Simon Cooke
Writer
Biography
Once there was a boy who loved reading. But sometimes the stories didn’t do what he wanted. Later, he was told that he could write his own and make the stories do what he told them.
But they didn’t.
They still don’t.
And I’m glad for it.
That’s what I love about writing. The headstrong pull of a story as it leads me down a path not visible a moment before. That’s why I write. That’s why I’ll always write. I also write because I enjoy sharing my stories with others. Learning Media has helped me by publishing several, including one of my favourites, “The Sun and Other Inventions”, published in the School Journal, Part 3, 2007. As a writer, I enjoy looking at the world on an angle, twisting it, seeing what happens. Sometimes it breaks and fractures into a thousand pieces, but sometimes I get a wonderful story as a reward.
I’m always learning new things about writing; what works, what doesn’t. And learning about myself too. I’ve learnt that when I push at a story without feeling connected to it, it tumbles apart. I’ve learnt that the stories that flow out of me easily are usually the ones that get published. I’ve learnt that no story will ever be perfect. I’ve learnt that if I spend too much time in my own head, I go a bit potty – in a socially acceptable way, but still possibly unsettling for those unprepared.
As I am writing this, I have worked out that over the last seven years, since I really put my head down, I’ve had 18 stories published – a fair chunk of them by Learning Media. This surprised me. I often felt I’d just been chipping away here and there, not accomplishing much. But it’s amazing what chipping away can achieve. Hopefully, further chipping will reveal a published novel or two!
If you want to write stories too, don’t be afraid. Follow that story, whatever path it chooses. Listen to criticism and embrace what rings true. Don’t be precious. Encourage others. Love stories. Live stories.
And don’t worry about going a bit potty along the way. It helps.