Already
as a young girl I loved to write and make up stories. Throughout the years, the longing to write never ceased, but there was
little time, nor energy to do something about it. I was
able to write newsletters, both in English and Dutch, to keep family and friends updated about our lives, but it wasn’t
enough – I wanted more.
I took a Dutch correspondence course, but
had to write about subjects and genres I didn’t like, and which didn’t fit my style. The whole setup was also
more on a recreational, hobby level.  Then, out
of the blue, August 2006 a brochure arrived which changed my life. Tucked between a book order from Christian Book Distributors
(CBD) the little brochure challenged me to "pass the free test and write for publication". Wow! I did the writers’ test and was deemed a candidate for the course. The rest is history, for this was what I really needed, the tool
that brought my writing on a professional level. Mentored by my personal teacher, Mary Rosenblum, I finished the 2 year course
within six months.
 By now
I realized that my writing was a gift from God, and that it wasn’t a selfish pursuit. In order for the talent to be
used for ministry I had to take the dream off the backburner and start cooking.
Being a mother first and a writer second at times could be rather stressful,
but I learned to write whenever I could – even when it was only for half an hour. I received tremendous joy and fulfilment
through writing and tried my hands at all kind of subjects. But so little could be said in a 1000 word article. I wanted to
be able to express myself more fully, and for that, I needed a novel.
Where best to learn how to write a novel than at Long Ridge. Being a graduate student,
I was able to enrol in their Novel Course, with again, Mary Rosenblum as my teacher.
The aim of the Course was to finish
at least the first 3 chapters of the book. I had a whole 120.000 word Manuscript ready of a Historical/Biblical novel and
received my second diploma!  With the
lessons I had learned, I now was able to revise my first novel, about Elijah and the widow of Zarephat, edit and revise the
second novel, FIRST FRUITS IN JERUSALEM, and present the manuscript to a British Publisher for reading. Wanting to give the
Dutch market a try, I send a translation of First Fruits to several Dutch publishers. It’s still quiet on all publishing
fronts, but I keep trying!
When I'm not busy researching the 4, monthly history pieces about Israel/the
Jewish people for Radio, or preparing an article for the Embassy's monthly Newsletter, I continue researching
my next novel.
This one 'begged' to be written, and is set in England and Holland in the time period before and during
the Second World War. Because of the overwhelming amount of material to choose from, it’s hard to make a selection.
Often I wander off on side tracks, and get caught up in the curiosity certain subjects trigger in me. So much I didn’t
know about the War period in Holland! I’m learning more each day, and it sure gives me a new perspective on how it was to live during
that dark historic period.
By 2009,
I could proudly state that I had become a Published writer. Only a few were paid publications, the rest was ‘pro Deo’,
but a good way to build a writer’s platform. Skills can only be honed by practice, like every other craft, and the more
I write, the ‘easier’ it becomes. I’m learning more, every day.
Although most of the articles are
non-fiction, I’ve noticed that writing fiction is what gives me the most joy. I hate reading books that leave a bitter
taste in my mouth, or end unsatisfactory. So, I’ve decided that my stories/books will ALWAYS have good endings.  The 3rd
novel, which surely would become a series, kept stalling, and I became frustrated. Wondered how to proceed. And then, another
little advertisement began to nudge me. Wouldn’t it be too soon to learn to write for children? I wondered. Perhaps I should
practice some more writing for adults? But what if in a few years time we would not be able to afford the
Course? So, I took the plunge and enrolled in Long Ridge’s sister Institute – the Institute for Children’s
Literature. I’m excited to learn new things, work alongside my teacher, Nancy Coffelt, who has several children’s
book on her name. Assignment no. 1 is already on its (email) way. 8 more wonderful lessons to look forward to! In the mean time,
I force myself to wait till the end of this course to continue with the novel, but have the feeling that the concept of a
children’s series will be the answer to my ‘problem’. Orson Scott Card said,
“Everybody walks past a thousand story ideas every day. The good writers are the ones who see five or six of them. Most
people don’t see any.” Being a T.M.I.S (Too Many Ideas Syndrome) kind
of writer, I know that the children’s market will be a wonderful outlet for all those ideas that keep on coming.
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