What's For You Won't Pass You, Sarah Broadley

Brit Writers would like to introduce contributor Sarah Broadley to our blog.  

I started my working career in the city and stayed there for 18 years moving from one corporate house to another. I wrote in the evenings and at the weekends but when you're coming home from a 12 hour day and have two young children to care for, sadly you will find that your time spent on writing will slowly dwindle away.

Before I knew it my Writers & Artists year book, bought religiously every year, was soon out of date and gathering dust. A plan was needed. Well anything was better than getting the title down and waking up 2 hours later having fallen asleep, pen in-hand, with drool covering what should have been my latest masterpiece!

As luck would have it, my last employer decided my next move for me – the land of redundancy awaited my call.  But I didn’t call anyone, and they didn't call me so I grasped the opportunity with both hands and I left. Three great words sum up that dark time: weight, shoulders and lifted. I was re-born; completely broke, but re-born all the same!

Now that I had the freedom to spend all day, (yes people, all day - can you imagine?) on writing and research and trips to bookshops, the end result would always be me sitting cross-legged in the children’s section. I would then sneakily proceed to write down all the publishers from the back of all the famous books. I'm not proud, everyone has to start somewhere!  I bought books every time I went, so, so many books. There is something quite satisfying about having a big pile of unread books on your bed side table. The genuine urge to start a new one is almost euphoric. I also got a new bookcase for said books from Santa too. How did he know?

After much deliberation I decided to hit the 'anthology' route and as luck would have it I was accepted in a children’s book titled 'Happily Ever After'. However, it has been discontinued: I'm not sure what that says about my work and that of the other 368 writers in it but there you have it. Short and sweet but success nonetheless. I know that anthologies are not the most becoming on a writer's CV – I have written proof from publishers that they weren't really too impressed with that, but I thought it was fantastic! Me. In print. Wow. In hind sight it's funny how I wouldn't let anyone else touch the 8 copies I ordered, they are still pristene to this day!

As you can imagine this gave me the kick up the backside I needed, so here I am, writing, submitting with all my might and getting some good feedback in the process. Well, much better than last year anyway! I set up a blog too, as so many friends were asking what I was working on and how well it was all going.  It's like shopping lists, if you don't write it down - you forget it! Or maybe it's old age creeping up on me and stealing my brain cells. I try to update my blog as often as I can and it makes me smile when I see it all written down in print. Me, a writer. 

I also leapt from under my Facebook facade and plunged into the Twitter twilight. I must admit, it has been amazing and quite addictive. I am now following (check me out) authors, publishers and even some celebrities – sorry, couldn't help myself. Lorraine Kelly is the mistress of re-tweeting, especially for charitable events so I take my hat off to her.  I'm all pleased as I set it up all by myself. Without anyone's help 

(Mr B your help doesn't count as we are married). 

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Brit Writers would like to wish Sarah all the luck in her writing endeavours! : )