A Very Short Ghost Story Competition...

A big thank you to Jenny who passed the information on about this Times competition.

Can you write a ghost story in 50 words? Well if you can then this competition is for you.

Susan Hill has launched the prize and you can find her suggestions for how to write a good ghost story here.

"Write your own ghost story in 50 words. The best entry will win £200-worth of selected books chosen by Random House and Profile, plus a signed set of Susan Hill’s ghost stories. Three runners-up will also win signed copies of Hill’s ghost stories."

And of course the essential information about terms and conditions, here. (They cover two pages, so don't miss the 'next' link at the bottom.)

"Send your entry to bookscomp@thetimes.co.uk with Ghost Story in the subject line or post it to Ghost Story, Books, The Times, 3 Thomas More Square, London E98 1TT. Include your name, address and daytime telephone number."

Don't send it as an attachment- it's easy to forget rules like this when you can enter online.

Entries must be received by 5pm on Tuesday 23rd October.

"Winners will be notified by October 29 and their names and answers printed in The Times on October 27. There will be one winner and three runners-up. One entry per person. UK and Republic of Ireland only."

Good luck.

Image courtesy of Simon Howden http://freedigitalphotos.net

Further Organisation is Needed...

A box arrived this morning with 50 coloured cardboard wallets- and even with postage, cheaper than getting my OH to drive me to the retail park for numerous packs that would have cost a lot more.

I just have to find a slot for the box now... :-)      

The shelves in the office area are filling up and I'm going to have to shift a few things around, but I need to make a little bit more room for my works in progress folders/files.

As I've been gathering everything from the various points in the living room, I've started to find the big wads of research notes and clippings (that I gather before I start any longer writing project).

So I decided that if they were in folders I could keep them on the shelf with the box-type files that hold the printed manuscript pages of each project.

Eventually I'll scan all these notes and images and put them on a disc, but probably not until I've finished the novel/novella completely. I much prefer to have the pages at hand than having to keep opening and then reducing a document to the bottom of my screen each time I need to clarify something...

So how do you deal with your research notes? Are you a paper or digital storage, writer?


Image: Salvatore Vuono, www.freedigitalphotos.net