My Story

I am Scottish and grew up just outside Edinburgh. I frequently return there – in person and in my writing – but for the last thirty odd years I’ve lived in an East Sussex village close to the Ashdown Forest. I have three grown up sons, and one beautiful granddaughter. My eldest and youngest sons are married and both couples live in New York so I am treated to some fantastic holidays! My middle son and his partner live close by and I’m fortunate to see them frequently. I’m trained as a nurse and combine working in a boarding school with writing novels.

I’ve always been a voracious reader and I was twelve when I first realised I might enjoy writing too.  My final year in primary school I won a competition with the SSPCA – a story about how my dog, Snooky, would cope if she had to make her own way in the wild.  A pushy, wee West Highland terrier, I imagined she would do rather well!

I wrote on and off thereafter, just for myself, diaries and the like. Time passed – career, family etc. – still writing but nothing that merited a reader and then, in 2004, I signed up for an adult education class in East Grinstead where I was lucky to be taught by an inspiring teacher.

In June 2007, I completed the creative writing certificate at Sussex University – met another great teacher - and by that stage had finished the first draft of Tell Me No Secrets. That same year, Tell Me No Secrets was short-listed in two competitions: the Daily Telegraph first 1,000 words of a novel and the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook first 10,000 words of a novel.

In October 2007, I was fortunate to find an agent who was willing to work with me. Although I could write, my plotting needed work and I rewrote the novel from Chapter Six onwards a couple of times.

It was a pinch-me moment when I held my first novel in my hand. And every novel since has given me the same - wow! - feeling.

For any aspiring writers out there, my advice would be to stick at it, sign up for some courses, make writer friends, start your own writing group, listen to criticism, digest it, act on it – don’t give up!

I run workshops for beginners and more experienced writers, and love to speak at writing events, book groups and libraries. And I love to hear from readers so please get in touch!

Julie