I have nothing but admiration for writers and potential writers, we need their experiences and imagination to help us escape from our own ups and downs. Don’t forget we all have different tastes and someone’s crap is someone else’s caviar, so keep at it folks.
I haven’t got a sentence in me never mind a book, the only things I have patience with is me work and me wife, it’s a case of having to for a peaceful existence.
I have a substantial collection of notes somewhere that someone told me would possibly make a good, successful read with the right help.
It’s all to do with my life as an NDT Technician from '73 to '84, in the UK and overseas.
As with many older men, I tend to remember those days and often refer to particular things in my past but on many occasions I’m not believed!
I get a bit miffed at that 'cos if there’s one thing I am it’s honest, almost to the point of stupidity at times, but still people do not believe that anyone could have had the kind of bad luck and disasters that I’ve had!
That’s the reason I wrote it all down - well - a fair bit of it - so I can keep it all fresh in my mind!
A friend on another forum who lived in Japan was an ex-publisher and it was he who suggested I self-edit it first and try hawking extracts of it about.
He even gave me 2 contacts but I never did go ahead.
Maybe I will in the future but my original thoughts of a title will have to be reviewed; in the NDT business back then, (Non-Destructive Testing), Industrial Radiographers such as I was at first were know as Bombers! stevmk2
There have been times I thought about sitting down at the typewriter and trying my hand at writing a novel, but I doubt I ever will.
I prefer to read books than write them.
My problem is I love reading them, too. Takes up much of my spare time. I’m so grateful for all those successful authors out there keeping me absorbed and entertained.
I gonna put pet to paper again soon, or I should say fingers to keypad, as soon as the weather breaks that is. Sit out in the sun with a lappy. Looking forward to it.
The oldest of five, Rose was born and brought up in Glasgow in poverty and violence. Her father committed suicide when Rose was nineteen and about to get married. The wedding was postponed for a few months while her father was being buried and her husband to be was finishing basic training to become a paratrooper. It was the worst of times and it was the best of times………… Should I continue?
Fragile Handle With Care by Rose Alison. I started it so many times but was afraid the truth would be too painful for my brothers and sisters. I wanted to write about child abuse back when there weren’t so many books about it. I wanted to encourage people to take much better care of their wee treasures.
Thankfully, there are many books on the subject today.
I’ve been trying to write a book since February but seem to have come to a bit of a halt. Got about 48000 words but still seems like I have a long way to go. No doubt I shall have to hack some of it away if I ever finish it.
I’m not good enough at slinging words together to write a novel, but lots of people are sheer geniuses at it.
I would like to publish a book with all the old words I’ve collected over the years, in both a dictionary and reverse dictionary form.
There’s always self-publishing. Its become a lot easier over the years.
Tragic as it sounds Rose, it has the makings of a good book and I’m sure it would do very well, but there’s always others involved and you have to take their feelings into consideration, that has always caused friction in families when a book is written concerning the family. I personally know a family who split and don’t talk to each other over a book written about the Father and Mother’s treatment of their children, penned after they both died in a car accident.
Hi Bluerose. You don’t always have to get books published. I understand the difficulty with your family, but maybe it’s something you need to do for yourself? Sometimes it’s good just to get things out and written down on paper.
Jem and Linden Tree,
Thanks for your posts. On the advice of a good psychiatrist in my twenties, I have written about it on and off for my own health and wellbeing and it helped a great deal. I‘m fine but I still work to help my brothers and sisters.
One of my brothers passed last year from drink at the age of 53, soooooo sad. I feel being the oldest back in my twenties (with the others still to feel the full impact), I got some good help and great advice.
Being married to an amazing guy for twenty years also helped a lot. Divorced twenty years to the day, he still comes around doing his Santa thing for my grown children and grandchildren. He’s had his troubles too. Shot in Northern Ireland in 76 and involved in a serious bombing in 79 that killed 18 of his army buddies.
And the story goes on.
I’m so new I haven’t introduced myself nor entered my avatar, but nine days ago my 44 year-old sister died from that very cause. I am so, so sorry for your loss.
If I have a book in me it was because I was hungry at the time.
BDBoop,
Thank you.
So sorry to hear about your loss.
Here’s a very big, warm welcome to the forum.
Only been here a few days myself.
And so you have. 
I have been totally blessed by my online friends during this valley of shadows. Some of them have been my friends for 5-10 years. I’ve met three of them off the net, and one has been my best friend for the past six years.
I love how the internet makes it possible for us to connect with people we never would have met otherwise.
Sooooooo true. Met and chatted with so many people from all over the world through the net. Love it!
When I first came on the net, I was in a Yahoo group in the dead of winter. I put up a temperature gauge indicating that it was -70° windchill. One of the guys in the group said “Is that anywhere near Grand Rapids?” I said “No, but I was born in Grand Rapids, why? Are you from there?” He said “Yes, what family are you from?” I didn’t want to put that out there, so I emailed him and gave my mother’s maiden name.
Get this.
HE WAS MY UNCLE’S BEST FRIEND IN HIGH SCHOOL!!! I was like “SHUT the FRONT DOOR.” Literally, the bed I slept in when I was little-little, at my grandma’s cabin? He slept in up until the summer I was born, when he shipped out to Korea.
How “small world after all” is that.
Amazing!!!
If I wrote a book…no one would believe me…
Why not? truth is stranger than fiction they say.