Hi,

it's been a while since my last post and to be honest I'm here as I feel a bit lost and am in need of some guidance I guess...

I have a play which has been produced twice - both versions have been successful but my attempts to get the script mounted in larger centres have met with indifference, positive feedback but nothing concrete.

I recently submitted a new play to a national play development workshop whereby 6 scripts would be selected and developed with industry professionals for a 2 week period. My play got positive feedback, made it to the 'further consideration' section but did not make the final 6.

I recently acquired a publisher interested in a book proposal - it got as far as the selection committee only to be rejected on the grounds of potential audience. The person who encouraged me was the co-owner of the business but while she supported it her partners didn't see the merits of the work and she was unable to push it through without support.

So at the moment...I'm not sure how I feel really... I have a year off from my job so now was / is the time to write yet I just seem to always hit a brick wall.

The frustrating thing is I get so close.

The feedback I get confirms I have the ability but I'm just constantly lacking the break, the opportunity.

I'm not depressed as such - I know acceptance of rejection is part of the territory - I just don't know where to go from here...

The playwriting I'm giving up - I've been at it for 15 years and whilst I love writing for the theatre it's just not fun anymore.

The book idea - do I write it anyway? My contact at the publishers encouraged me to search out other companies - she had just seemed so certain it would get up...

*sigh*

Oh well...worse things happen at sea...not sure what though...

Have you thought of trying your plays with BBC radio? They use a huge number of 45 minute plays and some longer ones. Worth a try.

As for your book, I'm afraid it's the name of the game. I've previously published three novels with Random House, but my agent can't place my current novel. It has always been tough for writers, but this is a particularly bad time. During the boom years, the big publishing house fell more and more into the hands of the money men, who were fixated on the huge profits to be made from the ephemeral best-sellers. Now that money is much tighter, they seem to be too scared to touch anything they don't think will make a big profit. (This is one of the main reasons why so many editors have left publishing houses to become agents.)

The only thing to do is to hang in there and keep writing, keep trying. If you've come so near, you'll make it one day.