Margaret Brosnahan, from Northland, first stayed as a visiting writer for several weeks during the first half of 2015. She returned in 2018 but this is what she wrote about her first visit.
I am new to the writing world having started my Level 5 Diploma at North Tec in 2009, completing in 2013, and I am now working through my Level 6 Diploma.
As I was working fulltime up until one year ago I just completed one module a semester.
When I started studying I figured this would take me twelve years to complete Levels 5,6 and 7.
Just start and that is the only way to complete anything, by the end of this year I will be over half way through.
One of the modules studied lead me to fundraising and as I searched I discovered that I could apply for the use of the front room at a small cost.
I applied to stay for two weeks and was allotted two weeks in February 2015.
I applied so that I could work on my Social History project. The Amazing story of Kaurilands Skills Centre, a residential home for Intellectually Disabled Adults in the country set up by four people with a passion on 1990.
I had worked at Kaurilands Skills Centre until October 2014 when I chose to leave and follow my dream of writing full time.
This was a wonderful opportunity to work on this project and as it turned out, I was able to stay at other times during the first half of 2015, this enabled me to start working on other projects, these, until that time had been floating in my head and sitting in boxes at home in Dargaville.
Living and breathing writing at the Michael King Writers Centre allowed me start work on some of these. It also allowed me to time to organise how my writing life ahead would be. When I started on this journey I had no idea as to where it would lead. Six years later I still do not know the direction but I am certainly enjoying the journey. Thank you Michael King Writers Centre.