In June 2021, I launched my website with its first post, Scared Witless. In part, a reaction to the ongoing trial of the Covid lockdown, it’s probably not surprising – and now somewhat clichéd – that Scared Witless was inspired by the coronavirus outbreak.
The news in the UK had been dominated by the harassment of Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Adviser for England, by a group of men in St James’s Park, London. Whilst two men were later arrested and charged with assault, I thought it amusing to consider what could have happened if Professor Whitty wasn’t simply the mild-mannered gentleman and easy target for bullies that he appears to be, but was able to respond to the attack with unsuitably gratuitous violence.
I wrote a short story I found hard to categorise but found very liberating to write. Profanity and gore seemed to be something I could utilise on the page to help me through the difficulties I was experiencing in my life at the time, which were being magnified by the Covid pandemic. Writing as a form of therapy for the author is nothing new of course.
Continuing, I was encouraged by having a couple of stories shortlisted in competitions that I had entered. Naturally, I wanted somewhere to share those stories if they weren’t going to make it into print, and decided to set up a website where I could publish them myself.
Grandiose early plans have now been scaled back to realistic goals. Hoping to form a regular habit of writing and posting a short story every other month seems attainable, along with an associated audio production. I have designs on writing a novel within the next couple of years. The story is ruminating around in my head now, and I hope to begin to start typing it before too long.
Self-publishing appears to be the most viable option for new authors these days. Whether I end up attempting to work through the process myself – hiring others to complete some of the stages – or by handing the whole process over to an agency, further research, costing and deliberation will no doubt dictate the route I take. It would be good to share those experiences here on this blog, perhaps giving other new authors the benefit of learning from my own journey into print.
Finally, I’d like to thank those of you that have already shown an interest in my work. I’d like to encourage you to leave your comments following any of my posts. I know that lots of knowledge and goodwill exists within the writing community, and I hope to learn as much as possible from fellow authors and readers.
With every best wish,
Jolyon
Jolyon Walford 