As far back as I can remember, I’ve always been fascinated by legends and mythology, in particular ancient Egypt. One of the first stories I ever wrote in primary school was set in Egypt with a scary Anubis-like character stalking me. I was obsessed with pyramids, mummies and the colourful pantheon of mythical Egyptian gods – to the point I used to tell my friends I was from Egypt!
It’s no surprise that all these years later my first self-published novel was set in Egypt. Crown of the Pharaohs was released in October 2015, adapted from a feature film screenplay I’d written years before called Origin. It was one of the first feature film scripts I wrote after leaving film school and was far too costly to ever be made into a film, but it was the perfect canvas for a much larger story, one better told through a young adult novel.
Since graduating from the VCA School of Film and Television in 1994 I’ve worked in the film and television industry as a writer, director, editor and colour grader for hundreds of short films and programs. I’ve worked on documentary series, game shows, cooking shows, fishing shows, television commercials and just about every reality series from Project Runway to Grand Designs Australia.
During this period I never stopped writing, be it screenplays or story ideas, I was constantly honing my skills while working in film and television. I was a finalist in two seasons of the Matt Damon and Ben Affleck series Project Greenlight Australia with my screenplays The Following and Placebo Effect. In 2012 I won the Australian Writers’ Guild Terror Australis Script Competition for Till Death Do Us Die, a found-footage horror script I co-wrote with Gordon Napier. I’ve also been funded by Screen Queensland and Film Victoria for my screenplays Jinwarra and Bloodline.
The shift from screenplays to novels was a natural progression for me. To be able to take my writing and storytelling into my own hands and direct it straight to the readers is an amazing opportunity, one that I’m still in the process of discovering. On my website you’ll find more than just information on my books, but some helpful tips on writing, self-publishing, and that all important step of taking your idea from your computer screen out into the world. Thanks for taking the time to visit my site and I hope you enjoy it!
Andrew D. Connell