Why I Write?

Hello! I am a writer who has spent much time trapped in roles that prevented, or at least stifled, my writing. I grew up in the outer south-western suburbs of Sydney, Australia with Mum and Dad and a younger sister. The highlight of my schooling was winning the Creative Writing Award in Year 12.

Unfortunately, the real world called and I began studying nursing. How did one even become an author? Following completion of graduate training at Wagga Wagga Base Hospital in the beautiful Riverina region of NSW I began working in theatre at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in Sydney. I enjoyed working in theatre, but the children were always asleep so my desire to work with children was somewhat curtailed.

I returned to uni to study Primary Teaching. Early on in my career I received training to become a literacy specialist which allowed me to work 1:1 with children struggling to learn to read and write developing their literacy skills. This was very rewarding, involving equipping young children to learn to read stories, discuss stories, tell stories, write stories and view themselves as authors.

Yet, I still was not telling my stories. As a teacher, I constantly tell students they are authors, that one day they could write stories like the ones we read in class by Aaron Blabey or Mem Fox or Jane Godwin. Did I really believe this, though? If they could do this, what was stopping me?

Finally, the time had come for me to create this webpage and begin taking my writing seriously. To begin taking the risks I encouraged my students to take. To begin creating instead of dreaming about creating. To begin writing not just thinking.

When I am not working (I still have a real job) or reading, or writing, I take photographs, scrapbook, sporadically cross stitch, avoid housework, walk my dog, build LEGO houses, and buy more books to read.