Currently...

I'm currently working on my first novel about the effects of trauma from war found in family members two/three generations later.

My days are structured like this: I get up, make myself a cup of coffee, then I start writing. It's either research, develop the story or rewrite. I do this for about three to four hours. Then I usually eat and take my dog for a walk - this helps me to get back to the here-and-now.

In the afternoon I give business coachings.

Before I go to sleep, I re-read the material I've written this day, make some notes and changes. So writing is the first and last thing I do in a day. 

Before I escaped...

I worked as a change management consultant for 18 years. I worked for seven years with Accenture, then for ten years at the company my husband and I founded in 2001. It was a slow, gradual transition.

In 2006 I started taking writing lessons at UCLA Extension. 2010/11 I was admitted to the Literature Academy in Austria. 2011/2012 I'm attending the Master Class of the Lit.Academy.

My moment of truth...

Writing was my passion since I learned to write. Living as a writer to me was a dream; one that was nice to dream but with no chance of becoming real.

There was this moment at a conference I was a key note speaker at in Switzerland in 2004. At the end of the conference I had a discussion with a colleague over lunch about how I felt; that something had to change but I didn't know what and how.

Suddenly I heard myself talking like from the outside, like standing next to me and what I heard was "write, write, write." At that time I had no idea how to pursue it and tucked the thought away again. When I fell ill in 2005, writing was the natural thing to do. So I wrote. Everything that came into my mind.

And after several months of writing from my soul a story started to appear. And I wrote it down. After a year or so I found myself writing the last sentence. Then I gave the story to friends to read and honestly, it was awfully written. So I pursued workshops to learn the craft. I still did consulting work, though less and less.

When the anthology that including my short story got published on September 23rd I realized that my dream was happening. 

Planning for it...

I attended (and still do) writing workshops to hone my craft. ULCA Extension is a great way to learn the craft of writing. And there are some places in Austria and Germany also - the Literature Academy headed by Gustav Ernst, a renowned author in Austria is one.

My husband still runs our consultant company and I do business coaching - but my main focus is writing.

The worst and best bits...

Writing is a lonely craft. When my husband is away on projects I often don't talk to anyone for days... Besides my dog ;). Rewards and recognitions from the outside are scarce.

Sometimes that's tough, especially when I'm stuck with a story and doubts appear and I start questioning what the hell I am doing.

But writing itself is rewarding for me so those moments are rare.

Best advice...

• "It's easier not to write than to write."
• "Writing is rewriting."
• "You need a long breath."
• "An overnight success takes ten years."

I found all this advice to be true.

The advice I would give:

Whatever your dream is, if it fulfils you and carries you through 'bad days', then go for it. Eventually it pays off. Only listen to people who are supportive. Most of us are experts in doubting, thus support from friends is what we need. 

Useful resources and information...

• UCLA Extension - the place for becoming/experienced writers https://www.uclaextension.edu/pages/default.aspx" rel="nofollow">https://www.uclaextension.edu/r/default.aspx