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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

My last post honoured National Poetry Day by showing a few of my favourite poetry books. Today is #caturday, so here are two more favourites from my bookshelf. #writingcommunity #writerscats #mybookshelf

Square photo. Small grey tabby cat on the top shelf of an old-fashioned wooden bookshelf. Two shelves of the bookcase are visible, both full of books, both hardbacks and paperbacks, though most of them look as if they are old and well thumbed. The top third of the image is all wooden carving, which is the top part of the bookcase. The cat is in front of the books, but half inside the structure, obscuring the view of the book spines.

Square photo. A white cat is emerging from the depths of an old wooden bookshelf. He has clearly been inside the top section, on top of the books. Now his head and two front paws are on the top shelf, while the back half of his body is still hidden.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

In the UK today is National Poetry Day, so here are some poetry books… A schoolbook, gifts from classmates, students, friends, my mother's school prize from 1937…, books are important both for the words inside them & for the associations the physical books themselves hold. #writingcommunity #poetry

Square photo. Eight books standing upright on a wooden surface with a white wall behind them. They are all poetry books and include hardbacks and paperbacks, traditional leather bound and modern. They all look well read.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

I've been trying my hand at writing flash fiction – trying to fit everything that needs to be said into 100 words or less. But, as Skinner is glad to demonstrate, sometimes things fit perfectly and sometimes it's all a bit awkward and uncomfortable. #caturday #writingcommunity #writerscats

Square photo. Picture taken from above, looking down on a small brown tabby cat on a pale grey "donut" cat bed on a jute carpet. The cat bed is slightly off centre. The cat's body is mostly in the dip in the donut, but her head is twisted round to look up at the camera and it juts out beyond the edge of the bed. She looks startled, or indignant. Certainly not comfortable.

Square photo. Picture taken from above, looking down on a small brown tabby cat on a pale grey "donut" cat bed on a jute carpet. The cat bed is almost perfectly central to the image, although it is clipped in tight on all four sides. The cat is curled up neatly in the dip in the donut. She looks as if she is sleeping comfortably.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

The autumn equinox occurred early this morning, so here are some marvellous bright autumnal blooms. Here, too, is one of the Mabon pieces from "Turn of the Wheel". The mandala pattern is one of the motifs from the book. #writingcommunity #autumnequinox #modernpaganprayer #poetry

Square photo. Close up of a single pompom style Lantana flower head. The flowerhead is made up of multiple tiny flowers in shades of bright vermillion and orangey yellow . There are a few unopened buds that mean the pompom is incomplete. These unopened buds are deep pinky-purple.

Screen shot of a poem or prayer. The text is as follows:

Harvest song for the Goddess

You sit among us at the feast.
Your labour is done and it is time
to accept your due in quiet repose.

You hear the music,
but your feet are no longer nimble
and your voice is harsh and cracked.

But our songs and our dances
embody your memories
and we honor you.

The wheel turns
and the journey never ends.
May your wisdom guide us onward.

Black and white floral mandala pattern. At the very bottom right hand corner there is the page number 97 and a small visual motif.

Square photo. Close up of four pompom style Lantana flower heads. The flowerheads are made up of multiple tiny flowers in shades of bright red, vermillion, orange and yellow . There are a few unopened buds that mean the pompoms are incomplete. These unopened buds are deep pinky-purple.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Skinner's just seen something interesting and she'd like to remind us all how our writing needs to grab the reader's attention from the very start. Also, seeing how the light is tinted in the photo, it's a good moment to remember to avoid purple prose! #writerscats #caturday #writingcommunity

Square photo. Close up of a tabby cat face looking straight at the camera. Very little background can be seen, although there is something red and yellow down in the bottom left-hand corner behind the cat. The over all hue of the photo is sllightly purple due to the inadequate lighting.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

I'm not sure what advice Skinner intends us to take from her pose here. Maybe about the importance of perspective or setting, or perhaps a reminder to keep a copy of your manuscript. Whatever it is, I'm sure it's something useful, relevant and intelligent. #writingcommunity #writerscats #caturday

square photo. A small tabby cat is sitting neatly upright on a wooden block beside a mirror. She is looking slightly to the right of the camera and looks alert and serious. In the mirror her reflection is visible, as well as part of a bookcase. Little else of the room is visible.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

I just received this photo via WA from una amiga, who has headed to the coast for a few days. Given current temperatures, it's good to know that at least my books get to go to the seaside! (The book is "Enchufado", a book of essays in Spanish about being a Brit living in Spain.) #writingcommunity

Photo. In the foreground is the cover of a book. The book is lying on a blue striped beach towel and beyond this is visible a stretch of sand and, far off, a few silhouetted figures in the sea. The sea and the sky are not very blue, but it is probably a bright, though overcast, day as the sun is reflecting from the water.
The book is "Enchufado" by Gwyneth Box". (The publisher's name (Tantamount) is barely readable at the bottom of the picture.) The cover is a bright stylised image if a paved street leading up to a distant church tower, with colourful simple houses on either side of the street. A vague image of a woman is walking up the street.

Square screen shot image of a map of the Iberian peninsula. It looks as if it has been copied from a weather app. No temperatures are visible, but the whole of the peninsula and the little bits of France and North Africa that are visible are all shades of orange, vermillion, scarlet and crimson. The ocean is yellow, while the Mediterranean sea is orange.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

I have spent the last two weeks going round in circles getting nowhere.* Watson often goes round in circles getting nowhere, but he is a lot more relaxed about it. *Actually, I did submit some competition entries yesterday, which is progress of a sort. #caturday #writerscats #writingcommunity

Square photo.Picture of a white cat curled up into an almost circular shape and fast asleep. He is sleeping on a grey felt-like circular surface, which appears to have a slight dip in the middle where he is curled. Beyond the grey thing, a natural brown ridged jute mat is visible.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

I'm still travelling, so Watson & Skinner are unavailable to pose for #caturday. Here, then, is a detail of a 1899 painting by Joseph Southall. The cat stole the show when the work was presented, with one critic saying that if he could afford it, he'd willingly buy the picture just for the cat.

Square photo. Close up of a detail of a large painting. In the image is a long-haired brown and cream cat standing with his back to the viewer, but looking back over his right shoulder towards the audience. The floor in the picture is painted in two shades of brown, probably intended to be wood and on the left are two red rose petals and some scattered rose leaves . There is a small detail of rich fabric at the top right of the image, with red and blue and gold tape.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Another lesson from the flower gardens at the Hayes Conference Centre: I love the colour of this rose, but I'm not sure the frilly edges actually make it any more beautiful than a normal rose would be. How often do we overcomplicate our lives and our writing for no good reason? #writingcommunity

square photo. Full blown rose blooms and tight buds on a rose bush. The flowers are all on one bush and all are the shades of sunset – yellow and peachy pink blush. The petals are not smooth edged like standard rose petals, but feathery, giving the blooms a much more complex look than normal roses.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

We writers are all at different stages of our career. You might think of one of these sunflowers as past its best. Or you might see that it's on its way to producing seeds to feed the birds or to spark a new generation. Remember, it's your journey. Travel at your own pace. #writingcommunity

Square photo. Three sunflower heads. One wide open and facing the camera. One smaller one behind is looking up to the sky. The third is past its best and drooping.

Square photo. Three sunflower heads. One wide open. One smaller one behind is not perfectly open and is looking up to the sky. The third is past its best and drooping.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

This week, I'm looking for inspiration and focusing on the details at Swanwick Writers' Summer School. #amwriting #writingcommunity

Square photo. Close up of a purpletop vervain flowerhead consisting of multiple tiny five-petalled purple flowers. Out of focus in the background there is a tarmacked path with trees on the other side, and glimpses of blue sky. There is the impression of tall yellowing grass or other plants to the right of the picture.

Square photo. Close up of a giant thistle or artichoke flower in full bloom.

Square photo. Close up of the centre of a white cosmos flower. The petals are slim and elongated, around a yellow heart. It is probably some kind of special cultivar as it is not the simple flat cosmos, but has multiple rounds of petals.

Square photo. The Hayes Conference centre. Old grey Victorian mansion with bay windows, slate roof, steep gables and nigh chimneys. The brick may have originally been yellow and now aged to grey.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

True to its name, the Global Online Stanza brings international poets together for peer critique & discussion. This week we Zoomed in from Canada, Spain, Italy, Israel, Greece, S. Africa, UK – north, south, Midlands, West Country… Really proud to host this poetry group :-) @poetrysociety.org.uk

Square photo taken at an angle. In the foreground is the back of a curved wooden bench. In the background are high glass and metal windows, partitions and doors. It's a photo of an airport area, with no signs showing where it might be,

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

As #writers, we release our work into the hands of the reader in an act of trust. We offer it to them to complete in their own unique way – a way that we alone can never achieve. Read more about the reader as “The other half of the equation” on my Substack: gwynethbox.substack.com/p/the-other-...

gwynethbox.substack.com

The other half of the equation

Writing can be done entirely on your own. But the work realises its full potential when it’s completed by the reader.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

This is “el fiestero”, although my first thought was it must be Mr Tambourine Man – and I really don’t want him to play a song for me! Which is a good reminder that readers won't necessarily see your characters the way you pictured them. And there’s nothing you can do about it! #writingcommunity

Square photo of a statue with palm tree fronds behind it. The statue depicts a man with an ornate headdress, maybe flowers and ribbons, an open neck shirt with wide sleeves and an open waistcoat. He is holding, and playing, a large tambourine and his mouth is open as if he is singing. The shadows on the face make it quite a creepy expression, although it is possible the artist didn't intend it to be so. The statues is facing the photographer.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Skinner has heard there’s a Spanish song about “el gato que está triste y azul” and she’s trying out to see whether blue is her colour. (I think it might be.) She's also keen to remind me that setting makes a huge difference to atmosphere – in life and in writing. #caturday #writingcommunity

Square photo of a tabby cat sitting looking up wistfully at the camera. She is sitting inside an IKEA blue bag (although not much of this is visible and it is only a deduction on the part of the viewer) and the whole picture seems to be bathed in blue light.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Delighted one of my poems was short-listed for the Canto Prize. These hibiscus flowers – hibisci? – are from the trip that inspired the poem. They feature early on: At the western edge of Europe palm fronds prick at a volcanic sky and bright hibiscus leer at pink-skinned foreigners. […] #poetry

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

"I hate endings" – comment from a fellow author this week… What to do with characters once the monster's dead? Personally, I don't need things tied in a neat bow. That's not how life works. More on "after the end" in this old video from my YT channel. How do you approach wrapping things up?

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

We're nowhere near the coast, so they turned the local basketball court into a sand pit for beach volleyball last week. Now the council workmen have to clear it all up. I wonder if they'll do a better job than “seven maids with seven mops” could. #PoetryForAllOccasions #Poetry

Square photo. Public basketball court covered in sand. Two men dressed in t-shirts and shorts are shoveling sand into a wheelbarrow.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Delighted to receive a copy of “Gestating Creatures”, the first collection from Bridgette James, a member of the Global Online Stanza poetry group I host. Looking forward to some intriguing – and possibly disturbing – poetry :-) @ditheringchaps.bsky.social @poetrysociety.org.uk #poetrycommunity

Square photograph. A dark covered paperback book is lying slightly askew on a white table. It is propped against a white-keyed keyboard. The illustration is a translucent blue and pink jelly fish with a doll like figure wrapped in deep read threads as if tied up. The name on the cover is Bridgette James. The title, in curly letters, is "Gestating Creatures".

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Did you know I have a Substack profile? It's focused on writing – no surprise there! This extra long piece wraps up a series of posts about taking your writing seriously rather than just "wanting to be a writer". gwynethbox.substack.com/p/this-writi... #WritingCommunity #AmWriting #WriterIdentity

gwynethbox.substack.com

This writing life

What separates somebody who simply “wants to be a writer” from somebody who is building a writing life?

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

Skinner and Watson have given up sleeping in the “projects pending” file and are now eagerly looking on to see if I will actually do some writing in the coming week.   I guess we’ll all just have to wait and see. #WritingCommunity #Caturday

Square image. White cat sprawling on a high shelf, looking down. His head and front paws are dangling over the edge of the shelf and he looks uncomfortable, but intensely interested in what is going on down below.

Square image. Tabby cat lying on top of a white shelf, looking down. She looks intent on whatever she can see going on below.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Two weeks today I'm off to Derby ready for Swanwick Writers' Summer School. Just finishing up notes & handouts for the "Co-authoring & collaborative writing" course I'm leading, plus some one-to-one poetry sessions. Looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones. #Collaboration

Square photo. Photo taken from low down, looking up at a large thistle head with an old fashioned grey stone house in the background.

Square photo. The scene is idyllic with trees in the background on the far edge of a small lake. In the foreground is a lot of greenery and wild plants including some tall purple spikes of flowers.

Square photo. Large mansion-style country house in grey stone. The building has a high pitched slate roof and tall chimneys, It has a new single floor glass extension at the front. There is a lawn in front, but it is clearly summer and the grass is almost dried out.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Last #caturday I said I was back on track after a long absence. Then Skinner & Watson decided the "projects pending" tray was the best place to sleep. So, progress is slow and I am still working on getting myself organised :-) #writerscats #writingcommunity

Tabby cat lying on low wooden paper tray on bookshelf. A row of folders can be seen on the shelf below.

White cat lying half-asleep on wooden paper tray on bookshelf. On shelf above the bottom of a row of paperback books can be seen. The tops of a row of folders can be seen on the shelf below.

White cat sitting on papers in wooden paper tray on bookshelf

Photo taken from above. Tabby cat curled up asleep on papers in wooden paper tray on bookshelf.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Watson’s big paws. And a big pause it has been, for me and for the cats. Meanwhile, I’ve got a new Substack profile, I'm still posting on YouTube, and poetry & other writing activities continue in The Real World. What have you been up to in my absence? #writingcommunity #caturday

White cat asleep on a soft-looking beige carpet. He looks super relaxed. The image is foreshortened so his paws look huge. The pink toe beans of one front paw are visible.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

Friday's "taller de escritura creativa" went well :-) I'm not sure how much was actually written, but ideas were shared & seeds sown for future writing. There were five different nationalities in the room and a 40-year age range, which is quite impressive. #writingcommunity #creativewriting

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

Skinner isn't making her message clear today: Is she *disappointed* I'm not working? *Scared* of the camera? *Resentful* that I'm sitting in her seat on the sofa? Or just *curious* about why I'm sitting on the sofa taking pictures instead of working? #writingcommunity #caturday #writerscats

Square photo. Close up of a cat's face, taken with the camera below and in front of the cat. The cat is looking straight at the camera, so the head is tilted slightly, with the right side of the head lower than the left. The photo looks as if it was taken in semi-darkness, but the face is well illuminated. The cat is a fairly delicate brownish tabby with a white muzzle. Its eyes are pale green, with the pupils semi-dilated. The ears are fully alert, the white whiskers are brightly lit. The cat's facial expression is intense, but it is not clear if it is curious, accusatory, defensive or afraid.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

Watson isn't sharing the titles of his bedtime reading choices. Do you have a stack of books on your bedside table? What are they? #writingcommunity #caturday #writerscats #reading #books

Square photo of white cat sleeping on the top shof of a bookcase. He is asleep on a pile of oversized books and there are a dozen or so paperbacks alongside him. All the books are turned away from the photographer, so no titles are visible.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 01/03/2026

It's St David's Day. In the UK, I'd no doubt have a bunch of daffs on my desk. Here in Spain, I'm having to settle for a bunch of daffodil photos. (Using the term "daffodil" in its broadest sense.) Any guesses which two of the pix were taken in Spain? #stdavidsday #daffodils #hiraeth

Square photo. Various daffodil plants (yellow flowers with orange trumpets) standing in a puddle in waterlogged ground. It is still raining, as the water shows signs of drops falling.

Square photo pf a field of yellow daffodils. In the foreground, is a close up of a flower facing to the left and with a deep orange trumpet.

Square photo. Close up of a field of white daffodils. The photo was taken at the level of the flowers. The bloom in the foreground is more stylised and with narrower petals than are usual for a daffodil bloom. The sky in background is blue.

Square photo. Close up of a bunch of daffodils. Just a burst of yellow petals and trumpets.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

Skinner & Watson have the day off from #Caturday duties today. Instead here's a neighbour. I don't know him well, but his expression reminds me of how I feel when I've sneaked off to a quiet corner to write only to have someone come and interrupt me:-) Happy writing! #writingcommunity #amwriting

Square photo. Ginger feral cat sitting on an old wooden beam in front of a bare brick wall. There are a couple of cables or pipes to be seen suggesting it's either a building site or, more likely, a ruined building. The cat is staring at the camera with a very negative expression. Maybe bored. Maybe annoyed at being disturbed. Maybe semi-aggressive.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

Making summer plans? In August I'll be at Swanwick Writers' Summer School, where I'm leading a course on "Co-authoring & collaborative writing", as well as offering one-to-one sessions on poetry, indie publishing & non-fiction. Full details: www.swanwickwritersschool.org.uk #writingcommunity

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Do you always do your writing on your computer or your phone? The big problem with this is that – however bad the actual writing is – it looks polished! Going back to messier, handwritten first drafts can be a game-changer for creativity. #Writingcommunity #writingprocess

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 21/02/2026

Skinner has been reviewing some of her favourite screen appearances from my #Caturday social feeds. Do you re-read your old posts, or just press send and it's gone forever? Have you ever thought about how much good writing material is lost in the ether? Could you re-purpose it? #writingcommunity

Square photo. In the background is a screen with a photo of two cats - one tabby and one white. The photo on the screen is in colour, but the colour is slightly distorted by it being photographed. It's not possible to tell whether it is a TV or a computer screen as the edges are not visible. Beneath the screen photo, a red heart symbol is visible to the left and a bookmark symbol to the right, suggesting that this is a social media feed. The screen photo is partially obscured by the silhouette of another cat who is sitting in front of the screen. All that is visible of this cat is the shape of its black silhouette. The cats in the photo on the screen and the actual live cat are about the same size.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

Books are a way to travel without leaving your own home. They can be a means of escape from the daily routine or during times of stress. They can be comfort food for the mind. Which is your go-to book when things aren't going your way? #writingcommunity #reading #books

Square photo. The image shows eight palm trees of various heights growing in a green space. Beyond the green is a dark band of ground that might be sand as there is then blue water and then, far off in the distance, some more land . On the left of the image there is a white barrier that makes it impossible to tell if one of the pieces of land is an island or if they are part of the same coastline and form a bay or inlet. Three quarters of the height of the photo is sky - blue but with lots of cloud.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

Your writing community can be an echo chamber! It can be comfortable to build a relationship with other writers and to find a community who will help you. But if you always turn to the same people for help with your writing, you may not be getting the best feedback. #writingcommunity

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 14/02/2026

It's been difficult to find the space (mental, emotional, and cat-free) in which to write this week. Watson has been a constant companion and I am sure he believes he's been helping. I probably won't tell him. but the honest truth is that he hasn't :-) #writerscats #writingcommunity #caturday

Square photo. Photo taken looking down focused on the head of a white cat. The cat is asleep - or at least relaxed with his eyes closed - lying on his back with his head resting on the left arm of the photgrapher. The background shows s few bits of a cluttered work desk - the corner of a keyboard, a small spiral-bound notebook, paper, etc-

Square photo. The main focus of the photo is the head and face of a white cat who is looking directly at the camera with his eyes half closed. His two front paws are visible and he is cuddled into the crook of the left arm of a person who is wearing a long-sleeved dark top and a silver chain necklace. The person is probably femal as she has long blonde-white hair. On the wall behind them is part of a picture of a tiger in a black frame with a wide dark blue-grey passepartout.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

Watson reminds me of Kipling’s Elephant’s Child, “who was full of 'satiable curtiosity”. True, Watson doesn’t ask "ever so many questions", but he does poke his nose into spaces where it doesn't belong. Which is why he is no longer the white cat he was "once upon a time". #writerscats #caturday

Square photo. The photo is a close up of a sitting cat, showing head and shoulders. The cat is looking down, so the top of its head is clearly visible. The cat is mostly white, with grey on its head and ears. In the background is a white painted wall. The edges of two small black and white photos in plain white frames are visible on the right of the picture.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

However many books you own and read, however many courses you attend, however much other stuff you do *around* the writing, it’s only by actually doing the writing that you get to be a writer. But if you still want to procrastinate, check out my website for more resources :-) #writingcommunity

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Candelmas isn't quite over yet, so here are snowdrops and a prayer for Imbolc: -- Welcome Welcome to the child She walks through fields of silver. Winter cracks under her feet and the earth breathes gossamer. In her wake, the path is damp and green. Welcome to the child -- #poetry #prayer

Square photo. The photo shows two snowdrop blossoms. They are clearly growing in a larger clump of the snowdrops, but the focus is on two individual flowers.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Jenny Joseph's "Warning" came to mind as I queued for a bus in the rain. I heard Joseph speak in 2012 and got the clear impression that she felt the poem was over-rated and had eclipsed everything else she'd written. How can we balance audience appeal with writing quality ? #writingcommunity

Square photo. Close up of the backs of two people boarding a bus. Pretty much all that can be seen of the bus is a green vertical bar.The people boarding the bus are totally unidentifiable. The one nearer the camera is waring a purple hoodie with a corduroy effect. The person farthest from the camera is wearing a dark mulberrry coloured macintosh.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

Delighted that one of my poems has been shortlisted in the Tadpole Press 100-word competition and very much looking forward to the "Celebration of Words" on Thursday, when the winners will be announced. #writingcommunity #poetry #writingcompetition

Circular badge like image in shades of green, orange, yellow and red. Around the edge of the circle are the words Tadpole Press 100-word writing contest. In the centre there is a small banner saying Shortlist Winner November 2025.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

I do love some proper punctuation! This is the cover of the dictionary I was brought up with: the one we were allowed to interrupt a meal to consult :-) Which reference books shaped your childhood or laid a foundation for your interest in writing? #writingcommunity #writing #poetry #apostrophe

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

Before she tangles herself up in the banister or takes a daring leap from a great height, Skinner just wanted to remind us all that curiosity isn't just for cats – it's key to being a writer. What other personality traits make you a good writer? #writingcommunity #caturday

Square photo. Image is taken looking up at small tabby cat who is sitting with her head through the white painted iron banister of a white stone staircase. Her eyes are wide open and she is looking down and to her right and her ears are fully pricked as if she can see something interesting or potentially dangerous.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

Booking a hotel room recently, I found this. Nowhere did the website say what unfairly applied rule made the term "double standard" necessary. Nor did it say how big the hotel is to be able to offer 114 square metre rooms, but that's another issue. #writingcommunity #proofreading #languagematters

Square screenshot photo. Most of the image is taken up by a photo of a simply-furnished hotel room with white walls and a large window through which the tops of trees can be seen.The pale grey curtains are wide open. The room has a double bed, with grey headboard and divan base. It has white sheets and pillows and a teal blue cover over the end of the bed. The bedside units are built into the wall. There is a teal blue chair with wooden legs on the left of the picture and simple wooden table top.. The carpet is a slightly greyer shade of teal blue. The chair legs, table top and bedside units are all pine-coloured. The room looks clean and bright.
Across the top of the image is a text saying: "1 Double Standard" with icons indicating that it is intended for 2 people. It also shows 114 sq mt, which is almost certainly a misprint for 114 sq ft.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

An unseasonally autumnal photo to say that my poem "Enter a Messenger" was chosen runner up in the Autumn Voices competition :-) There's a video of me reading the poem and videos of the winner & all the commended poems on the autumnvoices.co.uk website #writingcommunity

Square photo. Autumnal oak leaves against the sky. The photo is roughly divided into four parts. Tope left, a spray of bright russet leaves. Bottom left a distant tree top, green turning to yellow. Bottom right, a bright white cumulus cloud. Top right, clear blue sky.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

Looking for inspiration? How about a summer writing retreat as full of bright ideas & activities as a buddleia bloom is full of tiny flowers? That's what Swanwick Writers' Summer School offers. Bookings are now open. I'll be there, with a course on Collaborative Writing! #writingcommunity

Square photo. Close up of a dark purple buddleja bloom. The tiny flowers nearest the camera are clearly visible, with dark yellow-orange centres.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 17/01/2026

Watson is asleep on top of the kitchen cupboard knowing that he did all he was expected to do this week: he ate & slept & chased his sister; he knocked things over & left white hair everywhere… Have you managed to cross things off your to-do list this week? #writingcommunity #caturday #writerscats

Square photo. Close up photo of the head and front paws of a white cat. The cat is sitting asleep on a pale wooden surface and the photo is taken looking up at him. He has his eyes closed and is looking completely relaxed.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

This weekend, I'll be getting on a plane. And the lyric, "I'm leaving on a jet plane" will be running round my mind as it always does at the airport. Do habits in your life have their own soundtrack? What about the story you're writing? Does it have its own album or play list? #writingcommunity

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

I seem to have said "life's feels a bit uphill" rather often recently. Repetition is an important tool for writers, but I suppose there must come a point where it becomes boring. How do we know where to draw the line and keep our readers engaged? #writingcommunity

Square photo. Shallow stone steps leading up a narrow uphill path. Oo the left is a natural rocky wall. On the right a grey stone wall with an old metal handrail in the form of a thick twisted rope. The path leads slight round to the right and there is nothing to be seen at the top except a high wall in old brickwork.

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Gwyneth Box @gwynethbox.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

A wonderful early sky from a few days ago. I keep forgetting "red sky in the morning" is a warning. And then I'm surprised by how awful the day turns out. I should probably pay more attention to what the experts have to say :-) What good writing advice do you keep ignoring?! #writingcommunity

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