Hi everybody, My name is Mark O'Hara. I am in the process of writing a book that is titled 'The Winners Monologue'. Its is basically a collection of my own thoughts and perceptions in regards to challenges, adversity, failure, success and integrity expressed in the form of short articles, quotes and poetry. It has had some pleasent reviews from some sports coaches including my old Scotland Rugby League coach and i have recently had acknowledgment off Sir Alex Ferguson. I am currently working on the structure of the book as i have had a mock print run and thought the content could be structured more effectivly. I think it is important to state that i do not profess to be a motivational speaker. What i write is my 'inner monologue' when faced with adversity or a challenge. I grew up with poor health due to breathing difficulties which led me to missalot of school and fudemental principles in various subjects which ultimately led me to fail all my GCSE's. However, i am now 24 with a national diploma, foundation degree and honours degreee. I have represented Scotland Rugby league at u18's, student and A team standard and own my own health and fitness company. I really would love for my collection of thoughts to help people. The first 100 copies of my (1st draft) were sold within 4 weeks at different prices £6.99 - £9.99. So any help would be great Mark
Hey Mark, how's it going, man? That's some interesting stuff you've got going on there. Do you write and read any fiction? What inspires you to write, and do you have any hobbies other than the obvious of writing? Lemme know, and can't wait to see your opinions via blog, story, novel, quote, poetry, whatever. Welcome to zeh Forum.
Hi and welcome Am I right in thinking you are self published? It's just that it's the first time I have heard a "first draft" being sold.. just curious!
Hi, yeah it is self published. I first put my writing on the internet and received a really positive response which led me to put my collection of work into a book format. I did it purly to challenge myself and see if people still thought was good if they had to pay for it, and they did so i am taking a more serious approach with it now and would like to get this '2nd draft' completed and possibly approach a literary agent, although from what i have read it is pretty difficult. But 'who dares wins' right!? 'Thehedgehog' - To be honest i dont read any fiction. If i read it is usual non fiction exercise, nutrition or motivation based stuff. I mainly draw my inspiration from 'adversity' and 'challenges'. I tend to write best when i am on the verge of giving up or quiting, although it seems a very dark place i find it is my most creative. Other than writing my hobbies are helping people acheive their fitness and weight loss/gain goals as youl have seen from the nature of my website. I love to cook for my girlfreind and i used to love to play rugby but retired last feb at the ripe old age of 24 Than you for your questions, anything else you want to know just ask...i am an open book!
Hi Mark Welcome, I am new here too! Your work sounds very interesting - the kind of thing I like to read too. Good luck and enjoy the forum, there are some interesting subjects to browse and some very nice people here. Wendy
Hello Mark, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Please note that we do have strict rules against advertising on this site. Posting your own work should not be among the very first things you do here. It is worth taking the time to see what other people have done to improve their writing, and see if some of it applies to your writing as well. That is part of why we require members to review other members' work before posting their own for review. On the other hand, there are no restrictions, other than content and copyright rules, on showcasing your work in your member blog. If you haven't explored the site yet, you should probably do so soon. Newcomers often gravitate to the Lounge, the Word Games, or the Review Room, but there is much more to be discovered if you poke in the corners. Remember to check out our FAQ as well, and be sure to read through the forum rules, too, to avoid any misunderstandings or hurt feelings. Respect for one another is our principal mandate. As for the Review Room, new joiners often wonder why we do things a bit differently on this site than on other writing sites. We emphasize constructive critique as a vital writing skill. Training your eye by reviewing other people's work helps you improve your own writing even before you present it for others to see. Therefore, we ask members to review other people's writing before posting work of their own. The Review Room forums on this site, therefore, are true workshops, not just a bulletin board for displaying your work (and on that note, please only post each item for review in one Review Room forum). See this post, Why Write Reviews Before Posting My Work? for more information. And while you're looking around, don't forget to check out our Weekly Short Story Contest and Weekly Poetry Contest. They actually run more than one week apiece, but any member may enter, and all members are urged to vote for their favorites. Enjoy your stay here, and have fun!
