write your own?

hostyle

does anyone write themselves? been published?

I used to write a lot in secondary school (but never finished anything ), and was advised to study english / become a journalist, etc. etc. but then college came and went and with a full time job i find i just don't have enough time to write anymore ...

Tyrrial

I know how you feel, but trust me it's better that you didn't go and study english in college, it'll just make you a very vengful person that hates the english and everything to do with it, better to take your own time to learn what you can do with your words, read as much as you can and finaly, start something you know you'll enjoy finishing

MrNuked

Yeah just look at all the english teachers! ::D

whitetrash

Yeah, I was advised to study english as well. But I was torn between computers and english, so I did (am doing) computers because I figured english wouuld be easier to study on my own.

I seem to write less and less however, I still get some done though and have been published on a few web sites. I stick some stuff up on my site as well. For laughs

Shinji

I'm a journalist, so I write for a living, but that doesn't really count I guess

I'm working on some fiction stuff with a view to being published - hopefully by the end of the year, fingers crossed. Since my other love (aside from writing) is science and technology, much of what I'm writing is science-fiction, although I have the bones of a contemporary fiction novella in the bag as well. Be interesting to see which is easier to get published, actually....

simu

It's a common misconception that studying English at college will lead to a person becoming a writer.

That being said, the more you read , the more you're likely to be inspired.

But, to become a writer, it's best to write, write, keep writing!

As for hating literature after having studied at college - this only shows you chose the wrong course!

Saruman

I started wring a book a few years back. Called "The Prophecy of Atlantis" cool title i thought... anyway i had a great time writing the few chapters i did.... i then decided before i went further i would read again what i wrote.. also gave a copy to a mate.. anyway... i read it and though Holy God i must have been on Drugs.. odd as i dont even drink... It jumped from one place to the next and was so off the wall that it could have been a douglas adams novel, without the humor...

So i stopped and decided to spend more time reading.. i might get back to it agian. Used to write some good essays in school according to teachers ww)

Oh by the way, it was a Sci-Fi/Fantasy novel.. bit of both in it.. I think the smartest thing i did in it was tie in all the myths about Atlantas so they pretty much all turned out to be true

ZoSoPage

I'm sorry to turn the tide somewhat but i am currently studying English in college and havn't been as inspired as i am now to write in all my life...Probably because one is made read so much and this rubs off on a person i suppose.

However, i certainly don't think one needs to be studying English to be able to write your own stuff...time, patience and a good subject matter are really all that matter i guess.

BEAT

If you have the gift for writing and you know it, you are a writer. You dont need to go to school to learn it...that's why we have editior's

I am a writer, have done a couple of books...have been asked to do a biography recently...I am excited
Basically, if you love to write and you know you have something people want to read then go for it!

Get your work out there and someone will publish it, there are tons of publisher's out there!

Good Luck!

hostyle

Thanks for all the replies guys. Much appreciated.

I guess my real problem is time - not having any of it free. I work too hard, including overtime without pay. I need a new job where I have more time to concentrate on the important things (like writing), but with current IT trends it looks like I'll be stuck where I am for a while yet.

Are there Irish publishing houses? Or is it better approach bigger ones in the UK? Or do you just send it off to as many publishiners addresses as possible?

jmcc

Originally posted by hostyle

Are there Irish publishing houses? Or is it better approach bigger ones in the UK? Or do you just send it off to as many publishiners addresses as possible?

Yep the Irish publishing business is fairly vibrant. However it is probably better to get an agent first.

There should also be a Writer's Yearbook publication (was a big red book listing all publishers/agents in the UK and Ireland last time I read it).

Steer clear of vanity publishers who want you to put up money to publish your book. If your book is good enough to publish, the publisher should know this.

Self-publishing is only possible if you know the business, have the distribution, advertising and promotion side of things under control. It is also a business that chews up and spits out part-timers.

Starting a book is easy - every Tom, Dick and Harriet can do it. Finishing a book is somewhat tougher.

Seen from a publisher's viewpoint, the publisher is taking a bet on the book being successful. It costs a lot to produce and promote a book. If there is very little to differentiate the book from the rest of the market, the publisher will probably not be interested. It would be best if you targeted an area that you knew about. This is because people are at their best when they are writing about something they know a lot about.

And as for doing English in college - that is often a complete waste of time when it comes to writing. Most writers that I know have a deeply embedded need to find things out and tell stories. However editors are really important when it comes to publishing. These people really do shape the book for publication.

Regards...jmcc
(Publisher (tech) and Writer)

The Beer Baron

Shinji- you say you write SF- I'd like to know more, have youout there on the net for example.

SF writing is also my calling I think, although it begs the question, "how can you write *Irish* science fiction?"

hostyle

Set the story in Ireland ? :P

But really, why would it have to be *Irish* per se?

I write mostly Fantasy with odd mix of SF - ala China Mieville - except I wouldn't quite be in the same league

The Beer Baron

Argh! I tried to post this reply and every time someone came up to piss me off!

Right, to answer again, I wrote a lot of SF before, lots of Cyberpunkish stuff, as well as contributing to online projects and all that.

But the problem is I always wanted to write something Irish. The project I'm working on atm is a strange one indeed- a post-apocalyptic story set in Ireland.

It starts of John Brunner-like, with some Mad Max, some Fight Club and some Fionn and the Fianna thrown in for good measure.

I aim to make it a trilogy, and also write accompanying short stories to flesh out the world a little.

More stories to follow, anyone interested please let me know.

hostyle

More stories to follow, anyone interested please let me know.

What exactly do you mean? Joint writing, brainstorming, proof-reading, ego-building, or lots of "well done" comments?

The Beer Baron

Hostyle-

It means if anyone's interested I'll share my ideas with them.
Intend to throw some up on my member site @ a later date.
I had that last reply all ready and people kept interupting me then IE went tits up so sorry I didn't even re-read it to check if it was even coherent. :rolleyes: Didn't mean to cause confusion.

But yeah, brainstorming, to a degree. Proof reading isn't so much necessary.
Ego-building certainly isn't a requirement on my part and I shall expect the well done comments, as well as the negative ones, after people actually read the stuff.

This is a forum where like-minded folk talk about their various interests and hobbies. So all I wish to find out is if anyone is interested in reading some. If you are, contact me.
Otherwise don't worry yourself about it.

Anyone else who wishes for some critique can contact me also.
I don't have a lot of time but I will get back to anyone who wishes it. Brainstorms, proof-reading and pats on the back all part of the service.

whiskey

"A writer writes." I think that's the saying? Meaning the difference between those who do and don't is those who do 'do'. Like anything else, the trick is to start and keep doing it - making mistakes, learning from them, honing the craft. The later you leave it to start the less time you have to get better at it.

Hemingway (i know he's not too fashionable at the mo, but...) summed it up in the 'tool' metaphor:

"In going where you have to go, and doing what you have to do, and seeing what you have to see, you dull and blunt the instrument you write with. But I would rather have it bent and dull and know I had to put it on the grindstone again and hammer it into shape and put a whetstone to it, and know that I had something to write about, than to have it bright and shining, and nothing to say, or smooth and well-oiled in the closet, but unused."

(particularly like that 'well-oiled' nudge - I've met a few well-oiled tools who were apparently writers)

In order to write, it's neccessary to live, and experience, but most importantly to write - right now. You can have your overtime, but you never have your time over.