“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” Albert Einstein
I graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a dual BA in English and Psychology, a combination I have found supremely helpful in the craft of writing. People ask me how long I’ve wanted to be a writer, and I have to say as far back as I can remember. I was always writing stories, losing myself in them, dreaming about them when I was supposed to be doing something else.
For the longest time, I simply wrote to write. I don’t remember learning how to write. I think, though, that being an avid reader helped me to understand and apply basic elements of writing. Somehow I knew I should kick off my stories with conflict and when the dust settles from that, to torment my characters with a bigger, nastier conflict. I knew dialogue needed to be real and characters needed to be well-rounded, three-dimensional, and sympathetic. Even the bad guys.
But there was a lot to it that I didn’t understand and didn’t apply, and soon I learned that a BA in English and having the passion to write wasn’t going to be enough to make me an author. After UNH, I took writing courses, attended conferences, participated in workshops, read magazines and articles on writing, read some great authors, read some terrible authors, and wrote my stuff throughout it all.
There was a long span of time in there where I gave up. Just stopped writing, quit mid-sentence in all my works-in-progress, and turned my back on my dream. There were lots of reasons for it, but they all boiled down to lack of confidence. I just didn’t believe in myself. I talked myself out of trying.
When my oldest child, Maddy, was born, I felt a resurgence. I was lucky to be a stay-at-home mom, and so there were chunks of time that I had to myself. I suddenly wanted to write again. After my son, Riley, was born, I was writing full-throttle. Finally I knew heart-deep that not a thing was going to stop me from writing again. Not rejections. Not bad critiques. Not writer’s block. Not negativity. Nothing. I totally and completely credit my children as my inspiration.
Going on eight years now, I am still all about writing. I wake up at 4 in the morning to take advantage of the two hours that the house is still and quiet. The phone isn’t ringing. The dog isn’t barking. The kids aren’t vying for my attention. I have coffee, my manuscript, soft music, and I am in total bliss.
Thrillingly so, one of my short stories was accepted April 2011 by The Greensilk Journal. You can find the story on my site, under Treasures, or check out the journal where a lot of other neat pieces are published.
I’m lucky to have the support I do on the writing front. I’m also lucky to have my family who may not be writers, but they are my cheerleaders. Through the ordeals and harmony of my kids’ lives, I am reminded how satisfying it is to persevere and conquer. My husband, Rob, is great at picking up the slack whenever I lock myself away in my study. My mother is the one who showed me the magic of reading, the places books can take you, and she has always encouraged me to follow my dream of being a novelist. My father has always been matter-of-fact about what I’ve wanted to do with my life. He never seemed to think such a dream was crazy nor impossible. He looks at it as where things are supposed to be headed for me.
As for me, I am my own biggest, most determined support. I remember those dark days when I quit writing. When I believed I couldn’t do it. I was not happy, not truly happy. I know how I got to that place, and making the comeback I did made me stronger, more confident, and less anxious. Writing does my mind, body, and soul good.
I hope NaNoWriMo is going well
I have nominated you for the Liebster Blog Award. I hope you haven’t been nominated for this before. In any case, you can have a look here:
http://fhhakansson.com/2011/11/20/the-liebster-blog-award/
Regards, Fredrik.
Wow! No, I haven’t been nominated before. Thank you so much! I will go check it out…
Hello Kate,
I’ve enjoyed reading through this as well as your NaNoWriMo 2011 Winner post. You’re a particularly dedicated writer, having found your way through those dark, non-writing days.
Well done.
With warm regards,
Sean (http://MindfulLivingGuide.com)
Wow. Thanks so much for taking the time to read and comment. Being called “dedicated” is a huge compliment, thank you.
Nothing short of awesome Kate and though I am manly, or malely, or whatever, I am shaking my pom poms for ya. Gimme K……”K”, We’ve got that K. We’ve got that K………….
Haha. You always make me laugh. Thanks, Brian. I am always in need of a cheering section!
This is such a lovely bio, Kate and rings so true for me at the moment. I actually gave up writing just after I had little Eri last year because I realised I’d invested so much time over the past fourteen years in what looked to become a hopeless dream – I’d always intended to be making enough money out of published books by now to not have to return to work.
Once I was over the first three months on a newborn I found I returned to it and have spent most of my maternity leave working on a new YA paranormal book, which still isn’t anywhere close to being finished BUT that’s a good thing for me because I’m actually working and reworking for once instead of whizzing through a first draft and moving onto the next one like I’ve always done in the past. But I do feel guilty about the 2-3 hrs a day I spend tapping on my laptop when I could be taking Eri to baby clubs, or just making the most of my time off to go and visit some beautiful historic places or something.
I have two months before I return to work with its four-hour round-trip commute (not possible to write on as I’ll be squished in with a million other commuters) and busy, sometimes stressful workload, and I’ve kind of told myself this is my last attempt. I’ll make this novel the best it can be and try to get an agent; if that fails, try the indie publish route…and then probably it a day.
I very much doubt I will be able to call it a day though!
I really hope that agent loves your work and wants to represent you and you get a great publishing deal because you’ve clearly worked hard to make yourself such the engaging writer that you are.
Hi Sally,
You have such a moving story. I just want to tell you to quit your job and stay at home with your baby and write to your heart’s content! But of course, I know that isn’t realistic–however, it doesn’t mean that you can’t figure out a way around your busy schedule.
I think you’ll surprise yourself once you get back to work and fall into your new routine. If you are dedicated and motivated enough, then you can make it happen.
There will be time for you to write if you want to write. I truly believe that. I think we make time for things when we have to, or when we want to. It will be difficult, but it won’t be impossible.
Even if your novel isn’t finished in two months, I hope that you will still persevere and figure out how to fit in even just thirty minutes a day to tend to your creative self. You must take the opportunity to realize your dream, even if you have to go at it a little differently than what you once imagined.
Good luck, Sally, I’ll be keeping an eye on you!
Thanks for coming over to my blog and commenting so that I could then follow you back here and discover a kindred spirit . . . one that I have a lot to learn from.
Happy to make the connection! Actually, I was thinking I’d be picking up a lot of good stuff from you!
We’ll help each other then.
It’s a deal!
What a lovely feel good post! Really inspiring.
Thank you so much. It’s been quite the journey, and it continues to be. I hope you have a wonderful day. Kate