About the writer I write because I’m largely unemployable. I think it’s the case for a lot of writers. We live far too much in our own little world to be of much use in conventional employment. I have been writing for as long as I can remember. I had my first piece of work published in a magazine when I was eleven for which I received a small payment and a year’s subscription. I used to write everything long-hand and then give it to my older sister who would type it up for me at work. | "I am at my happiest when I’m lost in a piece of writing which really engages me." | |
I started freelance writing professionally in 1995 when I was 21 and have being doing it on and off ever since. It’s the only thing I enjoy, the only thing I can sort of do. I am at my happiest when I’m lost in a piece of writing which really engages me. Up until recently my output has largely been confined to magazine feature writing and copy for corporate brochures.ÌýOccasionally I’ve made forays into poetry and short-story writing with a moderate degree of success. In 2003 I had a non-fiction book published looking at the history and current situation of the Roma Gypsy people worldwide. It left me feeling proud, exhausted and determined never to write another non-fiction book as long as I live. Take Me Out is my first full-length work of fiction. It’s set here in York and is unashamedly popular and accessible. I want to tell stories that are rooted in the culture as it is and which engage people from the word go. I want people to enjoy and be moved by what I write. I’m not interested in trying to be clever for the sake of it.
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I moved to York in 1995 and I now consider myself very much an adopted Yorkie. The city is my home and I’m deeply passionate about the place. It’s a human scale city and a great place to do something creative. I doubt I’ll ever leave. I think that strong sense of attachment to a city and a region roots and informs my work. Martyn's writing tips It’s a truism, but it stands repeating: if you want to write, then first you must read. Read everything. Don’t be precious. The tabloids are just as important in your development as a writer as is Tolstoy. When you’re reading ask how the piece has been constructed and what it is attempting to do. Bit by bit you begin to get a deeper understanding of how language works. It’s not complicated or mystical. Writing is 99% graft, 1% inspiration. Secondly, keep writing. It doesn’t matter if what you’re writing is complete dross just keep your fingers tapping on the keyboard or your hand moving across the page. Rubbish can be edited and revisited, blank pages cannot. Just let go, don’t worry and keep going. Trust yourself and your own language. Don’t feel that you have to develop some lofty artistic style to be a great writer. Allow yourself to be as down-to-earth and as rootsy in your writing as you feel. Write as you talk when you’re at your most relaxed and open. Learn to trust your own voice. Language is everyone’s birthright it doesn’t just belong to a literary clique, your perceived social betters or people who want to tell you that their way of communicating is the only way. Some of the best writing I read is on daily weblogs written by people who would never describe themselves as writers. It has an unselfconscious directness which is refreshing. Thirdly, expect indifference. No one will really care if your poem is published in a tiny literary magazine, except maybe your partner and your mum. Don’t write because you seek external rewards, do it because youÌýenjoy it or simply have to. That way you’ll get thousands of intangible hits of personal satisfaction. That’s what keeps you going and is ultimately all that really matters. If you do eventually go on to be the next JK Rowling then that’s a bonus and you can buy me a pint when I see you next. Martyn Clayton | 
