Anyone ever been published?

My seminal poem about a ship, published like everybody else who had their parents suckered into paying for it when I was at school in the 90s.

It's a wonder that the professionals had the heart to keep going after I transformed English literature for eternity.
 
Couple of articles in Air Clues (RAF flight safety magazine) about dangerous air cargo, and they also asked me to give my interpretation of why/how an aircraft crashed in the channel islands a few years back when freighting newspapers (I think) and the importance of securely restraining aircraft loads.

They paid as well which was a little odd.
 
Used to be my job back in the heady, champagne*-fuelled days of print media, so quite a bit but nothing of consequence. Light, funny stuff, specialising in music, sport, interview features, travel, all the fun stuff.

Favourite column that I ever got away with was, bored of interviewing house DJs who just talked about how much they liked Ibiza, I pitched this idea for the nightlife section to see if it was possible to visit the three worst nightclubs in three different counties in one night via public transport. It is, and we dressed up as Hunter S Thompson to do it, but it will end with you being chased out of the Bongo at 3am.

Did some good interviews, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Jackson Browne being highlights.

I have unbelievable respect for people who settle down to write a work of fiction or heavy, real journalism. Fiction must be the hardest creative pursuit imaginable, short of writing a symphony. I could never do it. The time it takes! I’d much rather be the guy who got paid a million quid for writing “Beanz Meanz Heinz” than slaving over Anna Karenina for 15 years.

*Stella
 
jonny_greenings_sock said:
Used to be my job back in the heady, champagne*-fuelled days of print media, so quite a bit but nothing of consequence. Light, funny stuff, specialising in music, sport, interview features, travel, all the fun stuff.

Favourite column that I ever got away with was, bored of interviewing house DJs who just talked about how much they liked Ibiza, I pitched this idea for the nightlife section to see if it was possible to visit the three worst nightclubs in three different counties in one night via public transport. It is, and we dressed up as Hunter S Thompson to do it, but it will end with you being chased out of the Bongo at 3am.

Did some good interviews, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Jackson Browne being highlights.

I have unbelievable respect for people who settle down to write a work of fiction or heavy, real journalism. Fiction must be the hardest creative pursuit imaginable, short of writing a symphony. I could never do it. The time it takes! I’d much rather be the guy who got paid a million quid for writing “Beanz Meanz Heinz” than slaving over Anna Karenina for 15 years.

*Stella
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To be fair, most of what you say is correct, except... Beans Meanz Heinz was a piece of pure genius. We know this because we all remember it, except, of couse it was Heinz Meanz Beans, wasn't it?

EDIT - Nope it was beans means heinz. Just looked it up.
 
Hansard, and various other government publications. Thankfully not with my name on any of it, which is a relief given how often you chuck something in as a temporary placeholder and it ends up on the official public record.
 
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jonny_greenings_sock said:
Used to be my job back in the heady, champagne*-fuelled days of print media, so quite a bit but nothing of consequence. Light, funny stuff, specialising in music, sport, interview features, travel, all the fun stuff.

Favourite column that I ever got away with was, bored of interviewing house DJs who just talked about how much they liked Ibiza, I pitched this idea for the nightlife section to see if it was possible to visit the three worst nightclubs in three different counties in one night via public transport. It is, and we dressed up as Hunter S Thompson to do it, but it will end with you being chased out of the Bongo at 3am.

Did some good interviews, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Jackson Browne being highlights.

I have unbelievable respect for people who settle down to write a work of fiction or heavy, real journalism. Fiction must be the hardest creative pursuit imaginable, short of writing a symphony. I could never do it. The time it takes! I’d much rather be the guy who got paid a million quid for writing “Beanz Meanz Heinz” than slaving over Anna Karenina for 15 years.

*Stella
Click to expand...
It really boggles my mind when considering prolific, successful writers. Where do they get the time and also the ideas. A real skill.
 
When I first moved to London I was dating a girl who worked for the Footloose in London magazine. After a bit of persuasion I managed to get her to let me write a restaurant review (free Thai food) for the magazine. I also wrote a travel story for the same on my travels around America.

My literary career came to an abrupt end when my Norwegian gf who’s English wasn’t great as it was her second language suggested that my articles were very wordy and needed to be heavily edited!

Such is life!

Not about being published but the disappointment reminds me of a time in my final year at school when we were forced to go to the careers office for a 15 minute chat. I was asked what I wanted to do , I eagerly explained that I wanted to be a lawyer to which the skilled careers advisor exclaimed “have you ever thought of joining the army” - shot down in flames once again!
 
FatCat said:
When I first moved to London I was dating a girl who worked for the Footloose in London magazine. After a bit of persuasion I managed to get her to let me write a restaurant review (free Thai food) for the magazine. I also wrote a travel story for the same on my travels around America.

My literary career came to an abrupt end when my Norwegian gf who’s English wasn’t great as it was her second language suggested that my articles were very wordy and needed to be heavily edited!

Such is life!

Not about being published but the disappointment reminds me of a time in my final year at school when we were forced to go to the careers office for a 15 minute chat. I was asked what I wanted to do , I eagerly explained that I wanted to be a lawyer to which the skilled careers advisor exclaimed “have you ever thought of joining the army” - shot down in flames once again!
Click to expand...
Yep. I didn't know what I wanted to do at that stage, just that I didn't want to go down the usual avenue of getting a trade etc. The 'careers advisor' (a retired teacher working part-time) advised me of my choices: ICI, British Steel or Smith's Dock. All apparently 'jobs for life'!
 
A couple of letters in national papers.
Photos here and there (sometimes without my knowledge)
Self-published 2 books on Amazon, one about my time in Dubai and one about Boro.
Probably a few other things I've long since forgotten. Music reviews in magazines, etc.

Always dreamed of being a novelist writing fiction but the time it takes, let alone the creative imagination required is beyond me. I'll never be Stephen King.
 
Littlejimmy said:
A couple of letters in national papers.
Photos here and there (sometimes without my knowledge)
Self-published 2 books on Amazon, one about my time in Dubai and one about Boro.
Probably a few other things I've long since forgotten. Music reviews in magazines, etc.

Always dreamed of being a novelist writing fiction but the time it takes, let alone the creative imagination required is beyond me. I'll never be Stephen King.
Click to expand...
I read and enjoyed your Boro one 👍
 
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