My Writing Journey
Where it all began
I have always been obsessed with stories. When I was young, I loved playing make-believe games with my friends, spending more time in my imagination than in real life. As I grew older, I discovered writing as an age-appropriate way to create stories when running around, pretending to be a fairy or a monster would have raised more than a few eyebrows.
A career in STEM
Studying engineering can be dull and repetitive at times (just like any degree), with lots of maths, computing and logical systems to learn. But unlike some, I am drawn to its creative side. At its core, engineering is about seeing a problem and trying to fix it.
That’s the space I love to work in - creating something new that benefits the people around me. Whether it be working in Research & Development to test new ideas, working with teams to develop more efficient processes or nutting out a tricky problem, I thrive in an environment full of unknowns and where imagination is key to achieving your goal.
This is why I don’t see any incompatibility between engineering and writing. We need more engineers to become storytellers - it’s only then that important, life-altering technologies will be understood and supported by the community.
And we need more writers who have backgrounds in STEM. Fiction is such a powerful tool for us to explore complex, confusing and oftentimes scary ideas. Those with a solid understanding of science can explore them in new and fascinating ways.
The adventure continues…
Writing has always been my go-to method of escapism when things got tough. Even if the stories were terrible and I would never, ever show anyone, for a few hours I could go on a fabulous adventure that was in my complete control.
My most recent writing adventure began in my thirties. Even with a solid engineering career under my belt, the creative arts still call to me. That’s why, for the past two years, I’ve been working hard to learn everything I can about the science of storytelling. My current Work In Progress (WIP) is now undergoing developmental editing and I’m so excited to see where everything goes from here.
Strangely enough, I believe my engineering degree has helped immensely with my writing. It’s taught me how to find solutions when none seems forthcoming, how to manage big projects by breaking them down into achievable goals and how to persevere through hardship. All of these skills are vital for a project as massive as publishing a book.
Where to from here?
I’m so excited to be making this leap and taking my writing seriously. Passion drives me forward, and learning is my obsession. I can’t wait to see where they take me!
If you’re interested in watching my journey, you can follow me here or on Instagram.
"Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow."
— Anthony J. D'Angelo
