Purple Michaelmas

by Patricia Putt (Hutson)

Please welcome Patricia Hutson to the Writers Journey Blog this week with her journey to publication!

Purple Michaelmas

I have always enjoyed reading and writing. Reading because it helped me escape to different countries, and visit peoples of all nations. I find reading educational, exciting and just plain fun. At school I was rather good at essays and storytelling, the only regret in my life is that I didn't start my writing career when I was a teenager,

After I was married we had two daughters, and as they grew, I wrote stories for them, their bedtime tales were the adventures of our cats Spikey, Tarzan, a pigeon called Bob and a cat called Bella who lived in a cupboard. These stories soon became a favourite of the children in our neighbourhood, but I never thought they were good enough to go to print.

These storytelling days became quite the favourite on cold, wet winter afternoons. Once the children grew up, I started working back in the City of London. I never forgot my love of writing, but life became very hectic.

In the company there was a magazine that was printed monthly, one day the Editor of this magazine came and asked if I would be interested in writing something for it. At first I refused, afraid I suppose. I thought no one would be interested in anything I wrote.

However, the writing bug had never left me, so I started with pen and paper and transferred to the computer. On the day my article first came out, I was very nervous, expecting a few unkind comments and other rude messages on my email. To my surprise, relief and joy, my piece was enjoyed by everyone. Even though as a subject for this, I had chosen the people in the company from Directors down to postal staff.

It was about this time that our friendship was going very well with a German Town outside Cologne. Friendships were being formed, one very close one.

Having had all my pieces for the firm's magazine go so well, I thought that I should start writing a Novella, something small, and work up from there. Then one evening while sitting in the beer garden of the Altes Brauhaus with our German friends, my husband turned to me and said, “You enjoy writing, don't waste any more time. Start writing for big people.”

I remember the first time I started to write. I was shaking with fear as I hung a notice over my study door that read, Do Not Disturb. And, I started! The first draft was completely written in hand. Everywhere I went there were bits of paper in my handbag, odd bits beside the bed, because whenever I got the idea for a sentence or a chapter, I discovered I had to put it down immediately. Because that thought or idea never came again.

Because my life was very busy, it actually took me three years to write the book, two years to edit it and twenty-two years to get it published. I discovered from the numerous rejections that I received when looking for an agent, it is impossible. The reason being they are very set in their ways, and if your writing doesn't fall in with their ideas, you don't stand a chance.

I was not interested in Vanity Publishing. I wanted to be known as a serious writer. My ideas were too good to waste. So sadly, in 2015, my wonderful Brother in law passed away, suddenly, leaving me a small sum of money for the purpose of getting my story published. I looked around and found Austin Macauley and my book came out in 2016. I have made a dedication to Bobby, the Gentlest of Gentlemen.

Unfortunately, for the first two years of the books existence it was not publicized. I had no idea what to do. I discovered that FaceBook and some other sites were no good for me, as I am by nature a rather pushy person. I wanted and needed more. My writing was never going to fade away like a cloud.

I was then introduced to LinkedIn. This opened up a different world for me, a bigger and wider field. So, I am still working on getting the publicity that my story needs and I also know it would make an amazing film, tying in Germany, Austria and England,

I know my story will become a Best Seller, because it is the story of nearly everyone you meet. It has laughter, love, and sadness, but it is so filled with hope, it is today's story. The Love that everyone wants but is not always lucky enough to find.

Purple Michaelmas is as unique as I am.

Bio: Patricia Putt was born in India in 1944. Her mother was Dutch-Portuguese ancestry, and father was of Anglo Indian descent. He fought in WW1 in the Intelligence Corp in the British Indian Army, in 1918 because he spoke fluent Arabic, her Father translated a book from Arabic into English for the Government. He was then sent to Basra where he met and worked side by side with T E Lawrence of Arabia.

Her original education was in a convent in India, where the nuns were all German. They taught her to speak the language and a great deal about the country. So, setting the Novel in Germany came quite naturally. Her favourite nun was Sister Melania. It was she who opened her mind to books and writing. Patricia will forever thank her for that.

She and her mother came to England in 1958, where she finished her schooling. Through the years I had many jobs, really I should have been writing, but I gained a great deal in the lessons of life.

In December 1962 she met a boy called John. This man has been the most amazing husband anyone could wish for. They have been married 58 years, have two daughters, one son in Law, five grandchildren and two great granddaughters, and a grandson in law.

She is also, you might be aware, a working Medium/Psychic, many of my experiences from this work are threaded through my writing.

Patricia Putt (Hutson)