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

Hi Carole Let me introduce myself. I'm Flame and I'm a friend of Spynxxx, bless him. I've been around the h2g2 site for almost a year, and the months have certainly flown by. I started writing last March, so I'm still very much a notive, but enjoying the experience.

Spynxxx was telling me that you have been published. How wonderful! Would love to hear all about it. I hope you are enjoying being on the site, and feel free to drop over to my space anytime.

Flame

Dear Flame,

Pleased to meet you. Spynxx has been very nice about my writing so I am fond of him.

I have been writing all my life but only in fits and starts have I sent things out to publishers. I have very often had close calls - I entered a short story competition for under thirties, run by the BBC who sent for my birth certificate (so that was close - but not close enough). I sent some short stories based on our African experiences (We lived in Zambia from 1970 - 73) and they said they had almost picked one for an anthology they were publishing by new authors. So again close, but not close enough.

I had a short story published in a local newspaper when we lived in Kent (about 15 years ago I suppose). Then, in 2003 I won The Lady magazine short story compeitition with The Cherry Cake which is on AWW. This year I sold The Lady another story which was published in January.

So yes I have been published, and paid! at last but hardly JKRowling. But I guess there is still time - if only I would sit down and get on with it!

Have you posted anything yet? (I will have a look). What sort of things are you writing? I must say I am enjoying this site - so many new friends to write to.

Do come again
Best wishes - Carole

Hi Carole, I've just finished reading The Cherry Cake. It's a wonderful story, and very funny. I can see why it won a competition.

I've written lots of stuff for AWW in the last few months. Thanks for the review on The Beginning, although that's not the best example of my work. I belong to a group called the 2 Para's on Get Writing. Each month we write two paragraphs of a story from a choice of four titles. I'm afraid my entry (The Beginning) was thrown together in a couple of hours, on the last day of the competition.

I'm working on a story at the moment you might enjoy. The link is A3581624

Flame

Hello again! How are you doing? Finding your way around the site yet? It took me a little while to get used to it.

I'm at home today, revising for a work exam tomorrow. The information is floating around somewhere! I'm not fond of exams.

I'm thinking of trying to find a publisher for my story Of Rivers Unseen. Do you think your publisher would be interested in this type of material?

Cheers,

Flame

Dear Flame

Nice to hear from you. I will read your story Of Rivers Unseen and see what I think. My stories were published in The Lady magazine. Magazines are very strange animals and very specific on what they are looking for and the length of the story must fit their two page slot precisely. My second story "Golden Wedding" was 3000 words when I sent it to them. They liked it but would only take it if it was 2100 words. You would not believe how long it took me to cut 900 words (a third) out and still keep any sense to the story. I also sent some other stories which I thought were similar, but they were not interested in the slightest.

When I did Creative Writing classes some years ago I was taught that you have to research the market and send stuff that would fit the bill. Well - after my success with The Lady - I got a copy of People's Friend (they publish almost nothing but short stories). I read that and sent them a story that I thought was just made for them, but they rejected it. So I find it hard to say what they are looking for. I guess it is just trial and error.

Well I will go and read your story and pop back to let you know what I think

Lovely to hear from you again
Carole

PS don't get disheartened by rejction slips - apparently Gone with the Wind got dozens before Margaret Mitchell found the right publisher!

Dear Flame,

I think your story is great and I am sure someone would want to publish it. As I said before you just never know with magazines. If you want to try The Lady the address is 39/40, Bedford Street, London WC2E 3ER - the Fiction Editor is Janina Pogorzelski!. Mind you, I have to say that I only got £100 for my story. The competition prize was much better - £1,000.

Well I wish you luck whatever you decide to do. As I said before - I was told to read the magazine stories and see if mine fitted (but that has not always worked - they still get rejected even when I think they are right!)

Best wishes Carole

Hello Carole,

Thanks very much for your message. It was very helpful indeed and I do appreciare it. I guess it will be a matter of trying to find a suitable publisher, sending it off and hoping for the best. As you mentioned, the story could be good but just not their cup of tea.

I'll probably do a bit of research in the next week or two and then try testing the waters.

Hope you are enjoying the site. It's good to have contact with other writers.

Thanks again,

Flame

Hi Flame,

Glad I was able to help. Yes, that is just it, trial and error, and don't get disheartened if your stories come back. It doesn't mean they are not good, just, as you say not what that particular outlet is looking for. And, as I said, even now I cannot fathom it - when I think my story is just right they still don't think so. I thoroughly enjoyed the two of yours that I have read. I will read more it's just the time factor isn't it. I spend about an hour here each morning corresponding with my new friends!

Yes I really am enjoying this site and my daughter, who has now joined feels the same - we are in constant touch anyway but she still leaves me messages on my page!

Keep in touch
Carole

Hello Carole,

Nice to hear from you. Glad you are making friends, and enjoying your time here. Is your daughter also a writer? There are plenty of small writing groups which you could both join - if you are interested. Most of them are over at Get Writing, but a few of them have started up small writing groups outside of the site.

Keep writing, keep enjoying and keep in touch.

Flame

Dear Flame,

Thanks for the message - Lesley doesn't write (unless she hasn't told me) but just enjoyed the camaradarie when she looked at the site at my house last week.

I would be interested to hear of the writing groups though - thanks for telling me
Carole

Hello! I know of two groups. There is one called the 2 Para's. The other is the 60 words challenge, which might have recently changed to the 100 word challenge.

I'll leave a message for a friend who probably knows much more about the groups - The Fat Gardener. Hopefully FG will get back to you soon with more details, and you can decide if you are interested in either/or both!

Flame

Thank you FGlame - I shall look forward to hearing from The Fat Gardener - he/she sounds fun!

Carole

http://groups.msn.com/TheFirstTwoParagraphsGroup

Hello Carole,

If you click on the above link you can join the para's group.

Flame

Thanks Flame I have joined the 2 paras, but can't see how to get back to it (It doesn't come up on my page like everything else does.

Incidentally I was just trawling around and saw that you entered End of Story with an ending to Dryad. I did that one too - didn't get anywhere though

Carole

Hi Carole. Glad you joined, it's good to get to know a few people around the site. You could get into it by coming into my space and looking for a thread called 'First Two Para's Challenge' in my conversation list. If you press on the thread it will take you to the right place. Once you get there leave a message and the thread will appear in your space. You will be hooked up to it, and can see who posts and what is said.

Ah, yes Dryad. It was a good story to write up. I'd only been writing a few months, so quite a challenge. My entry didn't get anywhere either, but I still enjoyed writing it.

Let me know if you get back to The Para's.

Flame

Dear Flame,

Thanks for your note - I will try what you said.

I found it extremely hard to continue writing a story that someone else had started. Did you read any of the other stories. I absolutely loved Alexei Sayle's but simply could not think of how it would end. I really admire his writing.

Best wishes
Carole