Writing, A Most Satisfying Pastime

Writing is such a satisfying pastime.  However there is a difference in writing under the weight of deadlines and writing for pleasure.

I remember when I wrote my first English grammar book.  I was under great compulsion to write it because of the need to fill a vacuum created by the switch in the medium of instruction in Malaysian schools.  Teachers were told that with the then new English communication syllabus, the teaching of English grammar was no longer necessary. So long as the message could be understood, that was it, such as “Me Tarzan, you Jane”.

Thus many students did not learn the fundamentals of English grammar and they could not structure a proper sentence in English. Their speaking and writing skills deteriorated to the extent that they were not employable in the private sector once they completed their secondary and tertiary education.

I wrote “English Grammar, A Malaysian Student Guide” but because it was not commissioned, it was very difficult to get a publisher to publish it.  The book was completed in 6 months but it took three years to come into print form. The Sabah State Director of Education then launched the book and it was most gratifying to know that this book would help those who had no idea of what English grammar is all about and why it is so important if one wants to be proficient in the English Language.

Then I was approached by another publisher to write a series of English grammar books, this time with exercises in them so that any learner, student or adult, can apply their understanding of the grammar rules by completing the exercises. These four books, “Casey and Penny’s Guide to English”, were written with a very tight deadline. Two months I believe and a short while later, they were out on the market.

The same publishing company also commissioned me to write a series of “I Can Read” stories retold, for young children. This series I had great pleasure in writing, despite the challenge of having to re-tell a story in a certain number of words as well as coming up with enrichment activities at the end of each book.  They are also available on the market. Nothing beats the feeling you get when you see your books on the shelves.

Now it is even easier for budding writers to publish their own books.  Kindle and its sister company Createspace have made it very simple for writers to self-publish online.  Unfortunately Kindle ebooks are not made available in the Pacific region. This is very sad.  However books in print form are available from amazon.com published by createspace.  I have uploaded a number of ebooks on Kindle. This one is for children and is meant for parents to read to them. "Let's Save The Tiger" will educate the young ones about why it is necessary to do something to save these beautiful animals.

It has been a most pleasurable pastime writing these books and I hope that you, my readers, will encourage me by giving me your support and visiting amazon.com to check out my books.

"The Encounter" is followed by its sequel "You Can't Have Her!"