“Be anything but predictable.”
I was born in Adelaide south Australia in the 1980s, a time of big hair, big shoulder pads and big cartoons (He-Man, She-Ra). I grew up on a farm in Victoria, raised by ex-hippy parents, weaned on Pink Floyd, Star Wars and Monty Python.
I began a love affair with reading at an early age thanks to my mother’s own voracious appetite for books. While my school friends were reading about the adventures of the baby sitters club, I was sinking my teeth into Stephen King’s ‘It’… and having sleepless nights as a result; convinced Pennywise was haunting my bedroom.
At the same time, I turned my hand to writing. My first stories were childish experimentation with genre mash-ups (wizards in space springs to mind) and adventure stories until my teenage hormones kicked in and I found dark, morbid poetry. Many-rhyming-words-for-blood later I was still reading and writing, but also a young adult ready to head out into the world and make my mark. My intention; to study literature and linguistics with a philosophy minor on the side. And so I did… for three months until I learnt of those things all adults know to be reality; bills, mortgage and money.
This realization led me to drop out of university and find a job in the Melbourne CBD in junior administration…
And so became my life for the next ten years working in various corporate administrative roles; accounting assistant, para-planner, office manager, client liaison officer… a litany of unfulfilling jobs where my creativity and yearning to write was squelched down into a tiny contained box.
After flailing about in the health and human services sector for a few years, I took the plunge and went back to university, lured by the promise of research and academic writing. I came away from university with a Bachelor of Arts, Rural Social Welfare degree and an even greater desire to write…
…I found case management instead. I bounced around the aged care, disability, mental health, family violence sectors, always helping others, never satisfying that primal yearning within… “Write dammit, write!”
So here I am. Holding a three day a week support coordinator role at a disability support services organisation, trying to run a household and be the mum of two demanding Chinese Crested dogs…
…and now launching into my writing career.
Because at the end of the day; a writer writes.
Well done, Jessica.
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Many thanks Carolyn!
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Your book The Last Bordello looks very interesting, and as a writer aspiring to be published one day I take my hat off to you for your success. When i’m home later I think i’ll pick up a copy!
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Love that Jodi Picault quote. I’ve been writing for hours every day for the past three years plus and it gets to a point where you absolutely cannot not write..nor do you have problems finding a topic if you just follow the WordPress daily prompt. It is like a magic potion. You can take it wherever you wish to, but at least you have a starting point. Good post!!!
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Thanks Judy; I agree, writing becomes like a drug… addictive! But a good addiction so long as you don’t go the bloated, alcoholic, slumped over the keyboard, snorting cocaine from the keyboard way!
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Ha!!!! I do admit to a certain uncontrollable yen for ice cream. Does that count?
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Heck yeah; bring on that Chunky Monkey!
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Well done, Jessica, and thank you for following BrewNSpew.
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Thank you for your kind words!
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Star Wars and Monty Python. Big hair and shoulder pads. You’ve concisely described our childhood. Oh, don’t forget rollerskates and slap bracelets.
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Oh my god I forgot slap bracelets till now! Damn those used to hurt if you mis-judged and snapped it wrong… or the boys in the class got hold of them and slapped them against your neck.
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Haha good times
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Hang on and keep writing. You can do this. Even though we all have those annoying bills to pay.
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Good for you for following your dream of writing despite how hard it is. I waited until the kids were grown, and though I don’t waste time with regrets, I do wonder where I’d be had I started 20 years earlier! Happy Writing, Jessica 😀
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Yes we can never allow ourselves to wallow on the path of “would’ve could’ve should’ve”. I am glad I’m doing it now, but yes, I too could’ve done it twenty years ago!
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Never let the dream Die! You go girl! Thanks for following my blog. I hope you enjoy your visits.
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Thanks and I’m sure I will ☺️
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I can relate. Love the quote pics. 🙂
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Perfect, I was also born in the 80’s. I just never progressed past the dark, morbid Rhyming words poetry stage….and I love it. Although granted if I had the time you might actually catch me watching an old episode of he-man.
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Nothing wrong with staying with dark, morbid rhyming poetry! I still dabble in it 😊
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The greatest piece of advice I ever received was this:
“What’s the difference between a writer and everybody else? A writer writes, you see.”
You have my undying loyalty now.
Which mainly just translates into me hanging around, talking about zombie ants or invisible tornadoes.
You’re welcome.
Or I’m sorry.
Definitely one of those things.
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Hey, I dig zombie ants! Invisible tornadoes well, I’m not convinced I’m not in one presently! Welcome to the madness Sophia!
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Thanks girl!!!
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