Shout to the top - Guest Post From Author Julia Hughes

Shout to the top! (or why you should always plan for success).

'I want you all to write a letter to a newspaper, and if your letter is published, I'll give you a form credit.' Said the English teacher, adding: 'Don't bother writing to the national papers, you'll stand a better chance with a local newspaper.'
So twenty-nine of her pupils duly composed a letter to the weekly locals. One twelve year old went home, and after a little thought, wrote to the most popular newspaper in the United Kingdom.

It was short, it was cheeky and the editor squeezed it into the letter page. None of the other students' letters were published by the local rags. Flagrant disregard of teacher's advice meant only one kid in the class got brownie points. That kid was me! Better still – the newspaper sent me a cheque!

This writing lark is money for old rope, I decided.

I'm older and wiser now; I've learned writing for a living demands dedication, as well as some knowledge of the craft. But all those years ago, my English teacher taught me a valuable lesson: With the best of intentions, some people will prepare you for failure. Don't let them. Aim for the heights, because if you are going to fail, it's better to fail spectacularly rather than fail miserably. Aim high, and if you're good enough, chances are YOU will be the one in thirty, or the one in thirty-three million who succeed.

"Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star."
W. Clement Stone (or in my case, "The Sun")!

Since being published at the tender age of twelve in "The Sun" newspaper, Julia Hughes has written loads more, and published five eBooks.

Her latest title, "The Griffin Cryer" has just finished a very successful free run, and for the rest of January is on offer at a special price of only 77p, or $1.20.
You can discover more about this young adult fantasy, and meet all her books by visiting Julia's website JuliaHughes.co.uk