h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A514784

An account of my experience of cancer. I hope that someone can benefit from it.

Hello,

It is a nicely written, informative, and powerful piece. I'm moved you survived a battle with cancer and had the courage to write about it here. It would be profoundly helpful for anybody else facing a similar experience.

Unfortunately, I'm not really sure if it meets the criteria for the Edited Guide. I think the edited guide is supposed to be only impersonal and factual content (although it may be written in a personal style). I know that editors often critique entries that have personal pronouns in them. This is a personal narrative of your own struggles, so it doesn't really fit into that scheme. I'm not criticizing your entry, and it should still be in the unedited guide (easily searchable). I'm just not sure what the guidelines are. Perhaps an editor can answer the question...

Yours,
Jake

Well done, Justin, this is an EXCELLENT entry. While Mr Congito is right about the third person rule generally, I wouldn't think twice about reccommending your entry. I think it stands a good chance of being being added to the Guide.

Why? Well, although the general guideline for Guide Entries is that they should be written in the third person, that is when they are about objective subjects - e.g. if this were an entry about Cancer, then yes, it should be in the third person. But this is an entry about YOUR EXPERIENCE of having cancer, which NEEDS to be written in the first person! For example, there's an entry on one Researcher's experience of being a Bone Marrow Doner - see http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A197192 . So in special case (and I think this is one) exceptions can, and should, be made.

I certainly found it very interesting and moving. It reminds me that anyone of any age can develop cancer, and not just the elderly or infirm.

Good one, Justin! I hope you continue to stay healthy!

Hello,

Good point Big Mad Mr T. I hadn't realized that there were other similar narrative entries like that in the Edited Guide. So I guess it won't be a problem, and I think this should make it into the edited guide without any other major issues. Unfortunately, I just made my picks for the month, but hopefully some other scout will pick it up...

Yours,
Jake

Definitely a good read -- thanks! The only things I would really change are:

1) Shingles is related to chickenpox, not to measles.

and

2) You might consider changing the title to something more specific, i.e., "A Teen's Experience with Cancer", or "My Experience with Hodgkin's Lymphoma".


Mikey

... or at least have a 3rd person header like 'a researcher's experience with cancer'

There has been discussion about 1st person entries like 'My holidays on Teneriffa' which ought to be discarded because of the reasons already mentioned above. But it's impossible to stay neutral in a case like this one. A very impressive read, and since there are some anomalies in my blood analyses as well, I've already bookmarked this entry.

Suberb.....
BCNU - Crescent

Well done!
I found this a very moving personal account of what must have been a terribly difficult time in your life. You obviously have a great deal of strength and resilience! I think it would be most helpful to anyone going through a similar experience or who knows someone who is.
Thank you for sharing this account in such a wonderfully written entry.
Stay well!
cheers-
Ariel

good story.
two misspellings: venous and mundane.

What a moving story.
Thank you for writing it,St.J.

CONGRATULATIONS

You'll be glad to know that we think this entry is great, and it has now gone into the Editorial Process for future inclusion in the Edited Guide, when it does get into the Edited Guide, we will email you to let you know, but please bear in mind it can take a while for entries to go through the sub-editing system.

Keep up the writing

Leanne (Scout)

Justin!

Cheers! all round!

Editorial Note: This thread has been moved out of the Peer Review forum because this entry has now been recommended for the Edited Guide.

If they have not been along already, the Scout who recommended your entry will post here soon, to let you know what happens next. Meanwhile you can find out what will happen to your entry here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/SubEditors-Process

Congratulations!