First Fridays with the Crew

WHY ARE YOU A WRITER?

Ever wondered why a writer writes? This month we'd like to share our stories of why we became professional storytellers.

Amanda McIntyre

 Storyteller at Heart 

Odd as it may sound, I don’t feel I chose writing, but rather writing chose me. It wasn’t at birth, but a late-in-life process and I didn’t start out writing romance. I started out writing a weekly newspaper column for some seven years on the importance of the Fine Arts in our schools, a topic that remains close to my heart.

In retrospect, I give credit to my art teacher, Elenora Nebola, for encouraging the artist in me and instilling a passion for the creative process, to see its potential and possibility. (She would be the only person to show at my first hometown signing in the midst of a vicious snowstorm!) 

Years later, her teaching--along with a natural curiosity (or incessant questions, however you prefer to see it) prompted me to delve into other forms of reading, research and writing. (I have been known to read the dictionary, true story.) It was as though a door had opened and the yellow brick road lay before me—I still crafted and painted, but it spilled over into writing poetry and short stories, and I had a hunger to learn the craft of writing.

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Not long after, as a cathartic endeavor to a low point in my life, I discovered an anthology contest based in Michigan and spent all night-literally writing through the pain-penning by hand my first novel.

Granted it was a first draft, but it felt electrifying, exhilarating and something inside me was sparked. Writing that book opened my eyes to sharing what potential and possibility there is in this world. It gave me a renewed hope, a hope I wanted to share. (That book, Tides of Autumn has been revised since and republished, thankfully.)

I joined a number of writing groups—RWA, and From the Heart, took online classes, found writing mentors,(Thank you, Lori Soard) met wonderful authors—seasoned and aspiring-- and was a member of the Dorothy Parker Reviewers group for a time. 

My first published novel came in 2001 with a small press (long before digital books were around!) and I was humbled when it was given top pick on Midwest Books Reviews and featured on an episode of the syndicated show, Book Talk.

That fall, in October 2001, I attended my first reader conference in Orlando, Fla. It was a difficult choice given many had canceled flights due to the tragedy of September 11. But the solidarity shown and the determination to allow faith, hope and love to overcome the horror of that day served to inspire me even more.

Now, some 32+books later (some retired, others revised and republished, and my current works), I have had the experience of working with publishers and editors from small press to traditional, sold internationally, and currently enjoy the journey of the self-publishing world.

And, looking back, I feel a part of history—a pioneer of sorts, in being a part of the rise of digital publishing. Like it or not, it is for certain that the publishing industry is always changing—but there it is again, potential and possibility.

Am I doing what I love?  Where I once used a paint and brush to tell a story, I now use words. My passion is the creation process. Gathering, researching, observing, questioning—believing that LOVE WILL ALWAYS FIND A WAY. These are tools of this artisan by which I not only share my stories, but live my life.

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C.H. Admirand
My Seventh Grade English teacher inspired me to write poetry and short stories, but it was my darling hubby who planted the seeds encouraging me to write a book. One night I was looking for something to read (that I hadn’t reread a few times already,) and my husband Dave asked me why I didn’t write one of my own. It was as if someone opened a window and a breeze blew through…and all at once, I knew, I was going to write a book.

I worked during the day as a secretary when our three kids were in school and wrote at 5am before they got up and then after they went to bed. I wrote my first book on a Brother electric typewriter in 1994 and was elated when we were finally able to buy our first home computer at Radio Shack--a Tandy that had the Q&A word processing program on it. I still have a stack of those little 3.5” diskettes in my desk drawer with my first story on one. The Key to the Briar Keep…the manuscript is still in a box under my bed! LOL.

I joined RWA and NJRW in 1995 and would never have realized my dream of receiving “The Call” or publishing one of my books if I hadn’t joined these amazing organizations. At one of our NJRW meetings in 1999, I saw a contest and thought…I could write a Regency Short Story. I entered The Lady and The Rake and to my shock…won! The prize was publication in The Dancing Rose Anthology. A few months later at another NJRW meeting, Author Amanda Harte told us her publisher Avalon Books was debuting their new historical romance line in three months. She gave us her editor’s contact information and told us to go home and write and send those stories in!

I went home and wrote The Marshal’s Destiny, my first Irish Western Historical set in the late 1870s Colorado. Crossed my fingers and received my first rejection letter…but it had a handwritten note on the bottom saying that if I’d consider revising, they’d be happy to take another look. I wasn’t going to, but my author friends at NJRW convinced me to just do it! LOL.

Funny thing, my hubby and I were working in the yard a few months later and our daughter said he had a phone call. Two minutes later, he comes outside to tell me it’s Avalon Books on the phone and they want to buy my book! LOL…I’ve always used my initials C.H.—guess that’s why they asked to speak to Mr. Admirand. Maybe they thought I was Charles Horatio or maybe Chumley Higginbotham…and here I was just plain old Colleen Helen. I’ll never forget that my darling hubby got “The Call” instead of me. 

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My first book, The Marshal’s Destiny, was published in 2001 and there’s something really special about the cover—that’s my great-grandmother Margaret Mary Flaherty in the cameo. I named my heroine after her and was delighted when Avalon said they’d add her picture to the cover. That picture still sits on our mantelpiece among our other ancestors. When I got the rights back in 2013, I edited my first book and self-published it…that’s the cover you see with the beautiful scenery next to the original release from 2001.

But my writing career didn’t take off in 2001. I didn’t sell another book for six years—but I’d been writing through all of those rejections and sold six books in 2007! It was a very busy year. Although my writing career has had to take a back seat when first my father became ill, and then my mother. Writing actually kept me sane when I wanted to curl up and escape from the pain of watching one of my loved ones dying. Dad’s been gone for 20 years, and mom passed away eleven days after our youngest grandson was born 5 years ago.

Who knew in 1994 that I’d still be writing 25 years later? Not me. LOL! Life should be celebrated every day. Every. Day. Oh...and in case you wondered…my first real dream was to dance in a cage wearing those cool white, ankle high, zip up the back Go-Go boots and fringed mini dress like the dancers on Hullabaloo A-Go-Go one of my favorite shows as a kid. 

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E.E. Burke
I’ve always been a storyteller. Even as a child, I made up stories and I loved to tell them to people. I wrote a few (terrible) plays and penned (bad) song lyrics, drew comics and illustrations. I started out as more of a visual artist, and kind of evolved into a writer in college but ended up in Journalism because I convinced my parents someone would pay me to be a journalist.

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Reading romances in the late 80s sparked a desire to write them, but by then I’d gravitated into a marketing job. Frankly, fear held me back. I did a lot of creative thinking and even writing while I was in advertising, but I didn’t start crafting novels until I was fifty. I don’t recommend waiting. I wish I’d started this journey many years ago.

What feeds my creative well? History, art, reading, movies, television shows, plays, music, symphonies, ballet, parties, school, church, family dinners, walks around the block. Everything. I see every part of my life as potential seasoning and food for creativity. There’s some debate about whether you can “teach” creativity. I don’t think it’s something that’s taught as much as something you release and then learn to direct. That takes skills, so I’d say over the past ten years, I’ve evolved creatively as a writer and a storyteller through all those things I mentioned earlier, as well as seeking out learning opportunities and trying new things.

You may never see the first book I wrote because my skill level wasn’t where it needed to be. In fact, that book basically provided the backstory for the hero in my first full-length completed novel, Her Bodyguard (Volume 1, Steam! Romance and Rails.)

This book is the culmination of many hours of being happily buried in historical research, pages upon pages of character development, and a lot of learning about the craft of writing a novel.

I’m ten years out from the days I first started down this path of becoming an author. I say becoming because the journey never ends. The next book is always waiting to be written, and to be better than the last. Steam on!

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Jacqui Nelson

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I’m a writer because (as the Get Lost in as Story blog is titled) I’ve always been lost in a story. Reading (or watching) one. Adding new plot-lines and characters to stories made by others. Constantly thinking about why, when, and how real and fictional characters do what they do.
     Earlier in my life, I chose to be an animator so I could add a visual story to someone else’s words. But those were fixed words shaped by both a writer and a narrator. Now as a writer I get to shape the words from start to finish.
     I started my 1st novel in 2008, then wrote 3 more, published the 4th, and came back to the 1st. Some authors recommend that you never publish your 1st story, but I kept reshaping (aka editing) the heck out of my 1st — and published it in 2014. I’m a writer because I’m captivated by the creation process (and the magic in not only writing but rewriting).
     So, thank you to all of the writers who've created the stories that captivated me in childhood and every day afterward, including today.

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Regan Black

My typical answer is I write because I can’t paint. I never planned to be a professional writer, although I’ve always been a voracious reader. I love to write poems and short stories and dream up big adventures. A gift I inherited from my grandmother.

When my children were very young and I was a stay-at-home mom I started writing poetry. Several pieces were published in various outlets. While working on my second poetry collection for publication and daydreaming about writing a children’s book, my husband’s office closed for remodeling and he came home to work for the second time in a year. My poetry was sunshine and rainbows one day and “Oh, dear. It sounds as if she might throw herself from the window.” (Don’t worry, it was a first floor window - I was only risking a few scratches from the rose bushes.)

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To cope with this latest invasion of my daily mom routine, I wrote a book. A full-length novel fictionalizing how I met my husband. It was a desperate attempt to remember why I fell in love with him. We joke that it’s the worst romance novel ever, but it probably saved our marriage.

That awful first novel definitely changed the trajectory of my writing goals. It got me hooked on the thrill of writing novels.

I sold my first book in 2004 (Justice Incarnate) for an early 2005 release. There’s nothing quite like that feeling - I still savor it. My next book with Harlequin Romantic Suspense comes out in October 2019 (Colton Family Showdown).

Now, over 45 novels later and double that number in shorter works and nonfiction titles I am still just as addicted to crafting action-packed romantic adventures as I was then. Writing is as essential to me as breathing these days and I love the time each day with my stories, the research, character discovery, and connecting with readers and fans.

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Lizbeth Selvig

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I have been making up stories all my life. As long ago as when I was five, I remember lying in bed and making up elaborate stories about TV stars with whom I already had a fascination. (The Lone Ranger was prime among these first heroes!)

I started physically writing down my fantasies when I was 10 and 11. Most of the stories were early attempts at romance featuring the Beatles, but no singer or actor I loved was safe from my pen. When my friends were reading themselves to sleep, I was writing my very first love stories until one in the morning. (Oddly, that is still my favorite time to write.)

Eventually I started making up my own characters, and I submitted a few short stories to magazines like Good Housekeeping, Redbook, and McCalls. But my love affair with writing novels really began when I fell in love with LaVyrle Spencer’s amazing romances. From my first LS novel I wanted to follow in her footsteps. 

Ever since the day I sold my first book (my RWA Golden Heart winner “The Rancher and the Rock Star”) to Avon in 2011, I have had to pinch myself daily to keep believing that I am actually “doing this” – living as a writer with a dozen romance books under my belt. I have the most wonderful, supportive family (especially my own romance hero, Jan), and I have wonderful readers and fans who've bought my books an, in many cases, become friends.

Every day I look forward to all the books I get to write in the future. Talk about having my dream job! Am I lucky, or what?

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Angi Morgan
Why am I a full-time writer? My dad. I've shared this story with other writers. Not certain I've ever done it in writing. But here goes.

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     I had always wanted to be a writer. I have been a story-teller all my life, but back before computers, it was tiresome re-typing a manuscript attempting 200 pages with no mistakes. And re-writes...forget it. My father asked why I wasn't working on a book any more and I told him. So when home PCs became affordable my father bought three. One for each of his children, even though *I* was the one who needed one and used it for something other than games.
     I wrote and wrote and wrote. There are so many stories that will never see publication. But the kids were all in school...it was time to find a job, something I hadn't had since our youngest was born. And then in 1997, my dad became ill. Terminal cancer that stole him from us within months. Tim and I visited with him every weekend. He was only 61 years old.
     One day on our way home, Tim stopped the car and told me that I couldn't wait to follow my dream. There was no way of knowing how long we'd have here on earth... I was a writer and I needed to write. "We'd gotten by on one salary and could continue that way."
     So I did. I found other writers in 1999 and sold my first book in 2009. Now it's 2019 and over 20 books later.
     Thank you, Dad!! And as always, thank you Tim, for supporting me (in more ways than one) and helping me achieve my dream.

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