my dalliance with the literary world
When I was younger, I used to have literary pretensions. Over the years, after I'd returned stoney hearted and broke to England, I'd written a ton of books while working as an accounts administrator in Bath. Anyway, one Friday, not being able to take it any more I printed out a few copies of the first few chapters of my latest book and sent them off to agents. One got in touch and wanted more and wanted to take me on. I took a day off and the National Express up to that London. I met him in some bar in Soho and talked about stuff for a bit. Anyway, I'd had a lot to drink, cos of nerves, and ended up puking in the toilets. Short story shorter, did a runner. Back at work the next day, I deleted all the copies of the books (I didn't have a computer at home, I used the one at work) and instead opened an email about a new way to process orders for stationary.

My biggest dissapointment was not that I didn't dream, but that I did.

Boo Hoo hoo.
(sirolimus, Thu 26 Jun 2008, 15:52, 1 reply)

I always wanted to be an author...
And I wrote from an early age, derivative stuff (secret six and a dog, the four find-outers, that sort of thing.)
At 12 I wrote my first 'full-length' book, (about 50,000 words), a sci-fi thing about kids surviving a nuclear war due to their parents shoving them into a purpose built bunker (but not bothering to go down there with them I've just realised). This became 5 more 'books' each of which was set 400 yrs after the last and the final one had the scientist blowing the world up again while kids survived.... you get the idea. (I was so naive, I spelt virginity, vaginity!!)
I sent it off to a few publishers, most sent it back with a nice letter (well, you do to a 12 yr old, don't you?), and one even sent me a sci-fi book to read.

Roll on a few years, I started a book about the rebirth of Christ. It went fantastic, the first chapter flowed out of me, and I'd learnt my lesson.
Rather than waiting for the rest of the book I sent the synopsis and finished chapter to 'Hodder and Straughton'.
A woman there sent it back,with a lovely letter saying they'd really like to see it when it was finished as it showed great promise.
That was about 1976.
I've picked up that first chapter every couple of years, even got round to adding and editing it in the light of my gaining worldly knowledge, but in 32 yrs I've not even finished chapter 2.
(paof2 Nude might not be rude, but rude could be nude..., Fri 27 Jun 2008, 12:16, closed)