Hello Worlds!

My writing journey, creative ambition, connecting with readers, wild day jobs

I’m 55 years an avid reader, with a taste for the imaginative. I’ve long written short stories and I’m 11 years a novelist. By default I now see this writing stuff as the day job.

Welcome! My newsletter started just after my book deal in 2017. I’ve tried to give a ringside seat in one writer’s journey, made sure people knew about free events with cake and where to get the books, and discussed people’s questions on fiction, writing and publishing. Being an author sometimes feels like shouting into the wind - the newsletter gives me connection with readers, different perspectives, and a view from the ground.

I’ve benefited from those more experienced than me, I want to give back, and this year has really reminded me, we’re all on a learning journey together.

My two published novels are Our Child of the Stars and Our Child of Two Worlds - lovely reviews and I’m jolly proud of them.  At the end of the Sixties a childless couple find a boy from the stars. The books tell about the dangers they face and what it means for a war-torn world. The books are “heartfelt, richly imaginative and gripping”. A recent reviewer said they couldn’t recommend the books highly enough.

I’m working on a Victorian novel pitched as “1880s London and two fraudulent spiritualists try to prevent a murder.”

For decades, my day job was wild. I headed communications in well-known organisations, including Great Ormond Street Hospital, the Campaign for Real Ale, Chelsea and Westminster during the pandemic, and turnaround comms at the Nursing and Midwifery Council (six months after it was found to be ‘failing at every level’.) I’m ready to talk about some of the extraordinary stuff for fun, and for what it taught me. (Respecting ethics and confidentiality.)

I build on this to do workshops helping ordinary shy writers feel more confident about talking about their work.

In future issues: Editing - lost without a map? What genres can you mix? The time I gave a Tory Lord a bad school report. And how what I write, and what I like to read don’t always overlap.

About this newsletter

My newsletter matters to me. This updated platform offers more connection with readers, and could connect my supporters with each other. It’s surprisingly difficult to tell 99% of people who liked your first book, that you have something else out. Newsletter readers have helped spread the word. (Social media has its place but now there’s no guarantee you’ll see an update.)

If you like my stuff, nothing will grow my subscribers like you sharing this with your friends.

I’ll take about other stuff which interests me and I’ll share stuff I liked.

I intend to produce this ‘regularly’. It will be more frequent as I establish this new format, listen to feedback, and see what works. I may post a couple more times in the next few days. If you really only want big updates like publication dates, let me know.

I intend to produce regular free content as I always have. This platform lets me put some content behind a paywall. I genuinely haven’t decided whether or how to do this. Typically on this platform 90-95% of people just read the free stuff. Substack **recommends** you make some of your best content free.

You can pledge now to subscribe IF I switch that on, your card is only charged when I do. You can switch from unpaid to paid to unpaid as you like.

Housekeeping

Photo by Slaapwijsheid.nl on Unsplash

Safe and sensible

I look forward to comments that are vaguely on topic and respectful to other people. I block bigots and the tedious.