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

SHARE YOUR STORY

WRITING A RIOT

‘Little Boy Lost is the third in the DCI Anna Tate series,’ writes subscriber James Raven.

‘The story revolves around the mysterious death of a ten-year-old boy whose body is found in a derelict building in South London. It’s set against a backdrop of violent rioting across the capital that’s triggered after a woman is shot dead by police.

‘Eight years ago, in August 2011, thousands of people took to the streets in what became known as the London Riots. They flared up in Tottenham after police shot and killed a young black man named Mark Duggan. There was widespread looting and dozens of buildings were burned down. The mayhem lasted for five days and spread to other cities. Five people died and damage to property topped £200m.

‘On 8 August that year I was in a restaurant in Peckham High Street when hundreds of people, mostly young men, gathered outside.

‘The front windows of a store only yards from where I was standing were shattered suddenly and youths wearing masks rushed inside to loot it. Minutes later a nearby building went up in flames and riot police appeared. The area quickly became a warzone as they chased the youths. Missiles were lobbed at the officers and vehicles were attacked in a frenzy of violence.

‘Since that evening in 2011 I’ve often considered writing a book set in London during those riots. Instead, I decided to imagine that it’s happening all over again. I drew on my own experience and spent hours reading through the tons of news reports online. I wanted the descriptions of the rioting to be as accurate as possible.

‘So Little Boy Lost, which I wrote under my pseudonym JP Carter, draws on my own terrifying experience in the midst of a riot. It is more than just a crime story. It draws attention to the terrifying prospect that we could at any time see a repeat of the anarchy that prevailed in 2011.’

Website: www.james-raven.com

SAGAS, STORIES, AND SMUGGLING

‘When I completed Writing Magazine’s fiction writing course before the turn of the millennium I had no idea that a new career was about to open up for me,’ writes subscriber Valerie Holmes.

‘I was a mum with two young children who had given up a full-time career. I soon discovered that I loved making up stories.