I've been a short story writer, full time, since 2003. Prior to that, I wrote articles about tropical fish for a wide variety fo magazines. I'd probably still be doing that if I hadn't lost my husband. He died in 1997, two weeks after Princess Diana, at the age of 46. After that, I lost interest in keeping fish, and gradually switched to writing fiction as a means of escape. I went full time when I found I could no longer cope with having a proper job, thanks to the loss of confidence.
Since then I've had hypnotherapy. It worked so well I managed to face Anne Robinson on TV. Sometimes I think about trying to get a real job again, but let's face it, who'd employ me now I'm in my fifties so I'm stuck with writing for a living. Sometimes it's hard, but I wouldn't really want to do anything else. There are lots of good days (especially those when I make a sale) and those make the not so good days easier to bear.
I live in LEEDS, having moved from Devon in late 2009. I'm so glad I made the move. I love Devon and I'd be more than happy to go back for a holiday but it really didn't suit me as a place to live.
I'm a member of Leeds Writers Circle (details from Dennis Clarkson (dennis.clarkson1@tiscali.co.uk).
Thanks to my new found confidence, I'm now available to give talks, judge competitions, and run workshops and writing classes so if you belong to a club which I could get to by train from Leeds (I don't drive), do get in touch.
In August I went to Swanwick Writers Summer School for the first time and LOVED it. The workshop I ran on fillers went down a storm and I'm thrilled to say I've been asked to teach a short story course next year as well as running a workshop on short story competitions.
I'm teaching at the NAWG Festival too which is in September.
If you want to know more about me, visit my web site www.akacatherinehoward.weebly.com where you can buy my writing guides and short story collections
