Will Loxley
After completing his BA in English Literature and Creative Writing (2015), Will went on to further his studies. In 2021, he published his first book Writing in the Dark and is currently working on a novel about ghosts and radicalisation in wartime Bedfordshire.
About Will's career
Describe your current role:
In 2021 I published Writing in the Dark, a work of non-fiction tracking the lives of poets and novelists through the Second World War in London. I am currently working on a novel about – among other things! – ghosts and radicalisation in wartime Bedfordshire.
You can’t beat the experience of having an expert and engaged tutor read your work and say ”Not quite,” “Not quite,” and then, finally, “That’s it!
How did you get into this line of work after studying Creative Writing at Newcastle?
I used the final project I had worked on with the brilliant staff at Newcastle as a sample of my writing when approaching various postgraduate writing courses. The Master's course I went on to was two years and part-time, which afforded me heaps of time for reading, writing and re-writing in libraries. In my second year as a postgraduate, I was invited to submit a chapter of my nascent project to a literary agent. She liked it! We went from there.
Studying Creative Writing at Newcastle University
How has studying Creative Writing at Newcastle helped you in your career?
Studying Creative Writing alongside Literature at Newcastle encouraged an ambidextrous kind of thinking where I could be both writer and critic at once. This was perfect for the sort of thing I wanted to write: narratives which read like novels but were stuffed full of real information and insight. From my study of Literature, I had a solid foundation in Shakespeare, theory and the like, as well as practise in the type of bold, critical thinking so proudly championed by the School. From Creative Writing, I took great reassurance in the process of close mentorship and explored a number of ways of approaching my craft until I found the one that fitted me.
What advice would you give to a student interested in studying Creative Writing?
That you will not immediately be the kind of writer you are going to become, and that it requires great patience as deeper forces get to work inside of your subconscious. The joy is in the journey and even in making mistakes. Leave every path open to yourself and try every one you can.
What was the best thing about studying Creative Writing at Newcastle?
Certainly, being around writers and within a hive of creation for the first time in my life. I loved hearing from people who were already doing what I wanted to do and still hear their tenets buzzing around my brain as I work. You can’t beat the experience of having an expert and engaged tutor read your work and say ‘Not quite,’ ‘Not quite,’ and then, finally, ‘That’s it!’
