This website is the culmination of years of writing and associated activities. My passion for the written word began in childhood and has been integral to my existence as I’ve journeyed to, and lived in, five different areas of New South Wales, before my recent arrival on the Far South Coast.
When I was eight, I wrote my first book – one copy only – about a dog and his friends, and the mischief they stirred. In a household with no money to spare, writing paper for my masterpiece was scarce; so I scrounged discarded cattle identification forms from my father’s office. I used a home-made glue mixture of flour and water to stick these together face to face. This made them stiff enough and hid the printed lines and squares. Then I searched the laundry cupboard for string and tied these thicker pages together, encased in cardboard from the back of my mother’s almost empty writing pad. I covered my creation with brown paper and pasted a cartoon picture of three puppies on the front.
The creativity and tenacity I displayed in the production of that little book were far greater than in the story itself… but I knew then I would be a writer. That tenacity survives today, only now it is focussed on the writing.
I have truly come home, bringing my work together on this site and in my first-ever dedicated writing room, where there is a beautiful Bega Valley view from my window. The undulating hills, ever-changing with the seasons and the shifting shades of the sun’s reflection, constantly remind me why my paternal great-great-grandparents chose to settle in this area when they migrated to Australia in 1851.
Yes, I have come home in many ways… and I invite you to share this part of my writing journey. I hope you will visit my writing home often and enjoy the gems I spread here for you – writing tips, techniques and challenges, and this blog The Writer’s Journey… where I will explore various aspects of writing to hopefully enrich your writing experience as well as mine.
Nice to see you launch your blog, Kate! I will follow you closely and watch with eagerness as your journey unfolds, expecting rather selfishly that it will help in some way to inspire my own.
Great to have you along Craig!