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My Journey to Narnia
Posted by Susan Condon
I arrived in Narnia the evening that I joined my first writing class – never to return. And what a journey!
I’ve always had to have my daily fix – reading. As a child, I would be outdoors, playing with friends, but if I didn’t have a book waiting patiently by my bed, then I would feel a little out of sorts. But the solution was easy – I just began another journey between the pages of a book. Often, my parents would find me late into a school night, with my head buried beneath the covers with a torch, just finishing those elusive ‘last few pages’.
Although I’ve always written a little, it was when I joined my first Creative Writing Class that I felt as if I’d entered another world – my own, personal, Narnia. Only this time, there was no wicked witch! Instead, fellow writers I’ve met, at every stage of their career, have been nothing but a delight. In Narnia-speak, pure Turkish Delight – but without the catch. Every one of them has offered nuggets of advice, at the exact moment I needed them most, to push me forward.
And so, armed with all this knowledge, I talked about writing a novel, incessantly. Then I finally began. Taking on board, tips from Alex Barclay and John Connolly, I began again – this time changing the location from the streets of Dublin to those of New York. It is October 2012 and I’ve finally done it – I’ve finished my debut novel!
Now, before we all get too excited – I do know it’s still only the first draft. I know that I’ll probably have close to ten drafts before I’m entirely happy with it – so still a lot more work to be done. BUT, at this moment in time, I am so happy to have 90,000 words which I have managed to spin into a story, printed and sitting on my kitchen table.
Maybe you’d care to follow my journey through Narnia as it continues or comment about your own writing journey. I’d love to hear . . .
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Posted in Writing
Tags: Alex Barclay, creative writing, debut novel, Dublin, john connolly, Narnia, New York, Turkish Delight