From Daydreams to Reality
By Andrée Jannette
It started with a persistent tremor. My right hand, my dominant hand, that I used for everything, I could no longer use for anything. I lost my ability to write out my name. I couldn’t hold a pen or brush. I saw a number of doctors to try and figure out what was going on. But everyone had a different answer. There was simply no consensus. Then, after a year, I finally got an answer, just not the answer I wanted.
At age 51, I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
I had made my living as a writer/photographer. Now I could barely use a computer keyboard or hold a camera steady. I went from full time to part time to freelance to volunteer work in the blink of an eye. The future looked bleak. I never thought I’d be retired at such an early age.
Most of my professional life was spent in public relations, writing press releases, newsletters and annual reports. The writing I did was primarily for work with an occasional freelance project thrown in the mix. In addition to public relations, I had a somewhat unusual work history. I was the executive producer of a talk radio station, a talk show host, an on-air traffic reporter , a public affairs programmer, and a stand-up comedian.
But now I needed to find a new direction, a new purpose in life. Even as a youngster, there was a part of me that dreamed of writing a book someday. I hung out at the library a lot, frequently trundling home with an armful of books. I was one of those flashlight kids reading at night under my blankets. But even as I fantasized about writing a book, I wasn’t sure what I’d write about or whether I even had the talent to do so.
I remember when I read J.K. Rowling’s first book. I was thrilled by what she had created out of whole cloth. One scene that impressed me a lot was a description of the paintings in the hallways of Hogwarts. The subjects of the paintings would often leave and go visit other paintings. That imagery was so freeing. It felt like it unlocked the door to a whole new world of my imagination.
As I began putting ideas for a story together in my head, I knew I wanted to write a book for older women. Too often I have found romance novels focus on younger women in their 20s or 30s at the beginning of their lives. I wanted to focus on mature, grown-up women who had been through a variety of life experiences but were still looking forward to meeting new people, having adventures and building new relationships.
It took me a year to write my first book, “The Tea Drinker’s Guide to Adventure.” I finished it shortly after I turned 66. At that point I self-published it and listed it on Amazon. I was thrilled when the book won a number of awards. It bolstered my self-confidence in my writing ability and encouraged me to start another.
I found creating characters for “The Tea Drinker’s Guide to Adventure” exhilarating. Some of them were with me from the beginning of the story. While others appeared unexpectedly and kind of forged their own way onto my pages, settling in for the long run.
Early on I decided to give one of the main characters, Parkinson’s. I wanted to capture what it is like dealing with a chronic progressive disease while at the same time not making the story all about the disease.
There are certain realities that I pay attention to when I’m writing. For instance, it is important to me that my characters are authentic and interact with one another as people would. I have a group of friends that I ask to read my work to make sure the dialogue and actions of my characters are true.
My story ideas come from a number of different places. Here is where my varied work background comes in handy. My experiences help to add depth to my characters. In addition, I am an avid dog-lover and have worked with rescue and service dogs. So, dogs always play a role in my books.
When I am trying to plot a scene, especially a pivotal scene, I sometimes daydream it out like a short film. I take a walk, a shower, a nap or listen to music and let my mind wander. If I have trouble with an opening sentence and it is not perfect I insert a basic line, what I consider a spacer sentence. And come back to it when I have a better feel for it.
I am now on my second book (with a third waiting in the wings). This new book is titled “An Island for Isabel.” I am about 3/4 of the way through. It is about a woman in her sixties who unexpectedly is left a house on an island off the coast of Maine. After a lifetime of being plagued by anxieties and worry, she begins to get in touch with an inner strength she didn’t know she had. She learns to trust others and opens herself up to friendship, hope and love. It is an uplifting story that confirms our ability to adapt, change and grow. No matter our age.
Good luck and good reading.
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Andrée Jannette is the author of the upcoming romance, An Island for Isabel. This is her second novel. She self-published her first, The Tea Drinker’s Guide to Adventure, on Amazon in 2022. That novel was awarded the Next Generation Indie Book Awards Third Place Grand Prize Winner for Best Fiction Book 2023. It also won a Readers’ Favorite 2023 Bronze Medal for Women’s Fiction. Now retired, in her previous life, she was a public relations professional for NJN Public Television, and Comcast Cablevision of Philadelphia. Prior to that, she was a Philadelphia radio talk show host. Before the pandemic, her rescue dog was certified as a therapy dog by PAWS Pet Therapy for People. The two of them visited hospitals, senior centers, libraries, and schools where students read to the dog. Currently, she is volunteering as an advocate for people challenged with Parkinson’s. Ms. Jannette lives outside Philadelphia with her partner and their dog.
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Category: On Writing
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