Location: United Kingdom
Member Since: April 22, 2012

Stephanie Fletcher

Biography

Biography (29 10 2012)

I am a Mother and best friend to three girls. I truly love my life and every person who has ever touched it with unconditional love, and I am grateful for all their support in my endeavours. I am now a grandmother for the first time in October 2012 and I am sure inspiration will come for some children's stories! I have a website for publishing my writing and poetry. The web link is http://www.stephanie-fletcher.co.uk

I started writing seriously after having a traumatic event in my life and having a nervous breakdown to boot. My physical and mental health suffered greatly and now six years later, hand on heart, I can honestly say I am not the self-driven OCD perfectionist I was before.

I had a spiritual enlightenment, counselling, and time, lots of time on my hands. I could have quit, and sank deeper into depression but I didn't. I am lucky enough to have three wonderful caring and considerate daughters who witnessed my decent into hell and back, and a family who never left my side. I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and hit life head on again like the Taurean bull I am.

I had always written a journal of sorts, spasmodically, and the days of staring into thin air became times of inspiration. At first I was scared to show others my work. The last thing I needed was criticism that cuts you to the soul. I needn't of worried, only but a few people gave me critique that knocked my confidence and I began to grow as a writer.

I am not very well educated, only secondary school and college at forty doing a creative writing course and gaining a certificate in counselling skills. I read a lot, anything and everything and I take notes everywhere, for use later in my work. I collect idioms and sayings, inspirational quotes etc and they all help. A voice recorder is handy for those nighttime ideas and I also read my work out loud, recording them and then playing back, as it is easier to see where something doesn't work. I have a programme called ‘dragon speak’ which types up my recordings and saves a lot of frustrating keyboard time, which does my arthritis no good! I like to do my original work long hand so I have a lot of A5 notebooks needing attention.

Writing is never dull, or a job, I enjoy everyday I spend writing and often surprise myself at what comes out. I am now attempting my first Novel, called ‘Time Tells Tales’, a synopsis is on my website and the first book of the five tales is published as an e-book on Smashwords.com and is called ‘Alfred's Tale - Dead in a Ditch’. I have three collections of poetry and two short, novella type stories available as well, one of which is free, so go help your self to a copy!

Smashwords Interview

When did you first start writing?
I first started writing seriously after a traumatic event in my life in 2008 which severely affected my health and mental well-being. During the sleepless hours I would write poetry, something I had done in my teens. I also kept a journal which became my hiding place from the world. I recorded my daily activities and feelings but it grew into something much more. It was an outlet – more an outburst of pent up creativity and imagination I forgot I had. Therefore more notebooks were acquired and I unleashed the beast that is my imagination for everyone else to share.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
Besides the ones I remember writing as a child, the first story I wrote and published was called, “Where there is light, there is understanding.” I am a spiritual being and wanted to share my insights and idea’s accumulated from many a sleepless night, reading about all things esoterical. I introduced these new ways of thinking into my writing. This particular story was about Mother’s love, the most unconditional love I believe there is, comes from a parent for its offspring. But not all mother’s or father’s feel this way initially due to circumstances of life and the experiences we go through that lead us to this point. It is the end of our own childhood and the beginning of understanding what life is all about beyond our selfish wants and needs. I wanted to show that love is available to all if only you struggle through and conquer the emotional or physical hurt you have suffered. Everyone can get there with effort and understanding, and there is nothing more satisfying or completing as the look of love between a parent and their child. I have three wonderful girls and now a granddaughter, and as single parent myself, they are my world and reason for living on through all my nightmares and physical trauma’s. This is what I portrayed in this short story.
Read more of this interview.

Where to find Stephanie Fletcher online

Website: http://stephanie-fletcher.co.uk
Twitter: @safletcher59
Facebook: Facebook profile
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/edit?trk=hb_tab_pro_top
Blog: http://www.goodreads.com

Where to buy in print

http://stephanie-fletcher.co.uk

Stephanie Fletcher's favorite authors on Smashwords

Jamie McGuire
Latest book: The Art of Dying.
Published July 18, 2023.
Follow them on Twitter: @JamieMcGuire
Visit their website
Victoria Zigler
Latest book: Jelena.
Published December 13, 2021. (5.00 from 2 reviews)
Follow them on Twitter: @VictoriaZigler
Visit their website
View their blog

Smashwords book reviews by Stephanie Fletcher

  • Mr. Pumpkin-Head And Other Poems on May 01, 2012

    I have read all these interesting and quirky poems which are suitable as children's poems or for the child in all of us. I especially appreciated the 'What to Do Today' poem and 'Taking my own advice' both struck chords within me. I would love to see more of this author's work in the future. Well Done.
  • Witchlet on July 12, 2012

    Loved this story about a young witch and her trials and tribulations as she struggles to gain acceptance. A story that emphasises the difficultly of crosses boundaries and preconceptions, well written, descriptive and captures the imagination. I hope there is more to come about this little young witch! Well done Tori!