Desperate, am I in the wrong place?

Forgetmenot68

miggy wrote: »

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!

Thanks Miggy, you're right about the debt of course. It still looks huge but we have come a long way. And HUGE thanks for the virtual cake and, I chose champagne, is that alright?:) The prison work is fantastic. I'm loving it and wish there were a job there - I'm going to apply for a Writer in Residence (if there's still any funding for them) in May, though. I think you're talking about Story Book Dads, which is a fantastic scheme. They had one on "Prisoners' Wives" on the BBC last night. A lovely way for fathers to stay in touch with their kids while they're inside - sometimes (with low literacy rates) staff will teach the prisoner to read the story, rehearse with them, so they can get it "right." It means a lot to everyone involved. There's so much evidence to suggest that the respect and positive encouragement inmates get inside makes all the difference with re-offending rates.

I'm still chipping away at my SOA - just done an energy comparison, althought slightly depressingly we're already paying the lowest tariff, but I guess that's a good thing. Would have been nice to have an instant saving though! Off to trawl the town with my CV now - online seems to be yielding nothing.

tiddly_widdly

you should join the www.newwritersuk.co.uk group. they give lots of great advice to budding authors. I joined a few years ago as I decided to go down the self publishing route due to my book being a specialised handbook for a targeted audience.

miggy

Forgetmenot68 wrote: »

And HUGE thanks for the virtual cake and, I chose champagne, is that alright?:)

:rotfl:Of course it is - and as this is virtual, help yourself to another! :rotfl:

Yes, I think it was the 'Story Book Dads' scheme that I'd heard of - what a brilliant idea, for the families as well as the prisoners.

Maybe there will be a job one day, when the economy finally starts growing again, as I'm sure it will.

tiddly_widdly wrote: »

you should join the www.newwritersuk.co.uk group. they give lots of great advice to budding authors. I joined a few years ago as I decided to go down the self publishing route due to my book being a specialised handbook for a targeted audience.

I'll peer over your shoulder if you don't mind... I adore writing but never do anything with it and maybe it's about time.