VALLA writer Meryl Dunton-Rose has just received a big box of books; the fruit of her labours after penning and publishing her first novel.

“I felt extremely elated upon opening the box of books and exclaimed ‘Look it’s a real book!’

“I feel proud that I finally completed it, made it a reality, unlike the sad story I wrote about,” Meryl told News Of The Area.

‘A Patient Obsession’ follows the lives of Henry and Patience from their early encounters at the end of WWII.

It is a story of infatuation and obsession, of coincidence and pathos.

It crosses oceans and decades.

“I’ve long dabbled in writing,” Meryl said.

“I did a degree in Language and Literature, and taught English, but after completing a Postgraduate Certificate in Writing I got more serious and decided to let this story into the world.

“As the tale was inspired by events in my mother’s life, I had an idea of the storyline.

“Certain scenes were fully formed in my imagination and I wrote those first.

“Part of the narrative was elusive, and I had to force myself to get it down without agonising too much about the editing process.

Taking part in the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) project and the hectoring of her daughter encouraged Meryl to complete it in 2017 but it sat unpolished and unformed until last year when she began to do some serious work on it.

“I sent it to an editor in England who helped enormously in getting it to publication standard.

“The chronology and the flow of events were the hardest to organise but having printed it out, I had chapters all over the living room floor which gave me a visual of how to move them around to make a better reading experience.

“In the end, after three or four times back and forth to my editor, I felt it was as good as it could be.

“I wasn’t sure how to proceed but Ross Macleay from North Bank Institute in Bellingen was very thorough in readying the book for publication.

“We used the printer, Griffin Press, and voila there it was, done.

“I’m pleased to say my book is already in the Nambucca libraries and will be in local bookshops once I can get to them,” Meryl said.

 

By Andrea FERRARI