General Chat

nudge for the evening shift to catch up.....

Right, I THINK I've commented on everyone's work so far...if I've missed one,do let me know...

I won't do the five word exercise now, I've read too many others to think of my own thing, so I'll work on this week's one for Sunday. :-)

Helen, that was just a try-out I put up last week. We can still do it if we feel like it, it's just for fun.

Topic for this Sunday being 'Out with the Old..' 500 words or a poem. That's if everyone is happy with that.

Just 'c' and 'p' ed these words from the earlier post for those of us like me who hadn't realised we should be working on this now.

Spin
Wheelbarrow
Carpet
Temper
Butter

Oh dear!
Then it's the new topic from Sunday? I'll try and keep up!

Thanks Rose, I did think they were a bit short as separate chapters.

OK will give the topic a go.

Ok, let's have a topic for Sunday, and if we want to send more of our own choice besides, then we can.

How about, as it's still January making the topic 'Out with the Old...' limit to 500 words if not writing poetry?

Hello ladies, I will go along along with once a week idea. Do we have a topic in mind for this one?

Maggie

Hi Ann, yes I have got them but plunged in without reading the question the question , DOH! sorry .
chapter.

Just as a generalisation, having a quick look at some of the books I have to hand, chapters seem to be around a minimum of 10 pages paperback.

But that depends obviously on the content.. in this case I think your two pieces should be one chapter as they aren't 'seperated' by the story having moved on to a 'new phase' ...sorry that's not put very well lol,

Hi Ann in Glos, don't stop writing, just save up all your work for distribution on Sundays. No-one wants to stop anyone's creative abilities! Then if you have a week when you are busy, you will always have something ready to show.

I don't think it would be fair to send out extra copy to those who have seem to have more time to read on a daily basis - it sounds a bit like creating a sub-group when we are supposed to be one group.

Teresa, I like the sound of your idea.

Ann, by us limiting our sendouts to once a week, provides you with a deadline. You can keep writing, but you don't necessarily have to send the whole lot. You can send a part you're perhaps not too certain of and want the critique for. Or, perhaps you can set yourself a daily word count, maybe just a few hundred to a couple of thousand.

I would also suggest, that for those who want it, perhaps we could set a short exercise along with our pieces, with no pressure to actually do them. The choice could be yours.

I have a variety of short writing exercises, which are done just for fun, like the one I set last week, with the five random words, or a part-sentence to be completed, a specific topic and so on. So I don't mind setting them on here if anyone wants to do them.

Thanks Rose. Did you get my last one where Ia sked one chapter or two? I don't think you have said. I have the next bit in rough so will get round to it soon.

Hi Ann, don't go 'off the boil'! when you are writing a long piece that is very easy to do and very hard to get back into it I find.
Just keep writing as and when you want and ,if you want to, send it out to those who think they have time to read ? ( I can read as I do that in bed ).

xx

The only thing I am worried about is 'going off the boil'. I find I work better if |I keep going but I do appreciate that I am retired and have the time to do things so will fit in with everyone else. I haven't written any more because I am not sure whether the last two pieces should have been one or two chapters and of those who commented it was 50/50. anyway, I have diverted to my scrap booking and card making so all is not lost.

Hope your cold will soon be better Teresa, meant to say that before.

Sounds fair to me , submitting on a Sunday .

personally, I always find time to read the pieces sent however many but don't have time to make constructive criticism on all so I tend just to send that if I notice something particularly 'obvious' that might help.

oh and Good Morning Ladies , sorry a bit shattered today,

xx

Morning Ladies, I've just been catching up on your comments re structure and agree that once a week sounds like a good idea, it frees up our time a little and allows time to think about what we want to write.

No no no Mau

either one piece of prose or one chapter or two poems...lol

xx

Good morning Girls and hope you're feeling better TW.

Think once a week ie Sunday would be okay with me................Stella ..one piece of prose,a chapter annnd poetry?....*gulps even louder... and scared at 'tougher' criticism ;O) X

i think it would be a better idea to submit on Sunday..one piece of prose, chapter of a story or two poems.

That sounds structured to me, then we are not reading and commenting in a hurry in case more work comes in .
Do we propose to start this coming Sunday, that will give us the rest of this week to "catch up?"

xx

I have to say Teresa has been a great help to me with criticism and passing on her knowledge.

OK I will go with sending out on Sundays then. (may need a reminder). I have actually stopped writing at the moment because of the feedback about being swamped. I think we have been free wheeling because we were expecting Jill to discipline us. However it has got us going, I think too much structure is inhibiting and too much like school. But by all means limit the number of pieces we send out and have some pieces which are structured as we did with the words exercise that Teresa set.

"Gulps" as well!