Creative writing

[EileenDavid]

I have a couple of friends who have taken a creative writing course. One who self published two books one in 2006 and one in 2011. What's amazing about the lady who writes under the name of Sally Redmayne is she is 87. The books are called Sigh with the Tide and Tides of Destiny and they are about growing up in a boarding house in Blackpool. She was interviewed on Lancashire radio. I have known the lady since I was a child her daughter was a childhood playmate.

My other friend who is still attending the creative writing course likes to write verse and it has given her classes have given her confidence.

Just thought I would share this with you as they both went into this when it would be classed as we are past our sell by dates.

Eileen

[Marilyn]

Oh good on them...I think that is wonderful. They do say you make a better writer when you have a bit of life experience under your belt, and I thoroughly agree with that.
Did your friend find it easy to get published? I've read so much on how hard it is to run the gauntlet of publishers...which tends to put people off getting started at any age. Then again, bookshops are full of books, so is it as hard as I imagine?

[Nolic]

I used to write creatively ..... mainly in exams. Nolic

[Callunna]

Great to hear about your friend - and very encouraging too.

I love writing and have had several ideas for novels but I just never get the time to sit down and do it. No excuse really, as I know you can always find the time if you really want to do something. I will, one day.

Eileen, forgive me for being facetious, but your username always reminds me of that jokey book “Falling Off A Cliff” by Eileen Dover...

[EileenDavid]

Thanks for that and the joke of course the old ones are the best. At least you spelt it correctly lots have problems with spelling and pronunciation. Don't just think about the novels go for it as I said Freda writing as Sally Redmayne is 87.

I am at the moment instead of just putting my geneology project into tree form am writing it into a book don't know if I'll publish or just put it on disc for the family. Mine isn't creative its just factual.

Trust you Norlic did you pass those exams.

Eileen

[Nolic]

Trust you Norlic did you pass those exams. Eileen

I like the new name - reminds me of bedtime.

Isn't there a saying that there is at least one book in all of us? Well I think I'm a bit too undisciplined to bring mine out at the moment but maybe sometime. Nolic

[Stanley]

Eileen, if you have a look in the archive we did a lot on publishing books and OG spawned quite a few self-published on Lulu.com. Have look at http://www.lulu.com/browse/search.php?f ... ley+graham I got the bug and published twenty books in two years. My motivation was that when I die my brain dies too so I tried to empty it for my grandchildren and anyone else who was interested. It's a lot easier than you think and results in a written archived record.

[EileenDavid]

Thank you both for the info.

Will try harder to get your name right Nolic there it was easy really. Are you really a viking? I am supposedly Viking on both sides of my parentage!

Stanley thanks for the advise I haven't got to that stage yet as I haven't done a one name tree. Almost finished the paternal side though.

Eileen

[Belle]

Eileen, you are a bit of a sharp reminder as to what I am meant to be doing when I get on this infernal machine! I have written a book and had it at a publisher, it was rejected but in a very kindly way, with a good explanation and lots of encouragement to try elsewhere..which I haven't done..chicken! I also have to get some self publishing underway as I have people requesting copies of my poetry (from time to time I am asked to recite) and I have nothing to give them.. I looked at Lulu but it all looked very complicated to me..perhaps the starting point is to go back and read the posts about it on the old site. I also have a near complete family tree..back to the 1200's on one side so I should be getting that ready to put into book form. Oh dear to much procrastination!

[Nolic]

Eileen,

I'm directly descended on my mothers side to the Langstroths of Denmark who's ancestors settled in Upper Wharfedale in the 10th century. They initially came as "viking" which is a verb "to raid" in old Norse.
The vast majority of Northmen were farmers who would in bad times, or when the mood took them, go viking and that's how they ended up in Yorkshire.

There is a sundial in the churchyard at Hubberhole with a plaque on gifting the sundial "From the Langstroths of Denmark to the Langstroths of Langsrothdale"


I was only joking about the name.... call me what you want. Nolic

[EileenDavid]

Hello again Nolic

I thought you must be of Viking descent as you had the long ship on your writings and I apologies for getting your name as nearly Horlick's?

My surname is Slingsby my mothers maiden name was Forshaw (by the sea) both Viking names I am informed. My father was originally from Halifax and his grandparents from Little Horton in Bradford. So I to am of Yorkshire descent.

Eileen

[EileenDavid]

Hello Belle

Thanks for your interest. Freda writing as Sally Redmayne had one self published in America but this time she published in the UK. She did send her first book to a publisher but it was rejected. She's done OK but I think she writes them and her daughter edits and manages them. She told me the first book she typed without a computer how dedicated is that.

Poetry is my other friends field she is at the moment attending creative writing classes but she has always given poems to people at birthdays and special occasions. She prefers rhyme to prose. I used to recite at school but not recently.

The book I am writing is on my partner's family history I have written it as I have gone along and changed it when I have found an error, great these computers.

Stanley's your man for understanding the Lulu site he's had quite a few books published and gave the Lulu site to me plus he's very helpful

No excuses don't put it off

Eileen

[Wendyf]

Both my parents came from Bradford Eileen. Mum's family from Wyke for generations and Dad's from Dudley Hill/West Bowling. They only met once just before my dad was posted overseas during the war, then wrote to each other almost every day until September 1944 when they were married whilst Dad was on leave.
I am hoping that Mum doesn't carry out her threat of putting all those letters in the bin, and that one day I may be able to read them and write up their story.

[Stanley]

Wendy, steal the letters! Belle, Lulu is easier than you think. There's a section where you can make a practice book. Once you've cracked it you'll be away!

[EileenDavid]

Shame on you Stanley

Telling Wendy to steal! I quite agree though as they shouldn't be lost and it would make a very romantic novel. When you publish Wendy I'll buy a copy.

Eileen

[Wendyf]

I couldn't get anything past my Mum, though her eye sight is very poor she doesn't miss a trick! Here is a pic of them on their wedding day in 1944.

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[EileenDavid]

Very handsome couple have you asked can you immortalise them I think it would make a great novel.

Eileen

[Stanley]

Nice pic. Says so much as soon as you know the date....

[EileenDavid]

Hello Stanley

Thanks for the posting in our wonderful site about the essays I have transferred to this topic as it seems more appropriate. I have completed my history of the whole of the Chadwick's,which also involves a Sir Andrew Chadwick who left millions in the 1700 but died intestate and without issue and the government snatched the money, story of our lives. Sir Andrew run the first national lottery and his seat was at Haslingden. This family was on my partner Dave's paternal ancestry.

The Bracewell, Hartley's and Higgin's which are from Roughlee are his maternal ancestry as Dave's mum was called Ruth Higgin 1913-2005 and are proving the most difficult.

Eileen

[Tizer]

I wonder if Calluna (Heather) ever started on the book she was thinking about - the one were all electronic communications on Earth are disrupted by a big solar flare or similar? I think there could also be some interesting topics for novels in the idea of the present thawing of glaciers and/or Arctic and Antarctic ice revealing evidence of previously unknown past civilisations.