ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

Well as usual, I'm bringing up the rear of the field!! I've been so impressed by what each of you has done with Maureen's challenge this month! Certainly prompted some navel-gazing on my part!

As we speak I'm celebrating the achievement of a long-held ambition - the publication of my debut novel which I began in 2014. You'll see it advertised in the next issue of the ABPA Magazine. So I thought it might be a time for a "story of my writing life" poem.

JOURNEY OF A WRITER (An Acrostic Poem)
(c) Shelley Hansen 20/10/22

Subjected to the joy of words as soon as I could talk
Hand-picked by loving parents. I began the longest walk.
Each book I read transported me to truly wondrous lands -
Long-lost and far away. I held their magic in my hands.
Librarians and teachers fed my quest to reach for more.
Enlightened, I discovered rhyme - which made my spirit soar!
Youth morphed into adulthood - work became a way of life.
Just now and then I'd pause to write - then I became a wife.
Our lives were busy - words I penned were packed and stowed away,
Yet somehow I suspected that they'd come to light one day.
Himself began to coax me to set free my "shoebox" stash
And liberate those verses (maybe earn a bit of cash?)
Now life has come full-circle (sixty-seven years it took).
Short stories, bush verse, sonnets. Finally ... I wrote a book!
Etched firmly in Australia, it has elements of me.
Now who on earth will read it? I can only wait and see!

Hi Shelley

That's very well written and flows nicely.

Congratulations with your book (at least you can count on family and friends to buy a copy Shelley)
The only tip I can give you is, if you want to sell lots of copies you have to promote it and be on hand as much as possible.
Personally, I couldn't be bothered myself and only really published,
to save the family worrying about what to do with the old fellows scribbling when the time comes.

Good luck, I hope you sell lots of them.

Terry

Really like it Shelley, a trip down memory lane poem based on your name, well done. Fitted the prompt perfectly.
Also good luck with your book, a big task to take on, and completion would give a real sense of achievement I would imagine.
I wouldn't know where to start!
Cheers
Ron

Excellent, Shelley - no surprises there! But I love this result of the homework challenge and certainly relate to it. Congratulations once again on your achieving your dream with your wonderful book!

Nicely done and congrats on the book as well.
.
Just curious - did I miss something here Why does the 3rd line from the end begin with B rather than S ???? Not being picky just being a sticky beak.

Easy fix though, just reverse short stories and bush verse and she'll be right

Thanks so much all, and oops Maureen - that certainly is a blooper! Well spotted and I have now fixed it. That’s what comes from rearranging words to fit the metric beat better, and forgetting the whole purpose of the poem! Senior moment indeed!

As for the book, I’m certainly not expecting to make a fortune, and yes, Terry, I hear what you’re saying - loud and clear! But having completed the draft and then having it proof read and edited by our mutual friend Catherine, I thought - why not publish? It is self-published with lulu.com, which is quite cost-effective. I certainly had no intentions of going down the commercial publishing roller coaster! Greg North guided me through the process with Lulu - he used it for his excellent non-fiction book “Winton in the Year of Waltzing Matilda”, so his advice was invaluable.

If I make a bit of cappuccino money, I’ll be happy.

Cheers
Shelley