Colleen McCullough, Author
Women and Adversity: Colleen McCullough
as Inspiration
I remember reading “The Thorn Birds” when it was published in 1977 and fell madly in love with Colleen McCullough’s story, primarily because I’m Catholic and for me at the time it was unthinkable that a priest would have an affair.
Ms. McCullough died January 29, 2015 after publishing more than 20 books, and Suzy Spencer provides a nugget of inspirational information about McCullough in the “5-Minute Memoir” in the September issue of “Writer’s Digest.”
Spencer interviewed McCullough in July 2014. The author’s last novel, “Bittersweet,” was published in August 2014. McCullough was plagued with a series of health issues, including macular degeneration, but she told Spencer in the interview, “I’m going to finish this before I die.” She achieved her goal.
It’s tough to continue writing when agents reject queries and publishers aren’t interested. Self-publishing is a monumental undertaking and requires determination and persistence. Once your book is published, critics find fault, sometimes without substantial support.
After reading obituaries about McCullough and the obstacles she faced and overcame throughout her life, I have decided that the trilogy I’ve been writing for years is worth completing, and I will finish it before I die. I don’t have health issues, so I look forward to having decades to complete the task.
Read McCullough’s obituary in one or all of these newspapers:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/30/books/colleen-mccullough-author-of-the-thorn-birds-dies-at-77.html
http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-colleen-mccullough-dies-at-77-20150129-story.html
