My Writing Journey So Far

Words. I’ve always loved them. As a child writing was my first obsession. I wrote funny little stories, poems and letters. Mostly to my Nan, as she was my inspiration, my encourager. As a teenager I discovered how to lose myself in books, and reading replaced writing.

Being the second of four children, with only one parent in the house, there wasn’t a lot of opportunity for chasing dreams, and so when I left school I found office work. At least it meant I could write. Granted it was only insurance certificates but I loved the physical act of putting pen to paper. At the end of every working week I treated myself to a new book.

I stopped reading when my daughter, Dana, was born eleven years ago. I had a new obsession. All my power channelled into caring for her. A few years went by before I picked up another book, and that was only on holiday. It had become a treat. By the time she started primary school it was clear she had the same obsession as I did. She wrote and wrote and wrote. Pages of just words at first, and then sentences, and now short stories. I encourage her constantly, as my Nan did me. She will be a great writer.

Having time to myself once more, I started to read again, properly. At the end of some novels I would think, as I’d always done – I could do better than that. I told Dana this, many times. “Well do it then, Mummy.” She believed in me too. I just didn’t believe in myself. But how could I? I didn’t have a degree or an MA in creative writing. I hadn’t even been to college. The idea was plain silly. And then my beloved Nan died. I was heart-broken.

Three years on and it still hasn’t properly sunk in. She’d played such a massive part in my forty years of life so far; her loss was devastating. But strangely, also inspiring again. As well as my daughter telling me, “You should write a book, you haven’t even tried,” I now had a voice in my head telling me the same. A strangely familiar storyline for a book grew inside my head all by itself. Where was it coming from? I managed to ignore it for many months before finally telling my husband John I needed to at least attempt to write it down.

Once I gave in and sat, pen poised over blank paper, the words fell out. I struggled to keep up with them. I poured out the heart-ache of losing my Nan into my writing. Two months later I had an eighty thousand word first draft down. “See I told you could do it!” both my daughter and the voice gloated. I sat back and took a long deep breath. Naively I then submitted this to a dozen agents I found online. Rejection quite rightly flooded back from all of them. It didn’t deter me though; it drove me on. I just needed to find out how to do it properly.

Joining Twitter opened up a whole new universe. It didn’t take long to discover the wonderful writing community that existed there. An exciting new scheme called The WoMentoring Project soon started up. Literary people were offering their precious time for free. I applied to one of the mentors; a talented new author by the name of Antonia Honeywell, whom I had met briefly at a Curtis Brown Q&A panel event, and got accepted.

I sent her my opening chapters and she helped me work through them. Her insight was brilliant. My eyes were opened. I attended the launch of her debut novel, The Ship, in February this year. When she mentioned me in her speech I was overwhelmed. My journey was going well.

In January I became one of the lucky two hundred and fifty applicants accepted each year into the New Writers’ Scheme of the Romantic Novelists Association. They hold many literary meetings and parties throughout the year; more opportunities for me to further my journey.

And then I was even more fortunate to find another amazing lady via Twitter, by the name of Kate Foster. Studying to become an editor she was offering her services for free to writers who were looking for it. That was me. I sent her a message and before long we became friends, regardless of the fact we lived at opposite ends of the globe. Her help and guidance has been invaluable. Kate also writes.

As well as articles for Women Writers and Literary Rejections, her own debut novel Winell Road came out this year. When we’ve finished polishing my work together, to its highest shine, I shall be submitting again. But with much higher hopes this time; because of Antonia and Kate’s wonderful assistance. Without them I would still be right back at the starting line.

I have come a long way in my writing journey already, but I’ve not yet reached the final destination. Publication of my debut novel, The Jellybeans, will arrive. Because I will continue persevering until it does.

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Follow Debra on Twitter @debrabrown_ 

Tags: featured, inspiration, mentoring, women writers

Category: Contemporary Women Writers, On Writing