My Early Writing
In 1984 I had a heart attack. As a consequence, my controller’s licence was withdrawn. Was this, I wondered, a wake-up call, showing me the way towards doing something I had long dreamed of?
In the event I continued working in ATC, but in a non-operational capacity. At the same time, I determined to become a writer.
While still at home, recovering from the attack, I bought an electric typewriter and began the process of rehabilitation through writing. The typewriter eventually gave way to a PCW word processor and that, in time gave way to an all-singing, all-dancing computer.
I wanted to be seen as a real writer, not just a casual scribbler, but writing is a skill that has to be learned. I quickly discovered that the idea of dashing off a one hundred thousand word novel and becoming famous overnight was no more than a fanciful dream. It was not going to happen. If I was to become a published writer I would need to go through the apprenticeship of learning how to write, and it was not going to be a quick and easy process.
I set myself the task of first producing something relatively simple: a fifty thousand word formula romance. I was clear in my mind that this would be only a stepping stone towards my eventual goal, but one that I would have to take. The eventual outcome was not just one short romantic novel, but two. Both were published by Robert Hale and, later, in large print edition by Linford.
Around this time, I also polished up my writing skills by producing works of non-fiction and a number of technical books for my employers, National Air Traffic Services. My guide book, Teach Your Son Or Daughter to Drive, sold four thousand advance copies prior to publication date.
Finally, I started on my end goal: to write ‘real’ novels. These, I decided, would be full-length, gritty stories that would carry the reader along on carefully constructed plots.
Persistence seems to have paid off. My thirtieth novel was published in 2016.
In the event I continued working in ATC, but in a non-operational capacity. At the same time, I determined to become a writer.
While still at home, recovering from the attack, I bought an electric typewriter and began the process of rehabilitation through writing. The typewriter eventually gave way to a PCW word processor and that, in time gave way to an all-singing, all-dancing computer.
I wanted to be seen as a real writer, not just a casual scribbler, but writing is a skill that has to be learned. I quickly discovered that the idea of dashing off a one hundred thousand word novel and becoming famous overnight was no more than a fanciful dream. It was not going to happen. If I was to become a published writer I would need to go through the apprenticeship of learning how to write, and it was not going to be a quick and easy process.
I set myself the task of first producing something relatively simple: a fifty thousand word formula romance. I was clear in my mind that this would be only a stepping stone towards my eventual goal, but one that I would have to take. The eventual outcome was not just one short romantic novel, but two. Both were published by Robert Hale and, later, in large print edition by Linford.
Around this time, I also polished up my writing skills by producing works of non-fiction and a number of technical books for my employers, National Air Traffic Services. My guide book, Teach Your Son Or Daughter to Drive, sold four thousand advance copies prior to publication date.
Finally, I started on my end goal: to write ‘real’ novels. These, I decided, would be full-length, gritty stories that would carry the reader along on carefully constructed plots.
Persistence seems to have paid off. My thirtieth novel was published in 2016.
