Nick Van Loy, author of Insomnia, sent us a few words on his writing journey. Keep an eye out for his release at the end of this month!

“If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.”

That’s how one of my favourite novels begins, Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Arguably one of the best introductions of any American novel and also the best way to start my own introduction.

It all has to start somewhere, and in my case it started with the Goosebumps series when I was a kid. These got me hooked on reading and my head would be buried in them every single day. The more I read, the more I wanted to create my own stories. I used to write short stories of me and my friends getting in all kinds of adventures on our old typewriter. The sound of pressing those keys will forever be imprinted in my memory. Even back then, I was hesitant to let other people read my stories. It used to be a way for me to escape and I didn’t want to share that.

When I grew older I started writing poetry and more short stories. Along the way I started sharing them on literary platforms so that other people could enjoy, and give feedback, on them. After a while I wanted to know if I could write a novel myself. And that’s how my first novel was born, in which I combined my two passions at the time: music and literature.

I love traveling around the world, discovering new places and meeting new people. So why not combine those two passions as well? That’s how I got started in the world of travel writing. I loved being to be able to share my adventures with the rest of the world.

By now I never leave home without a notebook, because you never know when inspiration will strike. In my case, that’s almost always in the middle of the night or when I’m out in nature. Even though I always have my smartphone with me, nothing beats writing on actual paper. Like most writers, I tend to use inspiration from my own life. It’s true that when you know a writer, there’s a small chance they might immortalise you in their work.

It wasn’t until my second novel that I had the courage to send it to publishers, and I have to admit it felt amazing when they wanted to read the whole manuscript. And now, to be able to hold a physical copy of my book in my hands, it feels like a dream come true.

I’m currently finishing my first draft of my third novel and I will keep on writing as long as I can make up my own worlds on paper.

I’m glad Cranthorpe Millner helped me in the process of publishing my novel, Insomnia. Being able to call myself a published author really is a dream coming true.