Whole New Worlds

Since I started blogging back in March, I’ve talked about my adventures around the world as well as the many film locations I visited, and I’ve probably spent just as much time talking about films with my reviews. But recently I promised I’d start blogging more about my writing projects. After all, that’s what Curious Rookie is all about. Talking about everything that inspires me from adventures to films seems almost pointless if I’m not talking about the very thing they inspire.

In a recent post on my trip to Disneyland Paris I explained how The Magical Kingdom inspires my writing and how it can also inspire yours. In fact, it’s going to be a new category of posts from here on in – how my adventures have and continue to inspire my writing. I’ll throw in as many tips and learnings as I can, too - if you're curious that is. I’ll also discuss some of my current projects and I’ll even share more fiction with you. But for now, let’s get into why I’m so passionate about writing.

So exactly when did it all start? Well, if we’re talking about creating storylines, then that goes way back. Most kids play with toys, right? If they’re lucky enough then of course they do. And I for one was one of the lucky ones. I had them all: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ghostbusters, ThunderCats, Biker Mice From Mars, Power Rangers, Trans-Formers, Jurassic Park, to name but a few. And then there were the other kinds of toys: plush toys from Gremlins to the Were-Bears, the tiny little rubber-made figurines from the Getalong Gang to the Wuzzles. And while playing with my toys I didn’t discriminate against manufacturing materials, either – all toys were welcome, whether rubber, plastic or fabric.

Stuck under some wedding stuff in the loft, where I feel judged by the squid.

However, if we’re talking specifically about writing, then I’m not quite sure. It was definitely an early age, and I believe the proof exists. My mum is currently going through lots of old stuff in her house, and every day on the phone I keep asking her if she’s found “that Jurassic Park book” yet. I’m not referring to a novel, though. It’s actually an old notepad I was supposed to use for school, in which I ended up penning my first ever stories. I use the word “stories” lightly, of course. No doubt they’re fairly indecipherable now. After all, I was probably only nine or so when I wrote them. But unfortunately her searches have been to no avail, so you could say that perhaps the proof is somewhat extinct...

Nevertheless, my dreams aren't, and it was clear from an early age that I wanted to write. In the years that followed I remember filling dozens upon dozens of notepads with concepts, characters, plot outlines and so on, whilst huddled up to the arm of the sofa, deep in thought. Oh how the world has changed. But then I never really wrote any actual stories – except for the ones in that Jurassic Park book. And then came the millennium, when almost every household in the world owned at least one desktop computer. I would fill up my hard-drive with countless files and then visit the local library where I'd print them off for my own amusement. But no actual stories had been written by this point.

Well I was definitely a Curious Rookie back then, right?

My point is that we don’t just create stories on paper or on film – we create them in our heads first. But it wasn’t until I started reading that I realised how much I wanted to write. It must have been summer of 1996 when I purchased my first ever novel while on holiday in Devon. It was Michael Crichton’s The Lost World, the successor to bestseller Jurassic Park. And I loved it. It presented to me a new medium of pure entertainment. Sure I had read books before – mainly Roald Dahl at school – but I’d never bought a book before. Plus it had freakin’ dinosaurs in it. In an upcoming post I’ll talk more about how Michael Crichton’s work – as well as Spielberg’s – has heavily inspired one of my most precious concepts.

This isn’t to suggest I hadn’t owned other books, either. As a child I read movie tie-in novel such as Ghostbusters (of course, right?) and Independence Day to name but a few. And while tie-in novels don’t constitute as “fan fiction” per say, perhaps that’s where my desire to write such fiction came from. If you’re not already aware, I’m actually working on a Ghostbusters fan fiction novel. There’s not much I can do with it when it’s done, though, but if you read an upcoming post you’ll find out how and when you can read it!

And so fifteen years ago I decided to enrol on a home course with The Writer's Bureau, but the course material quickly gathered dust in my old bedroom at my mum’s house. In fact, I'm not sure I made any distance with it. Three years ago, though, she came across it and asked if I’d like to keep any of it. But why would I want to, when I could simply enrol onto the course all over again. And that’s exactly what I did.

With more than enough encouragement from Sian, I started studying with The Writer's Bureau back in 2014. I’d already had some practise with The Open University three years prior with bitesize course Start Writing Fiction for which I scored a 95% pass rate. In fact it was this that gave me the confidence to continue. But it's also what enabled me to develop the tools to break down that barrier and actually start writing stories. Why I waited three years, though, I’ll never know. But since enrolling with the Bureau again (that sounds cooler than it is), I’ve never looked back. It hasn’t been easy, and nor should it be. Though I have acquired some serious disciplines about writing which I'll starting sharing with you. 

This one isn't gathering any dust...

Since starting the course, I’ve worked on short stories, produced countless film reviews, and have now almost finished that fan fiction novel – which has been a great way to consolidate my learnings and prepare for writing future novels. But why did I enrol in the first place? The answer is simple: I had grown tired – no, sick – of working in dead-end jobs. I don’t know if I’ll even come close to being the “next J.K.”. Maybe I don’t want to. Maybe I just want to get by writing. Ultimately I just want to make a living doing what I love, and what I’ve also come to realise I’m pretty good at. Life’s too short to spend it doing something that makes you miserable, or unimportant. If you’ve got a talent then exploit it, or as I’ve called that upcoming post about my Ghostbusters novel, Grab The Terror Dog By The Horns.

However, it might surprise you to know I’m only on my tenth assignment. But don't lose hope. There are twenty-four assignments in total; twelve that cover fiction and the other twelve non-fiction. And as it’s a four-year course, this means I have just shy of twelve months to complete fourteen assignments. The truth is life gets in the way, but my advice to you is just keep on writing, when and where possible. Let those struggles inspire and motivate you. Over the past three years I've been working on more than just my assignments. In fact, it's because of the course that I have branched out and dipped my fingers into other writing pies.

In closing, you might be wondering why I've not talked about school in this entire post. Frankly, where writing is concerned, it taught me nothing. Primary school taught me how to read and write, of course, but secondary school was a complete waste of my time. In fact, I believe I've learned more since leaving. And it's never too late to learn. If you're trying to build your career as a writer, then be sure to keep an eye out on future posts where I'll offer tips and guidance on crafting short stories, developing plot outlines, character biographies and even crafting the beast that is the novel itself, and many more. 

Curious Rookie is moving!

In a few weeks, I'll be moving to a new website where you'll be able to navigate the blog with ease! Posts will be divided into categories which will include film reviews, travel, fiction and projects. Until then, keep reading and stay curious...

Upcoming posts:-

Grabbing The Terror Dog By The Horns

Why Snowdonia Is Our Very Own British Columbia

How Travelling Has Inspired My Writing

Top-Secret Project: The Trespasser And The Mercenary