FICTION TELLS A TERRIBLE TRUTH

Born in Manchester but now living in Cheshire with my wife and daughter, I wrote my first draft novel when I was 17 years old, writes subscriber Mark deMeza.

It’s still lying – untouched – in a box somewhere in a dusty loft space. Like many other aspiring authors, I fell in step with a ‘steady’ career and income, but the yearning to write gurgled away in the pit of my stomach for years.

When a shaft of light presented itself in my busy life, I started writing short stories and was lucky enough to have many published or praised in competitions (such as Writing Magazine, Writers’ Forum, Scribble, The Cranked Anvil, Henshaw Press, Yeovil Literary). Anthologies of a number of these short stories are available for free on my website.

In May 2022, a convenient break in my steady career appeared, and, at the same time, I discovered the dreadful truth about my Jewish ancestors’ tragic story under the Nazis in the Netherlands. As a result, I then embarked on my first full-length novel, The Thirteenth Child, a piece of historical fiction, but with the experiences of my ancestors permeating every word.

Writing this novel was a deeply personal and emotional journey. The discovery of my ancestors’ names and the impact of their tragic stories fueled my commitment to tell a tale of survival, resistance, and the enduring impact of the Holocaust. Keeping concentration is enormously difficult with ADHD, so retaining structure and consistency throughout the novel was a real challenge. But if I ever felt overwhelmed I would stop writing and take a break.

Silently supported by my black and white cat and often waylaid by my distracting ADHD, I completed The Thirteenth Child, published at the end of January 2024 by Bebetter Publishing. Suitably invigorated, I have started its sequel, which will be released later in the year.

My advice is that writing with ADHD is tough, but there are methods to succeed. It’s never too late to write your novel.

Website: https://markdemeza.co.uk/