A Life in Writing charts the evolution of Michael Byrne as an award-winning poet in the Australian Capital Territory. It explores, through vignettes his early life, the awakening of his desire to become a poet, his time as the new kid on the block and his arrival as a mature poet. Along the way, examples of his developing poetry are shared with the reader. The process in learning his craft, familiar to all poets, is set out with its associated highs and lows. At the same time, the book also chronicles the decline in Michael's mental health from his teenage years to the present time. It explores the link between his serious mental health issues and his poetry writing. It gives some insight into the difficulties his mental health has presented in achieving his dreams in some areas of his life.