I remember the first long story I ever wrote. I was in the third grade and my teacher asked each of us to write a story about something in history.
I chose to write about the Donner party and the tragedies that befell them as they tried to make it to the Wild West.
It was a lot of fun and made up stories about the people and their life on the wagon train. It was like a game to me. It didn't occur to me that I wanted to be a writer when I grew up. I wasn't even old enough to understand what it meant to be grown up.
Throughout school, whenever I had to write something, I always enjoyed my assignments. I wrote about the Salem Witches when I was in high school and it was exciting to make up "real" people who lived then and, unfortunately, died.
So what did I do when I became a 'grown up'? I worked as an accountant, secretary, draftsman of pre-fab metal buildings. I studied Criminal Justice and worked at the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department for a time. I ended up with a career as a paralegal.
Well, that wasn't too bad. It encompassed a lot of research and writing and, in the meantime, I had actually written short stories, poetry, and two unpublished novels.
Finally, I said "enough", quit everything, took early retirement, and followed my dream.
Now, I'm a writer. I love my life, and I hope you enjoy reading my books as much as I enjoy writing them. I have a lot of fun with my characters and stories. To me, they're real people and my joy is to share them with you and the rest of the world. http://reneebenzaim.com
Get updates about new products directly to your inbox