From Whingers Weekly to Crossing the Bridge
Hand written old newspaper article
This is a photo of an old ‘newspaper’ a friend and I created for our English class in early high school, I was around 13. It was a fun collaboration! Although English was always the ‘fun’ subject for me and for a time I wanted to be a script writer for the movies, a career guidance counsellor spelled out the reality – that it was a tough career in which to succeed.
I ended up being talked into a science career – which I don’t really regret as I love science, but when I see what I created from my youthful pen I am reminded that I have always had a fondness for writing! My friend Rebecca now works as a producer at the ABC here in Adelaide and I’m a Research Scientist in Entomology. But this diverted me from creative writing and more into the technical side of writing, so in my late thirties and forties I started experimenting with my creative side again with no intention of taking it seriously (after all I was a serious scientist!)
In 1998 After I was diagnosed with MS, to take my mind away from the worries of having a chronic illness, I focused my attention on pursuits that gave me joy and writing was the top of that list! I had never shared my work before. Five years ago I started submitting and getting feedback – improving my craft, honing my writing skills and trying to get to know the publishing industry and the wonderful writers among them whose work I admired. I entered competitions, joined friends who organised self-published anthologies and submitted my novel everywhere I could.
When I finally received my first contract offer for my debut novel, I was ecstatic. Although it’s only available digitally, it’s a start, and I hope to be writing well into my retirement! I still work as a Research Entomologist, but creative writing is what sends me to a joyful dreamy place that will be with me always.
Nancy Cunningham is a historical fiction writer and entomologist from Adelaide. Her debut romantic historical fiction novel ‘Crossing the Bridge’, set in rural South Australia towards the end of WW2 is on sale with Amazon in April. It’s also available from Kobo, Googleplay and Apple books.
Find out more about Nancy and her writing here: