Welcome, Longhand Readers
My name is Emily Klein, and I’m, apparently, a historical romance novelist. Rather, it happened to me by chance. That’s why I am a self proclaimed accidental romance novelist. So how did it happen?
I’m a mum of two. Four years ago, I gave birth to my youngest wee lass. She took many hours to eat, many hours to fall asleep. What’s an anglophile mum to do? I was swept away with musings and daydreams about forgotten times. I made up stories (in English, though it’s not my first language, but more of this in another post) and they served me well, or, rather, saved me.
Entire narratives came to me as I sat near my weeping babe, stories that took place in castles, in a land dear to my heart (can you guess what it is?) and inspired by the ballads I loved so well. But, busy, tired mum that I was, I had no time to sit and write them down.
The months passed, and my wee daughter now went to daycare. I had a short break before I needed to go back to work, so I sat myself down at my favourite coffee shop, and wrote. And wrote. And wrote.
After a week, I had my first short story written, because I had it all in my head before it was put to pen and paper. (yes, I still write with pen and paper, hence “Written in Longhand”.) it was titled The Fair Flower Of Northumberland, like the border ballad, and took place in the middle ages, in northern England. (don’t look for it, readers. For your own safety. It’s rather horrid.)
And then, just as my writing endeavour started, it was done. And I craved more. So I started again, this time it was a novel, my very first, The Draughtsman Damsel.
So why accidental? Because I never thought to write romance. These were the stories that came to me. They started as an experiment, a hobby. They became my lifetime passion, and maybe vocation.
But this is for another post
And what of you, Longhand Readers? what’s your story with writing ?
Farewell for now Longhand Readers.
Emily.