Bliss

[LesFloyd]

I think it's fair to say that I'm a 'proper' freelance writer now, after having just submitted my tenth article to the local papers.

I've accelerated my writing immensely since my first story appeared at the start of June, and there are still more articles to write over the next week.

Four of the ten, so far, were written for my local paper's West Cumbrian sister paper, The Times & Star.

I applied for the job of writing a games review column at that paper, after responding to an appeal in their website's forum. The contact was on holiday when I first wrote, but I spoke to her the next week and she asked if I could send the mail again, as her inbox was confusing her.

A week later, I contacted her again, to ask if she'd had a chance to think about my application, but she told me she was extremely busy - since others were on holiday - and she'd definitely get back to me by the end of the week, when the weekly paper was wrapped up and put to print.

Seeing an opportunity for some extra journalism experience, I wrote back and asked if there was anything I could do to help her out, since she seemed snowed under.

First of all, she wrote back and asked if I could drive. I said no, which was a pity, because she then told me she wanted me to test-drive a 'luxury' car. Bah!

She wrote again, after that, and asked me to write a 500 word article on a Blue band, for the Maryport Blues Festival supplement, which will be appearing in the paper at the end of the month.

I had a great time... phoning up and saying I was a 'freelance journalist' working for the paper. It was special. :-)

After I handed this article in, she asked me if I would write two more 250 pieces on another couple of bands, but said that her editor had been so pleased with my first submission that he was thinking of asking me to interview 'The Yard Birds' if the two smaller subs were the same quality as the first one.

They were, and I got the 'gig', which had me grinning from ear to ear.

I interviewed founder member of The Yardbirds, Jim McCarty, via email and had some great responses to my questions... enough to write more than just a few different stories on him.

The paper loved it. My local paper asked for a modified version for their arts section, and I've also got to send a version to the Hollywood MondoCult website.

Also, Jim McCarty told me to say hello after their gig, and we can talk about some other things, such as his healing music and the depression he suffered from in the 70s. I'm really looking forward to this live interview and can hopefully have a chat with the rest of the band.

On Friday, last week, I received a formal, unconditional offer to start studying for a BA (Hons) Journalism degree at the local Arts Institute.

I applied after receiving a fantastic reference from my Deputy Editor, which had me smiling for days. I'll paste it on the end here... it's special. It helped me to fast-track straight into Year One, rather than pre-degree Year Zero, and I can't thank the guy enough for the boost he has given me.

More great news was that sports shoe company New Balance wrote to me last week to say that they'd like to sponsor my weight-loss and fitness efforts by donating a pair of running shoes and a t-shirt. I feel really proud that they rate my efforts highly enough to put their name with me. I'm sure it's great publicity for them, but I'm happy with my part of the deal.

Life is going so great. When I consider it's almost exactly two years since I took a heavy overdose which I was lucky to survive, I can hardly believe how far I've come since then.

I love my life now. I hope I don't get run over by a bus, but even if I did, I feel as though I've finally achieved something in my life. 

Les



I have known Les Floyd for a relatively short time, but I have been so impressed with him that I have no hesitation in recommending him to you as a student.

Les has been our most prolific blogger on the News & Star's website and has always shown a professional attitude to sending his blogs every day. He has also shown an encouraging desire to ensure he is accurate and fair in what he writes.

He has written thousands of words about his personal life and has always done so in a way which engages the reader. Les has also written an article for our business page and I was very impressed with the standard of his copy which was way above what we normally receive from work experience students or undergraduates.

Les will have no doubt have told you about some of the health problems he has had to overcome. I do not know about these issues in any great detail, but I have been genuinely impressed with Les's determination to persevere with his writing.

If Les was to get a place on your course I would be happy to offer him work experience and support during his studies.

Les may not have the qualifications or experience of some other candidates, but he does have important attributes that are so often lacking in the would-be journalists we see at the News & Star: good writing skills; determination; curiosity and plenty of ideas about potential stories.


Deputy Editor
News & Star
The Cumberland News

[Robert M. Blevins]

Good for you, Les. I mean that. 

[JoyceCarter]

It gives the day a lift to read something like this.

[SharonBell]

Good at ya, Les! You deserve all good things! 

[canadian]

Keep it all comin', Les! Your talents are finally being recognized and I'm so glad you're working like a fiend! 

[LesFloyd]

Thanks, you wonderful people! 

Extra news just in is that, after the Carer site I reported about (which I posted a link to on here, somewhere) had been sabotaged and deleted by some arse, I managed to throw a bit of 'journo weight' around, and I've been contacted by a local web-design business who have pledged to rebuild the site, better than before, with hosting and domain names... free of charge! 

[JoyceCarter]

 

[SharonBell]

Damn, you're good! 

[Geoff_N]

I'd like to tell you all that Les was nothing before he met me. 
But that man has so much latent talent, has such a way with words and in spite of being on a sponsored diet is bursting with ideas that I pale before him.

A well deserved break, Les.

Geoff

[canadian]

Les, you absolutely never cease to amaze me! Can I also bask (along with Geoffie) in your limelight? Ya know, all of those hairy Yahoo chats last winter between the bunch of us had to have had some impact on your current success. 

[Ed]

Well done, mate 

And don't let any of these crafty buggers steal your limelight

[Walker]

I'm not sure what was going on, but I couldn't post on this thread all day. It's workin' now...*shrug*

This sure is a heart-warming tale, Les. Way to go buddy!   
Sometimes it seems like we've got to see the bottom of the barrel before we can rise up and find our rightful place. You've come a long way, baby! 

[LesFloyd]

It's true... without Geoff and Donna giving me moral support when all that Broemmel business was really getting me down, I don't know where I'd be. 

Thanks to them! And thanks to all the rest of you... I'm really touched at all the kind words. You're all ace! 

Would you have supported and praised me as much if I hadn't been on my way to being a journalist, but a porn star instead? 

[canadian]

Would you have supported and praised me as much if I hadn't been on my way to being a journalist, but a porn star instead? 

Oh, yeah, baby! 

[JoyceCarter]

Reflected glory is reflected glory - it's all a claim to fame! 

(I was just imagining somebody at a dinner party saying proudly, 'I sold Miss Fellatio throat pastilles last week,' and remembered reading on another site how the advertisements for throat sweets that said, 'Sore throat?  Go suck a Zube,' had to be withdrawn following complaints somewhere in the Middle East because in that language, 'zube' is 'c*ck'...)