I started trying to write (I say trying because I had an awful lot to learn, but didn’t know it at the time) when my daughter was a baby. She will turn forty this year, so that tells you how long I’ve been at this. My first impulse to write came from reading the Harlequin Romance books that were popular back in the 80’s. Some of the books were quite good, but some of them . . . well, let’s just say I knew I could do better. So I poked at it, just for fun, to see what might happen.
Before I could get very far with my new ambition, another baby came along and so I had to set writing on the back burner for awhile (as any mother will understand) although I didn’t give up on the idea. I scribbled some thoughts here and there when I had time, and a few years later I joined a book club where you’d buy one book a month at a discount. These were books for writers and they covered everything you needed to know to be successful. I was thrilled, and it was easier to read while my kids were little than to write.
I homeschooled my children from kindergarten age through high school, so that adventure took up every last bit of time I had. Yet, I did manage to read every book I could get my hands on that taught me how to write. I spent many years on that project and learned a great deal. When my kids were old enough to begin pursuing their own interests, I found I had small chunks of time here and there where I could think my own thoughts and maybe, just possibly, create a story that could be interesting. For the next several years, I tried to write as much as I could and did manage to produce a fat novel, but when it came time to find an agent, which you had to do back then, the real struggle became apparent—because it was just about impossible to get anyone to look at you unless you were Somebody. You’d hear stories of someone being discovered in the ‘slush pile’ as they used to call it, but I was never that fortunate.
So, I decided to spend my time writing another book, and another. I had written three or four full-length novels when we had to move across the country, and during that process my paper manuscripts were lost as well as the computer on which they were stored. This was a bit discouraging, to lose everything after all that hard work, and so I gave up on my hope to become a writer—until just last year when it suddenly occurred to me that, since my kids were now married and on their own, there was absolutely no good reason that I couldn’t begin to write again and try to produce a story that someone might like; and happily, publishing your book is much easier nowadays. There are opportunities available everywhere.
I’ve written six books in my series so far, and I hope to write several more as it is the most fun! Well, I amuse myself anyway, and spend much of my time giggling at the antics of my characters. I sincerely hope my readers will thoroughly enjoy their journey through my books. ~
Carolyn Kay Hanson 