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

Hiya, luv.

Hope you're okay??

Can I ask a question about BeWrite.

Is that place a bit like here??

Tom

Hi Tom! Sorry, I nearly missed this message.

Bewrite is nothing like here. It's a lot more relaxed, with no one vying for top billing. I think it works because Neil Marr, the editor/owner of Bewrite keeps a constant presence on the board, and people follow his lead as far as atmosphere goes.

It's also not as easy to get published on Bewrite as some people imagine. Neil will give people an easy ride for their first story, to give them confidence, but then he clamps down and lets them know, in private, that it needs work.

Give it a try and see how you feel over there. I'll come and say 'hi' on the forum

Sally

So it's like a teaching site?? Honing in your writing skills?

May I ask if Neil has writing credentials? I know this sounds cheeky, but you don't know if you don't ask!

Plus, does the site cover all forms of writing. For example, I write fantasy realism, aiming at the literary genre.

Cheers - Tom

You've every right to ask Tom, so don't worry. Neil was a journalist for many years (I gather he's in his fifties), and at one time was a foreign correspondent in Rome. He's got two (that I know of) non-fiction books to his credit. He's been running Bewrite for ten years, with his son and his son's partner, Cait. It is a teaching site, but it's also a proper publishing house, POD (but not Vanity Press - Bewrite absorb all costs and the writer gets royalties), publishing all kinds of novel and ebook, both literary and genre, and a few anthologies of the short stories featured on the site. Similarly the 'free fiction' section has a good selection of genre and literary fiction. They certainly don't accept every novel sent to them.

I know it's been knocked by some, who say that anyone can get published at Bewrite. That's partially true for the free fiction site, but only as I said, for the first, or maybe even second, story a writer sends in. If Neil sees 'talent' he tends to come down a bit tougher on people and subsequent stories are bounced between him and the writer quite a few times before Neil considers them good enough to post. Yes, there are some writers who don't rise above the challenge, but Neil isn't the type of person to tell them to get lost. He just gives them more editing help. He doesn't consider he's wasting his time with anyone.

I think that Bewrite offers something for all types of writer. Those who are just happy to see their names on the website, and those of us who are striving for that bit more. Neil doesn't differentiate between 'hobby' writers or serious writers. He'll welcome them all, as long as they respect the aims of Bewrite. He'll also offer a free editing service for work that writers may want to send elsewhere. He's just offered to proofread my latest OU essay!

The best way to find out though is to browse the site, and hang around the forum for a while. Quite a few writers do that before submitting.

I hope I've answered your questions well enough. If you want to drop Neil a private line, he's always happy to give as much information about bewrite as you want. I can't give you his email addy here, but it's on the website or forum.

Sally

Thanks, Sally, much obliged.

No more q's, I'll take a look now.

Apart from this, how are you?? Sorry about not contributing much to your site; things get in the way and time's short at the moment.

Cheers - Tom

I'm fine thanks, apart from not getting as much writing done as I'd like at the moment. I'm up to my eyes in OU stuff, but only have two more assignments and an exam to go before I'm free from my degree course (Yippeee!) If I'm really honest I spend too much time thinking about how I should be studying and not enough time actually doing it! Isn't it always the same when you've got heaps to do? I could get an honours degree in procrastination.

Don't worry, I don't get much chance to visit my site either. I'm supposed to be keeping my blog up to date, but barely have time. It might help if I kept off other people's forums

I hope I see you over at Bewrite sometime soon. There's really no pressure there to contribute work. You're free to just enjoy the company on the forum.

Sally

You're still doing your uni work?? Jeez, I finished two months ago.

How is it? What are you studying?? What modules have you covered???

I will pop over, if not before the 9th, I'll take a look after the 27th. I'm off travelling round Europe, yay!! Hopefully, it'll provide me with some new writing material, who knows, eh??

Talking procrastination, weird pictures forming. Any *slip up* in procrastination, you'll be in for a painful experience... (I'll leave that to your imagination)

Groan, keel over, order the lobscouse and pray for mercy.

Tom

That's the 'joy' of OU study. You have to work through the summer holidays! There have been lots of calls for the OU to change their courses to the normal academic year, but I think because some of the courses have summer schools, they have to be sure the universities are available.

This is my final year, and I'm studying the Renaissance at level 3. In the past I've studied two literature and two more Humanities courses, one based around the 16th Century, and the other The Enlightenment (late 18th Century). I've just finished my fiction writing course, and am starting a playwriting course in November.

The OU are bringing in a level 2 writing course next September (2005 that is) which is supposed to cover writing fiction/articles/family history etc. I think the code is going to be A215 if you want to check it out on the OU site later in the year. It's not up there yet.

Okay, imagination working overtime on the procrastination joke

Have a fantastic trip around Europe! I'm dead jealous.

Sally

Nah nah, nah nah! I'm going to Europe. Sorry, it's the inner child in me.

Procrastination - I was thinking more along the lines of a typo error. Think of the outcome of, Procastration...

Ouch

Wow, you've done loadsa courses! I'm jealous. I'm in my second year of English Lit/Creative and Prof Writing.

Playwriting, eh. My aspiring forte. Try Geoffrey Hatcher's, The Art and Craft of Playwriting. Great book.

Anyway, cheers for the chat and info. To be and not to be, that is MY question.

Tom

Ah, now I get it!

BTW Tom, some of us are thinking of starting a straight subbing race from September 1st (when everyone has had their summer break), just going on individual subs rather than separate groups. I'm not asking you to pick sides here, because I respect that you strive to remain neutral, just letting you know that you'll be very welcome to join in if you want to.

Sally