How, When and Why I Started Writing

The wonderful Rachael Blair has a blog about how she started writing and asked how we all started. Now normally I’d write it to her post but it is such a long story I didn’t want to use up too much of her blogging with my answer. Click on the link and go and read about Rachael’s journey.

Why I started writing. I have no idea, because I hated English with a passion. I started reading Time Romance mag's in my teens and loved the stories. Then I read an article I think it was by Barbara Taylor Bradford about her writing romance novels and thought I could do that, yeah right. I’d also been reading Mills & Boons novels on and off for a while, one of Margaret Way’s was the first M&B I’d read. I loved reading about the Australian outback; Lindsay Armstrong was another I read a lot of at the time. I still have to pick up one of Margaret’s novels if I see a new one available.

When I started well that’s the long part. After reading the article by Barbara, I started my first story. It was about a girl who finds her fiancé in bed with her sister on their wedding day. Very dramatic. Back then in my early days of writing having a computer was a luxury, and not one that we could afford. (Heavens I think my age is showing now.) So I wrote long hand, had my exercise book and trusty pen and would spend hours writing. When I think about it, I wrote much the same way as I do today in that I had three stories going at once. One of my other stories was about a girl who after receiving her first modelling job arrives home to find her long lost father standing in her kitchen talking to her mother; he has also brought his step-son with him. (I might have to revisit that one.) Of course I don’t have said exercise books any more, it a fit one day when I was sure I’d never write again I throw them out. Bad move, very bad move. Anyway that’s getting a head of myself. The third story was about a woman who along with her husband and children moves to the outback to work on one of the large cattle stations. The husband dies in a plane crush (very sad), and cattle station owner steps in to help her through her grieving process, he had lost his wife a few years before hand. So you can see what was going to happen here. Really wish I hadn’t thrown those books out.

Anyway, we moved over to the farm and between getting said farm sorted out, children and school, working, in-laws separating, parents illness and so on, my writing got pushed to one side. Well really it got thrown in the bin. I started tracing my family history and thought it would be great if I could write about my ancestors and their battles to survive in a new colony. I think that was when it all started to happen. I’d allowed myself to dream of writing again even though I did put it off for a few more years.

About four years ago I started getting these mutterings in my head; have to say at first I thought I was going bonkers. I started writing down what they were saying; it was just bits and pieces of things nothing that I could put my finger on and say, “oh now I know what to do”. If that makes any sense at all. Then about two year ago it all come through like a title wave. It was like I opened the gates to a dam and in came all this information. I joined the Romance Writer’s of Australia six months later and as they say the rest is history.

You wouldn’t believe it, I’m going to do a Book in a Month in June with some of my RWAustralia friends, now I was going to finish a couple of my MS’s I have going ATM. But nooooo last night while watching T.V. I had this couple come and visit, seems they have a story to tell. Quiet a nice couple been best friends for years. Had me writing a five page sketch on them. A bit rude pushing in like that, but what can I do? They’ve blocked my other couples until I’m finished with their sketch, so I’ll go with the flow and let them have their time or until the other’s get feed up with waiting and push their way back to front and centre. So what about you? How did you start your writing journey?

Now you can see why I didn’t leave this on Rachael’s site. I ramble too much, anyway my son is here for a visit so I had better go and spend some time with him, I don’t get to see him anywhere near as much as I’d like too.

Bye for now.
Hugs
Sandie

Borders ~ I've Been Bad AGAIN

I had to go back to the doctor's yesterday, just a check up after my day surgery. He has put me on some different tables in the hope that these might spot my nausea, one can only hope. Anyway after I left the doctors I went to borders just for a look mind you. Yeah right, as if, I should know better.

So what did I buy this time? Well I got my first Anne Gracie novel YA. 'The Perfect Kiss', I've heard some very good reviews about this book, so I'm very excited about reading it. I also got Lucy Clark, 'Her Very Special Baby', Jennie Adams, 'To Love And To Cherish', Anne Oliver, 'Business In The Bedroom', and Trish Morey, 'The Sheikh's Convenient Virgin'. I just don't know which to read first, plus I still have a mile and a half of other novels to read. Sigh, just not enough hours in my day to fit everything in.

While I was in Borders I had to do some shelf rearranging. I mean how rude can they be? Fancy putting our own fantastic Trish behind the Mother's Day Special box when they clearly have enough of them out on display. Well Trish is front and centre now, as is Anne Oliver. They had her behind someone else, not good enough. When will these people learn that they should be promoting our own authors. I just know I'm going to have to go over to my two local Big W stores and do some more rearranging, oh and K-Mart as well. ;-)

Now I didn't just buy novels, I also bought Susie Bright's 'How to Write a Dirty Story', yes I know I'm suppose to be writing contemporary romance. Just couldn't help myself, I have started an erotic novel so thought this might help. Mind you if I do decide to go the erotic way, my daughter has told me to use a different name. (Cheeky little devil). I also got Louise Jordan's How To Write For Children - and get published', this one to help me with my stories I'm writing about my grandson's adventures. :-). For reference books I picked up 'Sex Slang' by Tom Dalzell and Terry Victor, very interesting book, IMHO. And because my spelling is just atrocious I got 'The McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Misspelled and Easily Confused Words'. So as you can see I had another fun fill day in my little slice of heaven.

Oh, I also got this cute journal; Books To Check Out, you write down all the books you want to read, borrow or lent, and your favourite books. So I'm making my list of books I want to buy. I now know they can get me some of Anne Whitfield's, so next time I'm down there I'm going to place my order. I'll also have my list to take to my local library, hopefully I'll be able to get them to stock a few of our own brilliant authors ;-).

Okay that's me for another blog. I'm going to do some housework, YUCK. I've put SVEN on hold for a couple of days, I'll get back into that on Monday. Have a great weekend everyone.

Hugs

Sandie

HELP!!!!!!

Okay! I am now well and truly sick of myself. I've done no writing since before Christmas. Done very little editing and I'm NOT HAPPY!!!!! Does anyone know of someone with a size twenty foot? You know someone who could give me a boot where the sun don't shine. "I need something" she says looking to the heavens for answers. No, that's not working. I waited a good fifteen seconds. Got nothing. OH well, sigh, scratches forehead. Better watch out for splinters. I haven't used it for so long it's probably turned to wood. Sigh, again.
Head in hands looking at my new flat screen. (Well it was before I wrote that sentence.) Did I tell you I got a new flat screen Monitor? Yep. My step-mother-in-law gave us some money for Chrissy, so we put some to it and got this great screen. I love it!!
I'm going to Borders tomorrow to look for some more books. I plan to spend at least two hours in there. I looooove Borders. I have a few novels I'm chasing up by some of my online friends. Oh and of course some more reference books. Love my books. I joined a online book club thingy, it's called Goodreads. There's a link just to the left. I've started to put in all the books I've read, books TBR. This has made me realise just how much reading I have to do, and how much I've already done.
Well that's me for awhile. If you come across anyone who could give me a good boot, let me know. Have a good week, or at least a good few days until I get back to write some more dribble.

Hugs
Sandie