-
Sandra posted an update 6 years, 1 month ago
“pleonasm”. As discussed by Allan Guthrie. I mentioned it on another site and a lot of people found it interesting/useful when it came to tightening writing/reducing word count. Google it – there’s a choice of places to go.
-
Barny joined the group
A place for Stupid Questions 6 years, 1 month ago -
Sandra replied to the topic Where to start? in the forum
A place for Stupid Questoins 6 years, 1 month agoWhat a brilliant set of answers and examples to a most important question, I’ve been writing fiction ten years now but still forgetting how this one works. Thaks fir asking it, Andrew. And well done Jane for mentioning Emma’s blog – taught me so much.
-
Sandra joined the group
A place for Stupid Questions 6 years, 1 month ago -
Sandra replied to the topic Monthly Competition: June 2020 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 1 month ago
Midsummer Madness
The ambush had been crueller for the glory of a wiped-clean sky, slowly coloured-in by a northeast Scotland, half-four sunrise, just three days past the solstice. It side-swiped the pleasures of his journey down, dulling the pearly greyness of the North Sea which had sheened pink then gold as it prepared itself for day. The…[Read more]
-
Sandra posted an update 6 years, 1 month ago
Congratulations to @Philippa, who’s ‘Little white lies’ has been long-listed for the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger award.
-
More great news on the Den! Congratulations, Philippa. Long may the success continue!
-
Way to go!
-
Brilliant news x
-
It is great news. And those of us subscribed to Jericho Writers Online Festival can see Philippa talking about her road to publication on 10 June
-
Hello everyone, this is my first post as a new member and it is fitting seeing as I learned of the Den through that Webinar with Philippa East at the Jericho Festival. I was inspired by the journey she described and it has been the best event I have attended so far.
-
Welcome to the Den, Andrew.
-
-
-
-
-
-
Sandra replied to the topic Monthly comp – May 2020 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 1 month ago
Well done Jill – you came so close to winning on YWP that it is only justice you come first here.
And thank you Libby for setting a theme which sent me back to all of these small stones and properly gather them in one place (now up to #94
-
Sandra replied to the topic Monthly comp – May 2020 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 2 months ago
Between 2011 and 2013, for some eighteen months, I participated in a ‘Small stones’ project; a daily moment of intense observation. Many were made during the twelve minute walk (six there, six back) to buy a morning paper. This is a 396 word selection.
Autumn
Stepping stones of yellow sycamore
stuck to the rain-damp roadAnd the sky this mor…[Read more]
-
Sandra replied to the topic Monthly comp – April 2020 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 2 months ago
Thank you Raine – both for setting such an interesting, informative and though-provoking challenge, and for picking my favourite as winner. Well done Libby.
-
Sandra posted an update 6 years, 2 months ago
@libby, I loved, loved, loved your comp entry – the agonising over the purchase and then the description – sounds a wonderful piece of inspiration to have in sight.
-
@sandradavies Thank you!
-
@libby I agree with Sandra, your descriptions are stunning. I’m not quite certain where to post my comment, as I didn’t want to put it on the comp thread. I’m still working my way around… 🙂
-
-
-
Sandra replied to the topic Monthly comp – April 2020 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 3 months ago
Bringing a little light
I suspected, on reading the rules, if I did submit anything it would be something of a cheat, because there’s not a lot that’s actually old in itself in this room. Not much in the way of ‘things’ really, anywhere in the house (although I do have, in the loft, my great-grandfather’s two writing boxes such as Jill describes…[Read more]
-
-
Only a very small proportion of my payments are in cash these days and I think the last cheque I wrote was about 3 years ago. I have two pound coins in my pocket and I think that’s all the cash I’ve had for about a month. These are unusual times in that we are trying to minimise the shopping we do in person, i.e. I’m unlikely to nip out to the…[Read more]
-
I had to hunt out our cheque book when confinement started as we’re having to do a lot of payments by cheque. I couldn’t even remember what colour it was.
-
I’ve not written a cheque since October 2019. The one before that was written in April 2019. I haven’t handled cash since 31st March when the pharmacist called round with a prescription I had to pay for. Credit card points are building up nicely. Silver linings and all that.
-
-
-
-
-
Sandra posted an update in the group
CoronaMo 6 years, 4 months ago“What’s new, Sandra?”
Regrettably, nothing. 42K+ words into my current wip, taking some pains to streamline the process, not make the same mistakes, I realise I am still incapable of identifying, plotting the story until the characters tell me who they are and what is happening.
After a couple of weeks of floundering (necessary, it appears) I…[Read more] -
-
Sandra replied to the topic Good news this time – finally! in the forum Podium 6 years, 4 months ago
Excellent news!
-
Barny posted an update 6 years, 4 months ago
I’ve just donated to help keep the Den alive – go to the Donations group to help keep this place running
-
Barny replied to the topic Short story in Barren magazine in the forum Podium 6 years, 4 months ago
Really good, Daeds – and IMO we could all go out and respond publicly to your and Kaz’s FB posts with words to recognise how good this story is. Fantastic.
-
Sandra replied to the topic Short story in Barren magazine in the forum Podium 6 years, 4 months ago
Well done Daeds, a powerful example of your writing and story-telling.
-
Sandra started the topic Especially recommended books in the forum Blogs 6 years, 4 months ago
Yes, there’s a load of ‘How-to’books out there, and how useful they are depends very much upon the user, but I thought there might be a place to list not every book we use, but the most useful.
To start, and more specifically for crime writers, I can thoroughly recommend ‘The real CSI’ by Kate Bendelow. Kate did a workshop at the ‘Crime &…[Read more]
- Load More

Sometimes an unusual word like pleonasm is a necessary reminder not to go on adding words endlessly without stopping simply to make the meaning clearer for the sake of epexegesis.
Indeed. Something those who adhere over-strictly to the rules are inclined to overlook.
Thank you.
🙂
😦
Anthony Trollope comes to mind.
Thomas Wolfe. Oh, yes, Thomas Wolfe.