YES, THE NOVELIST

Les ponders on the ability for anybody t0 write exciting copy!

I read an article in the Daily Express written by Sandra Howard, the wife of Michael Howard, one time leader of the Conservative Party. Sandra Howard was some years ago leading a very exciting life as a photographic model meeting up with such well known people as Jack and Jackie Kennedy, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Bob Hope. To-day she is a writer and novelist; I wonder what the difference is?

In her article she describes her life as it is to-day; still an exciting one but of course completely different to her life as the wife of the Conservative Party leader. Sandra Howard tells us she never went to university, never been to a creative writing class, has now got her bus pass and considers that if she can write anyone can. All of this is of interest to me because I am well aware that, as we all get older, we can't do the things we use to years ago. Well may-be not so frequently, if you follow my line of thinking. However, writing is something we can all do, well 99% of us can!

Over the years I have sent over 200 articles to our Village Pump and our Editor has seen fit to publish every one of them. It could be of cause that He recognises talent when he sees it; then again, there may well be some of you who take a less charitable view. At the present time I am busy writing four novels. Some, again the less charitable of you, may well say these are not novels but nothing more than a collection of utter rubbish. You may well be right but it keeps me mentally active. When you get to my age, fast approaching 80 years of age, what was that? You can't be, you just don't look it. Yes I know I put it down to when I was young I didn't play around with those of the opposite sex; I often wondered why I was so darn miserable. Sorry I think I have digressed, back to the writing.

As Sandra Howard tells us, when you are writing you can travel down whatever road you wish. It's all down to your imagination. And I agree some of us have a more vivid imagination than others. Going back to one of my so-called novels, I started to write what I guess was my life story. After writing about 200 words I said to myself, enough of this rubbish it's not worth reading. With that, I tore it up. I'm still writing my life story but now it's 5% fact and 95% fiction.

You would never believe the things I got up to when I was a young man. I thought living in Methwold as a teenager wasn't very exciting but it would seem my memory isn't as good as I thought. You would be surprised as to how popular I was with the young ladies. Yes, I can hear what you are saying, 'you are living in a dream world.' You are quite right but it's a better one than the real one and if it isn't I'll increase the 95% fiction to 100% if need be.

Take my tip and start writing. Who knows, you might be better than I am. Yes OK, I get it, most people are. That's it, you can buy your own drinks.

Methwold.

Les Lawrence