Wendy Clarke: Out of Adversity is Born a Writer.

I’d love to say I’m one of those writers who was born with a pen in their hand, but it wouldn’t be true. In fact, I took up writing quite late in life. Despite loving creative writing at school, it had never occurred to me that I might one day make it my career.

It was eight years ago, just after the February half term holidays, when my life changed. I remember it as though it was yesterday. I had just been told that the small primary school in Hove, where I taught English, was closing and all the staff were to be made redundant. I felt numb but it didn’t really sink in until the following Monday when, instead of going into class to teach, I remained at home contemplating an uncertain future.

As luck would have it, my brother had just completed an online creative writing course which he thought I might enjoy. With nothing better to do, I took his advice and enrolled. I hadn’t expected to enjoy it so much, and when it ended, I felt bereft. That was when I knew I’d caught the writing bug.

It was my course tutor who suggested I try writing stories for one of the women’s magazines. Missing the challenge of writing, I decided to give it a go. At first, I had the expected rejections, but I didn’t let it put me off. I carried on writing and submitting and my patience paid off when, three months later, I had a letter from the People’s Friend saying they liked one of my stories. Hurray! This was quickly followed by sales to Take a Break Fiction Feast and Woman’s Weekly. It was becoming clear that what had started as a hobby was turning into a new career.

That was seven years ago. Since then, I’ve become a regular writer for The People’s Friend and have had around three hundred stories published in magazines along with two serials. I also write articles for Writing Magazine and have been a judge for several short story competitions. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to believe it!

A few years ago, my writing changed direction again. With the magazine market for short stories shrinking, I turned my thoughts to writing a novel. My first attempt was a romantic mystery which bagged me an agent, but what they really wanted me to write was a suspense. Did I think I could do it? My degree was in psychology and I’d always had an interest in how the human mind can affect behaviour, so I decided it might be interesting to explore a darker side to my writing. A year later, I’d written What She Saw, a psychological thriller set in the Lake District.

It didn’t work out with the agent, but last year I was thrilled when my novel won first prize in a competition and was picked up by digital publisher Bookouture (whose parent company, Hachette, is Britain’s second largest publisher) in a two-book deal. What She Saw will be published in May and the second, set in Brighton and a village much like this one, will be published in August. It’s a dream come true.

Seven years ago, through adversity, my life took a new direction. I didn’t find it, it found me, and I’m proof that it’s never too late to follow a different path.

The Steyning Bookshop will be stocking copies of the novel when it is published at the beginning of May.