Mandy Barnett

My family and I came to Canada from England in 2007. It was a great leap of faith for us to find a new life and a better future for our children. Along with this new life, I promised myself I would find an outlet for my creativity, which had taken a back seat for decades, apart from the occasional dip! Art in all its forms had been a real passion in my youth and at the tender age of 12 years, my art teacher, Miss Randall (bless her) submitted some of my art work to the Royal College of Art in London. They accepted me for the next intake - unfortunately it was not to be at that time, due to my age and later due to parental guidance. So when we had settled into our new Canadian home, schools and work, I looked for an outlet. By chance I found the WFSC and attended my first meeting - it was a revelation for me to find such a friendly bunch of people all passionate about writing and immensely supportive.

I count myself blessed to have found this group and I intend to stay until my bones turn to dust! My writing journey has taken me, in a very short time, on a journey I never thought possible. I have now published short stories on espressostories.com and on the Albertan web site (www.albertabrand.com). I succeeded in completing my first NaNoWriMo in 2009, which resulted in my having a novel length piece of work. After nearly a year of re-working and editing I have submitted it to a couple of publishing companies and now the waiting starts. 'Life in Slake Patch' may not be a global best seller but the sense of personal achievement has given me incredible joy. The fellowship of the WFSC has 'filled' my creative void, long may it continue - bigger and better each year.