Running for #ME/CFS no. 54

On 11/09/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, charity, Fundraising, ME/CFS, Progress, Running2 Comments

This is the penultimate post on the run. I've completed the programmed exercise for this week. Tuesday (my usual Wednesday session was programmed for Tuesday this week) required a 30-minute easy walk. So, Valerie and I took a lengthy walk amongst the hills of the forest. Lovely to watch the squirrels, songbirds and buzzards. Today …

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Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 04.

On 09/09/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice

Many writers enjoy sharing ideas that might improve our craft. So, let's chop the fat from our writing. Make it lean and trim. Readers will thank us. In this series, I'll look at some common redundancies. But, reading this and nodding wisely in agreement won't do. We need to stay alert to those extraneous words …

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Men Vs Women Writers Infographic

On 08/09/2015 By stuartakenIn Uncategorized1 Comment

An interesting infographic here. Of course, we’re all individuals and each of us will recognise various aspects of this survey as either true or false for us. But averages are always of interest.

SaylingAway

Thought you might enjoy this infographic on men vs women writers, while I’m living it up in Maine! Please note this graphic was kindly provided by:https://www.grammarly.com/grammar-check

MenvsWomen Writers infographic

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Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 03.

On 07/09/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Fiction, Word Choice5 Comments

Many writers welcome the sharing of ideas that might improve our craft. So, let's chop the fat from our writing. Make it lean and trim. Readers will thank us. In this series, I'll look at some common redundancies and other questionable writing devices. But, reading this and nodding wisely in agreement won't do. We need …

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Running for ME/CFS no. 53

On 06/09/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, charity, Fundraising, ME/CFS, Running2 Comments

One week today at this time I'll be recovering, hopefully with a local pint and some tasty food, after running the 13.1 miles of the Great North Run along the roads from Newcastle Upon Tyne to the seafront at South Shields. I've done all the training. Run a good many miles along local roads and …

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Nine, by Drew Wagar, Reviewed.

On 06/09/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Fiction, Review

This is a science fiction short based on the Oolite space trading game. No, I'd never heard of it, either. But you don't need to be familiar with this created Ooniverse to understand and enjoy this clever tale. It's a multi-layered piece, with many themes, in spite of its brevity. But it can also be …

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The Man Whom the Trees Loved, by Algernon Blackwood, Reviewed.

On 05/09/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Fiction, Review2 Comments

Modern readers may find this short novel too wordy, which is a shame, as it's a well-told story. But it is undeniably written in the style of its age, with a good deal of description and not a great amount of action. The central characters are all very fully drawn and their interactions are beautifully …

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Running for ME/CFS no. 52

On 04/09/201504/09/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, charity, Fundraising, ME/CFS, Progress, Running2 Comments

Today, I’ve made the last training run before the actual race. For the remainder of the days between now and 13th September, I’m supposed to ‘rest’ the muscles and build energy for the race itself. This means some shortish walks only, to keep the joints moving and feed some work into the muscles without causing …

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Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 02.

On 02/09/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Fiction, Word Choice, Word Use

Many writers welcome the sharing of ideas that might improve our craft. So, let's chop the fat from our writing. Make it lean and trim. Readers will thank us. In this series, I'll look at some common redundancies. (I had hoped someone perspicacious might point out that the first post title in this series used …

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The Methuselah Strain in Hardback.

On 31/08/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Fiction7 Comments

Here it is: the hardback print version of my science fiction novella, The Methuselah Strain. All copies will be signed. Dan Grubb, owner of Fantastic Books Publishing, suggested we launch this at the great fantasy/scifi event, Fantasticon 2015, in the region where I was born. It takes place over the weekend of 24/25 October in …

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Running for ME/CFS no. 51

On 30/08/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, charity, Fundraising, ME/CFS, Progress, Running

It's getting close to the event. In fact, 2 weeks today I'll be pounding the tarmac for 13.1 miles. Progress this week? Wednesday I was due to run for 4 minutes followed by 1 minute of walking, repeated 7 times. That's 35 minutes of exercise. I chose to do this along my 3.3 mile loop …

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Cut Out Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 01.

On 29/08/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Use3 Comments

Life's finally a little more settled, so I can return to posting about the mechanics of writing, as I used to on my old blog. I've found many writers welcome the sharing of ideas that might improve our craft. So, let's chop the fat from our writing. Make it lean and trim. Readers will thank …

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Running for ME/CFS no. 50 and #Free Books

On 24/08/201524/08/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, charity, Fiction, Fundraising, ME/CFS, Running

Raising money for Action for M.E. Charity Registration No. 1036419 Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.) is a disabling and chronic illness, devastating the lives of 250,000 people in the UK. Action for M.E. provides support and information for those touched by M.E., and campaigns for better services and invests in research to ultimately find a cure. I'm …

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