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Barny joined the group
A place for Stupid Questions 5 years, 11 months ago -
Sandra replied to the topic Where to start? in the forum
A place for Stupid Questoins 5 years, 11 months 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.
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Sandra joined the group
A place for Stupid Questions 5 years, 11 months ago -
Sandra replied to the topic Monthly Competition: June 2020 in the forum Monthly Competition 5 years, 11 months 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]
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Sandra posted an update 5 years, 11 months ago
Congratulations to @Philippa, who’s ‘Little white lies’ has been long-listed for the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger award.
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More great news on the Den! Congratulations, Philippa. Long may the success continue!
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Way to go!
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Brilliant news x
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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
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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.
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Welcome to the Den, Andrew.
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Sandra replied to the topic Monthly comp – May 2020 in the forum Monthly Competition 5 years, 12 months 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
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Raine posted an update 6 years ago
7 weeks of homeschooling (9 of lockdown) done. 5 & 1/2 weeks of homeschooling left. The end is just beginning to appear over the horizon!
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Hurray! And well done on the home schooling. Have you managed to get any writing done as well?
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Mixed feelings about the whole school thing here – some are going back, some not, some parents agree, some don’t… Having seen reports where teh libraries are being taped off with hazard tape to stop the kids handling books, I don’t think I’ll be putting my volunteer librarian hat back on for some time…
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Yes, much as I and the mini are missing school (!), I am so glad we aren’t in England & facing going back to schools when it isn’t safe and when the measures schools are forced to use seem to be stripping all joy and light out of the school environment. Those photos of taped off bookshelves, and of chalked squares in the playground make me feel sick.
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Bits, yes. I am struggling health-wise, and my capacity to structure and concentrate is shot to pieces. But I am doing lots of ‘research’ reading (about hedge magic, herbal remedies, victorian women botanists and the British Raj!), and pantsing a couple of novels that are almost certainly destined for the bin but are providing some escape for now.…[Read more]
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Glad to hear you are managing to write ‘bits’ but very sorry about the ill-health. It’s a bugger, especially when you know that you’re not firing on all cylinders – so frustrating on top of everything else. However just reading about your research makes me want to read the novel that will result! It’s an enticing concoction. There’s every chance…[Read more]
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Sandra replied to the topic Monthly comp – May 2020 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years ago
Between 2011 and 2013, for some eighteen months, I participated in a āSmall stonesā 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]
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John S Alty replied to the topic Monthly comp – April 2020 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years ago
Well done, Libby, thoroughly deserved.
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Sandra replied to the topic Monthly comp – April 2020 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years 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.
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Raine replied to the topic Monthly comp – April 2020 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years ago
Thank-you all. I just realised as I logged on to write this that we talked about making these comps run over two months rather than one? I’ll stick to one month being as that was how I set it. So. These were all a delight to read. So many memories and things that resonated with me very powerfully. Anyway, on to my thoughts.
@jllsted I am very…[Read more]
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Sandra posted an update 6 years 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.
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@sandradavies Thank you!
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@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… š
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Raine posted an update 6 years ago
24hrs ish left to enter this month’s comp… Give me something to do tomorrow other than supervise maths. Please. š
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Anything to dilute the maths š
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Sandra replied to the topic Monthly comp – April 2020 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 1 month ago
Bringing a little light
I suspected, on reading the rules, if I did submit anything it would be something of a cheat, because thereās not a lot thatās actually old in itself in this room. Not much in the way of āthingsā really, anywhere in the house (although I do have, in the loft, my great-grandfatherās two writing boxes such as Jill describes…[Read more]
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Raine posted an update in the group
CoronaMo 6 years, 1 month ago1900 words today despite my computer (actually) screaming at me when I first turned it on this morning! Seems to have exorcised whatever ghost that was – phew. But then realised today’s words were about a ghost of a recording of the Little Red Ridinghood story so am expecting the computer to turn on with a howl tomorrow!
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Raine posted an update 6 years, 1 month ago
10 days left to post something in the Monthly Comp. Not a ‘create a story’ prompt this time, so much as a ‘play with words’ one. So even if you’re feeling low on inspiration, give it a go.
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I started working on something this morning, enjoying, just at the moment, not to have to think up a story. That’s not because of the virus but because have been editing the novel and my brain isn’t flexible enough for a sudden shift to other fiction.
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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]
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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.
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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.
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Raine posted an update in the group
CoronaMo 6 years, 1 month agoAnyone got swallows back yet? Was looking for them today but no luck yet. Walk along the beach did turn up a white sea brick though (now called Beatrice, mini lugged it home), a bit of sea tile with the letter E on, and a perfect conch shell. Along with the usual sea glass & good painting stones. A moderately good haul which will all end up in one…[Read more]
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None at the palace yet. I checked yesterday.
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“sea glass” – such wonderful connotations.
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No swallows as yet but in the evening the beach (forbidden to humans) is full of birds congregating along the water line. It is getting light enough after supper to slip past the ‘interdit’ signs and watch them dart in and out of the little frothy waves or stand still on the sand and watch the sun set behind the islands.
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What a delightful picture you paint, Raine. No, I have not seen any swallows yet, but many other birds visit our garden, as we have countryside all around our home. We are a long way from the sea and beaches, but we do have terracotta bowls of such items as you describe in our home – many dating as far back as when we lived in Cyprus! Have a…[Read more]
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Looking out for swallows here. We only moved in in January, so not sure what the avian fauna are like, except there a rooks/ravens plucking twigs from trees and then flying off to build nests, and seagulls doing their squawking thing, and since we started putting food out the sparrows, tits and similar have been very enthusiastic, also the rats…[Read more]
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Yes @raine, What is a sea brick?
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😂 It’s a brick that’s been washed up by the sea so it’s all eroded and smooth. We get a fair few normal ones but a white one was special! Sea tiles are my fav – bits of broken and smoothed ceramic from all sorts of things. Old decorated plates are the best.
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Sounds lovely. Iāve never seen them though. Is there a reason why they wash up? Our beach, although lovely in every way, doesnāt get much washed up apart from bits of fishermenās nets.
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Raine started the topic Monthly comp – April 2020 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 1 month ago
Bit different this time in an attempt to find beauty in our (confined) surroundings – look around the room you are in & find the oldest item (not counting people!). Now tell us something about it. Why is it precious, why have you kept it so long, who owned it before you… whatever.
400 words. Hope it brings a little light. š - Load More
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