Lost in the Story

When I started this blog in 2016 my long term goal was to study Creative and Professional Writing at University and one day publish a book. I’ve known since I was six years old that I wanted to write a book on day, but I honestly never thought I’d get there. I mainly started this blog to ease my parents concerns about my choice from going to study Ophthalmology to a degree in writing, a way to show that I was passionate about writing and would work on the craft in my own time.

I feel that most people at some point in their lives think ‘I’d like to write a book’, some start, many don’t and those who do start rarely finish let alone publish. Being completely honest, I thought I’d always fall into that category – wanting to write a book but never doing it. But I was wrong.

In October 2024, after nearly 3 years of work, my book Empty Vessels was released, published by Barnard Publishing and I can officially call myself an author. 

Holding my book in my hand for the first time wasn’t something I could have prepared myself for, I cried when my publisher told me that my book was on the Waterstones website (it’s on the Barnes and Noble site too for you US folk) and I smile each time I see my book on my bookshelf. 

I’m awful at the whole marketing side of my book probably to the dismay of my publisher (sorry Becca – you’re awesome by the way!) but, in short, Empty Vessels is a poetry collection that explores the loneliness epidemic through people watching. Each poem is based on a stranger that I observed in my day to day life and then created a narrative around.

However, this post isn’t a sales pitch for my book, rather it’s me giving a little but of a life update to you all and letting you know that I’m returning to my old writing love of blogging.

I never felt out of love with blogging, I found it difficult to blog during my degree and then in the following years after my graduation all my free writing time was spent writing and editing my book. One thing that no one really tells you about having signed an authors contract to write a book is that once you’ve signed it you kinda feel guilty for writing anything that isn’t your book. Every time I sat behind my laptop I felt that I had to be writing poems, anything else was a distraction and could wait.

You see, publishing a book opened up a whole new world to me as a writer. I came away from the experience with some new perspectives (ones that uni didn’t teach me) that has significantly shaped how I now write and read. Publishing your book traditionally ( so through a publishing house) was an incredible experience and one that’s not often spoken about as many author contracts can require the author to keep the behind the scenes of publishing secret. Thankfully, I’m in the position where I can talk to you about how the publishing process happened and also explore some of these new ideas and perspectives I got from the publishing journey.

After I’d finished writing Empty Vessels I took a big step back from creating, especially from writing. But after a very long hiatus I feel ready to start being behind a keyboard and talk into the abyss once more and hope that one person finds what I have to say interesting. 

So I guess this post is me saying ‘long time no see’ and it’s good to be back.

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