Why do I think I should write a book? It’s something I’ve wanted to do for as long as I can remember, although the kind of book I’ve wanted to write has changed several times. I had thought in the beginning that a children’s book would be great, but perhaps I only thought that because it seemed like a more doable project or the ‘easier option’. Having tried a few ideas over the years, I haven’t managed to produce anything I’m even vaguely happy with, and I’ve come to realise that it’s in fact much, much harder than I had thought. The kinds of children’s books I love best have fantastic rhyme and rhythm, as well as beautiful language, and I’ve found that getting all those things right is really difficult! I’ve not ruled it out, but have begun to think that writing for teens might be a better option, as I feel it doesn’t have quite the same pressures to conform in certain ways; I can simply tell a story without without worrying so much about the form of the writing.
But what kind of story to write? What do I really want to say?
I want to give the reader a story to lose themselves in. I want them to relate to what I write, to laugh, to have moments where they know exactly the feeling I’m trying to convey. The “Oh, yeah!” moment. The more someone can relate, the more invested they become in the story. And I don’t think it’s necessarily an event or situation that brings about that feeling, but the way a character thinks, feel, responds. The realisation that “I’d do that too,” can help build a strong bond between the character and the reader.