As I sit here writing this blog post, my mind is being bombarded by the voices of the characters in the novel I’m currently re-writing/editing, ideas burgeoning for the next novel, and the pull towards the feeds of Twitter and Facebook whilst sitting on my laptop.

Some days, I’m able to rebuff these distractions with ease, focusing solely on the task in hand with the characters I’ve chosen to be with. Those days are joyous, walking or running alongside the characters, and allowing them to lead me down paths that weren’t even on my map. But other days, it’s a passage into the depths of a dank, dark well.

I’ve explored different ways to manage these moments, from not linking my laptop to the internet connection whilst writing, to eating jelly beans to aid my concentration. But these don’t always work as I can still find my mind wandering. So I’ve tried listening to classical music, as music with lyrics can be just as distracting as the voices in my head. Classical music is great until I hear something like Handel’s Messiah, and then I’m joining in!

What I’d dearly like is a room of my own – as said Virgina Woolf – but that’s not about to happen any time soon; even the Guide Dog in training we board demands of my time and attention. Family need clean clothes, a clean house, and feeding, never mind the need to be spoken to and have their troubles soothed. One could say that as my eldest is at uni, although home for two weeks currently, my other daughter is about to take her A levels then disappear off to uni this September, and mu husband’s old enough to care for himself, that I should have plenty of free time. I do in many ways, but the days always seem cluttered with things that require doing, not necessarily with things I want to do.

So it’s frustrating when I do get time to write, that I find myself distracted by things I mentioned above. I still need to find fool-proof ways to deal with distractions, and if any of you have a genius solution to this problem, I’ll gladly receive your ideas.

Happy Word Flow One & All

Of course I’m talking about authors, not groups such as ABBA and Queen – so that’s what happened to my dress sense in my youth, those that know me will say.

I lived in Buckinghamshire until the age of nine-years-old, then moved to Derbyshire. I would frequently visit Chatsworth House, with my family, and it was from there I fell in love with the Mitford sisters, well Nancy Mitford to be precise.

Deborah Mitford married Andrew Cavendish, the Duke of Devonshire, and they turned his ancestral home into Chatsworth House, one of Britain’s most successful stately homes. Deborah wrote twelve books, but I was enamoured by Nancy’s novels.

Nancy’s novels were witty, humorous, and ascorbic. Two of my favourite novels, ‘Love in a Cold Climate’, and ‘In the Pursuit of Love’, were verging on autobiographical, and appealed to my curiosity about love and how to be a young woman, living with an eccentric family.

I’ll briefly mention Unity Mitford, who many may know, was a friend and admirer of Adolf Hitler, and Diana Mitford, who also believed in the fascist movement, and married Oswald Mosely. They were not part of the Mitford sister’s history I admired, but I still found them fascinating to learn about.

I lived not far from a town called Buxton, which was where Vera Brittain lived. I read her memoir, ‘Testament of Youth’, which recounted her experiences during the First World War. I was fascinated by the history of the War, and the roles women played during those times. I loved visiting places Vera had actually been.

The last authors I enjoyed reading during my younger years were Sylvia Plath and Anita Brookner. ‘The Bell Jar’ by Plath remains my favourite book to this day, and I’ve re-read it numerous times. Anita Brookner has written a plethora of novels, and I always longed for her next novel, which seemed interminable as she only brought out one a year, at that time.

All these authors wrote character-central stories, which I believe has influenced my own writing. Whether I’m writing crime or contemporary fiction, my preference is to weave the story around characters, and delve into their complex inner world.

Happy Word Flow One & All

I was talking to a fellow author on Twitter, and I mentioned I’d go insane if I could not write, but then I added sanity kills creativity.  So what do I mean?

My nursing career has always involved me using my outgoing personality to engage otherwise hard to work with people; people with learning disabilities, mental health issues, or young offenders. I had to put myself ‘out there’ to encourage confidence in others to disclose their emotions and feel comfortable in my company. I obviously made an impression, as a young offender always referred to me as “Fu****g Mary Poppins”. You can take that how you will, but it makes me smile, especially as it’s demonstrating how others perceive me.

Often those that know me and read my novels, say they see bits of me in my writing.  The quirks that some characters demonstrate, may as well be me in some incidences; but not where a murderer is concerned, fear not.

If I didn’t have a little insanity burgeoning within me, I believe my novels would be less twisted, with characters themselves verging on the brink of madness themselves.

I think it helps to be a little insane to be a writer in the first place. Let’s face it, we write stories from in our imagination, sometimes quite dark and twisted ones, and lay them bare for others to judge. We spend hours writing, re-writing, editing, and editing some more, for very little in return financially. We also spend money on attending author book signing events, paying for the table, and swag, to mention just a few expenditures.

We leave ourselves open to judgement from others, both positive and negative. I hold my breath every time I see a new review has been published on one of my novels. We have to cope with the highs and lows of the writing world; the constant whirl of forums, book sites, social media, plus trying to fit in some reading for leisure – a must!

All in all, I think it helps to be on the brink of insanity at times, just to deal with all there is involved in being an author, such as getting an author platform off the ground, and meeting readers and other authors at book events.

Happy Word Flow One & All

I’ll be attending the Second City Book Signing event in Birmingham on the 18th July 2015 in the St Andrews stadium. Please follow the link to see more details, and to buy tickets. It’s a great chance to meet many authors of various genres, and to get a book signed and book swag. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/second-city-signing-tickets-13481396219

I hope to meet many of you at the Essex Author Extravaganza on the 18th June 2016 at the Cliff’s Pavillion in Southend-on-Sea, Essex. Details link to follow

My ticket arrived today for the Author Event and charity ball in Peterborough, on Saturday 14th March 2015.
There’s been more to planning for such an event than I anticipated. I joined the Facebook group of authors attending this event, and it was there I discovered what I needed to do.

Firstly, there was a mention of swag. What’s that all about, I thought. I then discovered they were items to give away freely, or with the purchase of a book. Oh, I see. So, I had my book covers printed on cotton book bags, to give away with the purchase of a book. For the freebies, I’ve had bookmarks printed with my logo on – which incidentally I paid someone to design – and I’ve used this logo on my banner too. Banner, I hear you say? Yes, authors were putting photos of their banners on Facebook, and I realised I’d need one if I was going to be seen at an event. I’m delighted with the result.

Other authors have made wine glass charms and jewellery, but I haven’t ventured there. I have neither the skill or patience to venture into that domain, and I admire those authors who have made these items.

Then there’s the dress for the charity ball. Heavens, the list is endless, but fun all the same. I’m entering a different world for the first time, so I hope when I attend the Birmingham event in July, and the Essex one in 2016, I feel more confident than I do now!

I will be sure to post photos and write a post about the Peterborough event. I’m not overly confident about selling many books, as the majority of authors attending this event write romance and erotica, so I’m not convinced my darker genres will appeal, but hey, I’m going to enjoy myself!

Happy Word Flow One & All