Xander Michael

  • Raine posted an update in the group Group logo of December SloMoDecember SloMo 7 years, 3 months ago

    Morning slomoers. I need a KICK goddammit. Please someone put a knife to my throat or something. I am translating agent/publisher silence into a complete inability to motivate myself and GAH. And now the sun has only gone and come out and I have bulbs to plant so I see more procrastination happening…

    • Maybe not allow yourself to plant bulbs until x words written/edited? Lx

      • Morning. FEEL YOUR PAIN. So… what is it that you want to be getting on with?
        Oh! That project?
        THAT IS AN AMAZING PROJECT, AND YOU NEED TO GET THIS FANTASTIC PIECE OF AMAZINGNESS WRITTEN!!!

        It’s never about publishing / publishers. You are a writer. You are an artist. Fuck everyone else. You know you’re calling. Do it because it’s play, it’s…[Read more]

        • I am liking the Fuck Everyone Else motto! I did some plot editing and then planted bulbs. Today I am going to stare at the next round of paper edits whilst dying of endometriosis. But I will be dying with my special purple editing pen in hand, which totally counts!

          • Oh, Raine – I feel your pain. Hope you manage to feel more comfortable soon. Endometriosis is a real be-arch! And yay to getting bulbs planted AND doing some writing as well. x

          • Oh Raine my daughter has endo (we think) and it’s a killer. That, plus writerly lack of mojo, definitely calls for the Fuck Everyone Else approach – henceforth FEE – and gin, and tea, and chocolate. And I just read your beautiful, heartwrenching In the Dark Garden and I am reminded again of your writerly superpowers – even if you’re not feeling it…[Read more]

        • Henceforth, this is the official Den motto:

          ‘It’s never about publishing / publishers. You are a writer. You are an artist. Fuck everyone else. You know you’re calling. Do it because it’s play, it’s creating, because it brings you joy.

          Just do it.’

          Thanks to @philippaeast 🙂

  • I’m going to the launch on 2nd April. Local bookshop will be there with a goodly supply.

    But thanks Daeds, for an excellent interview.

  • I’ve just printed out Annie Neugerbauer’s worksheet to see if it helps me tackle the next round of wip edits. 🙂

  • Great interview, well done both @daedalus and @fiona. 🙂 Can’t wait to see the book in all its glory.

  • Sandra posted an update 7 years, 4 months ago

    Help, please – I’m sure this has been mentioned before but I cannot find it. I’ve received a notification that someone has commented on an update in a private group, but all I am able to access is just one (earlier) comment, and not the 7 I am informed exist. How do overcome this?

    • I had something like this recently. Got an e-mail notification that someone had commented, but when I clicked on the ‘View the discussion here’ link I found that all but the last few posts had vanished, including the actual post by me that was being replied to. Came over here to check and it was the same. Is this a software issue?

      • It should show all your posts but sometimes it ‘folds’ them to save space. This is annoying but there’s not much that xan be done at present. However if you’ve been mentioned in a post using your handle, then select mentions from the main navigational menu (assuming you’re logged in). You can access the post there. Failing that trh actually going…[Read more]

  • Raine posted an update 7 years, 4 months ago

    There’s an agent I follow on Twitter (and have subbed to, and has expressed interest but gone quiet) who has a lot of shared interest (feminism, birds, fun science) and I would normally ‘like’ a lot of his tweets but CANT because that would be stalkery and weird and it is a DILEMMA!

    • Hah hah! I know that feeling!! Incidentally, would it be the right time to give him an email nudge, if he’s “gone quiet”? Or… maybe wait till after London Book Fair.

  • These look amazing, Kaz, what a great workshop it must have been. Thank-you so much for sharing. That might be my day’s reading sorted out!!

  • Oh Squidge, what a nightmare! I’d have been getting panicky too, being lost and in heavy traffic and with a deadline is a terrible combo. Hope the G&T therapy helped and today is devoid of traffic and Coventry. But all that aside, your visit itself sounds wonderful, so huge well dones for that. x

  • How incredibly generous of you to share your notes in this way, KazG. Thank you.

  • Raine posted an update 7 years, 4 months ago

    My mojo has been misplaced. If anyone sees it, please send it this way.

    • A day off needed maybe? A walk? A few moments to remember how wonderful you are and how magical your writing is? Tea? Chocolate? It will return…

      • Both tea and chocolate sound good! I decided to give myself ‘permission’ to not even try to write for a couple of weeks, rather than try and flounder. But I’m not sure that’s a good thing to keep doing as inertia and doubt set in – I know you understand! I’m away to test whether more chocolate is the cure…

        • Time off is good, even if it feels dispiriting at the time. Honestly. My cats are worrying about you and the pompoms.

    • Sending hugs, shakes, tea, chocolate, sharpened pencils, power ballads, more tea, pom poms, a fluffy cat, sympathy, and faith in you.

    • Hugs and chocolate and inspiration pills being sent over the ether now. Waiting for those replies doesn’t help, does it?

  • Raine replied to the topic Warnings in the forum The Writers' Lifeboat 7 years, 4 months ago

    Along the same lines, I saw a warning about a competition that was asking for all rights to ALL entries (not just listed ones) with no reversion mentioned. Yeah, don’t agree to that!

    I second what @Phillipaeast says – mags/comps generally ask for first publication rights or english language rights for a period between (ime) 3 months to a year.…[Read more]

  • I’ve set up this link that we have a place to warn each other of bad experiences in the writing world, or other words of caution we wish to pass on.

    I’ll kick it off with something I came across while catching up on my Writers’ Forum magazine reading last night. This month’s issue features a warning that some short story magazines are beginning t…[Read more]

  • Just saw the news on the main wall. Congratulations, Stevie! Great to hear what the comps on here are producing.

  • COngrats @stevie – that’s great news, and how multitalented you are! You were super-quick off the mark to get your story in already – I’m impressed!!

  • Oh, well done, Stevie, and deservedly so!

  • Raine posted an update 7 years, 4 months ago

    A note to those on submission or thinking of submitting – Agents etc are starting to gear up to the London Book Fair now, so March is a bad time to send stuff/expect responses. They’ll be totally preoccupied with prep, and then the week or so afterwards with finalising deals made there.

  • Richard,
    My late father would tell of a train crash in Diggle, then in Yorkshire, in 1923 or 1924. He was four and witnessed the accident whilst out walking with his granddad. He was interviewed by the local newspaper and is reported to have said “It were a grand smash” or similar. I see from google that four people died, so it probably wasn’t so…[Read more]

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