Gezza• Show stories

Before I get into who I am, just a few rules that I have decided to apply, for those of you who might be wondering (this does not apply to those of you who respect writers in SW):

1. If I enter a contest and you don't comment on my work (at all), I will block you.
2. If you make glib comments, I will ignore you henceforth.

Now, back to the more important stuff:

My name is Gerry and I work in IT - it isn't a bad job, but it isn't the same as writing.  It couldn't possibly be as good as writing for a living.

I started writing stories at the age of about 10 and have never not created worlds, characters, plots etc.

The biggest mistake I ever made in my life was not to pursue professional writing until a few years ago. Have a lot of catching up to do - don't have a problem with creating worlds, characters, constructing plots - but the discipline of writing is more than that. It's putting it all together into something publishable. And of course, every year I didn't try to get published is another year I had no chance at all getting past the "find an agent" obstacle course.

I have finished one "seriously publishable" novel, and am two-thirds the way through on a second - in the high fantasy genre. I am also working on a YA novella, a fantasy short story anthology (based on the world of my first and second novels), and a collaboration with three fine authors on how to write fantasy. I am still trying to find the agent or publisher that will want to even seriously look at what I have written. I have no doubts at all that I will be published - the question is really about when.

Anyway, apart from a highly demanding, stressful job, as well as a four year old daughter, I am dead keen on getting into the profession. May the gods help me!

I am an administrator of The International Fantasy Writers' Guild, where I provide editorial input, including access to me and my partners' epublishing business.