When one door closes another one opens? I’m not so sure… sometimes, you have to kick the door down.
I have often been told I live with my head in the clouds, I am happiest when I dive into stories of magic, and wonder, and adventure. My Desert Island Discs would be mostly Disney or The Lord of the Rings. As creatives, we all want to be taken seriously… but seriousness is perceptive, how do you measure it? At Northern Gravy, we decided it was money. Paid writers are serious writers, but there were thousands of writers we rejected, many of whom now have their own books deals and publications elsewhere. Does that make them less serious? Of course not, what makes a writer “serious” is never giving up.
I’ve always been a rather stubborn person, which seems to me like the foundations of any successful writer. Northern Gravy is largely a result of my persistent nagging of Nick and Ralph, coupled with their endless talent, and my desire to never let myself fail. In hindsight, it’s been a valuable few years… I dare say I’ve amassed more useful information about this world than I did on my Masters of Creative Writing. I couldn’t say it was always enjoyable, there have been moments when I wonder why I bother at all. Like most things in writing, the pay for the amount of effort put into it… was not great, and the effort to get the money in the first place for a project like this is mammoth, the waiting glacial, the arguments many, so you have to rely on the motivation to “do good” – but what do you do when that runs low?
I think I have to go back to the beginning, consider why I love to write in the first place and how seriously I want to be taken in this business. I’ve considered myself a “serious” writer for about 5 years… in that time, I studied an MA, wrote 2 novels, a few short stories, edited hundreds of submissions, read an endless number of children’s books, went through a DYCP year with the Arts Council, and of course, did all things Northern Gravy! It was a lot, and it was fun, but it’s time to go back to one thing at a time… just for a while.
Since you’re asking, I don’t think Northern Gravy will end… but it will pause for a while. We will perhaps turn into a bespoke project organisation, creating minor moments of good in the industry. What I do know is the more I focus on Northern Gravy, the less I focus on my own work… and that has to change. At least until I sign that 6 figure book deal.
For now, Northern Gravy will move to a legacy state, showcasing the great work we’ve done and published these last 3 years. As for me, I plan to isolate myself on an island of creativity, my head and my heart and going fully into books and writing.
I’ll see you on the other side for another adventure.
J.
