An Introduction

 

There is something so captivating about watching heroes and villains struggling against each other in extraordinary and unfamiliar surroundings. A strange joy in imagining huge fleets of space vessels blasting each other back to their component atoms, the horror of war offset by the thrill of the spectacle. Even in catching a glimpse of what an ordinary, everyday life might look like in an alternative world. How everything can seem both so fantastic, yet at the same time somehow relatable. It can transport a reader to somewhere they would rather be, and simultaneously reassure them that their real problems can be solved, that their trials can be overcome. Albeit probably with less prodigious use of laser weaponry than we might like…

Hello, and thank you for taking the time to look at this blog. I have decided to start posting things here both as an aid to my own motivation and to record a creative process. I am attempting to write a science fiction novel and intend to do my best to see it published. If I succeed it will be my debut novel.

I have always loved science fiction. As a child I would endlessly listen to stories on cassette tape, or spend entire summer holiday trips wrapped in a sleeping bag and reading my way through a large stack of books. Lego spaceships of my own design littered the floor of my bedroom and I would spend all my birthday money on futuristic model kits to assemble and paint. As an adult science fiction stories have remained a prominent part of my day to day existence – they are what I listen to when I need something to get me through boring days at work. They are what I watch if I ever have time to spend in front of a TV. They are what I read when I need some escapism.

I have dabbled with writing for years. At first just short stories, or background fiction for a model or drawing I was particularly proud of. Throughout my teenage years I believe I attempted to start three different novels on separate occasions, but I never got beyond the first few chapters. As I moved into my twenties I had various jobs, travelled and had other demands on my time which saw me shelve the idea. It stayed somewhere in the back of my mind, occasionally stirring but never becoming anything. I built and ran a business for a few years, convinced that it was what I wanted to do in life. The sci-fi audio books were there in the background. For various reasons I was forced to close my business after a few years, proud of what I accomplished but left somewhat adrift, unsure of what I wanted to do with myself. Life moved on, I got married and built a house. Now what? Time to revisit that old idea.

Months of research and preparation later, here we are. I am going to write a novel. I have been outlining my plot and playing around with a lot of different ideas. I am excited to begin working on my first chapter. I will try to post something of my progress roughly once a week, and I hope that if you do read this you will stick around to see how I get on!

Here’s a link to the lovely artwork.