I first started writing Towards the Within in 1999. Then, it was nothing more than journal entries from my 1996 and 1999 trips around India where the notes were compiled into a format to represent a book at a later date. In 2014, it became an obsession. I spent countless hours formulating a story that in part was based on my journeys and elements of my own past as a child.
I was left in awe of India, not only of the beautiful country itself, but the many cultures, people and traditions that were laid before me around every turn. The more I wrote, the more I disappeared into the pages and at times I found it difficult to pull myself away from the world I was so heavily absorbed into.
I'd previously written from a commercial aspect and of course in English at school, but writing a novel was completely different. I realised as I embarked on the quest that it was a lot more difficult than I could have anticipated, and in order to get to where I wanted, I knew I'd have to spend any extra time reading as many books as possible so I could study what it is to be a novelist.
Between 2014 and 2017 I read over 200 books, studying construction, prose, dialogue and character development, and by the end, I realised I'd totally found my niche in life. I couldn’t see myself doing anything else. It's been an amazing journey, not only from an educational perspective, but to dive deep within myself and reach into memories I’d long locked away and to revisit the country I hold so dear to my heart.
Towards The Within is available now at Amazon
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