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

That's a great idea, Swodahs Neetriht! I have so many brilliant ideas now.

Feel free to modify it if you have to for plot/character reasons. Just trying to help! Plus, I like reading other poeple's ideas.

Thank you.

I have just finished writing chapter twenty, and have used a variant on intelligent moose's stay-put-while-I-move-the-universe idea; Yelbakk's mathematical suggestion of 're-defining space'; and cl zoomer's recommendation of 'the Asterisk Drive'.

There will definitely be room for other methods of transport in the next chapters, however. Thanks everyone for the input you've given.

You realise we're all absolutely dying to see what the book's like now, don't you? It sounds kinda ...

It's the third in a series. And unfortunately I am writing content faster than the publishing process because the first in the series doesn't even have a title(!)

Maybe I'll submit extracts to the Alternative Writing Workshop to get feedback...?

There! The beginning of the first chapter of the first novel is now available for all to read at F74130?thread=423998 (the conversation in the Alternative Writing Workshop).

String theory has already been mentioned on this thread, so how about the "string theory roller coaster"
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Imagine this as being a little more circular. You can go either way but you go up one side, round the loop, and out the other, having changed time on the way by however much you want, (but you'll feel worse the greater the time change)
"Welcome to the String Theory Time Travel Device. Please may I see your official boarding pass. The String Theory Time Travel Company cannot be held responsible for any ill effects you may feel after your ride, nor for any changes in the fabric of reality or history caused by your journey. All travellers do so at their own risk."

Good idea! It could also be used for theme-park-style entertainment, I suppose. The object of the ride could be to prevent yourself from getting on it in the first place!

Thank you everybody once again for your help and support. I am now in the process of researching target markets and suitable publishers, as well as composing enquiry letters and initial submissions (for the first book of the serious, not the one I was getting ideas for). I have found 8 publishers that could be suitable to start off with, but if anybody knows any appropriate publishers/agents for science-fiction/humour/Douglas-Adams-esque novels, then please do tell me.

Thanks again.

So what's new? Are you making any progress?

Y.

I'd like to hear as well.

Hello everyone! It's awfully decent of you to ask.

You may or may not know - progress in the writing/publishing world is slow... I have only just got used to its pace. It's not exactly a geological time scale, but it is for practical purposes very slow. Writing a book takes me over a year - and I'm not a full-time writer, so time available is short. The ideas I've had have either been incorporated in one form or other, or are in my plan, but - and this is where it gets complicated - before the book is ready, its prequel must be ready, which, for various reasons, must be completely re-written.

Expect to see the book around about 2010.