The Birth of Death, by Joseph Macolino, Reviewed.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Fiction, Review

Fantasy for YA readers, this tale of magical creatures failed to grab my attention, though I imagine those interested in the lore of elves, satyrs, centaurs, et al, will find enough here. I found the writing style a little stilted and was unable to engage with the characters, so didn’t read past the first quarter …

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Animal Magnet, by Gary Anderson, Reviewed.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Fiction4 Comments

A remarkable book, this. And one that makes several demands of its readers. It tells the story of a family through a number of centuries, dipping into significant life events and back-referencing to identify the particular family member placed under the microscope. Starting in Hungary and ending in USA, via France and Mexico, it travels …

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Looking for the Best Word? Tip #07

On By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Fiction, Grammar, Word Choice

  For a short introduction to this series, please click this link. These posts examine similar, and sometimes dissimilar, words in an effort to suggest ways writers might make their work more varied, accessible, interesting, accurate and effective. A good thesaurus provides alternatives for the idea of a word, but not all suggestions are true …

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Creative #Writing #Contests Table Updated

On By stuartakenIn Creative Writer

Here’s the monthly reminder to let you know I’ve updated the writing contest table. Make sure you get your entries submitted in plenty of time, there are some really spectacular prizes to be had. And think of the kudos! The table updates each time I save it, which is frequently, so whenever you visit the …

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Looking for the Best Word? Tip #06

On By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Fiction, Grammar, Word Choice1 Comment

  For a short introduction to this series, please click here. These posts look at similar, and dissimilar, words to suggest ways writers might make their work more varied, accessible, interesting, accurate and effective. A good thesaurus provides alternatives for the idea of a word, but not all suggestions are true synonyms. Context is vital. …

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Looking for the Best Word? Tip #05

On By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Fiction, Grammar, Word Choice

  For a short introduction to this series, please click this link. These posts look at similar, and dissimilar, words in an effort to suggest ways writers might make their work more varied, accessible, interesting, accurate and effective. A good thesaurus provides alternatives for the idea of a word, but not all suggestions are true …

Continue reading Looking for the Best Word? Tip #05

Denying Digital Demands

On By stuartakenIn Author, Procrastination, Progress5 Comments

Regular readers will know I’m a little ambivalent about the digital world that enfolds and sometimes threatens to overwhelm us. Social media has a lot going for it, but it also absorbs much of our time and attention. There are times when a simpler, less demanding lifestyle calls. A period of spiritual refreshment is needed. …

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Progress on the WIP: SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Creative Writer, Fiction, Mars, Progress2 Comments

  At the start of this week, my publisher, Fantastic Books Publishing, sent the edit notes for the MS of the novel set on Mars. A particularly perspicacious editor had spotted a few inconsistencies and had queries on a small number of issues. She was pleased to note the MS was unusually free of typos, …

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Looking for the Best Word? Tip #04

On By stuartakenIn Author, Fiction, Grammar, Word Choice

  For a short introduction to this series, please click this link. These posts examine some similar, and dissimilar, words in an effort to suggest ways writers might make their work more varied, accessible, interesting, accurate or effective. A good thesaurus provides alternatives for the idea of a word, but not all those suggestions are …

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Don’t, by Bob Selden, Reviewed.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Grammar, Review, Word Choice

This book has a couple of informative subtitles: ‘Unlock the do in don’t…’ and ‘How using the right words will change your life’ I could add, ‘How using the right words will change the lives of those around you’, too. So, what’s it about? Essentially, it’s a manual for using the right language to make …

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What’s it Like to Run the Great North Run?

On By stuartakenIn Author, charity, Fundraising, ME/CFS, opinion, Running

I'm reminded by this morning's BBC1 TV showing, that a year ago I ran the Great North Run. It struck me that others may be wondering what that's like for the ordinary person. I wrote an account after the race, and you can find that by following this link. I'm resurrecting this post for a couple …

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Oh heavens, why on earth did I follow that blog?

On By stuartakenIn Uncategorized4 Comments

Wise words. We are all too busy to read everything that comes our way.

Mick Canning's avatarMick Canning

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Every now and again I get unfollowed. And every now and again I unfollow a blog. Is it a big deal? Should it be a big deal?

At first, it can seem hurtful to find that someone has unfollowed you on any sort of social media, but really it shouldn’t be. Somehow, I find that I now follow a huge number of blogs, most of which I love, and I do wish I had more time available to read them more fully and comment on them, but I don’t. This means that every now and again I sacrifice one for the common good.

But, never without good reason.

First up, one thing that does irritate me, is when I visit and read a blog, leave a response – sometimes a quite lengthy one – and never receive any sort of reply. One blog that I initially followed was like this…

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Looking for the Best Word? Tip #03

On By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Grammar, Word Choice

  For a short introduction to this series, please click this link. These posts examine some similar, and dissimilar, words in an effort to suggest ways writers might make their work more varied, accessible, interesting, accurate or effective. A good thesaurus provides alternatives for the idea of a word, but not all those suggestions are …

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The War of the First Day, by Thomas Fleet, Reviewed.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Fiction, Reading, Review3 Comments

Fantasy with a difference, this novel, set in a world of witchcraft, is remarkable for its language and surprising use of logic. The story is told through the first person point of view of an aspirant witch caught up in a civil war among her sisters. There is the usual fantasy ingredient, essential to my …

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Progress on the WIP: SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Progress4 Comments

  The finished MS stands at 82,982 words, which includes the front and back matter. My publisher’s deadline was the end of August. I made it! Fantastic Books Publishing, run by the inimitable Dan and Gabi Grubb, are going to publish this science fiction novel. Yay! Cover design is already under way and the gang …

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