I have written for the Guide for a number of years. At first it was a bit hit and miss but slowly I found my niche in writing biographies. My main focus has centred around the celebrities mentioned in Madonna's song 'Vogue'. Many of these have now been completed, but there is one still outstanding: Gene Kelly. So for now I present to you My Solo Edited Entries.

Coming Up

By Golly it's the history of Golliwogs

In Peer Review

Tove Jansson - Illustrator and Author

Morrissey - The Singer

Solo Edited Entries

60 Michael Morpurgo - Children's Author

59 Joseph Merrick - 'The Elephant Man'

58 Sarah Baartman

57 Lana Turner - Actress

56 Katharine Hepburn

55 Lauren Bacall - Actress

54 The Princes in the Tower

53 Kurt Donald Cobain - Musician and Songwriter

52 Bette Davis - The First Lady of the American Screen

51 Marie Curie - Nobel Prize Winning Scientist

50 Shirley Bassey – Singer

49 Dame Kelly Holmes - British Athlete and Coach

48 Rita Hayworth - Silver Screen Dancer and Actress

47 Constellation: Microscopium the Microscope

46 Ginger Rogers - Silver Screen Dancer, Actress and Singer

45 Golden Syrup aka Goldie

44 Colin Jackson CBE - British Athlete and Broadcaster

43 Winnie the Pooh

42 The Headington Shark, Oxfordshire, UK

41 Al Capone - American Gangster

40 A Little Bear Called Sooty

39 Korky Paul – Children’s Illustrator

38 Jean Harlow - Silver Screen Siren

37 Michael Aspel - British Television Presenter

36 Floella Benjamin - Activist, Actress and Producer

35 Richard Hammond - British Broadcaster and Motoring Enthusiast

34 Fred Astaire - Actor

33 Maria von Trapp - From Fact to Fiction

32 Nick Park - Film Maker

31 Marlon Brando - Actor

30 Ant and Dec - British Television Presenters

29 Benjamin Zephaniah - Poet, novelist, playwright and activist

28 Princess Grace of Monaco aka Grace Kelly

27 Jason Donovan - Actor and Singer

26 Bill Oddie OBE - Comedian and Naturalist

25 Helen Keller

24 Michael Parkinson - Journalist and Broadcaster

23 James 'Jimmy' Dean - Actor

22 Marlene Dietrich - Actress

21 Rangoli - Indian Art

20 Dame Anita Roddick - Founder of The Body Shop

19 Marilyn Monroe - Actress

18 Mary Seacole - Pioneering Nurse

17 Oprah Winfrey - Talk Show Host and Philanthropist

16 WB Yeats - Irish Writer

15 Richard Curtis - Screenwriter

14 The Golden Retriever

13 Billy Connolly - Comedian

12 Oxfordshire, England, UK

11 Sir David Attenborough - Naturalist

10 Boudicca

9 Dawn French - Comedienne and Actress

8 Barry Humphries - Comedian

7 The Grape

6 Lemons

5 The Apple

4 Jitterbug

3 The Great Barrier Reef

2 Madonna - Entertainer

1 The Polar Bear

My Piccies

I am also a happy little snapper.

Word Play Scrabble

Pegs Washing Lines +Clothes Pegs

Cool eye protection Sunglasses

Anyone for a game? Lawn Tennis

Strange weather The Headington Shark

Opti's Post Features

My Visit To Brownsea Island

Carnival Day

Opti – An h2g2 Photographers Volunteer

An Introduction to the Flea Market

Opti – An H2G2 Scout Volunteer

Around the Day in 80 Worlds

It's All in the Mind

Opti's Flea Market Rescues

Cats - The Musical

Hans Christian Andersen - Author

Cary Grant – The Perfect Gentleman

Melvin Burgess - Author

The Wolf (Canis Lupus)

Sound Advice-from GB

Opti, it's clear from your writing that you are very passionate about famous people, what they stand for, and how we can relate to them. I think that one area that you can improve is in the openings. For example, in Floella the first sentence is made passive by the phrase "best known for appearing in". An alternative would be to introduce her *as you feel about her* - your own words. Tell us how you feel, with no reference to her TV shows, until later. You need a hook, because we all know what she's famous for.

Names, I have noticed you don't check names, when they're really *the* most important thing about a person. There is nothing more annoying than having your name quoted incorrectly, or spelled wrong. Date of birth next. Then try to find out and add something that the reader wouldn't know, leaving them with a new impression of that person, which they will remember from your Entry.

An area where you fall down is your reliance on the known facts, which you assemble in no particular order - it leaves the sub-ed with the job of rewriting to make it flow. It helps to read the story as a story - you are telling the person reading about another person and you have to pretend you are in a room with them (the reader) and talking to just them about the person you are writing about.

When you submit your entries to PR they should be the best that you can make them, you do seem to rely a lot on Peer Reviewing to help you write your entry, and it shouldn't be that way. You've been writing long enough now to know what readers *want* to read, you're writing for them, not for the kudos of having an Entry grace the FP.
Aim for the wow factor, do you remember how you felt when you read about my Boating Lake entry? I would love to see how you write about *your* favourite beauty spot!

The thing that impresses me most about you is you really seem to earnestly want to write and want to improve, so it's worth the bother of continuing to assist you, (not just me, the other reviewers as well), you have improved in the way that you take suggestions and incorporate them into your work.

On a personal note I am impressed with the way you are doing your Scouting and you have become a valued member of the Photographers. I especially like that you bother to congratulate the winners and other authors when their articles are picked.

Currently Reading

• Assertiveness Training
• Building Confidence and Self Esteem
• Friends and Friendship
• Dealing with Difficult People
• Relaxation Techniques
• Brazil
• Haiku