Author Archives: Catherine Balavage

Joe Wicks’ Guide to Staying Healthy, this Summer

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Wondering how to keep up your healthy new habits as lockdown rules begin to ease, Joe Wicks aka The Body Coach has shared his top tips on keeping a healthy mind and body – plus 4 tasty recipes! 

Joe Wicks, tips, advice, healthy eating, recipes,

The tips accompany a new study by food box company Gousto which reveals that 58% of Brits have made a more conscious effort to get active during lockdown. 

“The nation’s PE teacher”, Joe Wicks has put together 8 of his top tips to make it easier to stay healthy and motivated at home, plus four new healthy eating recipes!

Gousto’s recent study on lockdown habits in Britain reveals: 

  • A quarter of Brits have formed new positive habits
  • 95% of those are aiming to sustain their new habits after lockdown 
  • Cooking fresh food at home tops the list of new habits that are here to stay
  • Research by Gousto discovered over 25% of Brits will continue working out at home, rather than pay for a gym membership 

 

8 Tips For Staying Healthy This Summer From Joe Wicks

 

It’s an uncertain time for everyone at the moment, so it can be really difficult to put your mental and physical well being first. My top tips for you this summer are all about making long-term lifestyle changes.

 

There are loads of amazing activities people have been getting involved in during the lockdown with more people cooking and walking than ever before… and there’s no reason why this should change. If you’re someone who’s struggled to find a healthy balance during this time, I hope these tips will get you going!

 

Give them a go and they’ll transform how healthy you are and how you feel physically and mentally.

 

Make the most of your home

You don’t need a gym or lots of equipment to get fit and healthy. Lots of people have been getting creative and finding space at home for exercise. I’ve always believed in the power of home workouts because it’s so much easier to maintain a daily routine when you’re exercising on your own terms. I’m a big fan of HIIT training and you can do it anywhere; at home, in the garden or even in the park. 

 

Rise and shine

I love to exercise first thing in the morning, it wakes me up, boosts my energy and sets me up to win the day. It’s also a perfect way to make the most of the longer days. Plan your workouts in advance and try and stick to them like appointments you can’t miss.  If you can’t train in the morning, that’s fine, it’s all about finding what works for you. Remember, whatever time of day you exercise, it’s going to make you feel awesome physically and mentally.

 

Keep cooking

Cooking at home with fresh ingredients means you know what’s going into your food. You can have loads of fun experimenting with different recipes and that’s one of the things I love about Gousto. You have 50 recipes at your fingertips every week, including four from my new Lean in 15 range. The new recipes combine high carb, post workout recipes with low carb recipes for less active days, so there’s always a banging, balanced recipe to try. 

 

Make exercise fun

Exercise should be fun, not something you dread. We’ve all found new ways to workout during lockdown and most don’t need equipment, or even much time. Put some fun into your routine: do a HIIT workout in the front room, walk a new route, offer to walk a neighbour’s dog or go for a run with someone from your household. It doesn’t matter what exercise you do, find something you enjoy and you’ll find it much easier to stick to.  

 

Get some fresh air

I love getting outside and going for a long walk in the summer. We’re all finding a new appreciation for getting outside, so try to keep that going as we get back to normal. Get out into the garden or find a local, quiet space to do your workout. If you’re not feeling a heavy workout every day, a light walk and some fresh air will still make you feel great.

 

Don’t fear the carbs

Carbs give you energy, help your brain function and give your muscles fuel to recover after a workout. Carbs are not the enemy, so don’t be afraid of them, I like to refuel with a high carb meal after a workout. Try my Creamy Chickpea Curry Loaded Sweet Potato recipe after you exercise. On days that you’re not as active,  give my lower carb recipes a go, like my Cheesy Pizza Topped Chicken With Mixed Salad. Both recipes are part of my new Lean in 15 range with Gousto.

 

Find a balance

Cutting any food group or depriving yourself of the foods that you love is not sustainable. If you make balanced food choices most of the time and stay active, you absolutely shouldn’t feel guilty about treating yourself to an indulgent meal or a delicious dessert.

 

Make the time

So many people are super busy at the moment, juggling home working, childcare, home schooling and other responsibilities. Other people are finding they have more time on their hands than ever before. As our routines change all over again, it’s important to make time to look after yourself. Quick daily workouts and easy home cooking are a great place to start. 

 

No matter what pressures you’re feeling during this time, be healthy on your terms. Find exercises that get you up in the morning, food that you’re excited to eat and make goals that work around your lifestyle. 

 

4 Healthy Eating Recipes, From Joe Wicks & Gousto’s Lean in 15 range

Cheesy Pizza-Topped Chicken with Mixed Salad (Low Carb)

“You’ll get that cheesy tomato pizza goodness by topping British chicken breast with rich tomato sauce and melty mozzarella. Serve it with a creamy dressed side salad!” – Joe Wicks.

pizza recipe

Ingredients (Serves 2)

1 shallot

1/2 cucumber

1 mozzarella ball (125g)

125g cherry tomatoes

50g baby leaf salad

1 tsp dried oregano

5g basil

15ml white wine vinegar 

32g tomato paste

30ml mayonnaise

2 British chicken breast fillets

 

Method 

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ 425°F/ Gas 7. Add the chicken breasts to a baking tray (use tin foil to avoid mess!)

Step 2: Peel and finely chop (or grate) the garlic. Combine the tomato paste, chopped garlic and a pinch of the dried oregano with 1 tbsp [2 tbsp] water and a pinch of salt – this is your pizza sauce.

Step 3: Drain and pat the mozzarella dry with kitchen paper. Tear the drained mozzarella into rough, bite-sized pieces Tear the basil leaves roughly.

Step 4: Spread the pizza sauce over the chicken breasts. Top with the torn mozzarella. Sprinkle over the torn basil leaves

Step 5: Put the tray in the oven for 15-20 min or until the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!) and the mozzarella is melted and golden.

Step 6: Whilst the chicken is cooking, chop the cherry tomatoes in half. Slice the cucumber finely, and peel and slice the shallot[s] as finely as you can. Then add the chopped cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber and sliced shallot to a large bowl with the baby leaf salad and give it a gentle mix up – this is your mixed salad.

Step 7: Combine the mayonnaise, white wine vinegar and remaining dried oregano with 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper – this is your creamy dressing.

Step 8: Serve the cheesy pizza-topped chicken with the mixed salad to the side. Drizzle the creamy dressing all over the salad. Winner!

 

Creamy Chickpea Curry Loaded Sweet Potato (Carb Refuel)

“Creamy, coconutty chickpea curry tastes so good piled into a baked sweet potato. Top it off with cashews, red chillies and a sprinkle of coriander for plant-based, Indian fusion at it’s best!” – Joe Wicks.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

1 brown onion

1 red chilli

1 lime

1 garlic clove

15g fresh root ginger

25g cashew nuts

5g coriander

120g baby leaf spinach

1 tbsp korma curry powder

1/2 Knorr vegetable stock cube 

2 medium sweet potatoes

16g tomato paste

25g solid coconut cream

1 can of chickpeas (400g)

 

Method

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ 425°F/ Gas 7. Pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork, then cook in the microwave for 5-7 min or until slightly softened. Transfer the sweet potatoes to a baking tray with a drizzle of vegetable oil and a generous pinch of salt then put the tray in the oven and cook for 12-15 min or until the skin is crispy.

Step 2: Meanwhile, boil half a kettle. Peel and finely chop the brown onion, ginger and garlic.

Step 3: Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with 1 tbsp [2 tbsp] vegetable oil over a medium heat. Once hot, add the chopped onion with a pinch of salt and cook for 4-6 min or until softened. Then add the chopped ginger, chopped garlic and korma curry powder, and cook for 1-2 more minutes.

Step 4: Whilst the onion is softening, dissolve 1/2 Knorr vegetable stock cube and the coconut cream in 200ml boiled water. Add the tomato paste and stir it all together – this is your coconut stock.

Step 5: Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then add the coconut stock and drained chickpeas to your pan and cook for 4-5 min or until the sauce has thickened.

Step 6: Meanwhile, wash the spinach, then add it to a colander and pour boiled water all over it so that it starts to wilt. Rinse the wilted spinach under the cold tap until it’s cool, then squeeze as much water out of it as you can.

Step 7: Once the curry has thickened, add the wilted spinach and the juice of 1/2 lime – this is your chickpea curry.

Step 8: Once the potatoes are cooked, add the cashew nuts to the tray and return it to the oven for a further 2-3 min or until the cashews are golden and toasted.

Top tip! Watch them like a hawk so they don’t burn.

Step 9: Slice the red chilli[es] into rounds. Chop the coriander roughly, including the stalks and cut the remaining lime into wedges.

Step 10: Cut the sweet potatoes in half, lengthways, and fill with the chickpea curry. Garnish with the chilli rounds, chopped coriander, toasted cashew nuts and a lime wedge – bosh!

 

Spicy Chicken Chilli with Feta & Avocado (Carb Refuel)

“This fiery chilli is absolutely banging! You’ll shred spiced chicken and stir it into a smoky chipotle chilli sauce with creamy black beans. Serve it with a feta and avo salsa and brown rice. Hot stuff!” – Joe Wicks.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

1 lime

1 garlic clove

1 spring onion

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes

100g brown rice

20g chipotle paste

1 avocado

30g Greek feta cheese

32g tomato paste 

1 can of black beans

2 British chicken breast fillets

 

Method 

Step 1: Boil half a kettle. Meanwhile, rinse the brown rice, add it to a pot with plenty of cold water and bring to the boil over a high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15-20 min or until it’s tender with a slight bite. Once the rice is cooked, drain, return it to the pot and keep covered until serving

Step 2: Add the smoked paprika and ground cumin to a plate with a pinch of salt and 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil. Mix it all up, then add the chicken breasts and turn until well coated.

Step 3: Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick, with a matching lid) over a high heat with 1/2 tbsp [1 tbsp] vegetable oil. Once hot, add the coated chicken breasts and cook for 3 min on each side or until browned

Step 4: Whilst the chicken is browning, peel and finely chop (or grate) the garlic. Dissolve the tomato paste in 200ml boiled water and add the chipotle paste (can’t handle the heat? Use half!) – this is your chipotle stock.

Step 5: Drain and rinse the black beans. Once the chicken has browned, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chipotle stock, drained black beans and chilli flakes and bring to the boil. Then cook, covered, for a further 12-15 min or until the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!) and the sauce has thickened.

Step 6: Cut the avocado in half lengthways, around the stone, remove the flesh and dice roughly. Trim, then slice the spring onion and crumble the feta into large pieces. Cut the lime in half.

Step 7: Combine the chopped avocado, crumbled feta and sliced spring onion in a small bowl with the juice of 1/2 lime and stir it all together – this is your feta & avocado salsa. Cut the remaining lime into wedges

Step 8: Once the chicken is cooked, transfer it to a clean board and pull and shred apart using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the sauce and give everything a good mix up – this is your chicken chilli.

Step 9: Serve the chicken chilli with the brown rice and feta & avocado salsa to the side. Bangin’!

 

Miso Tofu with Stir-Fried Ginger Greens (Low Carb)

“I’ve packed heaps of flavour into protein-packed tofu with this super easy miso mirin glaze that’s full of umami. For lean, low-carb satisfaction, serve it with ginger and garlic stir-fried greens.” – Joe Wicks.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

1 garlic clove

15g fresh root ginger

8g soy sauce

2 tbsp white miso paste

200g pak choi

150g spring greens

280g plain tofu

15ml mirin 

5g black sesame seed

80g blanched edamame beans

 

Method

Step 1: Boil half a kettle. Drain the tofu and pat it dry with kitchen paper, then cut the tofu into cubes.

Step 2: Rip the leaves off the spring greens, discard the tough stalks, then layer the leaves over each other, roll them up and slice into thin strips.

Step 3: Cut the pak choi in half, separating the white bases and green tops. Then cut the white bases into bite-sized pieces.

Step 4: Put the edamame beans in a bowl and cover with boiled water.

Step 5: Add the miso paste and mirin to a small bowl with 1 tbsp vegetable oil and mix until smooth – this is your miso glaze.

Step 6: Peel and finely slice (don’t chop!) the garlic and peel and finely chop the ginger into batons.

Step 7: Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with 1 tbsp vegetable oil over a high heat. Once hot, add the tofu cubes and cook for 5-6 min or until browned all over and starting to crisp

Step 8: Meanwhile, heat a separate wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with 1 tbsp vegetable oil over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the shredded spring greens and pak choi bases and cook for 2-3 min or until starting to wilt.

Step 9: Drain, then add the edamame beans, pak choi tops and chopped ginger and garlic to the greens and cook for a further 2-3 min or until fragrant and everything is tender with a bite.

Step 10: Add the soy sauce and give everything a good mix up – these are your stir-fried ginger greens.

Step 11: Once the tofu is golden, add the miso glaze and cook for 2-3 min or until the sauce has coated the tofu and starting to caramelise.

Step 12: Sprinkle over the black sesame seeds and serve the miso tofu with the stir-fried ginger greens to the side. Get in!

 

Leapfrog Shapes & Sharing Picnic Basket

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It is summer time and the living is easy. It is perfect picnic weather so this Shapes and Sharing Picnic basket from Leapfrog is the perfect toy. It is bright and colourful and it is great for learning.
Your child can learn about food, shapes and colours. Shape sorters are great toys for children, helping their coordination and learning all about different shapes. The picnic basket also sings and talks. I find toys with food are great for helping to encourage children to eat.
I highly recommend the Leapfrog Shapes & Sharing Picnic Basket because it is such a multitasker.

Leapfrog Shapes & Sharing Picnic Basket, toys, toy

Leapfrog Shapes & Sharing Picnic Basket, leapfrog, toy, toys, picnic basket,

Pretend to snack on yummy treats while exploring food, shapes and colours with the talking Shapes & Sharing Picnic Basket. The basket always says its pleases and thank yous too! Then put the pieces back in the basket with the shape sorter for fun on the go.

Leapfrog Shapes & Sharing Picnic Basket is available here.

Eliminating 12 modifiable risk factors could reduce dementia cases by 40%

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  • Excessive alcohol consumption, traumatic brain injury and pollution included in new findings
  • Sleep a possible risk factor but more research needed
  • Lower income countries at greater risk

A new report has estimated that the number of dementia cases worldwide could be reduced by 40% if 12 risk factors for the condition could be completely eliminated. The Lancet Commission Report has included excessive alcohol use, traumatic brain injury (TBI) and pollution as three new risk factors in its updated model for dementia risk. The report, supported by Alzheimer’s Research UK, is published today (Thursday 31 July) at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2020.

Dr Rosa Sancho, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, the UK’s leading dementia research charity, said:
“This collaborative report from dementia experts across the world highlights a number of potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia throughout a person’s life. Research is constantly uncovering more about dementia and this is the most comprehensive overview into dementia risk to date, building on previous work by this commission and moving our understanding forward.

“As new studies continue to develop the evidence base on dementia risk, the report has identified three new risk factors for dementia. More evidence on the complex topic of sleep is needed before we can make a judgement on its impact on dementia risk, but we hope this report will act as a catalyst for further research.

“With no treatments yet able to slow or stop the onset of dementia, taking action to reduce these risks is an important part of our strategy for tackling the condition. Prevention strategies must be underpinned by robust evidence and while our understanding of dementia risk is growing, there is still much we need to know about the different risk factors for dementia.

“This report underlines the importance of acting at a personal and policy level to reduce dementia risk. With Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Dementia Attitudes Monitor showing just a third of people think it’s possible to reduce their risk of developing dementia, there’s clearly much to do here to increase people’s awareness of the steps they can take.

“While there’s no sure-fire way of preventing dementia, the best way to keep your brain healthy as you age is to stay physically and mentally active, eat a healthy balanced diet, not smoke, drink only within the recommended limits and keep weight, cholesterol and blood pressure in check.”

The first-ever probiotic to offer proven weight loss: ProVen Probiotic

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pro ven, probiotics , shapeliness,

I reviewed the brand new ‘ShapeLine’ probiotic from Pro-Ven probiotics  to see if the hype is real. Here is what they say:

REVEALED: FIRST EVER PROBIOTIC TO OFFER PROVEN WEIGHT LOSS

It’s a new and exciting era for probiotic supplements. The brand new ‘ShapeLine’ probiotic from Pro-Ven probiotics has proven to reduce weight, waist circumference and BMI in the largest clinical study of its kind. Participants of all ages saw a reduction after taking one capsule every day, for six months. The results are even more impressive as participants were not placed on made no changes made no changes were a mixture of a calorie controlled to lifestyle to exercise regimes ages and gender diet indicating that all of the weight reduction benefits were as a result of the probiotic!

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To dismiss any likelihood that this was a ‘one-off’ finding, the researchers repeated the study with the same target group of people over 45 years of age and have found even more impressive results

The two studies show…

Weight loss of between Reduction in waist Reduction in BMI 3 and 7lbs circumference of 1-2 cm 1-4%

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Results were most significant for the following groups…

50+

An average weight loss of 4-5lbs and 2% reduction in BMI page1image47035904

HIGHER CHOLESTEROL

An average weight loss of 5lbs

50+ PLUS

HIGHER CHOLESTEROL

Aa significant reduction in cholesterol levels average weight loss of 7lbs.

Alongside impressive weight management results, the ShapeLine study also found impressive wellness benefits, which include…

A 40% reduction in A 30% reduction coughs and colds in headaches

Improved energy Improved mood

The new Pro-Ven ShapeLine is perfect for…

Women trying to shift the stubborn ‘muffin top’ and men looking to reduce their spare tyre anyone wanting to achieve weight loss in a healthy and sustained way

Those looking to maintain a healthy weight or prevent rebound weight gain those looking to reduce their high cholesterol

Anyone invested in their overall health, looking to improve their gut health those suffering from headaches, cold and flu, lack of energy or lack of mood.

So what did I think? They work. They really do. I did lose weight and my stomach was the flattest it has ever been. I felt better in other ways too. I will definitely buy these and use them again and again. I am sold . They are available from Amazon here. 

Frost Loves: Dantoy “I’m Green” Line of Bioplastic Products & Toys

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green toys, bioplastic, toys, toy reviews, Dantoy,

I am always on the lookout for environmentally-friendly products. Sustainable living is important to me, and important to all of us at Frost. Dantoy ticks all of our boxes with these gorgeous and well made products. Their is a pretend play dinner set and an equally gorgeous Bio-Toy Bucket and Spade 4 piece set.

From the moment my children saw this 22-piece, pretend play dinner set their eyes light up and they have played with it non-stop since. It is excellent to get my toddler daughter to try different foods too. It can be used for garden picnics. Ideal for playing it is safe, durable and toxin free. It encourages social skills, interaction and helps children to learn whilst having fun.

The bucket and spade 4 piece set has been played with non-stop, especially as the weather is so good. The toys are stylish, green and high quality. I cannot recommend them enough. 

Dantoy have launched a brand-new “I’m Green” line of bioplastic products, their bioplastic is made of at least 90% sugarcane, a sustainable raw material, and their bioplastic is 100% recyclable.

Dantoy leads the way with their bioplastics. The manufacture of bioplastics reduces carbon emissions. The sugarcane is cultivated on controlled, pesticide-free plantations in central and southern Brazil. The sugarcane is harvested every 6 – 12 months. Bioplastic made of sugarcane is a 100% sustainable raw material.

Traditional plastic is made from crude oil, whilst dantoy “I’m Green” PE (bioplastic) is made from at least 90% sugarcane (ethanol). Ethanol, a form of alcohol, is extracted from sugarcane, after which it is used to make bioplastic.

The sugarcane used for dantoy bioplastics grows in plantations in the southern and central regions of Brazil, more than 2,500 km from the Amazon region. The enlargement of areas for cultivating sugarcane is managed by “Sugarcane Agroecological Zoning”, formed by Brazil’s federal government. The harvested sugarcane is conveyed by train for further processing, which is more eco-friendly than being transported by lorries.

Sugarcane can be harvested several times a year. New sugarcane plants are planted every five to seven years. The fields are harvested every six to twelve months enabling them to be classified as a sustainable raw material. Sugarcane absorbs carbon dioxide from the air, thereby minimising the greenhouse effect. For the manufacture of bioplastic, the carbon emissions accounts are positive from the budding of the plant until it is manufactured into bioplastic. For each kilo of manufactured bioplastic, 3.09 kg of carbon dioxide are removed from the atmosphere.

Dantoy’s packaging is all made from recycled cardboard. Their toys are made to last and are approved for contact with foods, microwave safe, dishwasher safe, frost-proof and contains no toxins.

Dantoy’s range of bio toys includes the popular 22-piece, pretend play dinner set which can be used for garden picnics. Ideal for playing it is safe, durable and toxin free. It encourages social skills, interaction and helps children to learn whilst having fun.

Dantoy believe that people should buy less, buy well. That is why their toys are only made with sustainable products.  We can all be eco-friendly and by choosing brands who care will make a little difference.

The Dantoy Bio-Toy Pretend Play Dinner Set 22-Piece set costs £18.73 from Amazon.

Dantoy’s range of bio toys includes the bucket and spade set, pretend play dinner set which can be used for sandpits, the beach or mudk itchens. Ideal for playing it is safe, durable and toxin free. It encourages social skills, interaction and helps children to learn whilst having fun.

bucket and spade, bioplastic toys, green toys,

 

The Dantoy Bio-Toy Bucket and Spade 4 piece playset costs £28.99 from Amazon

My Writing Process Rachel Billington

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A bit about you. 

Place matters to me. In books and in life. I’m a hybrid: city and country, I need both. London, always London, apart from two years when I worked in New York and met my husband, Kevin, there.  In 1968 we bought a fourteenth century house in Dorset. We still have it. I’ve always written. I edited a magazine when I was eleven. I published my first novel in my twenties. I have to write every day. When I had four children in day school, I still wrote. I can’t imagine how people manage without writing. Now I have five grandchildren and my youngest wrote a book so I illustrated it. That was a surprise. From 1998-2001 I was President of PEN. I am Associate Editor of Inside Time, the National Newspaper for Prisoners. I write for every issue. I have always reviewed and written comment pieces for various newspapers.

What you have written, past and present.

I’ve published over thirty books. 23 novels, last 3 historical, Glory – The Story of Gallipoli and Maria and the Admiral. My favourites before that are A Woman’s Age, Bodily Harm and Lies and Loyalties. All very different subjects which publishers complain about. I have also written six novels for children, including Poppy’s Hero and Poppy’s Angel, about a girl whose Dad is in prison. Plus four religious books for children and a sequel to Jane Austen’s Emma.

What you are promoting now. 

Clouds of Love and War is about a Spitfire pilot in WW2 and a young isolated woman. It tells the story if their love affair against a background of war. Eddie wants to escape the world and reach the clouds. But he hadn’t counted on killing. Eva wants to paint and she wants Eddie. The war makes their coming together rare and remarkable. 

A bit about your process of writing.

Until my last book, I wrote longhand with a pen (black ink) and then paid a friend to put it on the computer. Once it was there I went through many drafts, editing down, particularly the opening chapters because I like to write forward without doing more than minor corrections until I’ve finished the whole book. This means I am over-writing early on and self-editing as I progress. 

Do you plan or just write?

It depends on the book. Longer books need more planning, chapter by chapter, bit shorter books can be freer. Often I know everything except how the story will end. But sometimes the ending is what inspires me to write the book. Characters come first of all and continue their wayward path through the book. When their personalities change, I change their names. Sometimes I’ll run through three or four. I write to surprise myself.

What about word count?

Again it depends on the book – or rather on the subject, although my books were much shorter when I started writing, one was only about 60,000 words while Glory was well over the 200 hundred mark. Circular books tend to be shorter, books with a strong narrative flow longer. The book I’m working on at the moment, They Were Sisters, is about 120,000 words.

 

What do you find hard about writing?

I find it all difficult but absolutely enthralling.  I do find it really hard when my characters are suffering. I wrote a novel called ‘The Missing Boy and found the thirteen year old’s unhappiness horribly upsetting. I long to write books with happy endings but seldom achieve it. 

 

What do you love about writing? 

I love being totally in charge of interesting people and events, but totally on my own. I love the look of a blank page – or blank screen. I love the way I challenge myself to make my brain imagine and invent.  I love the excitement when an idea comes into my head; my heart beats as fast as if I was running. I love using words like an artist uses paint. I love the balance of certain sentences, like a musical phrase.  

 

Advice for other writers.

Write! If you’re not sure what to write, write a diary. Write every single day. When you do set off on a bit of work, finish it. This very important. Anyone can begin a piece of writing but not many can get to the end. Keep at least something about it secret. Great ideas can dissipate if shown too much light of day. Only show it for criticism when you have gone as far as you can. Never despair. Often the best writing comes out of the worst. Good luck!

 

My Writing Process Charles Freeman

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charles freemanWhat you have written, past and present.

I am a historian with a keen interest in world history. For many years I taught history courses with the International Baccalaureate. My first book came out in the late 1970s when I was writing for schools on such issues as terrorism and human rights.
In 1990 I got a big writing contract to work on a world history project. They ran out of money after three years but I rewrote the first three volumes as one, Egypt, Greece and Rome, Civilizations of the Ancient Mediterranean and it was taken by Oxford University Press. I have a longstanding interest in ancient history from my childhood and I loved working on this. It has sold well in the US and opened the doors to a lot of new contracts. The sort of lucky break all writers need.

What you are promoting now.

My new book, out on August 6th, is The Awakening, A History of the Western Mind AD 500—AD 1700, published by Head of Zeus. It is an ambitious book but it brings together of a lot of reading and travelling I have done over the past twenty years. So it deals with the survival of Greek and Roman culture into the Middle Ages, the ways in which Christianity developed over the centuries and the emergence of philosophy and science. It took four years to write.
Head of Zeus have illustrated it beautifully and so it is pricey at £40! I am encouraging my friends who can afford to buy the hardback to go to their local bookshop to help get them on their feet again.

A bit about your process of writing.

I am driven by interest in what I am writing. I pick subjects that I would enjoy learning more about and go from there. The trouble is that I am easily waylaid by exploring things that I cannot possibly fit into a book! (My middle name is serendipity –browsing around haphazardly to see what interests me.) I do not use time very efficiently but often I find what I need in odd places in books or on the tours I run in the Mediterranean.
On an actual text I rewrite continuously. A chapter might be rewritten twenty times, often with small changes but sometimes with a complete reordering of the material.
A good tip is to read aloud what you have written. You can then spot if the rhythm of a sentence is wrong and if you need to break up a sentence or insert or take away commas!
Zadie Smith once said that once you had finished a book you should lock it in a drawer for a year. I would not go so far but it is extraordinary what problems you can find if you reread what you have written three months later! Never try to rush a book. Let it mature. Once it is out you can’t change it and if it is not as good as it should be you might never get another contract.
It pays to have a set piece opening, something from anywhere in the book that draws the reader in and leaves them wanting to read more.
I look out for the best history writing on whatever topic in the hope that it will influence my own style. I always have a pile of well-reviewed books waiting to be read. However, you must find your own voice and that takes time. The reader likes to feel that there is a real person there even in a history textbook.
I was once described in a school report as a ‘harum-scarum character’ (those were the days when they told you it straight). I know what the teacher meant when I get back a book with a copy-editor’s corrections on it!

Do you plan or just write?

I need to have a clear idea in my head, an end point towards which the book will lead. I map out a book in advance so as to keep a balance between chapters. After I have done this I let myself be flexible.
Usually once you are into a subject you develop completely new ways of looking at it. Once I had to go cap in hand with my agent to a publisher to say that I had decided to write a completely different book from the one I had signed up for. One of my planned chapters needed to be the whole book! We did persuade him and the book, The Closing of the Western Mind, sold well.

What about word count?

My longest book, the third edition of my Egypt, Greece and Rome, is 345,000 words- it was more than we agreed but they did not notice and the printer had to diminish the script to fit it all in. I don’t work by daily word count, one good page is worth twenty rambling ones.

How do you do your structure?

For a historian much of this is set within a chronology so you need to fix a starting date and an end date. Then you have to find links between each chapter so that the reader has a feeling that it hangs together. Sadly you might then have to dump a chapter that does not work.

What do you find hard about writing?

The problem of selling a proposal and making any money from it is one that makes life hard for most writers. I have spent a lot of time on proposals that no one wanted -I even have a complete book that my agent has put through twenty publishers without success.
Personally I would find it difficult to be a full time writer. It can cut you off from people and the real world too much, so I organise study trips to the Mediterranean in the spring and autumn and then write largely over the winter. It helps to have a break from a text. See Zadie Smith’s recommendation above.
It is also important to have some other way of making some cash if you want to be a writer! So I do lectures, tours and act as consultant for the Blue Guides, cultural travel guides. And now at last I have my pension to help keep me going!
On a day to day basis the hardest is to ditch a piece of writing which might have taken some weeks of research but which just does not fit into the narrative.
When I am stuck I go for a long walk. I have a theory that the human brain works at its best when it is travelling horizontally at 2 ¾ miles an hour (even better when it is pulled along by a lively border terrier). It is amazing what gets untangled on a walk.

What do you love about writing?

It’s a peaceful and satisfying way of living and you can fit other things in around it. As a historian I am always finding out new ideas and authors that I would not come across otherwise so I feel that, even in my seventies, my mind is still developing. I often find that the research for a new book leads to all sorts of new interests.
Don’t write for money, write for the pleasure it gives you. Writing is in itself therapeutic. Don’t expect too much. I have seen too many friends assume that once their first book is out everyone will notice and applaud it and the money will come pouring in. Then it gets a couple of nice reviews and that’s it. Within six months it is way down on the Amazon bestsellers list along with thousands of others. It is a jungle out there and it is a long haul to get noticed, let alone make any money. (Only two of my twenty published books have made me more than the basic hourly wage.)
Publicity. I decided, with powerful support from my wife, that it might not be a good idea to pose naked behind a pile of my books as one female historian did- but her subject was a naughty eighteenth century duchess so perhaps it worked for her.
I don’t have a website. A good history book spreads by word of mouth. If you want to know more about me, then ‘Charles Freeman, Yale University Press’ has all the details and links to reviews of two of my books with them.
I worry that many good and committed writers get missed by publishers but there are other books so badly written that one wonders why they ever got published. The same as with artists. Standards of editing have gone down a great deal since I started writing.
Don’t try and copy a genre or theme. By the time you have finished the reading world will have moved on. It’s an original voice that matters, especially in fiction.
Keep at it. It’s about the fifth book that you write that you begin to get the hang of it! I think hopeful writers still underestimate how difficult it is to write well- it is a craft and needs thought and time. No easier than being an artist.
I have never done a creative writing course and I am sure they will help but there is no substitute for reading widely (the thriller writer Lee Child says that the only way to learn how to write is to read for forty years), experiencing the world and just getting down to actually doing it!
Support your local bookshop if you can. At the least they might give you a launch and put your book in the window!

Further details about Charles Freeman can be found at Charles Freeman.
Yale University Press.

The Awakening will be published by Head of Zeus on 6 August

No Regrets by Tabitha Webb Book Review

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Tabitha webb, No regrets, book, Ah, No Regrets. What a book you were. I enjoyed every minute of reading you. Most books have women as meek, mild little things. Not Tabitha Webb, though. She lets her characters roar. No Regrets follow three girlfriends as they fail, flounder and make bad decisions. Sometimes they are good, sometimes they are very, very naughty, but they are never not entertaining.

I saw Tabitha Webb talk about her book at a Harper Collins New Voices event at the beginning of the year and she was completely charming and funny, noting that she always thought her sex scenes were ‘PG, but turns out that is not the case.’

I only wish now I had elbowed my way in to have a chat with her. I reckon she makes the most fun, and loyal, friend ever. Anyway, back to the book: it is Jilly Cooper times ten. It is Jackie Collins and Helen Fielding rolled into one. It is both funny and outrageous and I cannot wait until I can read Tabitha Webb’s next book. Get it now, this is the perfect summer read. It will not fail to cheer you up in these covid times.

 

No Regrets is an outrageously funny, filthy and fabulous debut, focusing on the lives of three friends in their thirties and forties– Stella, Ana and Dixie. With shades of Sex and the City, this is the perfect summer read and carefree antidote to these troubled times.

Tabitha Webb was born in Ireland and grew up in Chicago, before being sent back to boarding school for her teenage years. She survived one term at university before packing her bags and chasing a hot surfer to America. During this period she was a rollerblading extra in the Robin Williams film The Birdcage, a dancer in a German pop video, and got held up at gunpoint.

After careers in TV and advertising, she made her first foray into fashion and now runs her eponymous fashion label, is happily married and has two daughters.

No Regrets was inspired by the love lives of women around the globe, coupled with a vivid imagination, and she can’t wait to shock and delight readers everywhere.