The Triple Threat
Grandmother | Teacher | Author
Think of a space, almost a tiny room, about one metre or three feet square. Three of the walls are doors leading to a bedroom, a bathroom and dining room. The fourth wall is solid and has narrow shelves from floor to ceiling. Every shelf is lined with books of all colours and subjects. This space was the modest Carrington family ‘library’ and I loved it.
Grandmother
Naively, before my children were born, I thought they would be very similar, but I soon discovered their different personalities, passions and perspectives. Three sons and two daughters provided me with a wealth of adventures and experiences as they grew up.
Then they married and had their own children, and I entered the magic realm of ‘Granma’.
Sixteen granddaughters and five grandsons have taken hold of my heart and my creativity and inspired me to become more and do more, than I ever thought possible.
Teacher
Teaching was always what I wanted to do and has been the gift that keeps on giving!
By adding writing to conventional qualifications: a BA in English and Geography, a Teaching Diploma and an Master’s Degree in Creative Writing (as a ‘mature’ student), I’ve forged an unconventional teaching path, working with all age groups and ability levels from preschoolers to the wise masters (grandparents). I’ve felt the joy as I’ve helped children to express themselves through their stories, especially those with special needs/abilities. I’ve seen the joy other grandparents experience as they have connected with grandchildren through writing their personal experiences as children’s stories.
And now, to the last few years, where focused teaching of young children has fueled a desire to write more books for the middle grade age group.
Author
As a mother, I was desperate for a solution when one of my children really struggled with reading. The writer in me resurfaced as I decided to write a short novel that included all the things he loved: his school, friends, his passion for sports, his love for his extended family and his sense of adventure (and lack of thought for consequences). I made deliberate mistakes per page and paid him to be my ‘editor’ at ten cents per page. (Add entrepreneur to his list of interests.) In the process, I realised how much I enjoyed crafting stories about real kids doing real things with real consequences – good and bad. I remembered how much I enjoyed writing.
That template has translated into over twenty published books through different genres including novels, children’s fiction, historical fiction, children’s picture books, bi-lingual books, screenplays and writing manuals.
And there’s still so much to write!
As a 4 to 5-year-old, a medical condition prevented me from running and jumping so I would sit on the floor in our library, reading and discovering the world through the books and a large Reader’s Digest atlas. Occasionally, I would be bumped from behind as someone tried to open a door but, largely this was my undisturbed happy place. I wasn’t able to run fast but I learned to read very quickly. My body couldn’t jump but my mind and imagination knew no bounds as I devoured story after story and attempted to write my own.
Then, once my body was fixed, I made up for lost time by doing every sport and activity that I could. I still read a lot, but I hardly wrote at all. I went to college and became a teacher. I married Paul, had children and became even busier. So, how did I become an author?