Christine Childs has always had a keen interest in writing but corporate life had stalled her ambitions. Then when her partner, Alan, was diagnosed with cancer last year, the 56-year-old Manor Lakes resident started writing again. Today, Alan has a clean bill of health and Ms Childs’ writing career is blossoming. She tells Charlene Macaulay her story.
Tell me about your book, One More Time
I have got a background in psychology and history, so I like to write stories from the perspective of somebody in history who maybe hasn’t featured prominently before. Lots of people have written about Ned Kelly, but I was interested in writing it from the perspective of Ned Kelly’s mother. I actually started writing the story about 10 years ago as part of a university course. I re-visited it this year and edited it and sent it into the Henry Lawson competition.
You won the Harold Goodwin Memorial Statuette for overall Best Short Story at the Henry Lawson Festival earlier this year – how did that feel?
I was very excited. I set myself a goal this year that I was going to submit one story to a competition every month of the year and this was only the second thing I’d sent in. I was hoping to get shortlisted, so to go straight into winning was pretty mind-blowing.
What have you been up to in the decade between writing One More Time and entering it into the competition?
I had a busy, corporate life with not much scope for creativity. It’s only recently, with Alan’s illness, that I started thinking it’s important to use that creative side. Life’s too short and you should be doing what you’re passionate about.
What does this mean for your writing career? Have you thought about becoming a full-time writer?
It’s definitely part of the long-term plan. The award sort of validated to me that I can write. It’s like an encouragement award, that I should keep going.
When do you fit in time to write?
I’m definitely an early-morning person. I can write anywhere and I carry a blank book around with me so I can write down ideas. I really try to make it part of my normal life. I tend to write long-hand, then, when it starts to shape a bit, I do a bit of a story board to refine it and then type it up.
What are you working on at the moment?
I’ve just written a children’s book and illustrated it, so I need to find a publisher. That’s exciting, because it combines my art and my writing. I’m also writing a short story about life in the Broadmeadows hostel. We arrived as 10-pound Poms in 1968, so I’m re-visiting that but turning it into a half-factual story using my memories but making it into a crime-fiction story.
Who is your favourite author?
My favourite local author is Robyn Annear. She’s a Melbourne-based writer who writes that combination of historical facts and fiction. She’s really good about the research side but breathes life into it through her characters. I’ve always loved that combination.
