Writer
One of my favourite things to do before travelling is to read books set in the places I'm visiting. Sometimes memoirs, sometimes non-fiction, and sometimes historical fiction. The Wolf Hall Trilogy, by Hilary Mantel is the epic story of the meteoric rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII's right hand man, and Lord Privy … Continue reading Travel Reading: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Last time I checked in I had just had my first rejection after pitching. Later that day, I had a request for the full manuscript. The following week I had another request for the full manuscript. So now I'm in the waiting limbo that is 'on submission'. Some people like to send their work to … Continue reading The Research Rabbit Hole
And another three months slip by, just like that. Juggling all the things when you're trying to write is not easy. I 'finished' my memoir some months ago, but have been in an editing frenzy, that feels like a carnival ride that I can't get off. Where do you stop? And on the other hand, … Continue reading My Month of Miserable Memoirs
Happy New Year!! It's been three months since I posted an update. I've been busy and absent, with a month in Japan, the usual silly season, and we have a new furry family member. So, finally, half way through the first month I have the opportunity to sit, think, and write. My month in Japan … Continue reading Long time, no write
Eleven years ago, on this day, you walked out the door and never came back. When I started writing my story about what happened; your suicide; and the kids and my journey through grief and adversity, I thought it'd be a reasonably short and easy process. I was telling a story I lived through. How … Continue reading Eleven Years
Going to 'Author Talks' is one of my favourite things about being a writer. Listening to someone describe their writing process, their road to publication story, and their trials and tribulations is always interesting, but also validating. In the beginning, it feels like you're playing dress-ups when you say 'I'm a writer.' Most people's response … Continue reading Author Talks
One thing I'm learning about writing is you learn everything as you go. You become a writer by writing. When I began this project I had no idea about writing, drafting, editing, publishing, or what a structural edit may or may not be. Now, I'm in the middle of one and it's a big mess. … Continue reading What’s a Structural Edit?
My year of writing has been accompanied by a year of reading. I have always been an avid reader. As a school student, I was able to walk to and from the train station each day without looking up from the page. I could read in the car, even on winding roads, and on boats, … Continue reading My Year of Reading
I have somehow wrestled 70,000 words into some form of order and cohesion to tell my story. It's still not finished, but I am edging ever closer. I'm looking forward to getting the draft manuscript printed and with binding, so I can see it as a physical whole, rather than a document on the laptop. … Continue reading Finishing the Book
Last year was a very good year for me. I finally found what I want to be when I grow up. It's been an arduous search. I'm 51 years old. Spending my year writing has been life-changing, and it's definitely what I want to continue doing. At the beginning of last year, I really had … Continue reading My Year of Writing: in Retrospect
Kylie Eklund-Denman 