The seed was planted many years ago when a family I was close to experienced a series of traumatic events that ultimately tore them apart. I witnessed firsthand the grief, anger, shock and resentment, and found myself wanting to understand what it must have been like for each person involved. I’m talking severe physical disability, a possibly suspicious death, an affair and the loss of an inheritance.

I noticed that whenever I spoke about it, people became instantly enthralled, shocked and wanting to know what happened next. That was when I realised I had a story to tell.

For the next twenty years, I thought about how I would tell that story. Now that I am semi-retired, I finally have the time to write the book.

I started writing. Testing out how to turn the family saga into a novel. What do I need to change to make it fictitional, what is important to me in the story, what do I need to add to make it more interesting?

I got about three chapters in before realising that I really had no idea what I was doing, that there must be more to it than just sitting down and writing 80,000 words.

I reached out to the internet, and discovered writing organisations overflowing with information, couses and supports, Author pages (like this one), Facebook groups, Ticktockers, all out there with the information I needed. It was overwhelming.

I found myslef a tutor to take me through the basics. The first session I was bombarded with questions I did not even know I should have considered. What genre is it, how many words do you plan to write, what do you like to read, who are you favourite authors??????

We met once a week for six weeks. The wonderful Tina patiently stepped me through how to structure the novel, with exposition, inticing incidents and rising action. She took me through plots, sub-plots, themes and symbols. She taught me the rules of writing and so much more, which I will detail in later posts.

By the end of the six weeks I had a plan for my novel, my story outlined over forty chapters, plots woven in, characters bursting out. Now all I have to do is write it.

It took about twelve months to write the first draft, averaging two hours a day writing.

In that twelve months, I joined writers groups and book clubs. I did workshops and short couses. I was like a sponge soaking up information from where ever it spilled. My writing group, Central Coast Creative Writters, have put together and published two anthologies. That makes me a published author.

The best advice I got, again from my wonderful tutor was to read. Read psychological dramas, the genre most fitting for my book, noticing how they are written. Observe what evokes feelings and why, notice the various points of view, ect. I discovered the joy of reading. I have listened to over 80 audio books and also read numerous books in the past twelve months. I love escaping into my latest story, earphones on while I walk the dog or weed the garden. I listen when I am driving or cleaning the house. I love it.

I have to admit that, at first it was a little disheartening. These novels are so well writen, so clever, so captivating. These people know how to write and I don’t. I could never write anything like that.

I did though. I wrote the first draft, and now I am editing it.

I am getting feedback from my alpha readers. I could squeal with delight. They love it. That is all I needed to hear.