Week Nine

On closer inspection, the Quick Reads aren't as short as I thought, as the first chapter of one was around 900 words, and there was ten chapters. So I'm definitely ruling those out, as they're obviously far too long for the assignment. Also, after the lecture this week, I've decided that perhaps doing a short non-fiction piece would be easier than a fiction piece.


However, although discussing how to choose a subject to write about and how to write it will be helpful when I come to start writing my creative piece, the questions actually made me worry that I may not know enough about one subject to be able to write about it and sell it. At least not a subject I can imagine enough people wanting to read about. 


For example, in the lecture when we had to pick a subject we know a lot about, I chose the ATC (Air Training Corps.) However, although my four years experience with the ATC as a teenager means that I do know a lot about the subject, it's not something everybody is interested in. Or anybody, as far as I know. Sure, the 'I can fly a plane' line is always good to have when I'm asked for an interesting fact, (coincidently, a game we used to play a lot in the ATC) but although people are always interested to hear how I learned to do it, I don't think it's something people would want to read 2,000 words about. 

There is an Air Cadet magazine that's read by the organisation, and my mum used to read it when I took it home and the adverts were on, but I think it's just issued to ATC squadrons, not in shops or anywhere else. 

Although, strangely, this was being auctioned online!

I did have one idea of perhaps writing an article for a young teenage magazine, promoting the organisation, but I just don't think it would work. So, something else then. If I didn't learn anything else this week, I learned that I need a new hobby. 

Although, if I was to write a fictional piece, I wouldn't necessarily write only about things I know. I've written stories before about subjects such as teenage pregnancy, alcoholism, post traumatic stress, antenatal depression, and death (yes, all of my stories are full of joy!) I didn't know much about those subjects to begin with, and yet they turned out alright (according to my marks anyway!) I suppose writing a non-fiction piece requires writing about a subject in more detail, but that's what research is for. In college as part of my English Language A-Level, we were given two information packs on random subjects, and given a month to study them. Then we had a three hour editorial exam in which we had to turn the information into a creative piece in one of two choices of genre. I chose to write a radio show, although the subject was that boring, I can't remember what it was. I was the only one to get an A, though. (Not that I'm bragging.) My point is though, if I can write a piece about something I didn't honestly research that much, and had absolutely no interest in, I could do it again. Although I would obviously research it a lot this time, and be interested in it, as well as a lot of other people too. 

So the plan this week is to think up some subjects that I could easily write about, and research if needs be, and in which publication to write about them. This might not be an easy task though, as, thanks to my dissertation, my brain is full of publishing and e-books and slush piles etc. I know the module is called Writing for Publishing, but I think writing one 10,000 word essay on the subject is enough; there's no way I'm writing another piece about it too.