About Me
My name is Debra Birdwell Winkler, and I am a writer who is passionate about sharing my stories.
A writer’s job is to take a reader into another reality where the reader can experience wonderful adventures in the reader’s imagination guided by the writer’s words. This is my goal for my readers.
I was born and raised in the South, and now live in the West. Never thought I’d end up here, but life has moved me from one moment to the next without clearing my destination with me. Things don’t always end up the way I have wanted, but my children and my grandchildren make it all worthwhile.
My writing career started when I won an award in 5th grade for a poem I wrote about my sister. Since that time, I have craved becoming part of the writing world. But life got in the way as I took care of my family and my writing dream fell to the wayside. Don’t get me wrong, I love my family and my teaching. I’ve written poetry and told short stories pretty much all my life. It wasn’t until I retired that I was able to fully concentrate on my writing dream. At the beginning of 2020, writing became my focus, my job, my joy.
I have written novels, short stories, and poems. Most are fiction, a couple are non-fiction. In the Spring of 2021, I felt comfortable enough to finally begin submitting stories to writing contests. I didn’t win any contest, but one of my stories was “published” online. I was so thrilled to type my name into Google and find the story there for all to see. Now, several of my stories are available online and one was selected to be published in an international literary journal.
One question I have been asked: Where do I get the ideas for my stories?
Truthfully, concepts come from various places. Mostly from my own background coupled with an historical event or a sentence I’ve overheard on the radio, television, or read online. Or, a writing prompt clicks a memory. I piece snippets or nuggets of ideas together and come up with a plot and outline a short story, novel, or poem.
For example, one of my stories talks about a lighthouse not far from where I grew up. Another story takes place in Amsterdam because, when I visited there, I wrote in my calendar that the Opera House and the area around it would be perfect for a story. Several of my stories take place in Utah which is where I live. All my writings are related to my memories in some way.
When I begin writing, I will plan out a plot and summarize what is a good story line. Sometimes, I think I know how my story will end, and then the characters ease me into a different direction than what I had intended. In one of my stories, I knew the last line of the novel by the third chapter.
Please explore and enjoy the stories on my website. Sharing them with you is my pleasure.
I look forward to hearing from you.