Welcome to my first blog post!
When I decided to create a writer website, I thought long and hard about what I wanted to achieve. And the answer is simple - to connect with people that share my love of both reading and writing fiction. More specifically, psychological thrillers. But my writing journey hasn't always been about twists and trust issues.
Where It All Began
Like most writers, I dabbled in short stories as a child, along with a handful of other hobbies like sewing outfits for my Barbie dolls, and earning badges at Brownies (and then Girl Guides). After graduating high school in '96, writing had a whole new meaning - essays, assignments, work-related communication - none of which provided the satisfaction of fiction writing.
Finding My Way Back to Writing
Life goes on, though - marriage, children, divorce, careers that sent me back to uni before I ultimately gave that up too. Then in 2023, personal drama rocked my life in the most horrible way. I took time off from work to regroup, and address those problems. That was when writing found me again.
Amongst the chaos of that year, I needed something to focus on and to pull me from the downward spiral. That's when my dormant creative side started infiltrating the mess, proving to me that there are other ways to manage stress, depression, and anxiety, and that ominous feeling of being so overwhelmed that you don't even know where to begin.
I had an idea for a story that I began a year or two earlier, a lonely word document on my laptop. After re-reading it, I put it aside not knowing whether to do anything with it. But my mind kept returning to the characters, new ideas formed, and eventually I put pen to paper. As they say in writer circles, I 'pantsed' that entire story, which I subsequently shared on Wattpad.
And then another idea came, and another. Soon I had a handful of short stories from romance to romcom to horror, and an attempt at a sequel to the original women's fiction story I'd written.
After working and writing my way through one of the most terrible times of my life, I finally returned to work. Afraid of losing all of the skills I'd built up through each piece of fiction, I was determined to keep going. I often cycled between several stories, publishing one chapter at a time on Wattpad, hoping for someone - anyone - to read my creations, to fall in love with my characters and their worlds, and to find solice in the joy of reading. (You can check out my Wattpad here, if you're interested. https://www.wattpad.com/user/KittyKatie135)
Getting Serious about Writing
I grew serious about improving my writing - sentence structure, grammar, points of view, suspense, tropes, and most importantly how to structure a story properly and keep the reader turning the page. I won't say I've learned all I need to know, because I haven't. Creating is a passion, and the best part is when others connect with and enjoy my work.
Why Indie Publishing?
To that end, I debated whether to go down the traditional publishing path, or indie publishing. My mind went back and forth so many times, I lost count. I even dabbled in querying traditional publishers, but the lengthy timeframes, and next to no feedback just didn't fit where I wanted to go with my debut novel 'Home is Where the Hurt Is' (release date TBA 2025). I paused everything and really thought about what I wanted, and suddenly it became very clear to me that indie publishing was exactly the right fit.
What Now?
That brings us up to this point in time (July 2025). I now have a tiny social media presence which I'm learning as I go, as well as this website where I hope to share more of my journey and showcase my successes in the future.
You can find me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576352860941 and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kgjessupwriter/
Thank you for stopping by — and if you love psychological thrillers, or just enjoy cheering on a writer finding her way, I hope you’ll stick around and connect with me by signing up to my email list, or following me on social media.
I’d love to hear from you.
Feel free to leave a comment ('Contact Me' page) and let me know what kind of posts you’d enjoy here, behind-the-scenes updates, or book recommendations, or anything else you want to see.