Which Kind of Story-Lover Are You?

Every author begins somewhere usually with a few scribbles in a notebook.
For most of us, even calling ourselves an author feels like a big, daring thing. It takes courage to claim that title, the one you’ve secretly dreamed of your whole life.

I remember feeling exactly the same when I started drawing again. Calling myself an illustrator felt enormous, almost too official for what I was doing. But that’s the thing, every creative journey begins with tiny, tender steps.

So today, I thought we could take a gentler approach together.

Let’s break it down a little. There are so many layers to how we love stories and create them. And somewhere in these, you might find yourself, right where you are now, in your own story journey.

I’d love for you to share which one feels most like you.

The Storyteller

To me, a storyteller is simply a book lover. You’re happiest surrounded by books, reading them to your children, to yourself, or stacking them proudly on your shelves. Stories are your comfort, your daily joy, your cozy corner of the world. You may not write them, but you live through them, and that love of story makes you part of the magic.

A bit like Matilda, really… surrounded by piles of books, living her best life while the rest of the world wonders where she disappeared to. (Probably the library.)

The Story Dreamer

You have a love for books and a suitcase full of your own ideas; characters and worlds that live quietly inside your imagination. Some might even be tucked away in notebooks (two, three, or four!). But they’re yours alone for now, safe, private, and cosy in the pages.

If I had to give an image for the Story Dreamer, it would be like Newt Scamander in Fantastic Beasts . An ordinary-looking man with a suitcase full of extraordinary creatures. That’s you: seemingly ordinary, but carrying a world of wonder that only you know exists (for now).

The Story Writer

This is the stage where your ideas begin to reach out and ask to be told. You’ve stopped hiding them in your notebook and started shaping them into something real, something that wants to meet the world. You can feel that your story belongs to someone out there, waiting to be heard.

It’s the moment you finally say, “I think I want this story to exist.”
And that’s where authorship begins.

Think Anne Shirley with her ink-stained fingers and dramatic flair… You’re in that same wonderful mess of imagination and purpose, and you’re doing beautifully.

The Story Maker

You’ve already done it! you’ve brought your first book into the world (or maybe a few). You’ve gone through the process, learned from it, and discovered that this is what you want to keep doing. Your first book might be your first love, but it’s only the beginning. You can’t stop now! There are too many stories still waiting, too many ideas that refuse to stay unwritten.

You’ve crossed the threshold. You’re officially a maker of stories.

A little like Jo March, fiery, unstoppable, and absolutely certain that no one is taking her pen away.

So which one feels most like you?
Or maybe, which one you hope to grow into next?

I’d love to hear it. Each of these stages is precious, and none is “better” than another. Every book begins with a story dreamer and every story dreamer is a storyteller at heart.