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

Hi there...!
Re : "writing well" comment. I completely agree! The amount of people I hear just lippantly saying "Oh Im gonna write a book one day" completely infuriates me!! Its HELL...but necessary hell. Like vomiting on a stone slab, you get plenty of splashback, but some of it sticks...

I have been writing seriously for around 2 years now...working on a full length book and poetry/short stories on the side. Anyone who thinks it is easy usually isn't very good at it. Being 17 - nearly 18 now, I've made sure Ive started young too. But the editing process...character development, area development, NOT TO MENTION the pain and vulnerability felt seeing other people reading part of your soul...it takes serious commitment. The development and editing processes just turn into humdrum after a while, and you kinda get used to seeing others read your pieces...but may I just say AAARGGHHH on the behalf of writers everywhere.
Also...Im sticking my little foot in the door, using the connections I have to attempt to get feedback...thats agonising too. Kill me...kill me now. Admittedly, I have never really got anywhere with those "How to Write" genre of books...I prefer to create my own style and atmosphere, but they arent half bad if you hit the wall and need to find motivation to carry through the slump.

Just quickly :
Writers I have an almost unhealthy hatred for include = JK Rowling, any of those "Chick Lit" writers (I would never write about shaving my legs!) and Jane Ayre...

More info on my inspirations in my Personal Space...it does give a good indication on my writing styles and content.

Good luck to all those writers out there. Maybe see you at those awards ceremonies, eh?

- Saturnine

Hey there.

Good for you!

I enjoyed reading your thoughts on writing and was especially pleased to hear that you are only 17 yet writing seriously. Yes i find the whole process difficult too. I'm only twenty myself and coming to the end of my degree course. When I talk about writing people tend to look at me with doubt, maybe its my age or the fact that I have little subtantial work to show, but i honestly don't think the majority of people i talk to really believe that this is something I am passionate about. This is why I think this kind of website is going to be so good for enthusiastic writers like us to really get in there and share our thoughts. If you ever want someone else to view your work I would be more than happy to do so, I also hope that in return I could call upon you to have a go of hacking away at some of my words sometime.

hope to hear from you soon.

Rachel aka bubbly martian

I like writing too!

I have several projects on the go, hoping that if interest fades a little on one I can renew my efforts on another, try and keep things fresh. One's a first novel, the other's a series of short stories. Unfortunately I too am 20 and trying to finish a degree course so I don't have a lot of time for it (which of course, only increases the fun because of sheer escapism).

To date I've finished (properly) a short story (3,000 wds) and a novella (30,000 wds) which could do with a rewrite. My current projects are much newer ideas, and still need a lot of effort, mostly in breaking a story into scenes and details etc..

Always happy to read stuff, and occasionally in need of people to read (i.e. when I ever have something ready).

Ripper, the Almost

Wahey then! I feel completely miniscule however...the notion of a degree course is um...AAAARGH! Indeed. I burnt out on standardised education about 2 months back, erratically quit college, took up a part time job, quit that and am now skint and writing in the hope of establishing myself before things get too desperate.
Just in case I disappear from this site again, Im available more freely via my awful email system : [email protected]

Anyways, my roll call of *work* includes this migrane inducing book which Im THIS close to burning, being on the third full re-write in three years, handfuls of unfinished short stories, a handful of finished ones. Numerous realms of poetry and descriptive pieces...which I could only describe as paragraphed poetry really. I have just so many files full of sheets of paper. Im detrimental to the enviroment!

Im more concerned with how to access those mysterious beasts called *Agents*, Im in desperate need to find one. Anyone have any clues?? Or are they merely myth? Ive heard they work wonders...after all, JK Rowlings published, isnt she? Heh.

Thats about it from me for now...I have nightly writing to attend to.

Maybe we should set up some kind of writing ensemble, outside of the site? I hate reading writing from anything except paper...

Peace!