Why 'Tales With Tott'?

It seems simple, doesn't it?

Write a book, publish a book.

Once upon a time that latter stage may have proved tricky, but in this modern era of ebooks and self-publishing, it's easier than ever for any author to get their work in the public eye.

So why, knowing that, have I chosen instead to take a different route?

Let me explain...

Some of my earliest memories involve spending my lunchtimes at school stapling sheets of paper together to make ‘books’ I could write them down in – but from the very beginning, my storytelling has been about more than just the written word, too.

As a child, I often played games with my sister which featured consistent characters and worlds. They had distinct personalities and relationships with each other, and relatively consistent histories. Friends, foes and the many strata between the two – and they all lived in fantastical worlds just out of reach of the real one.

Over time, I began to write down some of these stories and histories, and eventually they evolved into my first fantasy series. From rough and raw beginnings, it’s grown into an epic, worlds-spanning saga since those early games.

But I have more than just the one story to tell, and more than one group of characters whose adventures have played out in my mind’s eye over the years. And for each fictional universe I have maps, legends, songs or side-stories which interweave around the main narrative.

I’ve been creating stories for almost my entire life.

For years I have warred with how to fit these things within a traditional narrative. Within a traditional book. I’ve never quite found the answer until now, but settling on the format for what has become Tales With Tott has finally given me the freedom and flexibility to tell my stories the way I truly want to.

It’s still my goal to publish the core of my novels in a traditional, print format. But the rest – storycasts, maps, side-stories, and worldbuilding notes – will be archived online for people to browse, using this central hub to navigate my various fictional universes as I work my way through them.

There’s quite a journey ahead, so I hope I can count on your company as we go!