My own story - so far...

1960 was when author Ian Rankin and actors Hugh Grant and Colin Firth were born. In March of that year, I came into the world in a hospital initially built in 1888 to treat patients with infectious diseases for the Wirral Poor Law Union Workhouse. Clatterbridge is in what was, until 1972, part of the county of Cheshire. In the Doomsday Book, scribes marked the border of the Wirral a distance of two arrow flights from Chester city walls, so I like to think of myself as a Cestrian, born and bred.

Like many late-boomer kids from parents who had boot-strapped themselves away from hardship, I was brought up to love the outdoors and expected to study hard and find my way into a good profession. It worked out okay. I survived school and attended the University of Bath to study engineering.

In an era when loyalty to an employer was the done thing, I spent happy years tramping the boards doing consultancy work in the power industry. In total, I stayed with a company based in Newcastle upon Tyneside and its successors, acquirers and allied entities for thirty-plus years. Surrounded by luminaries, I spent my time chasing work in fascinating places. It was a privilege to be a part of some great projects.

In the end, I ended up living in New Zealand and am now able to devote my time to the self-indulgence of writing for fun. This is a world apart from what I did for a living. It's challenging, frustrating, annoying, and rewarding all at once. But being creative is in our DNA.

Whether through crafts or telling stories, the itch to realise the fruit of our imagination affects many. I recommend it if you've ever thought about giving it a go. But don't forget: it's easy to please yourself but much harder to captivate a reader.