Almost as soon as I learned to read, I wanted to be a writer. Because I loved reading so much, I thought writing stories would be the best job. But it took a few years before I understood that writing wasn’t easy and that I needed to learn the craft. After I left school and had travelled a little, I enrolled in a writing degree at university in Sydney. It was exciting and challenging and I enjoyed the ideas. I read and discussed other writers and practised the craft in a community of other writers. I was a young parent at university, so I had to fit my writing life into the needs of family – it actually made me very disciplined in my writing practice. 

After finishing my degree, I moved to the Blue Mountains to live more economically so that I could devote myself to writing. At first I had stories published in literary magazines and in newspapers and then eventually, my first book was published by Allen & Unwin. Sometimes it felt like it would never happen, but now I have had ten books published and I’m still writing. I am lucky to be able to offer to others some of what I have learned in writing courses. I think that is what matters – being in a group which values writing and which can help you develop your skills, your ideas and your focus.

Start to Write: Memoir and Nonfiction
with Patti Miller
Sydney
Friday, 24 November, 10am – 4pm

Writing True Stories: Crafting Memoir and Narrative Nonfiction
with Patti Miller
Sydney
2 February – 14 June 2024