Like many of us, my writing aspirations stemmed from a deep love for books and reading. I’ve always been smitten with words and delight in stringing the right ones together to create something evocative.  

The Time After Now began with a single question: What if you pushed away your soulmate when you were young?

What grew from that enquiry was a nostalgic revisiting of the heady days of youth, and a tracing of the ripples that follow us into middle age. It is an attempt to bring to life, in full colour, the many versions of ourselves that lie beneath the surface. The girls we once were do not disappear; they linger beneath the surface, shaping the women we become.

I also chose to shine a light on my own invisible disability, type 1 diabetes, to bring much-needed Own Voices representation to an often unfathomable, and largely misunderstood, condition.

I am currently working on another women's fiction novel called The Beauty of the Ugly Truth. It's about an ex-game show host and pampered trophy wife who, when she discovers the trafficking and exploitation behind her husband’s business success, must choose between turning a blind eye, or building a life from nothing for the sake of her children.

I have had so many lives! I was an award-winning milliner, promotional model, wanderluster, television extra, accessories designer, vintage market organiser, sales and marketing maven and creator of human life.

I’ve been able to combine my writing skills with my sales and marketing background to pivot into copywriting and social media marketing.

My main advice is don’t be afraid to try. Find the volume knob on your imposter syndrome, turn that sucker down and have a go at writing. The writing itself becomes your apprenticeship. It’s how you hone your craft. Also, find your tribe. Bookish pals are a different breed of friend. Shout out your writing aspirations on social media or at writerly meet ups. Then, support and be supported. Read insatiably and be inspired by the work of others. Then, find your voice.  

I’m inspired by the women I know, by the supportive friendships we cultivate in minutes or over decades. Women supporting women is a recurrent theme in my work and if you could meet my friends you would see why.

My hobbies include ugly crying into my husband’s t-shirt while watching emotionally manipulative television shows, remaining at a restaurant with my friends so long that the wait staff start putting their coats on, and singing American jazz tunes with my children in the bathroom where the acoustics are good.

Instagram: @annefreemanwrites

Website: https://www.annefreeman.com.au/subscribe Visit my website and sign up for my monthly newsletter where I share subscriber exclusives and free downloads.

Contact via: Hawkeye Contact Page