My Life as a writer
When did you first realise you wanted to write for a living?
In 2006 I found myself enrolled in a BA course at university. As a consequence of a glitch in the timetable I was thrown into a creative writing course. At the time I was having difficulty writing 300 words! Professor Gerry Turcotte asked us to write a couple of paragraphs on a topic of our choice and I wrote two paragraphs about my father, sporting legend Horace Lindrum. After the class Professor Turcotte came to me and said: “If there is anything you do in your life, you must write your family story. You are going to do an Honours year.” In 2009, I completed a BA (Hons) First Class under the guidance of Professor Turcotte. The final chapter of my exegesis was a chapter from the embryonic LINDRUM: The Uncrowned King. My love affair with writing was inspired by Professor Turcotte.
Which writer, past or present, do you most admire?
There are so many. George Orwell, Joseph Conrad, David Malouf, Lauren Chater, Jane Austen, Arthur Golden, Li Cunxin, Gerry Turcotte.
What was your first published (or performed) credit as a writer?
LINDRUM: The Uncrowned King and my dissertation Family, Nation & Sport.
Which piece of writing work are you most proud of?
LINDRUM: The Uncrowned King, the first work in a trilogy. Other works in progress include LINDRUM: In the Blood and LINDRUM: Journey to Heaven’s Gate.
Who or what inspires you to write?
Reading other authors’ work and travel.
How do you switch off when you’re not writing?
Walking, yoga, swimming.
Which one piece of advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Be persistent. NEVER GIVE IN. Follow your dream.
Why are you a member of WGGB?
Protection of my work and connectivity with people of like mind.
Janne Clara Lindrum is an Associate of Trinity College, London (Dramatic Arts). She has a BA (Hons), First Class, from Notre Dame University, Sydney, and a Doctor of Creative Arts, University of Wollongong.
