When it all began...

Someone enquired the other day as to when I started writing my novel '209 A Story'? ... I immediately replied 1977!

The look on their face could not have been more telling so I explained...

When I was in year three I was reading a child's encyclopedia and I was drawn to a entry about a ship called RMS TITANIC... the visiting teacher at the time asked me what I was doing and so I told him what I was reading. It was at that very moment that I had originally thought how, one day, I would like to write a novel about the most famous ship in the world.

As with most childhood dreams ... reality takes over and one moves on!

However, when I was at high school I signed up to be part of the school play for that particular year. Not that I had visions of winning an Academy Award or anything of the like, however, I loved the quality that my former school tried to instill in each of their students... 'Challenge Yourself'.

Like most teenagers I was incredibly self conscious and as opposed to when I was playing sport where every move you made contributed to the success of the team (...more pressure), to get up on a stage and play a role as someone else allowed me to do just that... be someone else.

So, sign up for the school play I did...

I landed the role as Mrs Astor, first class passenger on RMS TITANIC in the TGS 1984 production of 'The Ship of Fools'! ...(a pitfall from going to an all boys school!)

Later in 1994, when I was living in England, I went to Greenwich to stand on the line where time begins! I look up and see a poster advertising an exhibition of 'Artifacts' that had been recovered from RMS TITANIC... and then spent the next 4 hours enthralled.

Roll on to 1997... and the release of THAT MOVIE!

By 2004 I had completed my 'latest' novel - a collection of four books collectively titled THE FOUR SEASONS... each one titled a different Season and each one based on a different emotion (ie. Autumn-Loss, Winter-Greed, Spring-Love, Summer... REALITY!)

and then it was time...

My latest project would be a book about RMS TITANIC.

It would have been easy for me to have written a novel about the journey as there is so much information about it. 'Challenge Yourself' came flooding back every time I sat down to write...

'209 A Story' is not about the voyage from Southampton to its date with destiny. It is about a voyage of one of its passengers prior to boarding the ship and how, throughout everyones life, there are people who will play a part. One may know these people and then there are others whom one will never meet. It is what inspired me when I was teaching and inspires me every day when I write... That each part we play in this life can have an enormous impact on others; even if we don't know it at the time.

Four years later and now the novel is in 'final edit' stage...

I often think back to that day all those years ago... to a naive child whose imagination was sparked by an event so horrible that it made history. In ways, my efforts are in memory of all of them...

Have a nice week everyone

Thanks for your emails

Cheers Steven

PS... Challenge YOURSELF!

Sport, War, Editing & Signing a Deal

It has been an interesting few weeks in the build up to the signing off of the novel '209 A Story'... (and btw thanks for all the email!)

I went to Queensland to visit my parents and to get out of the city. As much as I love Melbourne, city living can become overwhelming at times - particularly when one is trying to edit a novel.

I was able to visit my old school and visit with staff who were teaching at Toowoomba Grammar School when I was a student there. I was impressed with work currently being undertaking at school on the the new school Museum.

Several weeks earlier I visited Sydney Grammar where Arthur McCrae had been to school and it got me to thinking... How much have these schools changed in over one hundred years?

Obviously, the gentile times of the late 1890's is a complete contrast to the technological establishments of today. However, looking over the photographs of the former students at both schools during the 1900's and seeing the boys of today who were on their lunch break bought memories flooding back to me of my own years at Grammar. I even saw several photographs of myself in my 'blazer dress'. The one thing which has settled in my mind during the intervening years, (more than I care to attache a number) is this... The education of children is still as important as it was back then and the dedication of the teachers of today is quite incredible.

One thing that struck me in a similarity of the two schools was the old sections of both Grammar Schools. On the walls of the 'Big School' at Sydney Grammar and in the 'Old Hall' at the Toowoomba Grammar School, there are dedications to the boys who had paid the ultimate sacrifice to give us the freedoms we enjoy today and secondly the trophies to the many and varied sporting achievements... 'Sport and War'.

I then headed west to the farm, to visit my folks and family members. In particular, my amazing father. His dedication to sustainable farming in these difficult times for those people on the land who face drought and the uncertain effects of 'Climate Change', is admirable and still a powerful influence behind my own dedication to the successful launch of the '209 A Story'. It was a complete get away and the something that struck me more than anything was the brightness of the enumerable stars that would dramatically twinkle every night from horizon to horizon. It was incredible to stand outside and just to look 'up'... even if my father was constantly telling me to, 'watch for snakes!'.

Several weeks later I drove to Brisbane to take at look at the Picasso Exhibition at the GOMA. Upon my return to Melbourne, to finally ready myself for the signing of the 'deal' for '209 A Story', I found myself on a tram heading up Swanston Street and from the tram window at my stop I saw an enormous advertisement for the latest exhibition at the State Library of Victoria that opened while I was away. It's title made me smile with a recognition that everything is going to be all right. It is called ... 'Sport and War'.

Have a good week everyone and thanks again for your email and kind words of support for the launch.

Cheers
Steven