How It All Began

I have posted on so many subjects on social media, ranging from exercise, eating well and facing things that scare us – and I am not done!

You might ask yourself why am I doing this? It all started with a book I wrote called Me and My So-Called Friends. In case you haven’t read the book, but would like to, you can buy it here: www.amazon.com/s?k=sharon+neiss+arbess&ref=nb_sb_noss

To get an autographed copy, contact me here: sharon@bravethewavesprogram.com

In a nutshell, the book is about a 15 year-old-girl who goes through one “helluva” year and how she gets through it.

I (and Amazon.com) can’t just sell the book on its own and not say or do anything with it!

There’s gotta be some discussion around it because the story carries so many life lessons. You can check out the reviews here: www.bravethewavesprogram.com/thescoop/

But before I go any further, let’s take a few steps back and start from the beginning.

When I was a young girl, (and still to this day) I always loved reading a book and escaping into someone else’s world. You know, the kind of book that you can’t stop reading until you hear your stomach growling and realize it’s time for lunch? That kind of book! 

When I was in middle school and sported the Farah Faucett look, I thought it would be super cool if I could write a book like that one day. I put that thought out of my mind for a few years and went on with my life. 

Fast forward to university, where I studied Communication Studies and took a course called scriptwriting, which I adored. It’s amazing when you really like something, you put your heart and soul into it and it doesn’t feel like work. That’s exactly how I felt. My professor told me that I had a gift for writing dialogue and my ears perked up like a Doberman. I found my calling. 

When I graduated, I decided to venture into the world of advertising where I worked as a copywriter. When I first saw the words that I wrote enlarged on a billboard, all I could say was wow. Just wow. 

You’d think I could come up with something better than “wow”, right? Not in this case.

After having my first child, I wanted to be at home more. I left my job but still wanted to write. I thought to myself that this would be the perfect time to write that novel idea that has been spinning around in my head for years.

As far as the idea of the story, I always liked teen fiction, especially with all the drama that comes with it. The story and the characters are all amalgamations of what I experienced, saw and, of course, there’s my imagination.

How did I actually write the book? How did I make it happen? That my darlings will have to wait until next time. Stay tuned!