Boscobel Author Teddy Raye explains how her love of writing came about in the most random of ways...
When Teddy Raye was a teenager, she wrote her first novel, a fantasy/romance based on the Queen song The White Queen. She was too shy to show it to anyone. "Sharing your work with others is probably the most terrifying thing a writer can do," explains Teddy. "You are laying your soul bare, and you have no idea if people will love it, or think it's the worst thing they've ever read."
Ten years later, she completed a collection of short stories written about members of her family, titled, "My Dad Pat and other Family Jewels." During a difficult divorce, her vindictive ex stole her only copies, and destroyed them. It almost put her off writing for good.
"I managed to keep one of the stories, along with a couple of other unrelated shorts, but losing all of that hard work really knocked the stuffing out of me. I had put my heart and soul into those stories, and I would never be able to replicate them. To know that they were deliberately trashed - well, I just felt like it had all been a waste of time."
Years later, at her husband Trev's request, she allowed him to read the few pieces she still possessed. Trev told her, "You should do more of this."
"Sharing your work with others is probably the most terrifying thing a writer can do," explains Teddy. "You are laying your soul bare, and you have no idea if people will love it, or think it's the worst thing they've ever read."
Fast forward ten years later, when a good friend tells Teddy about a juicy piece of fanfiction she is currently reading. "Kay was swooning over this story and how sexy it was. I thought, she must be nuts - this was Harry Potter fanfiction!"
Curious, Teddy decided to give the work a go, and was stunned at not only the frank eroticism of the story, but how well-written it was. "This wasn't just some teenager tapping away in their bedroom. This was a finely crafted work with depth and emotion. I started reading all the fanfic I could get my hands on. The quality of the writing floored me. I was completely enthralled!"
It would take Teddy over six months to get up the nerve to try her own hand at fanfiction, but she was so inspired she had to give it a go. "I wrote my first piece of fanfiction over the course of a week. I didn't even let anyone read it because I was afraid it was utter rubbish."
Encouraged by the anonymity of the fanfiction archives (most authors use a nickname to preserve privacy), Teddy took the plunge and posted Spellbreaker, a Harry Potter fanfic featuring the pairing of Hermione Granger and Severus Snape. "I remember sitting at my computer, with my finger poised over the mouse button, trying to get up the nerve to send the files. It was a moment that changed my life forever."
Reviews were swift and overwhelmingly positive. Another story followed quickly, then another. Teddy explains, "I lived for the end of the day when I'd check my emails and find all these reviews waiting for me. I couldn't believe how much people liked my writing, and how generous they were with their praise and with their critique. For almost three years, I wrote fanfiction constantly. It was on my mind 24/7."
"Writing fanfiction was so important to me. It literally taught me how to write, and I can see my development as a writer through all the stories I wrote. It also gave me access to instant feedback. Fanfiction readers will let you know just what they love or hate about a story!"
Under the name Teddy Radiator, she produced over 250 different works of fanfiction, from 100-word 'drabbles' to several novel-length stories. Her loyal fanbase spans the globe, and her stories have been translated into Russian, German, Urdu and Spanish.
"Writing fanfiction was so important to me. It literally taught me how to write, and I can see my development as a writer through all the stories I wrote."
Another bonus in writing fanfiction was meeting up with Jules, Teddy's 'beta' and eventual editor. "Jules wrote me one day and said, 'I love your writing, and I think I can help you to make it even better.' We started off as writer and beta, and then became friends. She is so encouraging and supportive about my writing."
Jules is also unflinching in telling Teddy if something isn't working either. "I'll get a note saying, 'you can do better'. And Jules is right; I usually can."
Unsurprisingly, writing about other author's characters, while fun, soon gave Teddy the urge to write her own story, with her own characters. One day, in the early 2000's, while riding the London Underground, Teddy covertly watched a handsome man flirting with a beautiful woman.
"It was clear they were strangers, and yet the electricity between them was so powerful." Teddy spent the rest of her journey jotting down notes about them. The kernel of Her Minder took root in her mind that day.
"A very similar encounter on the Tube takes place between my two main characters, Sydney Chapin and Doctor Dahlra Gar. You could say that I started with this scene and the rest of the story grew up around it."
At first, Her Minder was a full on, erotic novel, with touches of suspense, humour and action/adventure. Just to see if she could do it, Teddy had one copy printed and gave it to Trev to read.
"He read it over the course of an afternoon, and when he reached the end, he closed the book and looked up at me like he'd never seen me before," Teddy remembers. "He said, 'You are a great writer. You have to get this published."
Several years and many revisions later, that brief encounter of two people on the Tube has grown into a three novel series, and while there are still enough spicy, sexy moments to keep the blood pumping, the story of Sydney Chapin and Dahlra Gar has evolved into a fast-paced story of espionage, action, and mystery. Her Minder Book One: The Doctor, is available online for purchase through all major distributors, including Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Sony and Apple.
Book Two: The Chine, will be available later this year, and the thrilling conclusion, Silverbirch, will be available sometime next year.
"I always tell people that my writing career was launched on the back of a series of seemingly random events, but they came together in such a way that my life was forever changed by them. If I hadn't shown Trev those short stories, if I hadn't mentioned them to my friend Kay, if she hadn't mentioned fanfiction... " Teddy shakes her head. "It's like something out of a story.”
It has also given Teddy the confidence to try her hand at other creative outlets. As a result, she has won awards for songwriting, and together with husband Trev, hosts a monthly podcast titled Teddy & The Bassman.
Her Minder Book One: The Doctor, will be availble at all the usual book outlets august, 2017.
Teddy Raye lives with her husband Trev in South Carolina, where they share their home with their cat, Sevvy, AKA Fatty.
To read some of Teddy's other works, including fanfiction and poetry, take a stroll around her WordPress Writing Blog.