2. A Little About Me
Hi again! Welcome to Part 2, the follow up.
Firstly, I’d just like to thank everybody so much for following, liking and clicking. Going by numbers alone, the response to the site launch was double what I tentatively hoped for at this stage of the journey! More importantly though are the words of kindness and encouragement that many of you have shared. Know that I’ve saved every single one of them, and one day mean to make them into a Displate to hang behind my monitor.
Writing has always been an outlet for me. I wrote my first piece at around the age of ten, an Animorphs-inspired 15-pager called Trail of the Trulloc (original monster, all rights reserved), but in truth, my journey started long before then. Throughout my youth and early days, reading was my primary pastime. I was lucky enough to have parents who, being great exponents of the written word, supplied me with shelves upon shelves of books to fuel my imagination and stoke my early passions for writing. My favourites, apart from the aforementioned series by K.A.Applegate, included Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson), Robinson Crusoe (Daniel Defoe), The Rangers Apprentice series by John Flanagan, the much-loved Percy Jackson series (Rick Riordan), and Artemis Fowl (Eoin Colfer). Into my teen years, I moved on to more YA and adult fare, such as the Gone Series by Michael Grant, the works of Michael Crichton, Robert Ludlum, Matthew Reilly and Dan Brown, and the now-ubiquitous Game of Thrones, by everybody’s favourite finale-avoidant author, GRRM.
As a developing writer, I have tried on many hats. At around 14, I attempted a “Feudal England meets Orcs and Elves” themed project that clocked in around 42000 words (I wonder where I drew my inspiration from…) before trying my hand at song-writing – high school friends remember that phase! – and poetry. As an adult, I have journalled frequently (not to mention 6 years of university assignments and writing being a big part of my day job!), but always longed to return to novel writing, not just as an outlet, but as something I can one day maybe even turn into a real job. One day…
On that note, what are my expectations with all this? As amazing as my debut novel becoming a bestseller would be (never say never!) my primary goal here is just to finish a book that I’m proud of, is the best that I can do, and is an enriching experience for those who take the time to read it. I could speak for hours about the lofty ambitions I have for the subject matter, but it’s just as important to me to make this book accessible and enjoyable – This is the entertainment business, after all.
So, I want to make this project as wonderful as I possibly can. I want to learn, from my readers and friends, what things I do well, and what things I can do better. And I want to keep getting better. I know it’s early days, but already, I dream of sequels, prequels and distinct stories that I may also one day bring to you all. Every gesture of support from each and every one of you gets me one step closer.
Because, at the end of the day, making art is what makes us human, and creation for the sake of creation is ALWAYS worthwhile.
Thank you for reading.
With love,
JSH
