My journey to becoming a published author happened organically. The universe had its own ideas, giving me a gentle nudge in that direction. I first started writing when I reached a point in my life when I had something to say about my observations of the world and the people in it. At school I was a reasonably handy writer, winning a poetry prize and regularly being selected to read my short stories to the class. However, any creative aspirations were stifled as I embarked on a policing career straight out of high school. Fast forward twenty years and I finally gave myself permission to explore my creative side.

My early writing was inspired by James Patterson after consuming many of his books. I loved his fast-paced writing style and used this as a basis for my own writing. When I started writing my first manuscript, I had no idea it would end up as an 80,000-word novel, let alone a three-book series. I started by writing a fictional murder scene inspired by real events I had experienced as a child protection detective and this developed into a complex plot, drawn from broader experiences and diverse characters I had met along the way. I used Jarrod’s voice to express my own feelings about the good and bad sides of human nature. I felt that Jarrod had much more to say so books 2 and 3 quickly followed. 

I’m writing a new crime mystery set in a rural town told through parallel timelines. I have always wanted to write a story influenced by my childhood growing up in the 1980s. This is still very much a work in progress and deviates from my previous crime series, more of a slow burn crime mystery told through various points of view, including a lead female detective protagonist. Stay tuned!   

Write. Take a break, read. Write some more. Push through the days when the writing isn’t flowing. Get words on the page and ideas will unlock from your brain as you are hitting the keyboard keys. You should enjoy the process and constantly remind yourself that at the end of this solitary journey you will have a finished product you can be proud of. The craft of writing is developed over time and you will improve as you go. God knows my early writing was awful even though at the time I thought I had written the next best-seller. If the process is becoming too arduous, take a total break, be inspired by other things in life and come back to writing when you are refreshed. When you read over your work with fresh eyes you will see things you hadn’t when you were lost in the words. People often say they would like to write a book one day, but very few ever do. If you have completed your first draft, you have achieved something very special indeed. You are a writer.

I’m inspired by Australian crime authors such as Jane Harper, Chris Hammer, Marc Brandi, Shelley Burr, Garry Disher, and Dinuka McKenzie. When my own writing stalls, I pick up one of their books and draw inspiration from their storytelling and writing techniques, to learn from them in terms of the writing craft to complement my own voice.     

Outside of writing I am an avid football (soccer) fan, player, and coach. I’m at my most content at home with my family and beloved pets, Louie the Labrador, Freddie the Spoodle and Charlie the Burmese cat.

Website: www.jackroney.com.au 

Contact via: Hawkeye Contact Page