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Barbados or Bust

VivViv
edited September 2007 in - Writing Tales
«1

Comments

  • VivViv
    Feeling quite proud of myself. My article - Barbados or Bust - appeared in October Writers Forum, and has been definitely taken up as a regular column. The second part will be in November issue out next week, and they have just accepted the third one for December. They will be using my photo in the Nov issue. Now you can all see what I look like as well as follow my progress as I attempt to make enough money from writing in one year to pay for next year's holiday. Not telling you how well I've done so far - you will have to read it to find out!
  • JennyJenny
    Well done, Viv! Any chance of getting your good news in the local paper?
  • VivViv
    I hadn't thought of that. Not sure I want my friends and neighbours to know how much money I am making. They might expect a free drink!
  • CarolCarol
    Really good news Viv. Well done, and it's a good entry for your writing CV.
  • KangarooKangaroo
    Whoo, hoo! Well done Viv!
  • SoobdooSoobdoo
    Great news Viv.
    Looking forward to the next part.
  • dorothyddorothyd
    really good news!
  • Jay MandalJay Mandal
    Well done!
  • NefertariNefertari
    Great news I'd love to see it but not sure how I can get a copy out here.
    I am hoping my daughter will send out my copy of this month's The Writing Magazine and perhaps If I ask her nicely she will send Writer's Forum too.
  • VivViv
    Hi Kateyanne. You can take a look at their website www.writers-forum.com  It doesn't show the whole magazine but  you do get to see the cover, some of the story and poetry news, and what's in the current issue. The editor has kindly referred to my article in his intro to November's issue on the home page this month.
  • henritogohenritogo
    Hi
    Well done. Whats it all about though?

    Henri
  • VivViv
    Hi Henri. It's like a monthly diary to see if-  as a part time writer trying really hard to write a bit of everything and sell it wherever I can - I will be able to make enough money in a year to pay for a luxury Barbados holiday or if I will have to settle for Blackpool! It follows all my ideas, submissions, failures etc month by month. Meant to encourage, entertain and inspire other writers. If I fail to do that the column gets dropped!!!
  • NefertariNefertari
    Hello Viv,
    I got my copy of Writers Forum this month ( not had one for a few months as I was in Egypt) and I want to say how much I enjoyed your article ( fifth instalment) in there. When are you off to Barbados then?!
  • WordyWordy
    A great idea to set yourself a target for your writing, Viv and absolutely ingenious to make that a writing opportunity in itself. Sounds fascinating and good luck. Are we allowed to know how far along the target line you have travelled to date?
  • niddyniddy
    I've have also been reading your progress with interest Viv - have you booked yuor tickets yet
  • VivViv
    I was pleasantly surprised to find this thread resurrected. Thanks guys for reading and commenting on the column. If you read instalment 6 coming up in the March issue you will see I have passed the £2000 mark, but that's gross and I will have to deduct expenses, stationery, postage etc plus the tax man will want some of it! The whole idea was to make enough for a holiday - there was never a set sum planned, so the final destination was always to be decided by how much I actually earn, hence early references to the possibility of Blackpool! Still a few months to go - this is a year's challenge - so I don't know where the eventual trip will take me, but having this column certainly makes me write more, stay focussed, try harder and keep proper records, even making something positive out of the rejections (again see te forthcoming March issue). I have to succeed - there will be far too much public humiliation if I fail!
  • coopercooper
    Viv. Don't even think about failure. Stay positive.
  • Jay MandalJay Mandal
    Dear God! Why am I bothering with fiction? Er ... does you-know-who pay promptly nowadays?
  • coopercooper
    Pay?
  • VivViv
    Yes, Jay. Since the new 'regime', the cheque comes in the envelope with the complimentary contributor's copy, as soon as it's published. A hundred times better than the old days when you'd have to keep phoning and getting palmed off, and eventually get the cheque about 4 months late!
  • CarolCarol
    Well that is a good sign.
  • jpatientjpatient
    Hi Viv

    It's a really great column you write in Writer's Forum. I was wondering you could offer any tips when approaching editors about ideas for columns?

    P.S sorry if someone has already asked you this, I'm new here!
  • VivViv
    Hello Jessica, and welcome to talkback. All I did was email the editor. I knew he was new and wanted to make changes to the magazine, and he does give broad guidelines about how to approach them in the opening pages of the mag. Certainly you need to come up with something original, something a mag doesn't already have, something you feel the readers will really enjoy or learn from, and a topic you can sustain over several issues, if you want a column of your own. I also think, depending on the overall tone of the magazine you are targeting, that it helps to adopt a warm and chatty style, as if you are talking to the readers face to face over a cup of tea! It's a lot easier to write and submit one-off articles, that's for sure! But the regular income from a monthly column is very welcome.
  • VivViv
    Just written the final column for Aug/Sept issue as the year is just about up. As a sneak preview for talkbackers only, I made nearly £4000. Not bad as a sideline to the real job. Not sure where the holiday will actually be yet but there was certainly enough cash for the Caribbean and it won't have to be Blackpool. Not that there's anything wrong with Blackpool before anyone gets defensive!
  • Stan2Stan2
    Well done, Viv. So perhaps I ought to renew my subscription to WF just to see your photo!!
  • StirlingStirling
    Has anyone seen this months magazine, we still only have last months in WH Smiths!
  • niddyniddy
    Have really enjoyed your column Viv - any plans for more?
  • CarolCarol
    Well done Viv- how will you top it for next year? :)
  • Jay MandalJay Mandal
    Congratulations, Viv!
  • KangarooKangaroo
    Congratulations Viv! :-D
  • dorothyddorothyd
    well done, Viv! Next year you're aiming for a £1million mansion, right???
  • JennyJenny
    Aim higher, Viv. Make it a £5 million mansion! And a yacht!
  • NefertariNefertari
    Well done that's a lot of dosh!
  • VivViv
    Apparently, Stirling, they only do 11 issues a year, not 12, so there gets a slightly bigger than a month gap between each one coming out. That's why we haven't had July's yet.
    Stan, my photo is in every month, but they have asked for a holiday-style pic for the last instalment, which will get used if space allows. I am talking to the editor about a possible new column, but it may come to nothing so I won't divulge yet! Dorothy and Jenny , yes the mansion would be good, but I don't want a yacht - I am not good at sea, just like looking at it from the beach! I guess the more realistic aim is just to earn enough from writing to make it the main/only job, but that's a scary prospect while I still have a mortgage.
  • bochokbochok
    Well done, Viv!
  • cekaceka
    I've been following your series (and read some of your short stories in various mags) and I think you've done brilliantly - keep at it! I got to New Zealand, not Barbados on my profits and that took a lot longer than one year, but now I'm at the bottom of the heap and having to build it all up again. Will look forward to reading more of your stuff!
  • VivViv
    Thank you Ceka. I had a short story in last week's Peoples Friend, one in the current Womans Weekly Fiction Special. one in this week's Weekly News, and an article in last week's Nursery World. Also two further accepted articles for Nursery World completed, and I am working on three commissioned articles for 2 different childcare magazines, all of which will be published before Xmas. I'm on a roll! Sorry you feel bottom of the heap - but if you've succeeded before, you can do it again!
  • JennyJenny
    That's quite an achievement, Viv - well done!
  • CarolCarol
    I've got the WW fiction special so I'll have a look Viv.
    Did you send the story for the fiction special especially?
  • lexialexia
    Congrats on all you have done - and are doing , Viv !
  • Celtic CCeltic C
    Well done Viv - you've had a productive time recently! :)
  • VivViv
    Carol. No - the same editor and deputy select the fiction for the weekly and special mags, so just send it to the Kings Reach Tower address, fiction editor Gaynor Davies, or assistant Clare Cooper. They will decide where and when to use each story they accept.
  • CarolCarol
    Thanks Viv, I thought that might be the case.
    I got the guidelines by e-mail, and having been studying both weekly and specials. Have one story that needs slight alteration which I intend to send first.
  • VivViv
    Good luck. They are friendly and do give a resaon if they reject you - not that they will, of course!
  • niddyniddy
    Read your story in The Weekly News, Viv - nice one:) well done
  • Jay MandalJay Mandal
    Well done, Viv!
  • KangarooKangaroo
    Congratulations Viv!
  • dorothyddorothyd
    Viv, that is fantastic! What's the kind of production level needed to be a working writer, which some people (who write to me) don't seem to understand or appreciate. They want to do a piece a week and live off the proceeds ... You're doing tremendously well, keep going!
  • millymollymillymolly
    Congrats on your successes. I loved reading your Barbados or Bust column in Writers Forum - so looking forward to your regular column.
  • DeneBebboDeneBebbo
    Viv, if you've not decided where to go yet then check this place out:

    http://www.palmislandresortgrenadines.com

    To get there you have to go via Barbados.
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