Walks Softly

I am a former newspaper reporter from the North East of England,following my childhood dream of being a novelist. As a kid I read books under the bedclothes by torchlight. Now I dive under the bedclothes, torch in hand, to scribble down conversations between my book characters in case I forget them in the morning.
I’ve written stories since I was about eight years old. I was a huge fan of British children’s writer Enid Blyton, but I invented my own characters, settings and storylines. I wrote them on a toy typewriter and my dad did the illustrations. When I wasn’t pounding on my typewriter, I was smashing a tennis ball
against the brick end of a block of garages beside my home. For hours on
end I perfected my lob, backhand and forehand shots – all the time
spinning stories in my head.
The love of writing led me down a career path as a journalist. So when I retired in 2011, it wasn’t a surprise that I returned to novel writing.
My first novel is a children’s fantasy story called ANTics. I get a lot of inspiration for my stories from dreams. And ANTics came from a dream after watching a group of ants carry a potato crisp back to their nest.
I believe you’re never too old to try something new or challenge yourself. In other words Reach For The Stars.
You can read more about me/or get in touch via my website: www.dakotadouglas.co.uk