a small bio about small things...

The middle daughter of four children, Ellie grew up adept at manuvuering between the personalities of her siblings. She has a history of feeling unseen, and she turns to writing to find her voice. Her childhood was filled with days spent outside- her imagination giving mundane objects new life and purpose. More at home sitting in a tree than in a crowd of people, Ellie struggles with connecting at times. Tending to become overly emotional when talking, writing provided her an outlet to be able to speak without tripping or getting caught on spoken words. Ellie has traveled and read extensively, and her work is inspired by what she sees around her. She is currently living under a rock in North Idaho and spends her free time hunting down the perfect coral lipstick.

Biography of a Transient Spirit

My name was given to me by my father.  I often wondered how a mother could allow a father to name his daughter after someone who held nothing to live up to?  I cherished my middle name which was given in honor of my maternal grandmother who I always felt was near and acted as my guardian angel. My family name is still a mystery due to the thoughtless miscreants of Ellis Island who renamed my forefathers when they came for the "American Dream".  Actually all of my ancestry is shrouded in mystery as the "old" folks refuse to speak of the past.  I come from a fractured family, our relationships are strained and most memories are of living in an undeclared war zone.  I was sure as a child that I was adopted.  I still wonder.
I hated school.  I hated sitting at a desk doing mundane, boring, busy work.  My education was received from the volumes of books that I lost myself in.  My free time was spent outdoors, barefoot.  I loved art.
My teenage and young adult years were spent in the fog of rebellion and self destruction.  My saving grace was the birth of my first child....a son.  He changed my stars.  I met my soulmate and we have traveled the world and created a life of adventure.....actually we live a really good sitcom.  The jewels in our crowns are our children and grandchildren.  I would not go back to relive or change any part of my life because I believe our experiences help create who we are.   I am not anyone of great merit but I am content with who I am.  I just try to do my best.

Wandering

Strictly speaking, Patsy Condie Bak is a senior citizen; nevertheless, she finds herself experiencing pangs of something resembling a mid-life crisis. As she takes her place among innumerable wandering sailors, she finds herself strangely fascinated by the varied flotsam and jetsam drifting by. Every piece of tangled driftwood and all the bits of hopeless wreckage that swirl about in the rough sea hold rewarding stories. With the encouragement of her companion muse, Pat pieces together those stories with their diverse characters: sometimes ordinary but, more often, eccentric. Pat particularly delights in writing “endings with a twist,” and can hardly wait to discover where her stories will take her.

Although Pat has traveled extensively, thus far her characters live close to home. After a brief introduction, these ethereal beings pester her until their stories are written, rewritten and, finally, set down on paper, but never carved in stone.

Pat’s story, Redefining Miss Lamb, is included in the North Idaho College publication, Trestle Creek Review. She also worked extensively with two NIC English instructors to edit the publication.

Pat will attend a Writers’ Conference in Salt Lake City in early May. She is eager to learn new skills that will assist her in conveying the richness of her characters and thus relate their absorbing stories with more intensity.

Challenge: About the Authors...

First assignment- write a book cover bio about yourself- be it serious, moody, or funny. true or untrue. Include photo if you feel so inspired.