What is the scariest thing when one realises that you would like to write? It is that “Omigosh!” feeling, the one where you ask yourself, can you write? Should you write? Will people want to read what I have written? You look at the news stories on the various book prizes and you think, “That’s not the sort of thing I do, so I can’t be any good.”

My own approach is that I have self-published my own books, born of a love of reading, and a crazy idea of a story which I wanted to tell. Well, that and far too many nights in hotels on business with my present job. Someone asked me how many books I had sold. Not many, I know, but what I also know is that I am not going to allow myself to be hung up on that. I know that there are people who like my writing. I have people who have followed my writing online, and that’s great.

But, you have to start somewhere. This is the story of another person’s journey, starting out, testing the water. Who knows where it might lead? But the important thing is that, if you don’t try, like Katie Sweet, you will never know.

So where did Katie start out? From our chats, she reckons her defining moment was 1991, when she was in 5th grade, because that was the year that she fell in love with reading. Her preferred genre is fantasy, driven by her dreams. I can understand that, since it is similar for me. Let’s face it, our dreams are the doorway to our imaginations.

But, then came the practicalities of life. As a History Professor, academic writing is what she does. The old adage from my own science background applies to her as well: publish or disappear into obscurity. But writing papers requires research which requires time … There goes the dream.

Or does it?

With the encouragement of an old friend, Katie joined a fantastic group on Facebook called the Kosher Critique Crew, run by Kel Nichols. The group was established to provide a sounding board for people who wanted to write, but who wanted feedback. Was their writing up to scratch? Overly harsh criticism, whilst necessary in a hard world of professional publishing, could result in turning dreams into ashes.

By her own admission, Katie will pluck up the courage one day to make her dream of publishing her fantasy writing a reality. But that will come, when time permits her to devote more time to what she feels is a hobby.

So, and this was the reason for this ramble, help Katie see that her writing has merit, and that she is already making those first steps. The Kosher Critique Crew recently ran a Hallowe’en themed short story ‘competition’. Katie was the proud winner.

Click on the this link, which will take you to a file containing her story on my own Facebook page. Have a read, and please, do leave her some comments. Help her to grow, and help her to realise that a dream can be a reality.

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LINKS TO THE BOOKS IN THE DIARIES OF THE CWN ANNWN

“Bound”, Volume 1 of The Diaries of the Cŵn Annwn
Amazon.com $0.99: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016TQFBNY
Amazon.co.uk £0.99: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B016TQFBNY
Smashwords.com £0.00 (Free): https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/589130