Journal Entries
I am calling from Jasper, Canada. Hello!
Posted Jun 2, 2005
Haven't heard from me in two months. Well, I am back. Hello 
Right now, I am in a lovely spot on Earth, in the Canadian Rockies, called Jasper in the Jasper National Park. This place looks like heaven if you could see heaven on Earth.
I have photos! But not yet will I upload them. Ah you could think that I am lying, but meh, you have to wait for the pictures.
Discuss this Journal entry [5]
Latest reply: Jun 2, 2005
What a name means
Posted Mar 19, 2005
My name is Leiann, and while I was researching through a list of what could be traditional Irish names, I found this: Leannán
Although Leannán is masculine and intended for a guy,
I do not care but I like the name.
I also like the meaning: Leannán (m) LYUH nawn sweetheart
Discuss this Journal entry [9]
Latest reply: Mar 19, 2005
I will be writing a story -- this is my 5th attempt
Posted Mar 19, 2005
I will be writing a new story and not continuing the one that I tried to make while I was in "Get Writing".
The following is the outline, which is from the letter that I sent to one of my new found friends in the world outside of the Internet!:
I have been thinking about, aside from thinking about Roman equestrian riders, writing a story about a girl who goes into a library and finds a diary that was written by a British Isle man several centuries ago. I am fascinated with the 18th century for several reasons but my prominent reason is the seafaring of that age. I mostly like the mariner folk; and many of them were Irish. [I was wondering if the diary was written by an Irishman who had to learn English in order to do business with the English while as a fisherman/and mariner.] Well, my basic story is about a girl reflective of ME living in the 21st century who finds a diary in a library written by a man (either Edward Stukley or Kenneth Anderson) from the 18th century, and she is able to understand what is written in it because the English is not wholely alien to read. In the diary, what is written in English looks like it was for practice but with an intent to write articulate and smart thoughts. She then gets the idea to write back to the man by writing a message to him in his diary. She at first thought it would be funny to write French, because she is part French, but then she finally decided not to. Then, meanwhile in the 18th century when the guy was alive, he gets the message as he sees it manifest in front of him or when he opens his diary one day and sees that a strange and new message is there addressed to him. A correspondence is then established, or he first does the job of making sure that his friends weren't fooling him by playing a joke on him. Now I would like to have the story about an Irishman who had to learn English because of the time and situation he was living in. Well, I am writing this story soon and I was wondering if you would like to read it? You know a lot MORE about folk music during the 18th century than I do, so if you would read my story your critique of it would help me be a better writer. I would also like to entertain you because I am entertaining As well, I have magic in the story which is already hinted at starting with how the correspondence between the girl and the Irishman was established. Okay, the story will be about Edward Stukley and Leiann first establishing a correspondence, and then Leiann is transported to where and when Edward Stukley is. I have a big plot called the British Isles and the neighbouring Atlantic in which the story takes place. In the British Isles and on the ocean, Leiann thinks her manifestation is the best and scariest travelling she has done yet, but there are also other fabulous adventures. One of the adventures involves Leiann luckily not being sent to Bedlam or to any other mental asylum because her new found friends believe that she is more entertaining outside of the mental asylums. *The story will also go into the Pacific*
[the following is an afterthought and wasn't in my letter]
I've had to change the name Edward, of Mr. Stukley, to an Irish name. I found the Irish version of Edward, which is Eadbhárd.
But Eadbhárd's name was always written down in the English form, and so he keeps the English version. Whewph! I simply explained that, but I have to really show that in my story.
Discuss this Journal entry [7]
Latest reply: Mar 19, 2005
Thank you to Jimster!
Posted Mar 15, 2005
Jimster, an h2g2 staff member, has fulfilled my dream to have my journal only in h2g2 and no longer in "Get Writing". Thank you Jimster.
But thank you also to Lil Old Me and to Traveller in Time. These people were the first to acknowledge my concern and to get me the right help after I persistently asked them to.
This is my first journal posting in the h2g2 community, and I am loving every moment of it!
Now, about Neil Gaiman.
His name is pronounced Gaym'n and not Gayman.
I am a fan of his writing and his advice now! Here is his advice about trying to get your writing published:
>>How does one get published?
>>How do you do it? You do it.
>>You write.
>>You finish what you write.
>>You look for publishers who publish "that kind of thing", whatever it is. You send them what you've done (a letter asking if they'd like to see a whole manuscript or a few chapters and an outline will always be welcome. And stamped self-addressed envelopes help keep the wheels turning.)
>>Sooner or later, if you don't give up and you have some measurable amount of ability or talent or luck, you get published. But for people who don't know where to begin, let me offer a few suggestions:
>>Meet editors. If you're into SF, Horror or Fantasy, go to the kinds of SF, Horror or Fantasy conventions that editors go to (mainly the big ones - look for words like WORLD or NATIONAL in the title). Same goes for Romance or Crime. Join associations - SFWA or HWA or the Romance Writers of America or The Society of Authors. Most organisations like that have an associate membership for people who wouldn't qualify for a full membership.
>>Even if you haven't met any editors, send your stuff out.
>>The "slush pile" of unsolicited manuscripts is not always a bad thing - publishers take enormous pleasure in finding authors from the slush pile (Iain Banks and Storm Constantine are both writers who simply sent out manuscripts to publishers), although it occurs rarely enough that it has to be a special thing when it happens.
>>If you write short stories, don't worry about agents, just find places that might print the stories and get them out there. If you write novels, I think it's six of one, half a dozen of the other. I'd written and published 3 books before I decided it was time to get an agent.
>>Writers groups can be good and they can be bad. Depends on the people in them, and what they're in them for.
>>On the whole, anything that gets you writing and keeps you writing is a good thing. Anything that stops you writing is a bad thing. If you find your writers group stopping you from writing, then drop it.
>>The other thing I'd suggest is Use The Web.
>>Use it for anything you can - writers groups, feedback, networking, finding out how things work, getting published. It exists: take advantage of it.
>>Believe in yourself. Keep writing.
This advice is so practical that I was amazed by it. The advice that I was expecting was an almost strange ritual of a writer trying to solicit the right people and to persuade them to publish what he or she has written. Neil Gaiman's advice still tells a writer to be tenacious or to be persistent, but he doesn't say to solicit or to beg a publisher without your dignity. His advice is encouraging.
Discuss this Journal entry [11]
Latest reply: Mar 15, 2005
I hope to make it to Monday
Posted Mar 6, 2005
I hope to survive until Monday.
I am on a self-imposed *fast* right now, and this may be viewed as stupid.
I am correcting my diet right now. I am doing a detox. If I can take this abuse, then I forecast that I will do well during the summer. I will probably be doing a hard job during the summer, which is why I am preparing myself now.
I hope to make it to Monday.
Discuss this Journal entry [1]
Latest reply: Mar 6, 2005
ViveAnn
Researcher U1171759
Write an Entry
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a wholly remarkable book. It has been compiled and recompiled many times and under many different editorships. It contains contributions from countless numbers of travellers and researchers."