Ok, so at *cough* 48, I'm perhaps rather late in the game to be starting with a writing career (and I do use that term with a tinge of desperate optimism). With the first novel about to inadvertently stumble across the line, no doubt wondering how on earth it got that far to begin with, and work proceeding on the second, I ask myself why I didn't do this sooner. Why now? Why this novel?

These aren't easy questions to answer. The truth is that the very premise of the questions infer there was a reason NOT to do these things until now, when in fact that's not really a fair premise. I always felt I was good at writing. I have a tendency to be verbose and wordsmith'y in my e-mails, travel blogs and other writing endeavours and I do get compliments on occasion on my writing. In fact, it was compliments on how well I wrote that got me deeper into the community volunteer work that I now do. I remember it vividly. I was on the committee for our local residents association and had penned a couple of letters to the council in the past. At one of the monthly meetings, when we were discussing the upcoming AGM and who would stand for the various flag bearing positions, another committee member pointed to me and blurted out: "He writes well. I think he should be the Secretary." The rest, as they say, is history (thanks, Miles!). Fortunately, I only lasted as Secretary for a couple of years. Unfortunately, I was promoted to President and have been in that role ever since.

I suppose it was always a latent desire to have I've written a novel duly ticked on my bucket list. The inspiration for actually getting off my proverbial and putting pen (finger) to paper (keyboard) was really quite random. I have a good friend, Lotti (see the Acknowledgement section in Forestium: The Mirror Never Lies), who has had some experience with writing and I sat down one evening with her and just sort of thrashed out an idea for something I'd like to write. The ideas came from thin air but once the juice was flowing, I found it hard to stop. Lotti sort of helped me find the keys to get the engine going, so to speak (or at least plugged the juicer into the socket and hit the start juicing button).

Now that everything is in full swing, the existing momentum is helping to propel the whole thing forward but I am finding it enjoyable. Fortunately, Lotti still chips in when she can.