About Me
​Hi, I’m Amanda Paull. That’s my pen name – my real one stays tucked away so I can keep my writing life blissfully separate from the 9-to-5.
I grew up in the North East of England and, like many teenagers itching for something more, I couldn’t wait to escape. I studied, explored new places, even lived abroad for a while. And yet, here I am – back in the North East, completely smitten with it. Funny how life circles back, isn’t it?
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Grammar school was an experience. Teachers in black robes, strict discipline, and airborne blackboard rubber – not exactly the backdrop for nurturing shy creative types like me. I kept my head down, did my homework, and mastered invisibility. I loved daydreaming, but writing felt like a chore back then – more about survival than self-expression.
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A brief stint in teaching taught me all I needed to know: it wasn’t my calling. I returned to university and eventually landed a job in the public sector, which suits me well.
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The writing spark was lit thanks to a colleague named Jim. He insisted my coffee-break stories – equal parts chaotic, tragic, and hilarious – deserved a wider audience. I thought they were just ordinary slices of life, but apparently, they made for great fiction fodder.
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A couple of years later, while sunbathing in Mallorca with my now-husband and a glass of Cava in hand, the idea of turning real-life snippets into humorous fiction finally took hold. Writing wasn’t about making things up – it was about reframing everyday madness with a smile.
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I enrolled in a creative writing course through the Open University, which fit beautifully around work – and, thankfully, had none of the trauma of school days past.
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Since then, I’ve published my debut women’s fiction novel, Pictures in the Sky, followed by Painting Bananas and Colouring Outside the Lines. I’ve also written a five-part series of humorous shorter stories, the Scott Family Stories – think family drama with a side of cheeky charm.
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The only snag? My day job keeps elbowing its way into my writing hours.
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Feel free to visit my blog when you get the chance – I’d love to hear your thoughts via the contacts page. And if my stories make you smile and you'd like to become an ARC reader, just pop me a message: contact@amandapaull.co.uk
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Warmest wishes,
Amanda x
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