About Me
I’ve always found it difficult to talk about myself. You always run the risk of coming across as egotistical or narcissistic. Regardless, I’ve given it a go, and hopefully this page will shine a small beam of light on myself and help to explain a little about me and why I do what I do.
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For as long as I’ve had any ambition, I’ve only ever wanted to be a writer. I can’t remember the exact moment where I came to realise it was what I wanted to do, I only remember knowing that writing, in any capacity, was something I had to do.
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I read a lot as a kid. I loved scary stories, tales of mystery and suspense that tapped into what truly scares a person. I loved experiencing stories and character arcs unfold first hand – an experience that written language can provide when nothing else can. Authors like Darren Shan and R.L. Stine especially, inspired me to start writing my own short stories, although there are so many others that I’ve drawn inspiration from as well.
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I’ve always seen writing as an art form – often underappreciated, granted, but an art form nonetheless. Writers, to me, are artists, people who can paint images inside the minds of those who read their work. My favourite quote of all-time comes from Anton Chekhov, the legendary Russian playwright and short story writer, and it encompasses what it’s all about for me.
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Chekhov’s quote reads, “Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.”
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It’s a stunning quote, that fully transcribes what writing is about, to me at least. It highlights the strength in merit of those who creatively construct their work, who deliver messages through different lenses as opposed to spoon feeding their audience.
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Literature and language can transport you to another world, as both the writer and the reader. It can bring you joy or sadness, elation or despondency, laughter or anger. It can make you think differently, act differently, exist differently.
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So now I’m 20 years old and I’m studying Sports Journalism at the University of Gloucestershire, practicing and developing my abilities as a sports writer whilst also still writing fiction, recreationally.
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My degree was born out of my love for sport – principally, football. I would often read match reports from games, which eventually became a religious task. I loved analysing the way in which different sports writers would present their account of events. I would write my own, practising different styles of writing and try to shape how the story reads through different techniques. I started to watch games differently, imagining how the story or report could be shaped by my own style of writing, leaking my personality into the print.
I’ve always been a bit of a movie nut too, ever since I was young. Likewise with sport, eventually my fascination with the craft of writing leaked over into the cinematic industry. Cinema is yet another way to uniquely tell a story, and whether you play the part as a writer, actor or director, or the scores of roles in between, you help to create something special.
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I’ve tried my hand at screenwriting for some time now, although I’ve yet to complete anything I’m actually happy with. I’m definitely the most critical person of my own work, and often spend far too much time rewriting things that I don’t like. But that’s half the fun!
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So now a student, without a clear idea about exactly what I’d like to do, I’m exploring all aspects of the media, keen to soak up all the knowledge I can so I can be one of the best at my craft. That’s the ultimate aim, to be good at what I do, and hopefully one day, inspire someone in the same way that I’ve been inspired myself.