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Travel tales of an empty nester
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Home  >  Blog  >  Mum’s Gone to read Tiny Acorns

Mum’s Gone to read Tiny Acorns

Trish Burgess Posted on25/11/201028/12/2016 Book reviews 16 Comments
My last post featuring Sooty resulted in such a flood of comments I decided this is obviously the way to attract readers. So pictured above is another teddy….
 Isn’t he cute, and very studious? As you can see, he’s reading a copy of Tiny Acorns, an anthology of new writing edited by Tim Atkinson. He’s also sitting in front of a row of World Books which I thought most appropriate for the acorn analogy. Clever or what!
All the submissions in the book were inspired by a free Creative Writing e-course run earlier this year by Tim. The ten-week course attracted a huge national following. Well over 100 people registered in the first few days and many thousands more followed the lessons informally week-by-week, downloading them from the website.

The genres covered in the book range from flash fiction to more traditional short stories, life-writing, humour, poetry and autobiography. There’s something in it for everyone. And if people are inspired by what they read, they can have a go for themselves as the entire creative writing course has been reprinted in the book’s appendix.

So what’s my involvement? I didn’t send in any work myself (hopeless, I know) but responded to a request from Dotterel Press to help with proofreading. Several years ago, when Rory was little, I signed up for a proofreading course, completed it and then did precisely nothing with my new qualification, bar irritating friends and family by criticising their spelling and grammar. This opportunity from Tim was just the ticket: I could hone my skills knowing he would be keeping overall control.

The task of proofreading an eclectic mix of writing was actually rather difficult. I was able to pick up typos and obvious mistakes but each writer has their own style so I was conscious I had to allow individuality as regards speech marks etc. Thankfully I wasn’t the only proofreader involved and therefore if I’ve missed anything I can pass the blame back to Tim!

Tiny Acorns was published last Friday (ISBN 978-0-9562869-1-8) and is available direct for just £8.99 from the Dotterel Press Online store. All the proceeds are going to the BBC Children in Need appeal.

I  bought my copy last week and, while I was at it, bought Tim’s novel, Writing Therapy, which I’m looking forward to getting stuck into very soon (I will report back, readers)

I’ve also had an idea. Can I suggest everyone who buys a copy takes a photo of it in an innovative way or in an unusual place and pops it on their blog (or email to me if you haven’t got a blog)?

This has proved to be a very entertaining way to publicise the brilliant Cocktails at Naptime  so I’m sure we can do the same for Tiny Acorns. Remember all the proceeds are going to a worthy cause so get buying and let’s see your photographs.

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16 Comments

  1. Steve Reply
    25/11/2010 at 6:04 pm

    As a contributor to the book I'd like to thank you for your excellent marketing strategy!

  2. Trish @ Mum's Gone to... Reply
    25/11/2010 at 6:14 pm

    Steve – oh yes, I saw your contributions. Jeez the amount of work I had to do getting them right….. ;-))) (kidding of course – was most impressed.

  3. The Dotterel Reply
    25/11/2010 at 6:28 pm

    Hey, never mind proof-reader (but thanks – you did a super job) I should appoint you marketing manager. Thanks for posting, helping and promoting!

  4. MadameSmokinGun Reply
    25/11/2010 at 7:41 pm

    This sounds very interesting – as a fellow ex-proofreading course completer who then when on to not do any herself. Edit THAT sentence!!

  5. Trish @ Mum's Gone to... Reply
    25/11/2010 at 8:46 pm

    The Dotterel – no problem – my pleasure.

    Madame SG – I'll start with 'went'…..!

  6. Sarah Reply
    26/11/2010 at 9:20 am

    Is proof-reading just about grammar or how to spot mistakes the eye just runs over because it knows what should be there and ignores the mistake?

    (Can you guess I'm speaking from experience?)

    Sounds an excellent book. I'll put it on my Christmas list.

  7. Trish @ Mum's Gone to... Reply
    26/11/2010 at 1:17 pm

    Sarah – There's a real mixture of work so obviously they won't all be to everyone's taste but there's some real gems in there. The e-course from Tim is very helpful too, for those of us needing guidance in creative writing.

  8. @jencull (jen) Reply
    26/11/2010 at 3:43 pm

    Oooh, you got a sneak preview with the proofreading:) Great idea for the writing course and the book:)

    I didn't realise I wasn't following your blog, my apologies for that, I thought I was and have done so now.

    Jen

  9. Trish @ Mum's Gone to... Reply
    26/11/2010 at 4:14 pm

    Jen – I've just realised I'm not following you either: I think we've picked up on each other's posts via twitter! Have rectified it!

  10. Tattie Weasle Reply
    26/11/2010 at 6:24 pm

    Now feel guilty on two counts: one for not contributing – but it was a Summer of indecisions – and two for not volunteering to proof read when I actually do that, among other things, for a living….guess the only way to redeem myself is to buy the excellent anthology and do as you suggest!

  11. Trish @ Mum's Gone to... Reply
    26/11/2010 at 6:27 pm

    Tattie – well, think of it this way: by you not offering to proofread you were giving me the chance to have a go, so thank you! But yes, buy the book woman and take a silly photo – redemption will be yours.

  12. Troy Reply
    26/11/2010 at 8:21 pm

    I've spent about 24 hours trying to get the connection between a row of World Books and an acorn analogy…. and got nowhere. Thick or what? Can you explain please then hopefully I'll have a "duhh" moment.

  13. Trish @ Mum's Gone to... Reply
    27/11/2010 at 9:12 am

    Troy – well I just thought if "mighty oaks from little acorns grow" then maybe this little book may one day be a "world" famous book? I think you were looking too hard for something more clever!

  14. Crystal Jigsaw Reply
    27/11/2010 at 2:22 pm

    I've seen this knocking about on various blogs around blogosphere!

    Hope your mum is doing well.

    CJ xx

  15. MadameSmokinGun Reply
    28/11/2010 at 11:18 am

    Shamed! I think you've pin-pointed the reason I never took up proof reading. If it is true that 'god is in the details' , then I am firmly aligned with the devils.

    And I deliberately used a lower case ' g' for 'god', and therefore used a lower case 'd' for 'devil'. Then I decided that, if I reckon there are a fair few gods about, then there must be several devils too, so I added the 's'. However, the quote uses 'g' in the singular and so I suppose I should have kept my 'devil' in kind. Hmmmmnn…. Also, I expect the original quote probably had an upper case 'G' but I couldn't be bothered to verify this. And then I started wondering if any of this was indeed remotely important and would anybody notice anyway.

    Actually, I think I have just pin-pointed the reason I never pursued the profession right there. In fact I never even satisfied myself if proof and reading were supposed to be hyphenated.

    I'll get me coat.

  16. Trish @ Mum's Gone to... Reply
    28/11/2010 at 11:53 am

    CJ – I've popped a comment on your recent snow post – Mum has a similar amount!

    Madame SG: Oh you're such a wonderfully daft bugger and completely barking!
    I have decided to stick with 'proofreading' rather than 'proof-reading' as my proofreading course was titled such without a hyphen. To be fair, I think you can use either option. God knows, it's a devil of a conundrum (or is that god, or Devil??)

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