Read My Shorts

A Wonderful Chaos

Originally written for the October 2016 issue of WattmagUSA, posted here to celebrate 10 years of Wattpad. Happy Birthday Wattpad! 

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I was never a particularly good student. Despite that, my time in education was relatively carefree; I never got in too much trouble, got on well with students and teachers, and generally enjoyed what I did. But while some friends knew they wanted to be vets, doctors, engineers, firemen or whatever, I never really had a clue what I wanted to do. I enjoyed reading, played a bit of sport, and liked music. In fact, I enjoyed most of the subjects I studied as most things interested me to some extent. But nothing really stood out: I had no calling.

I failed my A-levels miserably but still managed to scrape into University a year later. I got kicked out for a year, wandered around for a bit, got back in, and after finally getting the hang of studying I managed to get a degree in Engineering Geology. I even did the occasional lecture for my local university some years later, something I thoroughly enjoyed despite feeling a little odd standing at the front of the class.

And, many years later, I found myself managing a small team of people and wearing a tie. I enjoyed reading, played a bit of sport, and liked music. But I still had no real calling. I still enjoyed reading, devouring pretty much anything that crossed my path, and then one day I tried my hand at writing. It all started with a silly office magazine: a magazine that over time got more and more satirical, and started wandering off into fantasy and oddity. Then, a colleague who was an amateur filmmaker suggested I start writing stories, so I put fingers to keyboard and wrote a short story based on an old Cornish mining legend. I won a prize with that one which surprised the hell out of me, then as I was looking for more writing type things on the interweb, I found Wattpad.

Wattpad changed my life utterly. It transformed my general interest in words from a bit of fun to a passion, and then to an obsession. I'd always been a scientist, but one who read widely, and often in the genres of fantasy and science fiction. Now, suddenly, I was writing science fiction and dark fantasy, and loving every second of it.

So, what's my point? I guess it's don't be afraid to try things. Don't be afraid to write down an idea, play with it, develop it, and see what happens. But don't be afraid to create other things too. Whether you write, make models out of matchsticks, play the tuba, or paint, don't be afraid to create, to try and make something. You may create something only your mother will love, but you might create something incredible like Wattpad. But until you try, you will never know.

I'm still a little surprised I write stories: my old English teacher even more so. I'm also surprised where writing one short story about seven years ago has taken me. Now I talk to people all over the world, every day, and I work with an amazing group of people from all walks of life. Being able to create something is a gift, a gift you should give yourself chance to explore and nurture, and one you shouldn't be afraid of sharing either. Anyone can write, but you have to give yourself permission to write badly at first in the knowledge that you will improve if it's something you're passionate about, and that that is true of anything you try and create.

So, if you're wondering, could I? Should I? The answer is yes; you can, and you should. Make the time to create something.

Everyone is different, but for me, creativity revolves around the wonderful chaos of words, and now I work for a company that allows anyone to write for a worldwide audience. I still enjoy reading too, and that's not something that's ever going to change, but now I have the joy of knowing that a few people have read something of mine too, something I have created. I have found a calling.