"In this world of modern technology, connection on a human level is something I think we all crave. We can begin to do that by sharing our stories with each other. The good, the bad, and the ugly; they all have their place." - Carol Anne Shaw ( Author of the HANNAH series, Ronsdale Press, BC )
BIO
I have been writing stories since I was a little kid. I used to hunker down under the dining room table with the old IBM Selectric, and produce very bad stories about horses and heroines. I still have some of them, complete with White-Out smears (remember White-Out?) and jam stains.
I tried my hand at many a different job over the years--everything from driving a front-end loader, to working on a ranch, to waitressing, to working as a secretary, and finally, after a stint at art school, to teaching. I was a high school art teacher for thirteen years, which was by far the best job ever. Truth be told, I kinda miss the teaching, so here I am, Serving up a Story.
My first book, a middle-grade novel titled, Hannah and the Spindle Whorl, was published in 2010 with Ronsdale Press of Vancouver. It won the 2011 Silver Medal Moonbeam Children's book award, which left me dazed and thrilled for days.
I had not intended for it to be the first novel in a series, but Hannah & the Salish Sea was published in 2013, and Hannah & the Wild Woods, in 2015, which won the 2016/2017 Chocolate Lily Award for BC's Best Novel. I guess I'll just keep going, although book #4 seems to be taking its sweet time!
(You can read more about my books here: http://ronsdalepress.com/authors/carol-anne-shaw/)
All that aside, 2017 proved to be a terrible year for writing. I succumbed to the dreaded, "Writer's Block." Out of desperation, I began an Instagram account as a place to write illustrated "shorts" without any pressure. It was fun, and stress-free, and people seemed to like reading them. And the bonus was, it kept me writing. And (I hope) it has made me more polished with my craft.
Serving up a Story is a course I have designed around the "short." It's for anyone who's a little intimidated by the open page, is suffering from their own writer's block, or who maybe just wants to tell a story without tearing their hair out. Fiction, non-fiction, memoir, journaling -- the story short method that works for all them all. And above all else, it's fun...because if you aren't having fun, then what's the point?
Thank you for stopping by. I wish you well with your writing.