Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist)

On March 7th Sherri Matthews from A view from My Summerhouse tagged me for this WIP Blog tour Stop. I am honoured to be chosen as Sherri is a talented memoirist who is writing her as yet unnamed memoir, writing articles for magazines and has a great blog where discussion is lively. Her memoir blurb can be found here. I am looking forward to reading it when it is hot off the press.

Thank you again Sherri for tagging me and for the support, conversations and virtual walks we do as we journey through the writing of our memoirs. Wishing you productive writing as you get close to finishing.

The work-in-progress blog tour rules:

1.  Link back to the post of the person who nominated you.
2.  Write a little about and give the first sentence of the first three chapters of your current work-in-progress.
3.  Nominate some other writers to do the same.

© irene waters 2015

I have two WIPs currently in progress. The first is my memoir Nightmare in Paradise  which recounts our time in Vanuatu, as newly weds, entering a partnership with a big chief on the remote island of Tanna running a small resort and tour business.

Tanna retained its traditional lifestyle and that, along with an active volcano and cargo cult attracted people worldwide. The eagerly anticipated romance associated with a simple tropical life was soon dispelled as our time was spent as the interface between sophisticated guests and the witchdoctors, chiefs and harsh realities of isolated island life.

This true story follows our life on the island and the troubles that build up, culminating with Roger’s kidnap, ensuing court cases and a series of deaths. It is a dramatic, yet often humorous tale, which gives an insight into the realities of the Pacific dream.

This memoir just needs some minor editing before it is ready for publishing. With deadlines for my other work I’m afraid I have let this sit but hope to finish it very soon.

Chapter 1 Roger had aged.

Chapter 2 It was 1992.

Chapter 3  We landed in Port Vila amidst a flurry of excitement and anticipation.

© irene waters 2015

The other WIP I have on the hop is a sequel to this first memoir titled After the Nightmare. This follows our life on returning from Vanuatu to Australia. Traumatised by our experiences we opt to move to the country and purchase a farm, intending to run it as a bed and breakfast. Luckily a local landowner adopts them and teaches us about primary production and life in the country creating numerous amusing anecdotes. But Roger was deeply affected by Vanuatu, suffering personality changes consistent with post traumatic stress disorder and I struggled to deal with the isolation and desire for children.

A turning point came when I took a job, opening a community haemodialysis unit and being alone on the farm became too much for Roger. He found a business to purchase ‘The Barrington general store’ and the farm was sold. At the store we worked longer and harder hours than in Vanuatu and changing government legislation and the introduction of the GST put us under great stress.

The completed narrative will deal with tree change themes, returning to a country which used to be home and finding that memories are unreliable, dealing with an undiagnosed post traumatic stress disorder, loneliness, issues surrounding illness in rural Australia, difficulties running a small business and the positives of living in the beauty of the Australian countryside. Our enduring personal relationship will be a thread throughout the narrative.

Chapter 1 The noises of the city disoriented us.

Chapter 2  With nothing to do whilst we waited for settlement to occur on the house at Bucca Wauka, we decided to occupy our time by doing the legal work required for our own property conveyance.

Chapter 3  Once the steers had gone it was time to get to know the land we had purchased.

This memoir is also completed but has I have yet to complete a first edit on it.

I would like to tag for this WIP Blog Tour Stop four writers/authors who write in different genres to myself.  For those I have nominated feel free to join in if you have the time, if you don’t that’s okay too.

Ruchira  who blogs on Abracabadra. Ruchira has published a book “Choices” which is a peep into everyone’s daily life. She also has published a children’s book The Mystery of the Missing Iguana.

Luccia Gray who blogs at Rereading Jane Eyre. She loves Victorian England and has pulished the first in a trilogy of Eyre Hall and is currently writing the second volume.

Tallypendragon who blogs at Tallys Magic Tales who writes historical Fantasy fiction with a lot of romance and mystery thriller in the mix.

Noelle Granger who has just published her second book in the Rhe Brewster series and will have a new crime for Rhe to solve underway. She blogs at SaylingAway