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John T posted an update 1 month, 2 weeks ago
Hello all. I hope you’ve all survived the summer heat. Sorry for the prolongued absence. While battling the heatwaves, I’ve been deep in editing. Some of you might remember a short story of mine called One Kiss, back in WordCloud days. Well, it became a novel called A Policy on Kissing that was longlisted for the Bath Novel Award in 2016, but…[Read more]
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John T replied to the topic Not a Disaster Story in the forum Blogs 9 months, 1 week ago
We must venture that way. We’re at the other side of Bannau Brycheiniog near Abergavenny.
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John T posted an update 9 months, 2 weeks ago
Happy fairly-new-year, everyone! I’ve written very little in the last three months for health reasons, but I’m slowly winding back up again. I’ve found a (hopefully acceptable) way to take part in September Song, and I’m returning to blow the dust and cobwebs off my WIP.
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Good to hear you’re feeling stronger, John. Still battling with my September Song entry – good to hear you’re onto it too.
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John T posted an update 12 months ago
Ooh, I missed the challenge. My fault for not looking in. But honestly, I have a busy time ahead locally, both writing and storytelling events. And there’s THAT first draft that isn’t yet complete. So, good luck everybody and I’ll sit this one out.
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Oh well… Athelstone has persuaded me…
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John T posted an update 1 year, 3 months ago
I haven’t been around (apart from a flying visit to Janette last week) but much is happening. I’m still ploughing through the first draft of book three – almost there. And Apples in the Dark 2: Angels and Blackbirds is now out in the wild, and available to order through any bookshop (please – I make a loss on every copy sold through Amazon). Sum…[Read more]
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It was lovely to catch up with you, John. I’m also making more effort to visit here, and I must say, the monthly comps have been a great exercise in tightening prose and the challenge of new writing.
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John T posted an update 1 year, 9 months ago
I’ve finished my story for the yearly challenge, but I’m lingering before I press the button. One more read-through tomorrow, I think. In other news, I’m fulfilling a long-held ambition and having a retreat at Gladstone’s Library in North Wales soon, to finish the first draft of Apples in the Dark book three.
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John T posted an update 2 years, 8 months ago
For those of you who are interested, Apples in the Dark is now available as an Ebook (paperback coming at the end of June). Almost ten years in the writing, tearing up, rewriting, rewriting again, etc – but it has finally got there. Links to books and to website in my Linktree. https://linktr.ee/wordswithjohn
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Congratulations, John. I’ve picked up a copy.
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Thank you so much, Kate. I still hardly believe that anyone might want to buy my book!
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John T posted an update 2 years, 8 months ago
Thanks to advice from Daedalus, Richard and Athelstone, my entry to Whodunnit with all the weird code is now fixed!
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John T posted an update 2 years, 9 months ago
Anyone on here. Help. Something went wrong in the copying of my story to Whodunnit. It’s full of visible computer code. Anyone know how to cure that?
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Try toggling between ‘Visual’ and ‘Text’ and pasting into it set to one then the other to see if it works better. The only other alternative is to paste it into a notepad-type app where it will clear all the formatting, and you won’t get the code, but you probably will need to go through it in the editor and manually add things like italics (and…[Read more]
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Thank you – I’ll try.
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John T replied to the topic Influences in the forum Blogs 3 years ago
Salter is an author I’ve never read. 90% of my favourite contemporary authors are women, but that may be as much about genre as gender. I read very few thrillers or crime novels, and only occasional l…[Read more]
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John T posted an update 3 years, 1 month ago
The proof copy of my novel has arrived. This is getting scarily real!
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Woohoo! Exciting as well as scary, I hope.
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Yep.
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Must feel wonderful, John. It’s been a long trip!
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It certainly has. I began writing seriously in 2004, at the age of 50.
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I can see some similarities there. I started around then as well. You were a couple of years ahead of me on the age front, but it seems we picked up our pen and paper about the same time.
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Not exactly surprising, given the similarities between our writing, but interesting.
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Mind you, I’m still puffing away a good stretch back from the finish line 🙂
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I’ll be cheering you on!
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Woohoo! Can’t wait for my copy.
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Being the the most amazing beta-reader, your copy will appear before I publish it. Pre-publication copies are currently at the printers.
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John T posted an update 3 years, 1 month ago
Any of you guys on BlueSky? I’ve found Raine and Athelstone. I’m @johnunworded.bsky.social
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I’ve requested an invitation to join. Can’t see any harm in trying it out.
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I have no invites to pass on yet, but I gather you get them after a while. It’s a fairly empty space at the moment, but I think it will fill up. People like Joanne Harris, Neil Gaiman and Chuck Wendig are on board.
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John T posted an update 3 years, 2 months ago
My latest blog post. And how searching the attic at the back of my brain uncovered much that I had conveniently covered in dust sheets. In retrospect, my first novel on the subject in 2012 barely scratched the surface. https://johnalextaylor.com/fractured-memories-and-fiction-digging-deeper/
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John T replied to the topic Influences in the forum Blogs 3 years, 2 months ago
Oh yes, Alan Bennett’s diaries are amazing!
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John T replied to the topic Influences in the forum Blogs 3 years, 2 months ago
Yes, Kurt Vonnegut never hid behind ‘fancy’ writing. He’s a fabulous role model. Amongst contemporary writers, I would love Ali Smith’s way with words, and maybe Philip Pullman’s scope (mine is more like a microscope by comparison). I love the lightness and silly references in Philip Reeve’s children’s books. A lot of my favourite authors write…[Read more]
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John T replied to the topic Richard's Musical Byways: Pete Who? (No 2) in the forum Blogs 3 years, 2 months ago
Oh wow! That brings back memories. I heard Pete Atkin (without Clive James) at a soaking wet Bristol Folk Festival sometime in the early 70s, and again in Cardiff Student Union. And I loved his music. I had a Clive James/Pete Atkin LP from that time, but it is one of the many that I sold when I moved to a single room in Scotland in 1980.
As for…[Read more]
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John T started the topic Influences in the forum Blogs 3 years, 2 months ago
Have any of you thought about who your writing influences are? I’m asking, because I was about to write a blog about my writing influences, and then stopped, unsure. I know plenty of authors whose writing I adore, including a fair few in this Den. But influences? I’d have to go further back, and then I’m not sure at all.
Most of the authors I…[Read more]
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It’s great that you’ve managed to blow off the dust and recycle an old manuscript. I hope it’s well received.
Thank you, Kate!