Updates on all the stuff

My news

Firstly, thank you so much to everyone who commented here and on social media about the copyright infringement accusation made against me – and to the friend who offered to put her law degree to use should that be needed! I very much appreciate all the support. At first I was deeply distressed, but your kindness went a huge way to alleviating that.

I was especially pleased that not one person suggested I may actually have infringed anyone's copyright, even accidentally. It had been my fear that some might think me capable of that and I've been greatly reassured.

Blogger have still not responded, but I have heard from two people connected to the blog whose copyright I allegedly infringed. They both assured me they did not raise the complaint and have no quarrel with me. They expressed sympathy and offered to contact Blogger to try to get this sorted out. They've done that, making the situation very clear, and copied me in. I don't see how they can do more. Their kindness is also very much appreciated. To paraphrase one of them, 'the internet is great – there are just a few idiots who spoil things'.

Another thing which cheered me up yesterday was the sale of a story to Allas. The cherry on the top of the support and kindness I'd received from so many online friends.

Womagwriter blog news

As mentioned previously, I've been considering combining my blogs. Although I'm yet to work out the best way to do that, I've made the decision that this will happen. For now, posts from my other blog, will appear here, along with womag stuff. I'm going to try using headings, as in this post, in the hope that makes things easier.

I'm also experimenting with adding Womagwriter to my website. I'll be duplicating relevant posts (or parts of posts such as the bit below) there to build up the information to a useful level. Obviously there's not much there yet, but please take a look and let me know if you're able to find womag stuff, if you think it will work, and if you have suggestions for improvement.

Womag news

I asked ‘my’ editor at The People’s Friend which story lengths and subjects are most in demand. He says it’s ‘the usual culprits’ by which he means 2000 and 3000 word stories as these are always in demand. Also, stories set around events and holidays – Christmas, Advent, Bonfire Night, Easter, Valentine’s etc are appreciated.

The cover featured is an old one – but as it has me name on the front, I like to make sure it’s seen!

This blog may be removed!

Yesterday I received a 'take down notification' from Blogger, about this post. Another writing blogger has reported it for infringing copyright. It doesn't, but because a complaint has been made I must remove the 'offending material'. If I fail to do so, I will be in violation of Blogger's terms and the entire blog could be removed.

I cannot remove anything which infringes copyright, as there's nothing to remove.

I can challenge this, but must tell them the precise content the matter refers to – and I can't because I don't know. There was a link which supposedly would take me to the complaint, but it states 'unspecified'. If I did know, I would need to provide a sworn statement and all my personal details would be made available to whoever made the complaint. 

There's a lot of stuff about me being at risk of perjury and having to pay damages if I go ahead. If I don't go ahead, I'm accepting the accusation I've infringed someone's copyright. Anyone who has read more than a few of my posts will know I take copyright matters seriously, and might understand how distressed I am by this.

If anyone has any experience of this issue and can advise me, please get in touch.

If this blog vanishes, you'll know it's because I couldn't remove what doesn't exist. 

A bit on blogging

I'm thinking of somehow combining this blog with my other one (which is a more general writing blog and regularly includes links to free to enter writing competitions). Although I'd still have the same amount of research to do, I think it would be slightly easier and less time consuming to only have the one blog.

What do you think about that? Any suggestions for the best way to go about it? Or maybe I should just stop one of them?

Do you have a blog yourself – writing related or otherwise? If you put a link and brief description in your comments, I'll add writing related ones to this post, so people can easily take a look.

Fellow blogger Paula Readman recently invited me over to her blog for a virtual tea and chat.

If you're interested in the subject of blogging, you may like to join #WritingChat on Wednesday evening. This is a Twitter event held 8-9 (UK time) every Wednesday evening. There's always a theme – this week it's Does blogging still work for writers? Participants are encouraged to suggest topics for further discussions.

To take part, just tweet at the appropriate time, using the #WritingChat hashtag. (Without that, we'll probably miss your comments.)

Reader's blogs (copied from the comments, so they don't get missed.)

Sharon Boothroyd – I don't have a blog, but I do have a a website. 

I'm looking for new members to join our small group of published womag writers. We test our work on each other before we sub it out, via email. 

It's free to join, but you must have had at least 1 story published. Please visit wwww.sbee.orgfree.com for details.

Lyn Love – I do blog at https://lynnmlovewords.wordpress.com/

Mainly flash fiction and publication news. I do guest posts too.

Sally Jenkins – I blog at https://sally-jenkins.com/blog/.

All quiet?

Is it just me, or is Womagland very quiet at the moment? I have quite a few stories 'out there' but it's starting to feel as though I'll never get a response to some of them. Perhaps more concerning, a couple of recent queries to editors have gone unanswered.

Last week I had just one communication from an editor. As it was a sale (to The People's Friend) it went a long way towards convincing me it's worth sending more stories out. I've not done a lot of that lately, and even less writing of them, but I've been working on other things. I've started up a newsletter. The latest novel is, I hope, in the final stages of editing, with all the rewrites behind me. And I've released a new short story collection.

DRESSED TO IMPRESS

We choose our clothes to help us stand out, make a statement, or to hide inside. They may show who we really are or be our disguise. Perhaps they'll help us play a part, get the job done, or be a means for revenge.

Clothes can warm, comfort and reassure us. We might buy or borrow them, damage or repair, give them away or have them taken. The items in our wardrobe might bring back memories, express hope for the future, or offer a surprise.

From glasses to shoes, fancy dress to fancy dresses, designer wear to charity donations, the clothes we wear all have a story to tell. This book contains 24 of them.

You can get it here.

This week I'll be polishing the novel, and making a few womag short story submissions. If I'm lucky, I'll be doing some of that from the campervan. What are you planning to do?

Very friendly

I'm very pleased to have a story in the current issue of The People's Friend, along with some virtual writing friends.

There will be another one of mine in a fortnight's time, and more to come in the future as I've just heard I've sold them two more.

See here for some tips from 'my' editor, for writing stories for The Friend.