40,000 words in: stuff I've learnt

OK folks, plotmash is now 40,000 words old (a little bit more in fact, but 40,000 is a nice round number).

As a recap, the plotmash project is all about trying to make writing a social experience. With few exceptions writing is regarded as a fairly solitary experience. Any of you that have tried your hand at it, or have read other people's advice on it, will have noticed tips on coping with the loneliness of locking yourself away with just your imagination for company (putting it down like...