – Nov 2018 in the forum Monthly Competition 7 years, 4 months ago
Well done, Raine.
-
John S Alty replied to the topic Monthly competition – Nov 2018 in the forum Monthly Competition 7 years, 4 months ago
Editing
“Listen to me, Luigi; we’re always on the lookout for new stage plays and this one sounded interesting. Ingenious plot, bit of sex, incest, prostitution, a potential murder and ending up with a suicide.” He put down the cigar he had been waving like a conductor’s baton and folded his hands on his expansive belly. “What’s not to like?”
“…[Read more] -
John S Alty replied to the topic NaNoWriMo in the forum Coffee Shop 7 years, 5 months ago
RL = Real Life
-
John S Alty replied to the topic TV appearance – Quest, 'Wings of War' in the forum Podium 7 years, 5 months ago
Well done, Daeds, a star is born!
-
John S Alty replied to the topic What shape are your ideas? in the forum Blogs 7 years, 5 months ago
I’ve never started a piece of fiction knowing the ending. I like to start with a scene, put a character into it, and see where it goes. I enjoy the ride.
- Load More
Skip to content
And I thought things couldn’t get more apposite after the year of the cock
Happy New Year! I’m a fan of pigs. Having met wild boars, I have much respect (mild terror) for them, and much love for the stripyness of their babes.
I like peccaries, with their tiny dainty feet
Okay, a bit of porcine trivia. The meat of the wild boar is prized in some quarters in France, but the animal is a protected species (though that doesn’t stop it being sold under the counter occasionally). to get round this, pig breeders have crossed the wild boar (sanglier) with the farmyard pig (cochon). The resultant hybrid is known as a…[Read more]
French is great. En anglais that would just be a Big
😀 @daedalus that made me cackle!
@raine I adore the baby humbugs. Utterly cute. They have escape ladders and platforms attached to trees in the Austrian woods to get away from angry Dad pigs, though.
I wonder where the other replies went?
It’s a bug that means the ‘show all replies’ button sometimes fails to appear, unfortunately. Has been annoyingly persistent
@bellam those platforms are a genius idea! Could have done with them in Poland – although it was the very protective mummies who made me more nervous tbh, especially when gorgeous humbugs decided to check out my boots!!