I am sorry about the non-appearance of the latest chapter. I have been admitted to the local hospital for observation following chest pains. The next three chapters are written but are on my desktop machine. I will update when I can. Louise
Speaking and writing in English can be like opening a can of worms. In recent correspondence I’ve been asked (albeit politely) whether I meant ‘a flu shot’ rather than ‘a flu jab’, ‘careening (a word I’d never come across) rather than ‘careering’ and whether ‘whilst’ (as opposed to ‘while’) is common in British English (yes it is - although its use is gradually declining). These are all matters of usage which changes over time and place and is to be celebrated so long as it does not impede communication. None is more ‘correct’ than the other.
For various reasons it has beeen five years since I last contributed to this site (other than lurking in the background, reading stories and awarding kudos). How quickly time passes! I have, however, continued to write but in each case have run out of ideas after 20,000 or so words. I have just posted the first chapter of a new story. I have so far written 29,000 words and have an idea of where it will go after that, so I will post one chapter a week with reasonable confidence (d.v.) that I will be able to complete the story.
It has been nearly nine months since I last contributed a chapter to the site. It was not that I've not been writing, but I have made a couple of false starts and after 20-25,000 words I have become blocked. I have however now completed fourteen chapters and 44,000 words for my third attempt, and have a clear idea of where I want it to go, so I will risk posting again. I have just posted chapter 1 and will post chapter 2 tomorrow. Thereafter I will post chapters at weekly intervals as usual.
The final part of Dancing Queen (Chapter 30) has just been posted - for those who do not like to start reading stories until they are completed. Please feel free to comment on earlier chapters or else at the end of the story.
My apologies that the promised 'few weeks' before starting my next story has turned into nearly five months. It has been a busy summer! However, I have now written 25,000 words towards a new story entitled Dancing Queen. This should be enough to keep me going with weekly postings until the New Year (by which time I hope to have written the remainder). Bronwen is currently correcting my punctuation and pointing out mistakes, and I am looking for a suitable title image so that I hope to begin posting next week.
When, nearly three and a half years ago, I signed up to BC and ceased to lurk in the background, I had six unfinished stories all about 25,000 words in length. I had never been able to finish any work, which tended to become bogged down and so I started something else. Now, as a result of the encouragement and help received, I have just posted the final part of my sixth novel (ranging in length from 66,000-120,000 words) with also a couple of short stories thrown in for good measure - so thanks to everyone who has ever read, kudoed, commented, edited, or corrected any of my stories.
For those readers who like to be sure that a story will be completed before they begin to read it, Perspectives is now finished (as are all of my stories at the time of posting this blog).
Although I read quite a few stories on the site and usually award kudos (if I make it to the end of a story), I am not very good at leaving comments behind. For some reason I can never think of anything pithy, friendly and worthwhile to say; but this doesn't mean that I have not enjoyed reading them.
Somewhat to my amazement I have just posted the final chapter of my fourth full-length novel. Before I started posting to BC, two and a half years ago, I'd never managed to complete any of the six novels that I’d started writing. I would get so far and then become blocked, and so would start writing something else. I ended up with six partly written novels each one about 35,000 words in length.
Apologies to anyone waiting for the next installment of 'A Summer of Changes'. Unforseen circumstances have kept me away from my study and word processor. I hope to post the next chapter in about one week from now.
Checks can be made out & sent to:
Joyce Melton
1001 Third St.
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Calimesa, CA 92320
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Note: $6000 is the operating, maintenance and upgrade budget. Amounts received in excess of the $6000 will be applied to long term debt accrued over the last 19 years.
