Blogging Live from Milford – Day Six

Thursday 15th September

Jacey Bedford writes: Last night we held the official Milford AGM. Sue Thomason resigned as chairperson after a number of years in post (thanks, Sue) and Dave Gullen stepped in, elected unopposed. Jim Anderson also joined the committee, insisting that he have a title, so he’s now Most Egregious Token Male. The pic is of Jim Anderson (left to right) Siobhan McVeigh and Dave Gullen.

Random out-of-context quotes collected during the week by Dave Gullen, Liz Williams, Guy T Martland, Terry Jackman, Siobhan McVeigh, Sue Thomason, and Amy Tibbetts include (but not necessarily in order):

• “I read this as a choclate-coated Heart of Darkness.”
• “I didn’t understand this at all, but I liked it.”
• I’ve aways wondered why there isn’t more fashion in science fiction because they’re quite close worlds, really.”
• “It might have to be rewritten but since you’ve sent it in I’m going to carp at it anyway.”

It may be time to mention that the venue for Milford, Trigonos in Nantlle, is a wonderfully welcoming place to be. A community business it consists of a Victorian farmhouse and converted courtyard buildings. It’s full of surprises, with random artwork such as this enormous woven panel by textile artist Eta Ingham Lawrie.

At the beginning of the Milford week we wonder how we will ever get through all the work, now here we are on the last full day of critiques with only five more pieces to deal with. We try to finish the crits on Thursday so that Friday is a day for being tourists in this beautiful part of Wales or simply relaxing.

My second piece, Nimbus, a novel opening, is the first piece up for critique today…

Six hours later…

And the final crit session is over. I got lots of super helpful comments on Nimbus. The flashback must go and so must a lot of duplicated bits, but the rest of it seems to hold up reasonably well, or will once I’ve sorted out its rough edges and picked up a MacGuffin in the appropriate place and made a certain character a bit more scary. Someone said: It’s like Mad Max with lizards!

Jim Anderson

It’s been a week of hard work but it’s been super useful. Tomorrow we get a day off before departing on Saturday. Most of us need it. Take a look at Jim just before his last crit started. He says it’s not the worst picture of him that’s ever been posted on the internet.

More random quotes:

• “Pass the brain beach please.”
• “It’s not in the solar system, it’s miles away.”
• “Not enough little old ladies as nemesis.”
• “The good news is that I like 50% of this very much…”
• “Does Inspector Pellistro always disembark with a haydraulic hiss?”
• “I’m sorry about the frosted nipples.”

So here are some nice soothing pictures snapped randomly.

Lunch with (L-R) Rory Newman, John Moran, Glen Mehn, Lizzy Priest and Amy Tibbetts.

L-R standing: John Moran, Dave Gullen, Terry Jackman, David Allan, Guy T Martland, Jim Anderson, Liz Williams, Jacey Bedford, Glen mehn, Elizabeth Counihan, and Lizzy Priest. Seated L-R: Sue Thomason, Amy Tibbetts, Paulina Morgan, and Siobhan McVeigh.

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