Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Ana Morgan bio

Hi! I am Ana Morgan, a writer en route to publication.

My dad was a Foreign Service Officer for the CIA and I lived in Germany during grade school. After a stint in our nation’s capital, I attended an all-girl’s high school near New York City, where my required two years of Latin were eased by my having been an under-the-covers-with-a-flashlight reader.

I abandoned Ivy League physics in favor of dusty tomes describing out-of-body experiences, and struck out to discover (uncover) who I really was. I became a wife and a grandmother, an astrologer, and a Biodynamic gardener in northern Minnesota. Along the way, I waited tables, drove a school bus, and started a cottage business. I never made it back to college.

I discovered romance at airport waiting gate when a mechanical problem delayed my flight. There, a multi-pubbed author cheated me out of a loose-ends-tied-up ending. I vowed I could do better.

Bumbling through my first draft, I learned that good authors make the read easy.
Then, at word 138,985 (of 140,000), my historical heroine took over the story. I felt exhilarated and humbled. I knew I had to start over.

I also knew I needed more practice. I took classes. I read books. Not confident yet to be Stormy Hawkins’ voice, I drafted a time-travel. This time the hero took over. His story is so complex, it warrants two books. I needed more practice, and I needed more confidence.

I outlined a contemporary romantic suspense. I wrote essays and newsletters. Inspiration woke me some nights. Other times, it appeared in time for the ending. I self-published, and have been published. Readers of my hometown newspaper encourage me to reprint my weekly gardening column into book form.

I will get to that, but I have older promises to keep.

The writers on this blog clicked at first contact. I hope you will join us regularly as we chronicle our writing journeys, share what we know about craft and publishing, and celebrate our love of heroes and heroines who uncover (discover) their hearts.

Ana Morgan

p.s. Did you watch the first episode of White Collar on cable? Its pacing, character introductions, and back-story delivery are teachable.

2 comments:

  1. Hi Ana,

    Very interesting life you have led. I love White Collar. I actually watched it last night for the first time. Will make it a regular show.

    So happy you will be along on this journey with us.

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  2. Hi Ana
    I envy you your time in your capital city. Washington DC is one of my favourite cities, ever since my first visit there in the 1970's. And once 'The West Wing' became my favourite TV show of all times, DC became even more fascinating to me!

    I look forward to more discussions about how your hero or heroine 'takes over' the story, because that happens with me so often too.

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