Alistair has a bookshelf full of random (and useless) items from the modern world (pre disaster).
It tells us a lot about Alistair - a thing is never just a thing to him - he needs to find meaning in everything. An object cannot just be an object it has to have a story. Meaning.
#writingcommunity
It tells us a lot about Alistair - a thing is never just a thing to him - he needs to find meaning in everything. An object cannot just be an object it has to have a story. Meaning.
#writingcommunity
What's a seemingly inconsequential detail about your MC that actually informs a lot about their character? #WritingPrompt
November 25, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Alistair has a bookshelf full of random (and useless) items from the modern world (pre disaster).
It tells us a lot about Alistair - a thing is never just a thing to him - he needs to find meaning in everything. An object cannot just be an object it has to have a story. Meaning.
#writingcommunity
It tells us a lot about Alistair - a thing is never just a thing to him - he needs to find meaning in everything. An object cannot just be an object it has to have a story. Meaning.
#writingcommunity
I think I have the title - finally!! May need some refining but I think I have it! Who says a 2 hour commute is a waste of time! 😁
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
November 11, 2025 at 8:38 PM
I think I have the title - finally!! May need some refining but I think I have it! Who says a 2 hour commute is a waste of time! 😁
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
Woof - re-reading my original WIP after changing to first person present tense in the prequel. Wow did I write long sentences!! Think I will end up cutting the word count in half with the updates!!
#writingcommunity #amediting
#writingcommunity #amediting
November 7, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Woof - re-reading my original WIP after changing to first person present tense in the prequel. Wow did I write long sentences!! Think I will end up cutting the word count in half with the updates!!
#writingcommunity #amediting
#writingcommunity #amediting
Line edits v1 complete for WIP - now to let it go for a moment - I will try a month but no promises! Then onto edit v2 - we are getting there.
Just need to get a title sorted! So frustrating that I cannot think of anything better than the working title which I don’t like!
#writingcommunity
Just need to get a title sorted! So frustrating that I cannot think of anything better than the working title which I don’t like!
#writingcommunity
November 5, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Line edits v1 complete for WIP - now to let it go for a moment - I will try a month but no promises! Then onto edit v2 - we are getting there.
Just need to get a title sorted! So frustrating that I cannot think of anything better than the working title which I don’t like!
#writingcommunity
Just need to get a title sorted! So frustrating that I cannot think of anything better than the working title which I don’t like!
#writingcommunity
Kine is boring old democracy run by your typical crusty old white men - but the city of Tymor is a female governed meritocracy - it has its own challenges, particularly around nepotism and privilege - but it is effective and it survives where many habitations have failed
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
How do the politics of your book's world work? Is it a monarchy? A democracy? Theocracy? How does it affect your characters? #WritingPrompt
November 3, 2025 at 9:51 PM
Kine is boring old democracy run by your typical crusty old white men - but the city of Tymor is a female governed meritocracy - it has its own challenges, particularly around nepotism and privilege - but it is effective and it survives where many habitations have failed
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
Patience! When I give my writing room to breathe I can see the impact - but I am too rushed - too eager to complete it rather than appreciating the process - because when I do I enjoy writing more and the results are far better #writingcommunity
What's something you'd like to improve on in your writing? #WritingPrompt
November 2, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Patience! When I give my writing room to breathe I can see the impact - but I am too rushed - too eager to complete it rather than appreciating the process - because when I do I enjoy writing more and the results are far better #writingcommunity
A number of side characters but definitely my favourite is Jessica. She enters the novel just when Alistair is at his lowest - her presence is the catalyst for him to start to see a wider world than just the one that he has created for himself.
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober Day 26: Supporting characters
Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.
#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.
#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
October 26, 2025 at 6:13 PM
A number of side characters but definitely my favourite is Jessica. She enters the novel just when Alistair is at his lowest - her presence is the catalyst for him to start to see a wider world than just the one that he has created for himself.
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
Reposted by Ed James
This Saturday!
70 authors and small presses in Middleton Hall, centre:mk, on Sat 25 Oct. Free event with book sales and signing, readings and workshops events for younger readers too. Come and meet your favourite new writer(s)!
70 authors and small presses in Middleton Hall, centre:mk, on Sat 25 Oct. Free event with book sales and signing, readings and workshops events for younger readers too. Come and meet your favourite new writer(s)!
October 23, 2025 at 6:39 PM
This Saturday!
70 authors and small presses in Middleton Hall, centre:mk, on Sat 25 Oct. Free event with book sales and signing, readings and workshops events for younger readers too. Come and meet your favourite new writer(s)!
70 authors and small presses in Middleton Hall, centre:mk, on Sat 25 Oct. Free event with book sales and signing, readings and workshops events for younger readers too. Come and meet your favourite new writer(s)!
I’m going to have to rewrite the whole end of my book - I know I will but I keep thinking I can minor edit my way out of it but I just need to bite the bullet and get writing - come on Alistair let’s do this…
#writingcommunity #amwriting (again)
#writingcommunity #amwriting (again)
October 21, 2025 at 9:01 PM
I’m going to have to rewrite the whole end of my book - I know I will but I keep thinking I can minor edit my way out of it but I just need to bite the bullet and get writing - come on Alistair let’s do this…
#writingcommunity #amwriting (again)
#writingcommunity #amwriting (again)
Uh oh - in an attempt to lower screen time when baby refusing to sleep I have started listening to The Lord of the Rings as an audiobook…get ready for my novel to get some serious history/lore upgrades!!
(To clarify baby not listening - baby sleeping - just not in his bed!)
#writingcommunity
(To clarify baby not listening - baby sleeping - just not in his bed!)
#writingcommunity
October 21, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Uh oh - in an attempt to lower screen time when baby refusing to sleep I have started listening to The Lord of the Rings as an audiobook…get ready for my novel to get some serious history/lore upgrades!!
(To clarify baby not listening - baby sleeping - just not in his bed!)
#writingcommunity
(To clarify baby not listening - baby sleeping - just not in his bed!)
#writingcommunity
It’s at this point that Alistair discovers a love of cooking - through the old recipe book passed down through generations he discovers the history of a community outside the grand tales and myths. He also makes friends with a crow he calls Freya
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober Day 18: Act 2 Part 1
Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.
#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.
#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
October 18, 2025 at 7:44 AM
It’s at this point that Alistair discovers a love of cooking - through the old recipe book passed down through generations he discovers the history of a community outside the grand tales and myths. He also makes friends with a crow he calls Freya
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
By act 2 Alistair has been left alone (or pretty much alone) in the Kine. Everyone he loves has died or left him. It is here that he realises that he needs to learn the skills to survive in this world - nobody is there to do it for him.
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober Day 17: Act 1 to Act 2
Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.
#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.
#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
October 17, 2025 at 9:10 AM
By act 2 Alistair has been left alone (or pretty much alone) in the Kine. Everyone he loves has died or left him. It is here that he realises that he needs to learn the skills to survive in this world - nobody is there to do it for him.
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
The first time we see Alistair acknowledge some culpability is the discovery of Sam and Rosie’s bodies. Up until this point he has blamed others for the Kine’s fall and though he doesn’t tacitly acknowledge it his actions suggest he realises he had a part to play.
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober Day 16: Inciting Incident
Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.
#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.
#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
October 16, 2025 at 7:52 AM
The first time we see Alistair acknowledge some culpability is the discovery of Sam and Rosie’s bodies. Up until this point he has blamed others for the Kine’s fall and though he doesn’t tacitly acknowledge it his actions suggest he realises he had a part to play.
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
Alistair has lost everything - and then Jessica arrives. She comes from a city that he believes to be a myth and challenges him in a way that only someone from outside the Kine could. She refuses to play the role he wants her to in the story and only then can he grow
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober Day 15: The midpoint
Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.
#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.
#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
October 15, 2025 at 7:16 AM
Alistair has lost everything - and then Jessica arrives. She comes from a city that he believes to be a myth and challenges him in a way that only someone from outside the Kine could. She refuses to play the role he wants her to in the story and only then can he grow
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
For a direct prequel I have gone back and forth on the ending a surprising number of times. I have had dramatic reveals and all sorts. In the end though it is a sort of resignation as the reality of Alistair’s past sinks in. It is not heroic or redemptive. He leaves.
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
October 14, 2025 at 9:08 PM
For a direct prequel I have gone back and forth on the ending a surprising number of times. I have had dramatic reveals and all sorts. In the end though it is a sort of resignation as the reality of Alistair’s past sinks in. It is not heroic or redemptive. He leaves.
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
I used to be dreadful for letting what I was reading bleed into my narrative - not in terms of content but in terms of narrative voice - post apocalyptic fiction turning out to be The Road if written by Charles Dickens 😄 - thankfully this WIP has a pretty strong voice - finally!
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
Does your reading affect what you write? For me, only in the sense of making me think differently about the act of writing #Writingq #WritingCommunity
October 11, 2025 at 7:01 PM
I used to be dreadful for letting what I was reading bleed into my narrative - not in terms of content but in terms of narrative voice - post apocalyptic fiction turning out to be The Road if written by Charles Dickens 😄 - thankfully this WIP has a pretty strong voice - finally!
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
Growth is slow for Alistair - he loses everything and still clings to his delusions - it is only when he is confronted by the world beyond the Kine that he can finally start to see the cracks appearing. Oh and Jessica - a woman who refuses to indulge his bullshit.
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober Day 11: MC growth & change
Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.
#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.
#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
October 11, 2025 at 7:28 AM
Growth is slow for Alistair - he loses everything and still clings to his delusions - it is only when he is confronted by the world beyond the Kine that he can finally start to see the cracks appearing. Oh and Jessica - a woman who refuses to indulge his bullshit.
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
The Kine is dying - both literally and metaphorically. A succession of droughts and cold winters has reduced the community to simply clinging on - Alistair struggles to accept it. He is in conflict with Isabel almost constantly and is frustrated by the Councils inaction
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober Day 10: MC backstory & traumas
Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.
#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.
#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
October 10, 2025 at 7:20 AM
The Kine is dying - both literally and metaphorically. A succession of droughts and cold winters has reduced the community to simply clinging on - Alistair struggles to accept it. He is in conflict with Isabel almost constantly and is frustrated by the Councils inaction
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
Alistair is an idealist, a story teller. He loves history, the world and the people who inhabit it. He cares deeply about people, much of his desire to rebuild the glory of the Kine is driven by a want to help but along the way people become symbols and it isolates him
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober Day 9: MC personality & behaviors
Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.
#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.
#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
October 9, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Alistair is an idealist, a story teller. He loves history, the world and the people who inhabit it. He cares deeply about people, much of his desire to rebuild the glory of the Kine is driven by a want to help but along the way people become symbols and it isolates him
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
The biggest external challenge that Alistair faces is the environment. The world is a volatile place. Seasons are merging and violent weather conditions disrupt any sort of rhythm. It makes any sort of sustained growth almost impossible when cut off from the wider world
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober Day 8: Conflicts for the MC
Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.
#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.
#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
October 8, 2025 at 7:52 AM
The biggest external challenge that Alistair faces is the environment. The world is a volatile place. Seasons are merging and violent weather conditions disrupt any sort of rhythm. It makes any sort of sustained growth almost impossible when cut off from the wider world
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
Depends who you ask - if you asked him he would say he wants to build on the history of the Kine’s heroes. Isabel (his wife) would say he craves validation from parents who have (in different ways) withdrawn emotionally from him. Both true. Let the reader be the judge
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober Day 7: Main character motivations
Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.
#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.
#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
October 7, 2025 at 8:51 AM
Depends who you ask - if you asked him he would say he wants to build on the history of the Kine’s heroes. Isabel (his wife) would say he craves validation from parents who have (in different ways) withdrawn emotionally from him. Both true. Let the reader be the judge
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
Haha oh Alistair’s goals are far from achievable and that is his biggest problem - he is desperate for his actions to mean something in the face of the myths of modernity, of the heroes of the Kine but the world has changed and he cannot come to terms with it.
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober Day 6: Main character goals
Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.
#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.
#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
October 6, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Haha oh Alistair’s goals are far from achievable and that is his biggest problem - he is desperate for his actions to mean something in the face of the myths of modernity, of the heroes of the Kine but the world has changed and he cannot come to terms with it.
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
I feel I have spoken a lot about Alistair already as his character is the plot of the work. He is a leader ill equipped to handle the scenario he finds himself in, he is stubborn and idealistic, defining himself, and those around him against the myths of the past
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober Day 5: Main character ideas
Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.
#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.
#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
October 5, 2025 at 8:48 PM
I feel I have spoken a lot about Alistair already as his character is the plot of the work. He is a leader ill equipped to handle the scenario he finds himself in, he is stubborn and idealistic, defining himself, and those around him against the myths of the past
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
I feel it has changed over the years. Certainly when I started writing it would have been classic authors, Dickens, Hugo and Dumas - but if I were to choose one author now I would say would say Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi. It’s really impacted the way I think about characterisation
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
What authors or artists most influence your writing? #writingq #WritingCommunity
October 4, 2025 at 5:27 PM
I feel it has changed over the years. Certainly when I started writing it would have been classic authors, Dickens, Hugo and Dumas - but if I were to choose one author now I would say would say Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi. It’s really impacted the way I think about characterisation
#writingcommunity
#writingcommunity
Set in a small post apocalyptic community - a sheltered valley away from the ruins of a small Welsh village. Very insulated, almost claustrophobic despite the vast emptiness of the surrounding landscape.
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober Day 4: Setting for WIP
Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.
#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
Answer the prompt on the card by quoting this post. Remember, answering a prompt is always optional. Even if you don't share it publicly, I hope the prompt encourages you to think about it privately.
#WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #WriteSky
October 4, 2025 at 7:10 AM
Set in a small post apocalyptic community - a sheltered valley away from the ruins of a small Welsh village. Very insulated, almost claustrophobic despite the vast emptiness of the surrounding landscape.
#PlotTober #writingcommunity
#PlotTober #writingcommunity