I was never going to be a writer… It’s the truth, I’ll tell you that now. This was despite the fact from as early as I can recall I have been a storyteller of sorts and one of my favourite pastimes as a child was simply swinging on the swing in the backyard and telling myself a story.
Sure, I liked books a lot but perhaps because I couldn’t read all that well in the very early years and didn’t have parents that loved to read to me I took to making up my own stories. But I was never going to be a writer, hell no.
Early days of denial
In primary school, I loved the opportunity to write a story. It was almost my favourite thing to do, next to acting, which was my number-one favourite thing to do. I crafted short stories that were more like novellas and had no end of ideas to draw from.
I was even chosen by my teacher as one of four students in the school to attend a special writer’s event where we had the opportunity to take the day off school, listen to a long panel of Australian authors, ask them questions and then spend the day at Hillary’s boat harbour where it was held.
This included fish and chips on the wharf and in the afternoon we got to sit by the water and write a story. We were told that if we got it finished and sent in to the organisers they would publish all the stories in a book. I didn’t finish mine… but then, I had no interest in becoming a writer.
How friends formed an uncanny source of inspiration
In high school, I took to writing stories during the classes I didn’t like (usually maths) and would write stories about my friends which they would delight in catching up with at lunchtime to read and find out what would happen to them in the next chapter.
For fun one, of my friends would test me on my storytelling ability and pick a couple of inanimate objects that I would have to come up with an ‘off the cuff’ story about to tell her.
I never let her down. I also remember an actual storyteller coming to the school and telling us a story and I must say I was captivated by her. Not only did she tell an amazing story but she acted out parts of it and I did think… ‘wow, now I could do that… I wouldn’t have to write, just tell.’ Because I was certainly not going to be a writer.
Along with this I was always starting stories, I would write a few pages of them and then forget about them as I would move on to another story building in my head. When my younger sister was learning to type at school, to “help” her practice I devised a way to dictate to her a story that she would have to type up… she would do the writing, not me… because as you know I was never going to be a writer.
And why you might ask?
Well, I ask myself that same question now. Maybe it was that I thought it was far too hard, so much effort to actually write the story that is in my head and I have discovered that part is accurate. It is a lot of effort.
I also probably didn’t think I could ever be that good so why bother trying? A terrible way to think I know but nonetheless I could not be criticized for the story in my head now could I? On top of all this there was the fact that I had plans to be an actor on the stage… for that was my great passion.
The space in between
Cut forward to my early twenties when I was a new mum with a newborn at home. Bub was asleep one Saturday afternoon, hubby had gone out to play footy and I had found myself in a creative mood. I first tried writing a song on my guitar but it just wasn’t working out for me, I never fancied myself much of a lyricist, though I did really enjoy writing poetry… and even though I could come up with some lyrics, it was creating a good tune to go with it that was likely the bigger problem.
I turned instead to my computer where a screensaver of a large green moon over a calm palm beach inspired me to come up with a new story. It started with just a scene on that beach, of an elf contemplating what he wanted to do with his life and the choices he needed to make.
An unexpected transformation
It turned very quickly into a chapter that included a human friend who was the only human in the entire kingdom due to the fact that he was found as a babe within ruins at the end of the Human War by the elves. He had been protected by a blue light that emanated from a rock hung above him. By the time I had finished writing that chapter, I had formed the basic story of the entire trilogy of Titanian Chronicles.
The passion for storytelling had been reignited inside of me and for the first time that I could ever remember I wanted to write it. I decided there and then that I would write these books no matter how long it took and I would publish them even if I was the only person who ever had a copy on their shelf.
I was so in love with the story that I needed to tell it and would do whatever it took, no matter the hard work and effort. And that is precisely what I did.
The journey begins
It took about ten years to write the first book, Journey of Destiny. While yes my passion had intensified, the truth of the matter was that I was a busy mum at home with a young child and following my son, had three more children, each with only a two-year gap. Within that time, we moved several locations, once to the very north of Australia to a small town in the Gove peninsula called Nhulunbuy and an even bigger move to Montreal, Canada.
During these moves, I joined a theatre and was involved in the plays performed there, including one that I starred in, played touch football for a season, ran my children around everywhere and then ultimately decided to pursue a degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice through Griffith University.
Needless to say, I didn’t always feel like writing or have the energy for it. However, despite being pulled in so many directions, I did manage to finish writing the first book while living in Montreal. After publishing it a year later (and after yet another move, this time to British Columbia) and having such a positive response from all who read it I determined to make a greater effort to get the second and third books written. This was regardless of the fact I was still working on my degree, acting in plays, dealing with kids and eventually working part-time at the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police).
Making time
I had to find a way to make my writing an important part of my life, and I did, the second book, Ormnhi Moon was released only a couple of years after the first. Now the trilogy is finished and I have begun a new trilogy in the same world, only, twenty years onward. The first book in that series is set to be released in October 2023.
The funny thing is that when I started the first series the main characters were about my age at the time, now just over twenty years later, my characters in the new series who are the offspring of characters from the first books happen to be the same age as my children. Life has a funny way of coming full circle… even in writing.
As you can see though, I am long past the days of meandering through my story writing. Nowadays, writing is my absolute number one passion and I am ever so grateful the stubborn side of me did not dig in her heels about not being a writer because I would have missed out on something really wonderful, as it turns out I was meant to be a writer.
What I have learned:
- Passions do not have to be your bread and butter, they can just exist on the side. It can be that thing you do that relaxes your mind at the end of a busy day, that weekend hobby or that go-to thing you enjoy when time permits. If you can forge a career out of it… great! But I think you have to be careful about giving up your day job until you are fully established and it is self-sufficient. However, there is nothing wrong with maintaining it on the side of everything else, it can still be very rewarding and fulfilling.
- Who says you can’t? Nay-sayers perhaps but at the end of the day the only one to hold you back will be yourself. Set yourself goals, work within your own limitations and timeframe and allow yourself the freedom to give a certain amount of yourself to it. It can be scary to put yourself out there… trust me I know only too well, but as you learn and grow with the process you also get better at it. The world is your oyster… why shouldn’t you take your little piece of it, whatever that looks like?
- Sacrifice is not a dirty word. To sacrifice is to give up something good for something better. To follow your path whether full time or on the side requires giving up things to some extent. Perhaps less TV at night, less hanging out with mates at the pub, less playing games, less recreation time, less overtime at work, less whatever it is that fills your time currently. Life is a balancing act and it doesn’t mean you have to give up these things entirely but it may mean doing them less to allow you the time to work on your passion and make headway with it. Figure out the priorities (work, family, responsibilities) whatever is left over is yours to seize the day.
Meet the author
Leisl Kaberry (Class of 2010 and 2019)
An Aussie born and bred, Leisl has lived in a variety of places including the Australian outback and Montreal, Canada. She now lives in Kelowna, British Columbia with her family, dogs, cat and whatever wildlife choose to inhabit the property. Leisl has a degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice, a brown belt in karate, likes training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and singing in her husband's “fun” band or karaoke with her mates.
Find out more on the Titanian Chronicles.