Background
Who is Barbara Anna Marjanovic?
A woman who, as a girl, always imagined what it would be like if...
Then she would write her poetry, her stories and would always dream of writing that one big novel that would make her dreams come true--have her writing known as the best in quality, the best in imagination...simply the best.
In 1998 she graduated from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor's degree in Commerce, majoring in accounting. Why the vast difference from what she really wanted? Not having the confidence in herself.
Her life experiences and the people she met made her realize that it still was not too late.
Her biggest influences in embarking on this journey was her brother and her husband. Of course the rest of her family eventually supported her, but these two always maintained she could always accomplish what she put her mind to.
Now she endeavors to challenge herself in the realm of writing, bringing more and more of the fantastical to reality, and bringing well-written novels to the table. Stretching the imagination is key to the believable.
Everything is a learning experience, and to her it is every new story, every new novel, every new poem. Each one she tries to better the design, the structure, the story, just like an engineer of writing. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
Barbara invites you on this journey and hopes you enjoy the growth and quality of her writing as the years go by.
The Beginnings
When I was a young child I enveloped myself in books. My second home on the weekend was the Public Library. I would take out about 10-20 books each time I went (varying between comics, to horror books, to mystery, to how-to books, to art, literature...I must have almost read the entire stock of that library). The odd thing about this was that I would have them read by the next week. Then I'd return them the next week and take out more. That was in the summer. I would tame it down during the school year.
Everyone always remembered me for locking myself into my room and reading. I couldn't get enough. I'd write my own stories, but never showed them to anyone. The first time I did show someone my work was when I was, I believe, in grade 4. I was helping out in the school library and befriended the librarian, Mrs. Lorenz. She was the first person I showed my first not-for-homework story. I wanted to make it into a novel. What was it? Well, it was a fantasy novel. I had made up a whole entire world with a map, odd names, and everything. Just like the Lord of the Rings. In fact, I believe I had just read that book and a bunch of other various fantasy novels my brother had bought me. Maybe that's what got me started. That was my big thing back then, fantasy and sci-fi. I still love it to this day and plan to work further into this field.
I startled that librarian with that story. She never expected it, and said that I had a wonderful imagination and that I should keep going. But I never had the courage to. The next stop and start was a horror novel I did when I was in junior high, maybe grade seven or eight. It was called "Durby" and it scared the heck out of my good friend, Ausha, who I'm still friends with till this day. She had never forgotten how scared those few chapters got her. I stopped for a while, and got into poetry. Wrote a whole book, in fact. But at the time, I explored a softer side of myself, love, devotion, the typical teenage stuff. I showed that to one of my English teachers in grade 11. He said that I really was in touch with myself and had a beautiful way of describing "Love". I've always been the descriptive sort. I think now, when I apply it to my other writing, I feel what I write. I won't write unless I feel it. Why should I write something that has no heart. I won't do that. It insults my intelligence.
Why will it take me a short time to produce some stories and books, but longer for others? Well, I don't want to write just any random garbage on paper. I write quality ideas. That's what I do. Sometimes the whole story comes to me in a flash. I sometimes will do 20 pages in one night. Sometimes. I might be the worst with grammatics, but my ideas are good. Grammatics can always come later. I'm working on that.
Join me in my journey--I hope to catch up with the years lost in my wanderings and studies and produce the works I should have done many years ago.
What made me take the plunge?
Simple. I made a realization a few years ago that I can't take life for granted, and that I should take my chance at writing. I won't know unless I do it. Right? I know it may take some time to get my work out there, but I'm not aiming for publicity. I'm aiming for people to see how well I write. Even if I have a dedicated handful of readers, I know that they are dedicated to my work and that they like to read what I write. I write to be read, not to become the next biggest thing.
- Barbara Anna Marjanovic
To contact Barbara Anna Marjanovic, please send emails
to:
barbaraann@barbaraannamarjanovic.com
Updated June 15, 2005