So, what on earth made me into a writer?

No idea - especially as I took a science degree! 

I was born (after my Mum had a series of miscarriages - see my stories in Some Girls' Mothers) with the aid of an experimental drug (since banned).  This unfortunately wrecked my immune system, but, although I do get a bit fed up with the various disabilities this has thrown at me, I do realise it's all terribly character-building! ...as was growing up in the 1960s and '70s in the very-depressed industrial belt of Central Scotland!

Since then I've worked in everything from a brussel-sprout factory to disability politics to Opera North, and have been a freelance writer for the last 20 years.  I adore sea-kayaking and mashed potato, and now live very happily in the Yorkshire Pennines.  I also spend a fair amount of time up in North West Scotland where my Mum lives - so clearly I have an affinity with rain.

I did my apprenticeship as a writer in the writing and performance group The Outlanders.  We met every week for over 7 years in Manchester and constantly wrote new material - poetry, sketches, monologues, fiction, and even a bit of stand-up - and tried it out at our very regular performances all over Britain.  This was a fantastic grounding in writing, receiving crit from other writers, and getting direct feedback from very lively audiences - and it forced me to constantly generate new work.  I can recommend this type of apprenticeship to any budding writers out there - gruelling, but lots of fun.

From The Outlanders, I set up my own theatre company and toured with this, and, after a couple of years, got into writing for radio through a lucky break - the Head of BBC Radio Drama came to see one of my stage plays at West Yorkshire Playhouse and asked me if I could do a radio version.  People Come Here To Cry has since been broadcast - to consistent acclaim - numerous times by the BBC.  I've since gone on to have five more radio plays broadcast, and I am currently working on two others.

So, I started out in poetry and short fiction, moved into writing for the stage, then radio, tried my hand (and won a couple of awards) at telly and screenwriting, and, am currently ploughing on with my first novel.  I love it and hate it by turns, but am determined to finish it this year.  Four chapters have already been published as short stories - read In Memory of Showers (which won a fairly major literary prize) by clicking here then scrolling down to my details and clicking on the bright yellow title.

In 2011, I was incredibly lucky to find the wonderful Ronnie Goodyer at Indigo Dreams Publishing - a new independent publisher.  He has been an absolute dreeeeeeam to work with, and has published my latest two poetry collections:  'The Thousand Natural Shocks', and 'The Cloud Appreciation Society's Day Out'.  TTNS had only been out for a month when it won two poetry prizes - this was a particularly lovely accolade for a collection that I'd had to work very hard to get out there.

I also tutor and lecture in creative writing - working with age groups as wide as 4-year-olds to 93-year-olds.  I love this work - helping budding writers learn the art and craft (and hard graft!) of writing.  It gives me a real buzz when I see my students' skills and confidence really start to develop, and when their own writing 'voice' comes out to play.