A monumental achievement

Sometime last autumn, I turned up to deliver a personal training session with Tricia, a long-term client. Our pre-exercise discussions are usually nothing to do with exercise at all (!), but they are wide and varied, and always stimulating. In the twelve years I have known her, Tricia and I have got through quite an array of topics but on this particular day, she managed to surprise even me with something we had never discussed before: her desire to write a novel!

In fact, it turned out that it was pretty much written. Over the previous 6 months, she had quietly dedicated herself to bringing to life the characters that had been in her mind for so long. So, with almost 100 000 words completed, what next? How to get it published.

What followed was a fascinating journey into the unknown. Initially there were more questions than answers. It needed to be edited, designed and formatted. Tricia had to get to grips with self-publishing, marketing, and the delights of listing on Amazon. Aside from the logistics, there were other challenges. Revealing any kind of creative endeavour to the world involves opening yourself up to the judgement of others, and getting comfortable with vulnerability. It was to be a rollercoaster ride.

The moment of truth

A month ago, Like A Bird Without A Song launched and what a brilliant success it has been. I am delighted for Tricia and I loved the book, but for me, the greatest triumphs go way beyond the numbers and the 5 star reviews.

At 78, Tricia could have easily limited her ambitions on the basis of age. How much she (and we!) would have missed out on had she done so. Instead, she ignored her inner voice and found the courage to move forward, taking one step at a time and believing that when problems presented themselves, a solution would come. She followed her true passion and this, in turn, provided the fuel for success.

Recently I sat down with Tricia to talk about her experiences and how she feels now that her dream has become a reality:

What prompted you to write the book?

A sudden decision to just start writing down a story about characters that I’d had in my head for a very long time. It was one weekend and I was at a loose end and after I had started to write, I found that I didn’t want to stop!

How long did it take?

From the start to the final edited version was around 10 months. 

What have you found most enjoyable?

Hard to pick a ‘most enjoyable’ because I have loved everything about it. Writing this book was a revelation. Even rewriting, revising and correcting all the tiny errors was pleasurable. The process never once felt like work, I just loved it all! You know that feeling when everything just ‘flows’ as though it’s meant to be. I had the same experience in the nine months before I launched Look Fabulous Forever. So much support and so much good will. And it happened with Like A Bird Without A Song’ too.

What did you learn about yourself?

A confirmation that I love language and expressing myself in our language more than new learning. I was shy and embarrassed about writing this for the first few months and only told my Irish friend Siobhan who was helping me to ensure that all the Irish aspects are spot-on. I told her she could tell no-one – not even her dog!

I dedicated the book to her because she was so kind, encouraging and supportive. She was diagnosed with a brain tumour last March and can no longer read text, so I recorded the story for her via the WhatsApp Voice Notes. Thankfully she’s alive and doing well, so she can see my dedication in her own hardback copy of the book.

Could you summarise the plot:

Evie is lost, grief stricken and unhappy when she meets Finn who is also emerging from a traumatic experience in a previous relationship. When the two meet as students, they fall deeply in love, and both are changed by the experience in profound ways. They vow to remain each others’ anamchara or soulmate. Then, to Finn’s deep distress, Evie abruptly ends the relationship without explanation.

When they meet again twenty years later, both Finn and Evie are forced to understand that what had happened between them was not the end of their love story, but the beginning of its consequences.

How do you feel now it is published, and what has been the response?

Elated. Surprised and somewhat amazed by the reaction. There are now well over 150 reviews on Amazon all with a very high rating and they say lovely things about their experience of reading the book. Apparently 96% of all novels published sell fewer than 1000 copies in their lifetime. Mine will reach that milestone within the first two months without any publishing support, which is remarkable.

What’s next? 

I am just over half way through Book Two of the Anamchara Chronicles (a trilogy). I have taken three characters – Aileen and Gerald Kenny and their son Sean, from Book One and written their story. It’s called Once I Had A Secret Love. The plot of this is not as straightforward as Like A Bird Without A Song, but, according to my three current Readers (Siobhan and Mel – both Irish, and Tara – my editor) this story is equally compelling.

What message would you give to other women who are thinking of doing something new?

Whenever I do something slightly off the wall which includes, since turning 65, starting an online makeup brand, buying a cosmetics factory in Ipswich and now, writing a novel, I ask myself ‘what’s the worst that could happen?’ I know that sounds negative but I find it helps me to get some perspective.

If the downsides are losing your home or worse, then obviously don’t even think about it. But if the worst that could happen is ‘looking a bit daft’ then go for it every time. Because along the way I can promise you that you’ll have the best fun, just as I have done over the past year….in fact over the past thirteen years, when, in theory I should have retired!

Thanks to Tricia for sharing her experiences but more importantly, for breaking barriers and providing the inspiration for us all to follow our passion and get after our dreams. It really is never too late!

You can order Tricia’s book on Amazon. Here’s the link.

See also Tricia’s website for news on the next book, events, and some bonus chapters to prolong your enjoyment of Like a Bird Without A Song!