Belated intro from TH in small boring town nr Leeds, England

telegraph.hill · Joined: 29 Jun 2006 Posts: 135 Location: Leeds, England

Hi All!

I've done so many intros over the past two and a half weeks since I've been boosting, that I forgot to introduce myself here.

I'm telegraph.hill and I live near Leeds in England. My home town, (where I am now living), is medieval - literally! It is an ex-mining town, has a racecourse, a castle, a thriving market, and more pubs than you can shake a stick at.

I've travelled all over, spending eight years in Kyoto, Japan, and have also worked in Sweden, France, Belgium and the Middle East.

I'm currently really interested in maths, science, IT, languages, doing some more travelling and writing.

I think that forums are one of the best inventions of modern times. So, see you all out there on the forums!

jimmysdevoted · Joined: 26 Jul 2006 Posts: 37 Location: Tennessee

Hi!
So you ahve said where you have been.. but heres a question what do you do? Or shall I clarify and ask what do you like to do?
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telegraph.hill · Joined: 29 Jun 2006 Posts: 135 Location: Leeds, England

I'm a teacher, a would-be writer and a student!

jimmysdevoted · Joined: 26 Jul 2006 Posts: 37 Location: Tennessee

I was a homeschooler for my daughter, taught Montessori and am sub. Going for licensure for art, anthropology and health for the new year.
I am student at DePaul University for Ethnography. I hope to graduate next year.
As for writing I was just feature din Soft Dolls and Animals magazine a doll made fom car chamois cloths! I also am working on a series of off road adventures based on billboards.

so much in common its amazing

julie
_________________
Life is a banquet and some poor sucker is starving to death.

telegraph.hill · Joined: 29 Jun 2006 Posts: 135 Location: Leeds, England

Glad to hear that you have made a start in the writing world. Problem for me is that I have not, so I have no clips, previous work, etc, to show people in order to get more work. I need to get my foot on the ladder. I'll get there eventually.

jimmysdevoted · Joined: 26 Jul 2006 Posts: 37 Location: Tennessee

This is what I love. For the past 25 years I have been continually published, either self or through columns or mass magazines.

I am by far not new and have taught others how ot write and sell there stuff and they have done good. I just prefer to stick with my genres which is very small and always innundated.

Like tonight I am workinfg on some designs with manuscripts for a company I just found out officically set up a page for me. Now its like backtracking to create documentation for objects that I created. Its fun work if you can keep up and be able to withstand rejection notices.
Not really rejection I get. More like ' julie we have something like this already in the works. Can you come up w ith something different" so is it really a arejection. I never took it a ssuch, i always took it as inspiration and need. But it still feels the same.

HAve you taken that rejection pledge thingy at AW?
_________________
Life is a banquet and some poor sucker is starving to death.

telegraph.hill · Joined: 29 Jun 2006 Posts: 135 Location: Leeds, England

No, I haven't taken the Rejection Pledge, I should have - I wasn't sure how to set it up ...

It sounds like you are doing really well - well done! Smile

I'm interested in science and technical writing, amongst other things, and have noticed that they advertise jobs separately in the trades press section - so I might find something I can do there.

I also reckon I can turn my hand to travel writing, especially things related to Japan and Japanese language and culture.

jimmysdevoted · Joined: 26 Jul 2006 Posts: 37 Location: Tennessee

You know those instructions that come in furniture to assemble product ro just about anything that needs an instruction manual. That falls under technical writing as well.
My father was a etchnical writer, writing the first Appendix R for NRC.
Its easy but its very time consuming. You never really know what techy stuff your going to get. Thats why its often seperate from other items.

Sci stuff.. an avenue you may want to consider is a book for school. There are some companies,, and I cant think of their name right now.. that are in need of quality books for students. You may want to consider that at some point.
_________________
Life is a banquet and some poor sucker is starving to death.

Dolly · Joined: 16 Jun 2006 Posts: 109 Location: Scotland UK

There is always work for decent travel writers out there, TH.

If you can find a unique angle then I'm sure you would get some work.

Personally I enjoy satirical/humour/observational pieces and childrens writing. But the latter is very hard to break into, and although I always seem to be touching it with my fingertips I can't quite get there.

But I will Razz

jimmysdevoted · Joined: 26 Jul 2006 Posts: 37 Location: Tennessee

I always tell all of my four legged babaies bedtime stories. So my h ubby suggests that write them down so others can enjoy them. I thought about doing that and publishing through lulu.com.

The series I am working on for Useless-Knowedge on Adventures in the South will be published through lulu probably next year after I complete the route.
Maybe doib\ng teh same idea for where you live would be an interesting notion.
_________________
Life is a banquet and some poor sucker is starving to death.

telegraph.hill · Joined: 29 Jun 2006 Posts: 135 Location: Leeds, England

Thanks for the advice, Jimmysdevoted and Dolly!

My favorite children's author is Philippa Pearce, esp "Minnow On the Say" and "Tom's Midnight Garden". I once did Tom with a class in Japan and they loved it.

As for travel writing - what sort of angle might be considered unique? I can write a lot about Japan, but as I have not been there recently it would be a bit out of date.

Is an angle something like "woman backpacking alone"? I've done that.

Dolly · Joined: 16 Jun 2006 Posts: 109 Location: Scotland UK

I would think so.
There are so many topics of interest that you could pull loads out of that angle. Safety, cultural differences etc.

I often think that if I'd travelled, I would have so much to write about and so many markets to submit to.

telegraph.hill · Joined: 29 Jun 2006 Posts: 135 Location: Leeds, England

Have you thought about doing a bit of travelling now?

Though I can understand it would be a bit difficult with the menagerie to take care of. I think that's why I don't have a cat...

In '96, after coming back from Japan, I made a 3 month backpacking trip from the Cote d'Azur to the Arctic Circle, and kept a diary on the way. The idea was that I write it up into a book, but then I got busy with studying. I am still in the slow process of writing it up. But as it is all now out of date, I'm wondering if a publisher would actually be interested ...

It wasn't the first mammoth backpacking trip I have made either. I had previously done a 3 month trip round Europe, then hitch-hiked to former Yugoslavia, (when it was Yugoslavia), travelled across the USA by bus, hith-hiked from Stockholm to London, travelled in Thailand, as well as loads of other shorter trips.

Dolly · Joined: 16 Jun 2006 Posts: 109 Location: Scotland UK

No, no way I could do it. Not with this bunch of losers and hangers-on!

I can't even get out for the day never mind anything else.

I wouldn't worry about stuff being out of date. There must be angles you can come from that have an ageless quality about them.
As soon as you mentioned Artic Circle, I wanted to know more.

telegraph.hill · Joined: 29 Jun 2006 Posts: 135 Location: Leeds, England

Yes - I must get on and write the thing up. Having talked about it will motivate me.

How's your writing coming along?

Saro · Joined: 31 Jul 2006 Posts: 5 Location: United States

Hi! I had to read your introduction because your subject stated that you are posting from England. Your small town sounds delightful! My small town in the United States is much less exciting, no medieval elements at all. Just a bowling alley and gas station. Well. I am planning on travelling outside of my country for the first time ever in September. First stop-- London, England. I hope someday I'll be as well-travelled as you are!
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"Always do what you are afraid to do." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

telegraph.hill · Joined: 29 Jun 2006 Posts: 135 Location: Leeds, England

Hi Saro

yes, I suppose my home town may very well not seem that boring to outsiders. It is actually very historical, going back to Roman times, and with parts of it mentioned in the Domesday book. I suppose sometimes when you live in a place you just don't appreciate it.

It has a lovely old Buttercross in the town centre where butter used to be sold, and there is a lovely old church nearby. Slightly out of the town centre, near the castle, is another old church with a double spiral staircase.

You can take a look at the town at

http://pontefract-eye.blogspot.com/

I hope that you enjoy your first trip overseas.

Dolly · Joined: 16 Jun 2006 Posts: 109 Location: Scotland UK

Sorry TH, I missed picking up on this one.

I seem to have got that much stuff out there at the minute I'm sending myself dizzy. I've also had a bit of good feedback from editors, but somehow that just makes it worse!

At lot of the stuff I sent out I knew wouldn't get read until August anyway. And August is here, so let's see what it brings!

I know what you mean about not appreciating the stuff that surrounds you. I get visitors who talk about the view every time they come. I'm an ungrate. I never notice it!

telegraph.hill · Joined: 29 Jun 2006 Posts: 135 Location: Leeds, England

Yes - it's different when you live in a place. When I came back to this town after living in Japan, where inner city/town centre areas are a bit dull, I suddenly realised how pretty it is, with its old buildings.

I bet the view at your place is great - I love rural views.

Hope you have some luck with your writing this month then!

toritaiyo · Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 6

I am brand new to booster so I searched to see if anyone mentioned Japan in their posts and found you.

I was an exchange student and later graduated from a university in Tokyo. I totally agree that living/travelling in Japan is wonderful experience.

Have you returned to Japan any time since? Do you miss it?