Blog post by Janet Coulter Sanford, author of Memories on the Bounty

Becoming a published author, at any age, is a thrill. But perhaps what makes my story unique is that my first book was published when I was 71 years old.

How did that happen? The short version is that I wrote a book because a good friend was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

I certainly didn’t start out to write a book. I believed that books were written by lofty, incredibly talented people called authors. And that wasn’t me!

My friend Roy used to love to tell stories about one golden year of his life – the year he was part of the Bounty crew and the filming of Mutiny on the Bounty in Tahiti. After Roy was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease I thought about all the losses that lay ahead for him. One of those would be the loss of his story – unless maybe, just maybe, I could save it.

I arranged to meet with Roy on Monday mornings to capture his story. It didn’t take long for me to realize that his tale had all the elements of a good book – history, romance, adventure, friendship.

I soon became a “Bounty hunter”, searching out former crew members and shipbuilders, scouring libraries, museums, and the Public Archives, contacting people who had any association with building or sailing the Bounty. Meanwhile, I was working with Roy and watching his precious memories slip away.

Was it all smooth sailing?  Not a bit.  Once I committed to writing Roy’s story, I was overwhelmed with doubt. Where would I find the time and energy to do everything this would require? Why did I suddenly think I could write something as complicated as a book? Why was I so painfully slow? Little voices in my head repeatedly told me this was a crazy, time-consuming, pointless obsession.

But at the same time, Roy’s story made me feel like I was reading a good book and I wanted to know what else happened. Only now I was the author and it was up to me to write the next chapter. I had to keep going.

Yes, there were times when I was disheartened, bored with my own writing, tired of trying to make it all work. There were times when I hated the sight of my manuscript and other times when I couldn’t leave it alone. I even quit once, but after three months I began a panicked search for the flash drive where my draft was stored.

I had no idea if a publisher would ever be interested in Roy’s story, but I knew his family would be. I loved the idea that the book could be a little victory over Alzheimer’s disease. The disease would eventually take Roy, but it couldn’t take his story.

After three years of drafts, revisions, setbacks and small successes, I reread my manuscript for the millionth time, clicked “send” and off it went to Nimbus. A few months later, a beautiful email from Whitney Moran landed in my inbox.

So, at 71 years old, my life took a happy and unexpected turn. I look back fondly at the hours I spent with Roy. I think about how much we laughed, how much he enjoyed the chance to relive his adventures. I recall the excitement of doing research and finding new discoveries. I relish the unexpected friendships I made. And not much in my life compares with the thrill of seeing my book on a bookstore shelf for the first time.

The old adage holds true. Nothing ventured, nothing gained – at any age!