Patrick Cash, London Independent Story Prize 2024 2nd Competition Short Story Finalist 'The Dragon'

London Independent Story Prize 2024 2nd Competition Short Story Finalist 'The Dragon' by Patrick Cash

-    Can you please tell us about you and your daily life?

I’m a British-Irish writer, originally from Bristol. I live with my partner in Peckham, and I work a day job for Arts Council England, as a Relationship Manager in Literature. Much of my writing is LGBTQ+ themed, focusing on the reality of the modern queer experience.

- When and how did you get into writing?

I’ve always wanted to write since I was a bookish child, but it only became a realistic goal when I studied for a Masters in Creative Writing. I focused on prose, but after my graduation I experimented with different genres: spoken word poetry, theatre, even a brief tryst with TV writing. I had two play scripts published by Bloomsbury, one of which - The Chemsex Monologues - was nominated for the Polari Prize. However, during the pandemic I realised I wanted to focus back on my first love of prose. Since then, I’ve taken part in The London Library’s Emerging Writers’ Programme, won a Platinum award from Creative Future for short fiction, and my novel-in-progress Fireworks has this year been selected for the Felicity Bryan New Voices and Hachette UK Grow Your Story programmes.

-    How often do you write? Do you have a writing routine? And what inspires you to write?

I try to carve out time around my ACE hours: most often in the evenings and at weekends. I’m not an overly ‘morning person’ so I won’t be able to get up at 5am, run 10k and bash out 3000 words before breakfast. If I’m working from home, I’ll start writing straight after I’ve closed my work laptop at 5pm. If I’m in the office, I’ll go to a nearby café. On Saturdays, I spend as much of the day as possible in The London Library. In terms of what inspires me to write: right now, it’s doggedly trying to finish a first draft of my novel.

-    How does it feel to have your work recognised?

Good. It’s no secret that there’s a hell of a lot of rejection in the writing game, so when you get a little recognition, enjoy it.

-    What's the best and most challenging thing about writing a story? 

Finding the right voice. Making sure the lead character is realistic and interesting. The style of the sentences. Editing. Ensuring your themes aren’t too big and better suited to a novel. Rewriting that ending until you really feel it works. Basically, all of it!

-  How did you develop the idea for your LISP-selected story? Is there a story behind your story? And, how long have you been working on it?

I used to work for the gay press in London, and I wrote a number of articles exploring mental health in the LGBTQ+ community, covering issues such as substance use, HIV and the psychological repercussions of Section 28. LGBTQ+ people are disproportionately affected by poor mental health compared to the main population and I’m interested as to why: how growing up in an often intolerant world may affect the psyche. The Dragon includes all of these themes but at its heart is a strong bond between the two male leads.

-    Can you please give us a few tips about writing a story?

It’s an oldie but a goodie: find a subject to write that makes you so emotionally invested you won’t settle for anything but conveying truth.

- What's the best thing and the most challenging thing about competitions? 

The best thing is when you open up an email and find your writing’s been recognised. The most challenging thing is the luck of the draw! You might have a story you really believe in, and it’s not selected or shortlisted. But dust yourself off, get a good writerly friend to read it and give you feedback, then tweak and resubmit. Perseverance is always key.