Chrissy Couper’s autism and dyslexia had her struggling to put pen to paper.
But now, the Flagstone resident has published her first fantasy fiction novel.
But it wasn’t overnight, taking 10 years to finish.
“I used to write all my sentences and numbers back to front,” she said.
She had to get a text-to-speech application on her computer to read words back to her because she couldn’t read properly.
“I’ve had a few struggles growing up with Asperger’s, learning disabilities and dyslexia so I had to find a way to get around having to re-read everything,” she said.
“I was sitting on my bed one day with a notebook and pen. I was just going to write down some of my goals in life, when suddenly I had this image in my head of an older man in his 50s with long brown and grey hair and a beard.
“He was sitting at an old wooden writing desk with a piece of old parchment in front of him drawing an object with earth, air, fire and water inside it and it was the key to time travel. I started writing it all down and that’s when I decided I was going to write a book about it.”
Released under the name C.M. Couper, Alexander Hazard and the Mysterious Orb is the adventure of a boy tasked with delivering an orb in a magical world of alchemists and creatures such as giants and the Crow Goddess.
Chrissy’s literary journey has been supported by staff from the Carinity Bunderra disability service and Carinity Fassifern Community Centre, both in Boonah.
“It is a wonderful feeling to feel Iike someone cares enough for you to help you be who you want to be and live how you want to live,” she says.
Chrissy hopes to inspire other people living with a disability to follow their dreams.
Copies of Alexander Hazard and the Mysterious Orb can be bought online at barnesandnoble.com. For more information visit alexanderhazard.wixsite.com/alexhazard.
