SUBSCRIBER SPOTLIGHT

Share your writing success stories. If you subscribe to Writing Magazine and would like to feature here, email Tina Jackson, tjackson@warnersgroup.co.uk

Look back in Uganda

‘I was born reading, or so it seems, as I don’t actually remember learning to read,’ writes subscriber David Ardron.

‘As a teenager I was introduced to the writings of PG Wodehouse and James Herriot, and it was their work that planted in me the desire to write. However, due to the busyness of teenage life, forging a career, pop music, girls and beer, I put the desire to one side.

‘In 1990 I took the opportunity of visiting East Africa, little realising that Uganda would play a major part of my future. My visits progressed through the years, with new adventures, new friends, and funny incidents which weren’t funny at the time they were happening.

‘At this time my reading had progressed on to travel books, and I realised that some books had been written to promote development work in various parts of the world. “What a good idea”, I thought. Fortunately I keep a journal of my visits to Africa which I used as source material for The Adventures of a Mzungu. Over several years the book took shape, until I felt it was as complete as it could be.

‘Whilst browsing the magazine shelves of a local supermarket I came across Writing Magazine. I took a copy home, read it, and paid my subscription fee for regular copies. In the magazine I spotted advertisements for self-publishing and chose Matador as my preferred vehicle. Matador offered a comprehensive service, steering me through editing, typesetting, proof reading, production, and marketing. Hence, my book was born.

‘Yes, it was expensive (you get what you pay for) and, no, I’m not expecting to make a profit. My idea for the book is to promote development in Africa, and to encourage others to get involved. The world is wide open. Get out there!’

The pull of the the past

‘Since my mother introduced me to books at an early age I have loved reading,’ writes subscriber Daphne Breen.

‘A natural consequence was to want to write. First efforts included plays as I belonged to a dramatic society but it was too ambitious. Apart from writing at work (application software manuals) and studying for professional qualifications, I have written local history pamphlets for sale by Stockport Heritage Trust. History, including historical novels, is my other great interest.

‘But I always wanted to write a novel. I deliberated on possible ideas over several years but kept returning to one. The only trouble was that while the first half of the story worked well, the rest was not good. Then I thought – why not make it a historical novel? It wasn’t just a simple lightbulb moment, it was the whole of Blackpool Illuminations switching on! Immediately the story began to write itself. Not only did the ending fall into place, characters developed and side plots multiplied! Of course, this meant a fair amount of research to do with the period and Stockport’s ancient market place as this was the main location but I enjoyed that. The result was my first novel Twenty Days Dead. Aware of the unlikelihood of being accepted by a traditional publisher, I decided to self-publish as an ebook on Kindle.

‘I thoroughly enjoyed the writing experience while realising I had much to learn (and unlearn – writing manuals is extremely different to creative writing) and the tips I gleaned from two years’ worth of Writing Magazine were invaluable. I received some encouraging reviews by which time I was keen to use what I had learnt and was well into my next novel, a sequel, Ten Days a Thief. This has now been recently published as an ebook and as a paperback with Amazon.

I should now really devote some time to promoting my books, perhaps with a website, but a further book is beckoning. I would thoroughly recommend any writer struggling for inspiration to consider changing the background, for example to a different historical period or location. It certainly worked for me!’

Pearl’s a winner

‘My new book, The Rector’s Pearl, is my eleventh,’ writes subscriber Linda Sawley.

‘This book has had a long gestation – you can tell I’ve been a midwife – but I first got the idea at a signing of my third book, The Key, in 2004, where I was next to a stand containing Shire Publications. I saw a book about Victorian schoolrooms which I bought.

‘The idea came to me about a woman who was forced to go out to work, and she went to work in a Victorian school. My niece then got a post as a teacher in a Victorian school in Todmorden and they have their own swimming pool at the school. When I heard about this, it reminded me of my idea, so that restarted the book, as the character started forming in my mind. It is my longest book so far – that is the beauty of publishing books in e-format only. When I write a book for ordinary printing, I’m very aware that the longer the book, the more expensive it will be to have printed.