I first began to dabble with writing in my late teens. Mainly because it felt like being an author might be the only thing I could ever be good at. At school, I had no patience to master a musical instrument, and my attempts at portrait drawing were met by my art teacher’s comment, “I’d hate to meet that on a dark night, Beeken!” My skills at woodwork were similarly cack-handed.

I was the only boy in my class whose wooden boat sank!

My attempts at writing were also not initially inspiring. I left my job at HMV to write a science fiction novel, which I typed out on an old manual typewriter (yes, I’m old enough to have used one). I never got around to editing the first draft though. Reality, as always, intervened, and this time, it was in the shape of the Social Security badgering me to get a job.

The project remains gathering dust in the attic under a box of Christmas decorations…

What followed was a thirty year career with HMRC as a VAT inspector, which to my amazement, turned out to be not only enjoyable, but also one I was surprisingly good at. It was only when retirement loomed that I found myself taking up writing again, this time with a clearer picture of what I wanted to write and how to go about telling the stories I had in my head.

Two self-published efforts followed, showing me I had the discipline to finish the project (the bane of all would-be authors!) and giving me the pleasure of collecting a few pennies (literally) in royalties.

All the aspiring authors I have spoken to have told me how they battle with the feeling of “imposter syndrome,” and I am no exception.

But with the next project, Ghosts of Oaklight Hall, I finally overcame that and felt that I was writing something truly original, something that I wanted to be heard more widely than my previous self-published efforts. Fortunately, I was able to find a publisher in JMS Books, so my conceit didn’t seem totally misplaced.

With The Medway Wolf I have used the skills of a professional editor for the first time, and I would advise everyone else to do the same. Typos are like landmines in your text, and you’ll never find them all. I have a new project underway, and I’ll let you know more about that on here or on my Facebook page.

In the end, the only difference between dreaming about writing and being an author is the decision to keep going.

I’m still on that path—drafts, edits, self-doubt, and all—and I’m grateful for every reader who comes along for the ride. If you’re curious about the next chapter of my journey, I’d be delighted to share it with you.

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