My Obsession

Dear Reader,

Storytelling is an obsession of mine. From a young age, I would spend my free time reading and writing songs and stories (sometimes I was even brave enough to dabble in poetry) with my musings covering a range of themes and genres. I remember writing character names and ideas on my phone as I walked to college in my teens, never telling a soul, but letting the stories develop in my brain all day, jotting down notes when I could. My bedroom was covered in post-it notes, mood boards and drawings. One of my favourite things to do was come up with two ideas and then merge them into a single, deliciously complicated one. Wherever I started though, my writing always seemed to settle into mystery or horror.

I am just fascinated by the suspense, the thrill, the fabulous plot twists and the fear of the unknown that captures me and refuses to let go. Now, you might be thinking great, another one. Do we need any more of these stories? And the answer is YES. Yes we do need more stories. You might as well ask if the world needs more rollercoasters (emotional and physical) or teen romance. Humans just adore the thrill of it all. I think for some people, it is the quick adrenaline boost in a safe environment. For others, it is another world of chaos in which they can be absorbed. I am definitely in both camps - on the first day give me a good horror film or true crime documentary, on the second day give me a slow burning detective thriller, and on the third day tell me a conspiracy theory about extraterrestrial life forms. Just leave out the rollercoasters. Even the children's ones.

But do not despair. My stories are nearly always streaked with romance and wrapped in a blanket of drama. The sudden strike and change in plot direction or the absolute agony and animation of love excites me just as much as the puzzles and secrecy, and I always find that the best mysteries have a good sprinkling of both. I am very changeable, though. I shall probably re-write this introduction later.

So, (for anyone that is interested) I will be sharing some of my short stories and maybe some snippets of longer ones, written usually with furry companions at my side. There may also be some opinions and reviews on novels and other literature I have encountered, or articles on travels with my muse (we like a good road trip).

Happy reading,

Lauren x