By Eliza Henry-Jones
Nicki Edwards always wanted to write a book.
It was not until the youngest of her four children had started at school and she’d spent eight years studying nursing that she finally sat down and started writing.
“The idea of writing a book for me was a bucket list item,” Nicki explained.
“After eight years of study, my husband said have a year off and just work. I woke up and said I want to write a book! My husband rolled his eyes.”
Nicki, who lives in Geelong, has written seven full-length books, two Christmas novellas (much smaller than a standard novel at 25,000 words) and has another two in the pipeline. Her novels are sweet romances set in regional areas.
“My first book was just words on the paper,” Nicki explained.
“It was quite dreadful!”
Nicki had enough courage to put herself out there and contacted Hayley Nash, who is now a renowned literary agent but was, at the time, a publisher at Pan MacMillan.
“She saw something in me,” Nicki said.
“She sent me this long list of things and said ‘If you change it, I’ll consider publishing it’. I learnt a lot.”
Coming up with ideas for so many stories is a huge undertaking and, like all authors, Nicki has her own unique creative process. Nicki’s ideas are very much tied to place. Nicki spent a year in Canada when she was a high school student and is still drawn to writing about it.
“I go somewhere and think this is the setting for the next book. I could imagine these characters walking here. Next, I just write – I don’t plot first. I’ll be cooking dinner or something and there’ll be conversations between characters happening in my head.”
As much as she loves Canada and loves writing about small, faraway places, Geelong will always be home for Nicki.
“I grew up in Geelong and like most young people in Geelong, you just can’t wait to leave. When you’re in your 20s Geelong is just Geelong. We went to Bathurst and we lived there for three years and I fell in love with it.”
When Nicki and her husband were relocated back to Geelong for his work, Nicki recalls looking down and looking over the water and thinking what a well kept secret Geelong is. She knows Geelong will be her home forever.
Nicki has very practical advice for other parents who also have a book on their bucket list.
“My biggest advice is the only way to write is to start. The only thing that stops us from doing something is us. We have this sort of dream within them and it might be a little dream or a massive dream, but we prevent that dream because we don’t believe in ourselves.”
Nicki is also a big believer in looking at life as being made up of seasons.
“I don’t want to live with regrets. Life is so short – we just never know when we’ll have our last breath. I just see people with sickness and things that hit them from nowhere and it’s a reality check.”
You can find out more about Nicki here.
