On the train back to Brighton and I’ve just received an email asking to publish my story riddled. Which is lovely, apart from the request for a one-line bio. It shouldn’t be a big deal. Whenever writers give one line biographies they sound nonchalant and clever rather than something they’ve thought about (Neil Gaiman being the master of this). The problem is it’s hard to sound that nonchalant and flip. I’ve never provided a self-description I liked.
They used to tell me in CCE to think of my audience. But I doubt anyone cares all that much about this, which actually makes it a little harder.
Thing is, I don’t really want to talk about myself. I’d rather make up a story, otherwise I’d be writing autobiography instead of short stories. Maybe I’ll steal another writer’s life and sum that up in a sentence.
I thought you already had that one liner licked?
“James Burt Killed a man in Harlow once, just to watch him die…”