The influence of school and its impact on an adult's life

[Victoria O'Keefe]

I kind of wish i was a member of the Itty Bitty Titty Club. Instead, I have followed the women on Dad's side. Plenty of attention in school i did not want.

[George 1978]

It is a pity that people are not taken at face value - just because someone happens to be different, be it because of religion, nationality, political views or whatever, they should be respected as such. Even if male ballet dancers wore them, it isn't the end of the world.

Articles 9 and 10 of the Human Rights Act 1998: a right of freedom, thought, conscience and religion, and also a right of expression.

[Victoria O'Keefe]

Indeed - I put it down to plain ignorance about the fact that someone just happens to be different.

Billy Elliot did the world of good for male ballet dancers. Stand up, Wayne Sleep and Michael Flatley!

Not to mention that boy ballet dancers don't wear female ballet attire or princess attire.

And the fact that these modern pre-teens still think being gay is an all-purpose insult shows that bigotry is out of the spotlight but just as strong as ever.

[George 1978]

Indeed - I put it down to plain ignorance about the fact that someone just happens to be different.

Billy Elliot did the world of good for male ballet dancers. Stand up, Wayne Sleep and Michael Flatley!

[Victoria O'Keefe]

20 years ago, the schoolgirl character on "Everybody Loves Raymond" is called "confident" in an episode for bullying a classmate.

A young son of one of my friends recently dropped out of ballet because his so-called "friends" were calling him "gay" for doing ballet and cyber-bullying him.

Nothing has changed.

[George 1978]

Best Of British magazine used to be/still is a place for personal stories of the past, especially WWII era of course. Record Collector was/is a good place for vintage music memoirs and memories. Generally though it does seem particular expertise in something is the main foot in the door these days.

I try and get Best of British when I am in WHSmith - it's a great magazine. The Bygones page in my local newspaper is another place where those who remember that time used to get nostalgic about what life was like back in the day.

[George 1978]

Everything to everybody often ends up as nothing to nobody!

Successful writers are knowledgeable about specific topics and they have a clear target audience for their work. There are some writers who rattle an article off the top of their head with no idea who the target audience is, and become an overnight success, but they are rare.

I'm clutching at straws here, but I can't help wondering if a lack of focus is the root cause for your lack of success as a writer rather than other obstacles you have encountered over the years.

Are you looking to write just for informative purposes and to share knowledge? For influential purposes? For making money? To support a career (that isn't writing)? As a result of research? What exactly?

A bit of both - I wouldn't limit myself to just one side of things. I did try and get something published a few years ago but the costs of publishing made me abandon the idea.

[beccabear67]

Best Of British magazine used to be/still is a place for personal stories of the past, especially WWII era of course. Record Collector was/is a good place for vintage music memoirs and memories. Generally though it does seem particular expertise in something is the main foot in the door these days.

[Arran]

Anything and everything.

Everything to everybody often ends up as nothing to nobody!

Successful writers are knowledgeable about specific topics and they have a clear target audience for their work. There are some writers who rattle an article off the top of their head with no idea who the target audience is, and become an overnight success, but they are rare.

I'm clutching at straws here, but I can't help wondering if a lack of focus is the root cause for your lack of success as a writer rather than other obstacles you have encountered over the years.

Are you looking to write just for informative purposes and to share knowledge? For influential purposes? For making money? To support a career (that isn't writing)? As a result of research? What exactly?

[George 1978]

What things do you want to write about? Who is your main target audience?

Anything and everything.

[Arran]

I have the odd letter published in newspapers (one of them won letter of the week). But surely, one would need to be a publisher to write for a magazine?

What things do you want to write about? Who is your main target audience?

[George 1978]

I have the odd letter published in newspapers (one of them won letter of the week). But surely, one would need to be a publisher to write for a magazine?

[beccabear67]

It seems like there is a lot less opportunity for artists/creators than ever, not that it was ever 'easy', but other than putting things on the internet free to all now...

And I have been published and paid in the (distant) past as an illustrator, a writer, editor, and even as a recorded songwriter. Your best chance is to write or create for a specialist magazine, even if it barely pays, or only in a few copies... and it is sort of about building up a social network over time. The world is still short of nurses and doctors but it did seem from my generation there were really too many creative types that came out of school and got a lot of temporary jobs mostly... and after mine the situation got more hopeless.

[George 1978]

As a footnote, I would say that personal experience is the best experience in life.

[Arran]

Something that really baffles me are parents who are very pro school but anti education. They want their children to attend school; they will not consider home education or alternative provisions - such as vocational courses at college instead of GCSEs; but they are not interested in their children excelling academically. In fact they often take action to deliberately hold back their children's academic attainment.

This mentality most commonly prevails amongst white British parents from lower socioeconomic groups along with black Caribbeans. It is uncommon amongst south Asians or black Africans.

There is a big question as to what exactly do parents with this mentality want out of school? Do they possibly misunderstand the purpose of school?