I Love to Write!

MY FIRST CREATIVE WRITING EXPERIENCE:

After writing audit reports and technical manuals for over twenty years, I sat down and wrote my first novel. The words flowed onto the pages, however I had forgotten everything I had been taught about the mechanics of creative writing. Even so, I didn’t have any problem completing the manuscript (or should I say the draft). I constantly used the same words and told instead of showed. With what I believed was a finished manuscript I signed up for a conference and sent in my first twenty pages to be reviewed by two faculty members. A month later I headed off to the writers’ conference convinced my novel would be immediately snatched up by an agent or publisher. Stepping off the plane, I was surprised I wasn’t accosted by several agents anxious to sign me up. Then when I reached the hotel, there wasn’t one message from an agent or publisher waiting for me.

How could that be?

The following day I attended a critique session where some participants could read aloud chapter one of their manuscript. Anxious to share my wonderful novel, I threw my hand in the air, hoping to go first. Looking back, I’m grateful the instructor didn’t pick me. I listened intensely to several readers, and then I realized my manuscript needed a lot of work. When one of my characters was nervous, that was the term I used; instead of, trembling hands, quivering lips, or other descriptions. The word “walked” appeared ten times on one of my pages. Since then, the thesaurus has become my best friend.

I had that manuscript professionally edited, which helped me immensely. I joined two experienced critique groups. I dug into reading more about the craft. I increased the number of novels I read from one a month to three. Then, I went back to what I love doing--writing!

I was born in Denmark, raised in Utah, and graduated from the University of Utah, magna cum laude. I'm a certified public accountant and worked in that field for more than twenty years.

Now I live in the foothills of Red Rock Canyon with my husband and our dog, Bran. I spend most of my time in the den writing stories. There, with my muse by my side, my imagination has no boundaries and dreams come alive. When I'm not pounding away on the keyboard, I can be found reading, rowing, or trying to perfect my golf game, which I fear is a lost cause.

About Me