Desperate, am I in the wrong place?

merlot123

My goodness, I remember reading this thread before I was a member and often think you FMN, it would be great to get an update, did the book get published?


merlot123

Forgetmenot68

I'm so touched that any of you can still be bothered with me when I've been so absent, and I'm so sorry to appear and then disappear again . I've been stupidly busy the past couple of days and then I was in prison all day today, therefore too tired to speak now...I'll explain tomorrow...it's a nice unbusy day, so I'll post properly then. I can't wait to hear how everyone is doing so I'm going to catch up on some threads.

Hope that tea's still hot and there are some biscuits left!

FMN xx

lucielle

Rushes off to get another pot of Tea, duvet and settles down.
L

urg123

Sitting in my comfy chair -ready and eager for that update!

Forgetmenot68

Hello all


I’m afraid I have to start on a downer by saying that I had a breakdown (for the want of a better word) eighteen months ago. I hadn’t allowed myself to grieve properly for my daughter I realise now, what with having more babies and needing to look after everyone else. Luckily through my husband’s company medical insurance I’ve had some brilliant therapy and a course of drugs, which have both finished now and I feel strong, positive and ready to take on the world!


Financially, our DMP is running well. We’ve paid off £8344 so far, leaving us with debts of £41,141, but unless we increase the payments we won’t be debt-free for sixteen years! This past two years has been a muddle because of my mental state. We regularly lurch into our overdraft, and my father in law has been giving us odd sums of money which we didn’t use very well – seeing them as “extra” and yet still not seeming to have enough. We haven’t been budgeting properly because of these sums - and that sounds really ungrateful, which I’m absolutely not – I’m just cross with myself.



My book (thank you for asking, Merlot) has had the most lovely comments accompanying the rejection letters, so it’s not all bad, and my agent still believes in my writing, I think. It's just not a memoir market right now, apparently. If only I'd though to include vampires although they're on the wane now too. I finished a novel, of which my agent read and loved the first three chapters before I got ill, but because of the period I wrote it in I can’t bear to do any more work on it right now. Meanwhile I am sketching out another one that I am much more excited about. I’m actively looking for a job as well, but I’ve also just started teaching creative writing to prisoners, which I’m really enjoying. I would love to do it full time eventually so I’m going to apply for a Writers in Residence place for September, if there’s still any funding for it. Short term, we need for me to earn some money so I’m casting around for ideas as to what I could possibly do. I’ve not worked for so long, other than some freelance journalism and voluntary work on a bereaved parents’ helpline, that I haven’t got a clue how my skills might translate into a job.


I’m going to post a new SOA soon so I can see where we’re at. Thank you so much for all your support, and I’m sorry I’ve been so absent. I’m really looking forward to catching up with how everyone is doing – please tell me! I’ve missed you all, and being here.

FMN xx

theonlynuttytart

Hi fmn, im new to your journey after i stumbled across your postings.

I feel for you with all you have been through and the breakdown that you have had to endure. Its hardly surprising with all that you have been through. Sometimes we have to focus on others needs in times of tragedy as its too painful to look at our own needs. Even though it helps us at the time it often takes it toll long term. It sounds like you have made a good recovery which is fantastic news.

Keep going with the debt and you will indeed get there. Writing a book isnt easy to do, im writing one at the moment and its an achievement in itself, even if it never gets published! Its one of my goals to achieve this year!:D

Youdontseeme

Hi

I havent managed to get through all of your thread yet (I jumped to see if it had a happy ending!) Have you thought about publishing it yourself?

Im not sure about the ins and outs of it but Amazon.co.uk do a thing now where you can upload your book, I presume set a price and then people can read it on their Kindle type devices.

Perhaps worth looking into.

Good luck
YDSM

miggy

You've had a tough last couple of years (((hugs))) but you've still managed to pay back thousands, try a new venture and finish your novel! That's pretty impressive.

I think, along with conclusions and an action plan arising from the SOA, there needs to be a plan as to how you will pace yourself. Obviously this will have to have options for working / not working and so on but the thing now is to find a pace and method that's right for you, a review it when it's been running a while.

It seems you have yourself mentally in just the right place to tackle this. Bring on the SOA and let's see what people make of it! You will get lots of support, l know.

P.S. Work with prisoners sounds interesting. A friend used to teach literacy in a prison so I know it's a big need. So many prisoners struggle with literacy. What sort of creative writing do you do with them?

Forgetmenot68

I'm struggling with my SOA... am dram play rehearsals and prison work keep getting in the way, but I WILL do it soon.

TONT - brilliant about you writing a book, keep going! It is a huge achievement. Thank you for your enocouragement, too.

YDSM - thank you, I'm keeping in mind the self-publishing option, although if I do that I'll have to ditch my agent unless I want to pay them 15% of profits. In fact, I might not be allowed to do it anyway if I'm still in contract with them. I do think self digital publishing is the future for most writers though, sadly, and I'll probably be one of them. Few profits in print any more

miggy, that's brilliant advice, as usual Thank you so much for your support and a boot in the behind to get on with my SOA! As far as the prison goes, I'm working with a literacy teacher in his class at the moment. It's early days for the creative writing element, but so far they've responded really well and I'm developing new ideas as I figure out what works and what doesn't. I love it, and wish there was money in the budget so I could stay and do more.

FMN xx

miggy

SOAs always look daunting - so much info needed. Just pull together what you can when you can: it'll still be there when you've finished [STRIKE]gadding about enjoying yourself[/STRIKE] all the necessary though probably tedious things you have to do.

Joking apart, prison work and am dram must both take quite a lot of doing but I imagine are both rewarding too. I would be most interested to know how the creative writing for prisoners goes: I have seen a program dealing with the lack of good books for prisoners whose literacy levels keep them away from what other adults read, and yet of course they don't want to read books aimed at KS1 kids. Then there's the whole thing about keeping contact with their families - isn't there a scheme where they record bedtime stories for their children? If it can help keep the family together and give an alternative to reoffending it has to be worth doing. I would be so interested to know how it goes!

By the way, looking at your sig, you've made a hole in the debt in spite of everything : well done, and hope you have room for a (virtual) chocolate cake and bottle of something nice as a congratulations present!