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

to dizzylizzie
Go for it Liz and the very best of luck.I didnt learn to type until i was 65 ,some mhtnnn years ago .
\Like yourself .I too though of writing,but again like yourself I did'nt have the commitment.So this sort of thing gives me some satisfaction. I DID manage some 40 pages or so ,but this was mostly from my early days of war-time evacuation to Perthshire, my Conscription into the Army ,the subsequent loss of my leg ,but then i simply ran out of steam .Too much baby sitting and family taxi-ing service to allow me to shut myself away . Still, i;m happy to be well loved by the grand children (sometimes)
Tommy Mac

Hello Tommy, thanks for your message. I'm sure this must be very good writing practise to use this website, well, that's my excuse anyway!
When I got my first computer, about three years ago, I started writing a novel. I wrote about 150 pages before I ran out of inspiration. I go back and look at it sometimes and I think that some of the dialogue is good, but overall its a load of old tripe! I keep promising myself that I will finish it one day, if only so that I can then completely re-write it. The trouble is, if I'm not in the mood then I cannot write. If the muse isn't there, darling ...

If you ever managed to finish your memoirs I imagine that there would be a chance that someone would want to publish them. There are still plenty of people (including me) who are very interested to read about the war etc. Have you read 'The Railway Man' by Eric Lomax? If you have not, I recommend it. Eric Lomax served in a signals regiment in the Far East during WWII, was a POW and was tortured by the Japanese. The subject matter of the book is not comfortable reading, but there is a happy ending and it is so well written. If I could write prose like that, I would be a best selling author by now! Eric Lomax hails from Edinburgh, so you see I am already a fan of senior Scottish gentlemen.

To LIZ
To Dizzy Lizzie
Lucky old you. 150 pages .That is almost a book already .So carry on ,
As for me ,I just dont have the talent for writing, well anything long anyway. This type of quick fire writing is ideal for me . I am certain it will help you fulfill your desire to complete your book .Get the boyfriend to do more around the house ,Just tell him you have a literary bent which must be met .Wheher he understands you or not does'ntmatter.You will have blinded him by science/Dust down the old typewriter ,put on a shaded eyeshield .Even if you dont manage to finish it ,you will have still looked the part .You may be a Luvvie yet.AS for myself . I managed to get part of my story published ,just a part concerning Christmas away from home and family and it was just in our National Sunday newspaper,Do you know ? I received letters from all over the world from people who remembered me ,either from school or from my Army days ,This gave me a great deal of satisfaction.
Love Tommy

150 pages..
I tried writing a novel once. It became a 200 word long short story... but when I also tried when I was seven. It rapidly became a poem, which was published in some obscure book somewhere... And now (hopefully) we are going to get published again! So don't give up guys... keep smilin
Lou xxxx

To lou
Have faith my child Did you know I had been promoted to Pope ? See the promotions conversations .
Pope Tommy the 1st

lol
u deserve it mr pope sir.
But in the conversation they mention me ... what are they talking about :-S confused!
Lou xxxxx

Hi, Liz Why don't you give writing a serious go, you've obviously got a talent for it? If you've managed 150 pages of a novel to date that's quite a feat.
There are "Creative Writing" classes all over the country which you can do in the evenings. Mind you with the rolling "A" level programme you've set yourself I wonder how you fit it all in!
I've enjoyed reading your articles and all your comments and think you have tremendous potential as a writer.
I'm retired from fulltime work now but I still write articles for specialist magazines and have been trying my hand at children's novels and am doing the rounds of the publishers collecting rejection notices.
I only started doing anything on BOTF at the end of Feb 3 weeks ago but I've read and rated dozens of articles and made quite a few comments.
It's always encouraging to know that someone is reading what you've written. Cheers Mad Maggie

Hi, Liz Why don't you give writing a serious go, you've obviously got a talent for it? If you've managed 150 pages of a novel to date that's quite a feat.
There are "Creative Writing" classes all over the country which you can do in the evenings. Mind you with the rolling "A" level programme you've set yourself I wonder how you fit it all in!
I've enjoyed reading your articles and all your comments and think you have tremendous potential as a writer.
I'm retired from fulltime work now but I still write articles for specialist magazines and have been trying my hand at children's novels and am doing the rounds of the publishers collecting rejection notices.
I only started doing anything on BOTF at the end of Feb 3 weeks ago but I've read and rated dozens of articles and made quite a few comments.
It's always encouraging to know that someone is reading what you've written. Cheers Mad Maggie

Hey Liz, Tommy, Lou

I have tried writing a novel to ...but find that I get a extreme case of writers block, think of a better idea and start writing about that. But I think that you shouldn't give up or lose enthusiasm, it is amazing what can happen and it's also amazing how some books and subjects all of a sudden recieve great literary and cult status completely out of the blue.

Eevie

Hi Maggie & Eva

Thanks for your comments. I did start a Creative Writing class a couple of years ago but the tutor was obsessed with writing non-fiction for magazines (because that is where the money is) and I found the class boring. I knew that there were insufficient students in the class for it to run for more than one term anyway, so I bailed out after about two months. I was so traumatized but that experience that I didn't write anything at all for about six months!
I have phases where I feel like writing and phases when I really don't, which is why it will never be more than a hobby. But sometimes it is fun. I can't give it much time at the moment because I should really be spending my spare time studying (AS exams only two months away). I have a short story that I would like to find a home for. It has already failed miserably in a competition but I might submit it to one of the small press magazines that I subscribe to - they don't pay much but at least it might get me into print.

Maggie - what sort of magazines do you write for?

Liz
~

Hi, Liz I'm not a professional writer but since retirement I've had articles published regularly in a number of sport magazines(my hobby) and have managed to place a few in other mags e.g Slimming Magazines. I've done reviews for the local paper too. I do publicity for my club and write on our website and in our club magazine.
I also write letters to Television mags and women's mags most of them pay if they publish them.
Have you come across the magazine Mslexia (www.mslexia.co.uk/)which is a brilliant mag for women writers(comes out every two months)? It has details of poetry and short story competitions and advice on how to enter. It also serves as a showcase for new writers trying out their skills. There are excellent constructive articles from established women writers. When I bought it they were offering the first copy free when you did a direct debit so you could try before you buy.
Best of luck with your writing career. Mad Maggie(I enjoyed and voted for your walking article)

To Maggie

I have heard of Mslexia but I haven't got around to looking at their website yet. I already subscribe to four other small press publications (The New Writer, Peninsula, Acorn and QWF), which work on a similar premise, although QWF is the only one that is for women only. At the moment, I enjoy reading Peninsula the most and I might just get around to submitting something to them one of these days.

I made a decision not to read any novels while I was studying for my Lit & Lang A level but that I would allow myself magazines but I'm struggling to keep up with them all at the moment, even though they are only either bi-monthly or quarterly. I think any subscriptions to Mslexia will have to wait until one of my other subscriptions run out.

Liz
~