After nearly a year of writing here and a the development of a few helpful contacts I have decided to start on the intimidating task of writing about my first dozen years of Policing with a view to attempting to enter the realm of the published writer.
This blog has given me some useful experience and an indication of what potential readers would think of my writing style and subject matter. Putting pen to paper so-to-speak is more challenging than I had ever imagined, but I hope to get into the swing of things over the next few months and maybe by this time next year I might have something worth sending to the publisher…
I would love to include, or at least reference, some experiences from others who have not fled the thin blue line in light of the current political and financial climate. I have plenty of scribbles on my notepad already but would be pleased to receive any stories, (funny, sad or otherwise interesting) from you. I would particularly welcome your thoughts about the application and training process, the good and bad aspects of your own force / division (not to be identified in the book of course), interactions with others of your shift or with the bosses, personal relationships in and out of work and the effect that this job has had on them, those that have left / retired / been thrown out / passed away (again not to be identified) and generalised comment about interesting investigations (nothing will, of course, be considered for publication that could be prejudicial to an investigation).
All ideas that are received will be considered confidentially and permission will be confirmed prior to them being adapted into the storyline of the book.
I will continue to write here, of course, and will probably use this blog as a testing ground for a few ideas every now and then.
I have realised over the last 10 months that I have quite a passion for writing – albeit more like ranting some of the time – and I hope that the support that I have had through this blog will continue when, and if, I managed to complete the writing challenge ahead.
NB: Any publishers out there that might consider submissions are very welcome to get in touch…I will probably need all the help I can get!
