The Write Stuff

Three Local Authors Share Their Experiences of the Exciting World of Publishing.

‘I grew up in Durban, a shy child always lost in a book or a daydream,’ says Romy. ‘In Class One, we were asked to write about our holidays, and I wrote about going to the circus with my older siblings. As my teacher knew I had no older siblings, and the circus hadn’t been in town, she called my parents in to express her concerns about how I was making things up. My father, bless him, defended my right to an imagination, but it stayed my guilty secret until my 30s when I realised that writing down the stories in my head for others to read was actually a legitimate job.’

Until recently, Romy worked as a film production manager in TV advertising, but now she’s focusing on writing, and building a business as a writing coach and teacher. She’s also the co-founder, chairperson, and conference planner for non-profit organisation, ROSA (Romance writers Organisation of South Africa). ‘When I decided to take my writing seriously, I did a writing course where I met my wonderful friend, Mandy, who read my writing and said I had a voice for romance,’ says Romy. ‘I’d barely read any romance novels until then, so I bought some paperbacks at a second-hand book store, and fell in love with “happy ever afters”.’