@squidge
Active 1 month, 1 week ago-
Daedalus replied to the topic Short Story Publication/Competition in the forum Podium 7 years, 4 months ago
Well done Stevie, that’s a great accolade. And nice to have the story in your back pocket too.
Be amazed at yourself – the link works!
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Elle replied to the topic Short Story Publication/Competition in the forum Podium 7 years, 4 months ago
Glad to hear the launch went well.
I would love to attend a Den meet-up.
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Philippa East posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 4 months agoUg. Today I feel like I’ve gone backwards in my editing process. I’ve put in my three hours, but most of that was spent unearthing problems in my “back-plot” (or lack thereof) that have now thrown the other plot threads out of whack.
I feel like I’ve discovered dry rot and woodworm in a house I’m trying to redecorate.
How much backstory…[Read more]-
I’m actually reducing the number of words in my WIP which had reached around 50,000 (guess why) and has now shrunk to about 30,000 – rapidly. Work on it has stopped while I think about my Room With A View entry (836 words right now), and I have to get a first chapter in some kind of shape for a writers’ w/e in January (If anybody has a moment…[Read more]
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Oh yuck to backstories! Hope you are feeling less yucky about it today @philippaeast. I don’t know. I don’t think we need to know everything about a secondary character’s past, as long as their character and story are ‘real’ to us. Apart from bits of their past that are relevant, obv. I figure I don’t know everything about a friend’s past, but I…[Read more]
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That is definitely an issue with launching into an unplanned story: the pain of squashing continuity errors, conflicts and missing detail. I think you can get away with quite a lot as long as there are no bugs. If your MC was two years old in the year 2000 but somehow was in favour of staying in the EEC in 1975 then you have some explaining. If…[Read more]
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Hah hah @raine, who said anything about secondary characters?! These are my main characters I’m talking about! But hopefully as @athelstone says, it’s about there not being obvious “bugs” in the writing. Yeah the issue I stumbled into was that, psychologically, a particular character arc made sense if certain events happened when her child was…[Read more]
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Philippa East replied to the topic Short Story Publication/Competition in the forum Podium 7 years, 4 months ago
Den get together would be fab. I am in Lincolnshire, but I can travel to London easily
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Hilary replied to the topic Short Story Publication/Competition in the forum Podium 7 years, 4 months ago
(not sure I want to meet the bots though)
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Hilary replied to the topic Short Story Publication/Competition in the forum Podium 7 years, 4 months ago
The launch was great, thanks! I enjoyed the reading – luckily I went first, so could then relax. It was great to meet some of the other writers too.
I love meeting other writers…
We need to have a Den get together… In RL, I mean. -
Daedalus posted an update 7 years, 4 months ago
A poem, for our new bot friends…
This is just goto PRINT
I have input the plums
That were in the
Folder
And which IF
You were probably THEN
Saving for breakfastForgive me
They were SQR
So EXP and so RND-
I’m changing my name to jhnlty and starting a group – should be very popular.
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🙂
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Hello. I’m rn. Less a bot than a nanobot.
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BLLM here. Sounds like what I say when I really want to swear but we have company.
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Daedalus posted an update 7 years, 4 months ago
“Writing a book is like filling a teapot with an eye dropper. Only every now and then the teapot springs leaks and there’s always a risk your elbow will knock it off the counter and it will shatter on the floor.” ~V.E. Schwab
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I have cats. My teapot spends most of its time getting knocked to the floor…
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Oh God, this analogy is all too apt….
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Ah yes. So true.
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Raine replied to the topic Short Story Publication/Competition in the forum Podium 7 years, 4 months ago
Just spotted this – well done both @elle and @hilary! How was the launch? I’ve only read out to my writing group, so you are very brave!
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Janette replied to the topic Short Story Publication/Competition in the forum Podium 7 years, 4 months ago
Many congratulations, Elle and Hilary. Enjoy the read, Hilary x
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RichardB posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 4 months agoNice post, @kazg, and one that resonates with me. I’ve always worked by chipping away, little by little. I don’t set myself targets, and I try not to think about how far I still have to go, in case I get discouraged, something I’m far too prone to. The night driving analogy puts it in a nutshell. Surprising how those few metres at a time mount up.…[Read more]
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Thanks @richardb 🙂 And yes, there is so much truth in that ‘one step at a time’ adage. Really it’s the only way anything ever happens, regardless of the pace. One little task at a time. Congrats on finishing the rewrite, and enjoy the read! Always an exciting point 🙂
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It is a good analogy. Another one someone gave me during my MA was ‘you’re looking at the whole mountain and you just need to look at the next rock’
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Congratulations Richard. I hope you are taking a moment to pat yourself on the back.
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Yay for finishing the edit, @richardb! That’s fantastic. Hope the read through goes ok. HOw do you do this bit? On paper or screen? My final read is on my kindle as it looks totally different compared to paper or laptop – so I spot things I didn’t before. But earlier not-strictly-editing reads are mostly from laptop.
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I do it on my kindle, for exactly the reasons you state, @raine . But I like to do it sitting by my computer, so I can make the changes as soon as I spot the need to. Speaking of which, I still stick with a desktop for the actual writing because I like to have a ‘proper’ full-size keyboard. My daughter gave me a rather upmarket keyboard…[Read more]
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@richardb, I used to sit on the sofa with my laptop and lots of cushions, but I finally set up a desk, so now have the laptop on one of those stands that lift the screen, and a proper keyboard attached. Best of both worlds, and I’ve been surprised (horrified) by how much it’s improved my concentration. :-O I read my wip-on-kindle in bed! Just…[Read more]
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KazG posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 4 months agoWell done all SloMoers and it looks like gentle forward motion is happening for everyone, even if it might not feel like it (@daedalus – I’m a firm believer in the power of mental gathering and composting, even if no actual words are landing on the page).
I’m finding SloMo a lifesaver – it’s slow enough to feel like a break from the frenetic…[Read more]
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Oh good for you @kazg. I am glad it’s helping you conquer the fear. Driving with headlights, yes! (Ug). Chipping away, exactly, and I’m so pleased you feel “rested but engaged”. NaNo really is crazy… I have never done it. I fear I’d lose my mind!!
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I love that analogy – I will think of that as I plough through each slow chapter!! I’m driving in pretty dense fog at the moment, but there are cats’ eyes. And actual cats on my desk, obv. Well dones for sticking to your targets – that’s bolstering & will hopefully keep you moving.
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Philippa East posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 4 months agoWell, I’m sure glad for this SloMo month… until the start of this week, I had too many distractions to focus on writing and the lack of progress was just making me increasingly panicked. But for the last three days, I’ve managed my plan of a few hours a day. I feel less panicked now, because I feel sort of ‘back in the familiar groove’ and I can…[Read more]
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Sounds good, Philippa. And I think you are right to acknowledge that some days are just not meant to be writing days. I can never write when we are away, even if I have the time. It used to annoy me but now I accept it.
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Yes… I’ve found if I try to write in the evenings (i.e. after work), my brain gets too wired and I can’t switch off to sleep. Also, because I’m like a dog with a bone with stuff, and enforced break from writing is probably good for me, to prevent me getting obsessed and overwhelmed. It also means I make better use of the other days, knowing I…[Read more]
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Not surprised you can’t focus after work! But well done for moving through the panic and getting into things again. Hope the weekend lets you keep the momentum up…
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Philippa East replied to the topic Short Story Publication/Competition in the forum Podium 7 years, 4 months ago
Oh wow @hilary, what an honour!! Congratulations again on your placing. I hope you had a wonderful time at the launch x
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Elle replied to the topic Short Story Publication/Competition in the forum Podium 7 years, 4 months ago
Thank you @kazg that’s very kind of you!
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Daedalus posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 4 months agoMy SloMo has virtually been NoMo so far. Interrupted sleep patterns and disruption from house repairs, not to mention preparations for puppy, have just left me with little mental energy in the evenings. Nice to hear about and vicariously enjoy other people’s progress though!
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Gah, @daedalus, that’s rough. But maybe trust that your writing brain will be whirring away in the background and when you have the time and energy again, the ideas will be there.
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Thanks @philippaeast, I hope so. The other day I really wanted to just drop everything and start reading through my WIsortofP so that’s probably a good sign. I feel I should just read it through without making any notes, let alone editing, to try and read it as much like a reader might, and get a feel for what I might cut without overthinking it.…[Read more]
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Do it Daeds.
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@daedalus I’m pleased the impetus is there. That IS a good sign. And I think an “open-minded reader’s” read would be a great place to start. (Tip: If you’re like me, lock up the pencils / pens before you start. I find it so hard to resist marking stuff up and it always gets in the way of absorbing the story as a whole)
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Raine posted an update in the group
December SloMo 7 years, 4 months agoI’ve decided, in light of switching to editing, that I’m to spend 1-2 hours a (writing) day editing, and the rest working on short stories or transcribing. Should help me keep my editing focus, fingers crossed. Did my first two chapters yesterday…
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I like the plan, @raine. Slow (SloMo) and steady. I’m also switching it up – spending a couple of hours mentally revising elements of book one and then an hour or so sketching ideas for book 2. I switch sides of the table in between!
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Ps well done on the two chapters. What kind of editing are you doing?
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Ta. x. Edit is a general tighten up to try to shrink the total. But I’ve also decided to cut out a character who just wasn’t quite pulling his weight. I’m hoping that helps the whole thing streamline, but it makes the whole thing very line-edit level. Tempting, like you say above, to just keep going when there’s time. But I don’t think that would…[Read more]
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Oof that does sound hard. I know what you mean about changing one thing affecting everything. Sounds like you,are making brave decisions though with the tightening. I hope it is starting to feel more streamlined (streamlined is such a good word. That’s how we want stories to feel, I think. You know, a sort of organic elegance).
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KazG replied to the topic Short Story Publication/Competition in the forum Podium 7 years, 4 months ago
Hope the launch was fun @hilary, and congratulations!
And @elle, I’ve just been reading back thorough this thread and seen your other stories – absolutely stunning writing, no wonder you keep getting placed! Well done 🙂
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Daedalus replied to the topic Short Story Publication/Competition in the forum Podium 7 years, 5 months ago
Exciting about the antho launch Hil, have fun!
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Elle replied to the topic Short Story Publication/Competition in the forum Podium 7 years, 5 months ago
Thanks @hilary
Have a great time tomorrow at the launch. Let us know how it all goes!
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