An autistic Aberdeen man has used his own life experiences to inspire the release of his first short story.
Alasdair Baxter, known to everyone as Ali, wrote Jojo the Kind Hearted Clown over the course of eight months, between April and December last year.
The story features a battle between good and evil involving two clowns, named Jojo and Coco.
Inspiration from real life
The 35-year-old, who lives at Newton Dee in Aberdeen, says the inspiration for his short story came from his fascination with clowns and his enjoyment of horror and thriller films.
He explains how aspects of his life influenced the main characters of his story.
He said: “I had a fascination with clowns. There used to be a kid’s amusement centre in Torry, it was a kid’s play area hosted by a clown, that I believe was called Coco.
“It’s funny how clowns look like they are a highlight for kids but at the same time, they can be a little scary. Throughout the years, I have been watching some clown movies. I was quite into It, the remake.”
His story tells the tale of two clowns named Coco and Jojo.
Coco, a children’s show host who went on tour with his circus gang, was a great success but is keeping a dark secret.
Meanwhile, kind hearted Jojo is always letting his circus gang look bad. He is kind and means well but isn’t so skilled at magic tricks.
Will Jojo find out Coco’s dark secret, solve the mystery and save the day? Or, will he make another mistake and upset the circus gang?
‘It feels quite rewarding’
Mr Baxter will celebrate the launch of his debut book within the library at The Phoenix Community Centre at Newton Dee Village in Aberdeen tomorrow.
The drama enthusiast turned short story writer says thanks to the dark drama of the story, it appeals to both adults and children.
Speaking ahead of the launch, he says writing and creating the tale has been very rewarding; leaving the door open for a sequel.
He added: “I’m a little bit nervous but I think the experience does feel quite rewarding; the fact that a lot of people can give credit for something I’ve really put my heart into.
“It feels good that I’ve created something that will be quite entertaining to a lot of people but I like how I give it a dark tone so it’s not entirely a children’s story but more like a dark drama so it can be readable on an adult level too.
“I do feel it is quite a good hobby to have, writing some stories and thinking up some good ideas. I hope I can think up a good sequel seeing as I left it on a bit of a to-be-continued ending.”
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