Greetings.

[Matnov]

Hello.

Pleased to finally get around to registering on here. I have always wanted to be a professional author since my younger years but for one reason or the other (and mea culpa) I only ever really played at it.

But over the years I have managed to complete a few novels, two of which have languished in first draft copies, one of which I published on Amazon and another which I have just finished going through the multi-drafting process on and which I am hoping to put out within the next few weeks.

My next project is a crime novel in which I hope to do for Croydon what Ian Rankin has done for Edinburgh along with a screen writing project that has been nagging away at me for a while and in which I have a pipe dream of creating the best London based crime caper since 'The Long Good Friday'. Although, and lets be honest here, there ain't been much of any real quality since.

A massive weakness in my character is a tendency to compartmentalise my life with my writing very much kept into that odd sized draw that you end up throwing all the odds and sods into and I need to make the effort to try and interact with others who share this odd passion and this site seems as good a place as any to make a start doing that.

And for me, fiction writing and reading is a passion. That buzz I get when my muse, who is a white haired old fella called Norman who wears a slippers and smokes a pipe, makes the right plot connections which allows things to fall into place and rings that big brass bell he keeps on his desk is a sensation that is, for this sad South London chap, the definition of being the most fun I can have with my clothes on.

I write what I would want to read and have come to view it as my hobby. If that hobby could one day pay the bills then great but it has to always be something more to me than just my one stab at fame and fortune. I write because that is what I adore doing. My definition of a good night in is a plate of digestives, a pot of tea and a chance to just sit and imagine 'what if' (which usually involves the downfall of mankind but hey, ho, no animals or children got killed in the making of this movie!).

That's about it !

 

[Carol Rose]

Welcome!

 

[Alistair Roberts]

Welcome also. Certainly interesting, and who among (or amongst) us doesn't feel the same way? Ah, silence is the reply. Well books (even non-fiction) are inspired and grow with a few dreams. On-wards in words... (this pc is set to American English {NOT ME}, so I see red underlines.....) lol.

 

[EPHahn]

Hello.

Pleased to finally get around to registering on here. I have always wanted to be a professional author since my younger years but for one reason or the other (and mea culpa) I only ever really played at it.

But over the years I have managed to complete a few novels, two of which have languished in first draft copies, one of which I published on Amazon and another which I have just finished going through the multi-drafting process on and which I am hoping to put out within the next few weeks.

My next project is a crime novel in which I hope to do for Croydon what Ian Rankin has done for Edinburgh along with a screen writing project that has been nagging away at me for a while and in which I have a pipe dream of creating the best London based crime caper since 'The Long Good Friday'. Although, and lets be honest here, there ain't been much of any real quality since.

A massive weakness in my character is a tendency to compartmentalise my life with my writing very much kept into that odd sized draw that you end up throwing all the odds and sods into and I need to make the effort to try and interact with others who share this odd passion and this site seems as good a place as any to make a start doing that.

And for me, fiction writing and reading is a passion. That buzz I get when my muse, who is a white haired old fella called Norman who wears a slippers and smokes a pipe, makes the right plot connections which allows things to fall into place and rings that big brass bell he keeps on his desk is a sensation that is, for this sad South London chap, the definition of being the most fun I can have with my clothes on.

I write what I would want to read and have come to view it as my hobby. If that hobby could one day pay the bills then great but it has to always be something more to me than just my one stab at fame and fortune. I write because that is what I adore doing. My definition of a good night in is a plate of digestives, a pot of tea and a chance to just sit and imagine 'what if' (which usually involves the downfall of mankind but hey, ho, no animals or children got killed in the making of this movie!).

That's about it !

Welcome! If your fiction is written in the same fashion as your greeting, then I think I shall become a big fan of yours!

 

[Jennifer Stone]

Hello and welcome, I understand your sentiments towards writing, I too see it more as a hobby. It'd be nice to make a living from it, but I'm not sure I'll ever be THAT good lol Writing allows my imagination to run riot, whether anyone else thinks it's a good thing is up for debate

 

[Karen Gray]

Welcome to the colony

 

[Emurelda]

Insightful intro..welcome.

 

[Cynde Route]

Welcome - I just joined yesterday myself! Seems like a happy home for such as us.

 

[tabby3]

Hi!

 

[Marc Joan]

Welcome. I too have a half-finished screen writing pipe dream; but in my case I haven't looked at it for about 3 years. Not sure if compartmentalisation is a weakness - might it aid efficiency? Weak or not, I do it; not happy without a set of pigeonholes.

 

[1408]

Welcome, Matnov! I like the sound of Norman, and the biscuits and tea. I've already seen you around the forum and look forward to reading more of your posts! You're obviously passionate about writing. Screen writing looks pretty difficult, how do you think it compares to novel writing?

 

[Alistair Roberts]

Oh, talking of a muse, mine is Cerridwen, also known as Arianhrod and probably a few other names

 

[Katie-Ellen]

Hello

 

[Matnov]

Screen writing looks pretty difficult, how do you think it compares to novel writing?

Firstly thanks for all the responses.

As to screen writing, well I have never tried it. I did once write a script for a TV series I came up with (imagine the EU meets Miami Vice !) but, like so much else, it remains in the legendary drawer of dusty first drafts. Screen writing looks rather daunting in that I sense that it has to be much 'tighter' than novels. In a novel you can afford to go off on a tangent at times and be more than a little self-indulgent but with screen writing then every word needs to be nailed down and moving things forward. Also, from what I have read and heard successful screen writers say, then you have to be willing to have your project prodded and pulled apart by others involved in the process of making it all happen on the big screen. I cannot imagine taking that well. Still it would be a nice problem to have one day

But I have set myself the goal of at least attempting to put together a screen play and I think it will help me with plotting. With the novels, I tend to write them with not much more than a rough idea of what the following couple of chapters might be and rather enjoy the whole process of how the plots develop as I move forward (in fact that is probably the part of the whole process I get the biggest buzz from) but in terms of doing a screen play then I think that you have to have everything planned out in advance before you start putting it together. Still, lets see. Its all a learning curve. And beats the hell out of golf !

 

[James Marinero]

Welcome matnov! Given your profile pic you should get a few friends together and you'll be sure to create a masterpiece!