Neil Evans

  • Athelstone posted an update in the group Group logo of Coming HomeComing Home 4 years, 11 months ago

    Re Choices, and especially @seagreen and @knickylaurelle who have posted choices. Sorry, I inadvertently put up an old version of the lists which omitted “animal” from choice 1.

    A reminder that everybody is free to change choices until the group closes.

  • Athelstone replied to the topic Chit Chat in the forum Group logo of Coming HomeComing Home 4 years, 11 months ago

    Awards to Knicky and to Seagreen (who joined even before I’d finished setting up).

  • Athelstone started the topic Rules in the forum Coming Home 4 years, 11 months ago

    Some Basic Story Rules and Guidelines

    The challenge is to produce a short story, so in the way that the term is usually understood, what is needed is a work of fiction. By all means stretch this definition as you like, to include, for example, an imaginative account of true events, but please avoid essays, reportage, political polemic,…[Read more]

  • It’s that time again. There’s a new group in town. Head on over to “Coming Home” for details of the new Short Story Challenge.
    All are welcome.

  • Athelstone started the topic Voting in the forum Group logo of Coming HomeComing Home 4 years, 11 months ago

    On the face of it, what you have to do is quite simple. However, those of you have been through this before in previous challenges will know that in fact it is extraordinarily tough.
    When the writing stage of the challenge closes on 7 February 2022 at 22:00 UK time, the voting stage begins. No doubt most of you will have read many of the entries…[Read more]

  • Athelstone started the topic Choices in the forum Group logo of Coming HomeComing Home 4 years, 11 months ago

    Welcome all.

    <e>Home is where the heart is</e> according to Pliny the Elder and a thousand sentimental songs since his time. Pliny clearly had in mind a place where we love to be: where we were shaped. But maybe that doesn’t appeal to our writing souls. Perhaps it’s a place of dread, or contempt, or it’s so unfamiliar as to be unrec…[Read more]

  • Welcome all.

    Home is where the heart is according to Pliny the Elder and a thousand sentimental songs since his time. Pliny clearly had in mind a place where we love to be: where we were shaped. But maybe that doesn’t appeal to our writing souls. Perhaps it’s a place of dread, or contempt, or it’s so unfamiliar as to be unrecognised. We may n…[Read more]

  • Athelstone started the topic Q & A in the forum Group logo of Coming HomeComing Home 4 years, 11 months ago

    Questions?

  • Athelstone started the topic Chit Chat in the forum Group logo of Coming HomeComing Home 4 years, 11 months ago

    Please post all chit chat here!

  • Things are afoot. Check back 🙂

  • Unable to login to the Den? You can see the Den but “activity” won’t load: the Den tells you it’s getting your updates but they never arrive? It may be that you are using the free version of Bitdefender which has a problem following the last upgrade. Try another anti-virus solution either permanently, or until Bitdefender is fixed.

  • Libby, thanks for a super topic and the fabulous reviews. Seagreen, a well-deserved win.

  • It was the same every year.

    She took as many precautions as possible, wrapping everything carefully, keeping the box closed tight until the right moment came, making sure her hands were washed clean when it did.

    And then…

    Ordering everyone to sit down, sit still. Questioning each participant in turn to make sure she knew their exact r…[Read more]

  • Squidge replied to the topic Beta Reading Discussion in the forum Blogs 5 years ago

    Wowser…beta reading…

    As a beta reader, I do try to find something good to say as well as making suggestions for improvements. I don’t think I go into it with a checklist per se – I use gut feeling a lot as to what feels ‘right’ to me as a reader. But I sometimess feel that I’m not an objective enough beta reader – I don’t always ‘get’ other…[Read more]

  • Athelstone replied to the topic Beta Reading Discussion in the forum Blogs 5 years ago

    Why do you say you’re a terrible beta reader?

    It’s a bit like when I had to read books for exams at school. It was no reflection on the work itself and I’ve read many of the books since with great pleasure. Something about picking up a book for a purpose (a meta-purpose if you like) that isn’t simply pleasure, idle curiosity, whatever, and my…[Read more]

  • Athelstone replied to the topic Beta Reading Discussion in the forum Blogs 5 years ago

    Thanks for the topic. May I add that I’m a terrible beta reader. I would like to be more useful and hope to pick up some tips if this discussion develops and hopefully turns into something more.

  • Athelstone replied to the topic The Future of the Den in the forum Blogs 5 years ago

    What I meant was that we can post images now, providing they are online somewhere. That said, like many things on the Den, it’s a bit hit and miss whether it works.

    roses grow on you

    • Libby replied 5 years ago

      A bunch of roses always brings a smile, especially when the ones in our garden are rain battered and looking about as depressed as a rose can.

  • Athelstone replied to the topic The Future of the Den in the forum Blogs 5 years ago

    Hi – that was a reply to Sandra, just for avoidance of confusion. Yes, there are several very appealing forums available, including Discourse (and I must say as a longtime repairer, I like your forum and the topic). That said, with Discourse, we would need a VPS or similar non-shared server arrangement*, unlike a traditional web-host, so the…[Read more]

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