Charity Chic in Downley, High Wycombe

Posted on November 22, 2014 by Margaret Graham

Iain Rennie Hospice at Home service, provided by Rennie Grove Hospice Care, offers essential palliative and end-of-life care based around patients and their families, both day and night.

I know several people whose relatives have been nursed by these exemplary nurses and carers, nursed at home which is the wonderful concept of this charity.

One of their main fundraising arms is the charity shop. The Iain Rennie Hospice shop in Downley High Wycombe is just one of many. Downley is a village with a fantastic sense of community and a great deal going on, and is perched on the top of a hill to the west of High Wycombe, with a five minute walk to the Chiltern woods one side, and a twenty minute walk into town on the other.

Mandy Dowling runs the shop with the help of invaluable volunteers and Mandy’s award winning window dressing is a lesson to us all.

Inside is an Aladdin’s cave of Charity Chic, all donated, so that Mandy is never sure what will be brought in, which is part of the fun of working in a charity shop.

I found amongst many other ‘buys’ a pair of shoes, New Look. £5.00. Just the thing for clubbing. Slightly out of my age range, but only slightly, I say, hopefully.

More appropriate perhaps is the Laura Ashley Jacket for £5.00.

I found two beautiful slender white vases for £2.00 each and photographed them beside a neat black bowl with white dots. Sophisticated with clean lines. Mandy and I put them on top of a glass fronted cabinet that had been sold to someone who is going to upcyle it, in a distressed style. It was only £20 and I can’t believe I missed it.

Candle holders are my ‘thing’. These are often brought into the shop but these I left for someone else. I have no more room, and Dick would leave home if they came through the door. These are new, and priced at £4.00 each.

Christmas is coming and the shop is festive, with most of the decorations and Christmas bric a brac for sale. I found these little ‘friends’.

Smiley Face is £1.00, the glamour-puss bear is £2.00 and the book, The First Snow of Winter by Graham Ralph is a snip at 50p. (lovely book. I read it while I was standing there)

Over the last few weeks, Mandy and her staff have been snaffling up cafetieres for the Words for the Wounded LitFest Day on 18^th April. Look at my haul thus far. Priced at £3.00 each.

And yes, there are those magical moments you hear about on Antiques Roadshow. Mandy tells me of a dusty old painting that came into the shop and which could have slipped through their hands. But a bit of a rub (much like the gennii’s lamp) and a name appeared – Victoria Crowe who Mandy googled. It sold on ebay for £500.

To make a donation to Rennie Grove Hospice Care: www.renniegrove.org/donate or to volunteer www.renniegrove.org/volunteer

For further information: www.renniegrove.org/standards

There are so many more Aladdin’s Caves out there, doing good whichever way you look. The customers get a fabulous deal, and hours of fun browsing, and the charity gain much needed money. Contact us with tales of your favourite charity shops/stalls and the buys that have brought you pleasure. Contact margaret@margaret-graham.com

The Call of The Wild Art Exhibition by Wendy Breckon

Posted on November 20, 2014 by Margaret Graham

In search of the creative experience, my curiosity takes me away from the hustle and bustle of Broad Street in Lyme Regis and the sea down to the Town Mill. This feels like the artistic hub, an enclosed, pretty area with a restored 700 year old flour mill and two art galleries (the Malt House and Courtyard). Here is a tranquil place, tucked away where one can write, sketch or sip tea as the world goes by.

I love art exhibitions; who doesn’t. I feel the magnetic pull of the Malt House Gallery. A light filled, calming space with the apt title of ‘CALL OF THE WILD’.

This is closing on 23rd November, but there is a new exhibition every three weeks so have a look at the work of these artists and see the essence of the gallery. The opening hours are normally from 10.30 to 16.30 except in early January (www.townmillartsguild.com).

By the entrance off to the right, are three adorable and quirky figures keeping watch on all who pass through. These ladies mean business. With umbrellas over their heads and animated expressions, they clutch their handbags very tightly! Owning one is not enough, I want them all PLEASE.

I have competition in Margaret Graham though, who wonders if she’ll need a mortgage to acquire them. She treats herself to a work of art every time one of her books is published, and Easterleigh Hall is just out. We’ll have to get our elbows going, and the best girl wins.

These are the wonderful creations of ceramicist Linda Bristow, soft muted colours that would look perfect in my sitting room.

In Linda’s collection there are also unusual shaped pots with daisies on top. A very popular ceramicist, her work is displayed beautifully. Linda Bristow was originally a nurse but when her children grew older she went to Bath Spa University as a mature student to do an art course. Gaining a first class honours degree in 2007, her final design piece, an instillation of 200 porcelain and bronze flowers, was snapped up by one person. Sadly it wasn’t me.

Linda has exhibited everywhere in the UK. She loves being outdoors and is fascinated by nature. It is easy to visualise her working in the garden studio taking in the wonderful views of Charmouth.

Elizabeth Wilson is another artist exhibiting in the gallery, who I was lucky enough to meet today. Her visually beautiful oil paintings capture the light and movement in the skies and seas around Lyme Regis perfectly. My favourite three are ‘The Cobb’, ‘Storm on The Cobb’ and ‘The Seagull’. Will her oils she has captured the iconic scenes, that those of us who live here and those who visit enjoy so much.

Liz lives in Lyme Regis. She originally completed a botany degree and has always had a fascination for the ‘conversation between the landscape and nature’. It was only seven years ago that she started painting in oils. Liz has been both influenced and inspired by Constable the landscape painter and the modernist painter Martin Kaneer for whom she has a great admiration. Liz has always preferred being outside and likes to revisit a scene many times to achieve her end result.

So visit Lyme Regis. Seek out the Town Mill. Enjoy the fabulous art in both galleries. Meet the artists, but please leave one of those fabulous ceramic females for me.

For other activities and courses at the Town Mill, check out www.townmill.org.uk and Philip Clayton the Curator of the Arts Guild (curatorartsguild@yahoo.co.uk)

The Yeovil Literary Festival – An Author’s Perspective By Kate Kelly

Posted on November 11, 2014 by Margaret Graham

If you braved the rainclouds and ventured into Yeovil in the first weekend in November you might have noticed large green banners flying outside a number of venues, for this was the weekend of the Second Yeovil Literary festival. The first Yeovil Literary Festival took place last September, and this year I was delighted to be taking part again.

Liz Pike, one of the festival organisers.

I was in fact involved in three events across three of the festival venues. They were three very different styles of event, and were only a tiny fraction of what the festival had to offer.

The first event was the Yeovil Prize Winners event on the Friday Morning. The Yeovil Prize was founded by bestselling author, Margaret Graham, with James Mitchell to raise funds for the arts of the area. When Margaret moved from Yeovil, crime writer, Penny Deacon took her place until handing over to Margaret’s ex-student, Liz Pike and her team. It is now in its 11^th year and continues to grow. It is an internationally renowned competition, and since its earliest days it has been watched closely by both editors and agents, and as the list of success stories continues to grow it is clear why.

I am one such author – Red Rock was Highly Commended in 2010 and I’m convinced that this helped tip the balance with the agent who was considering it at the time. This year it was lovely to have a number of winners in the poetry category in our midst. We took turns to read our winning entries and talked about what the Yeovil Prize has meant to us.

The Yeovil Prize Winners Panel.

If you are interested in reading some of the poetry and fiction that has been shortlisted over the past couple of years, then the Yeovil Prize Anthology is now available.

Marcus, manager of Yeovil Waterstones with copies of the Yeovil Prize Anthology.

That evening I was honoured to host “In Conversation with Jason Hewitt”. Jason is a debut novelist and The Dynamite Room was published earlier this year. It is a World War 2 story, but one with a difference and is absolutely superb. Set on the Suffolk coast in July 1940, a German officer swims ashore and breaks into a boarded up house. There he finds Lydia, and 11 year old escaped evacuee hiding in the attic. Over the next five days Lydia is held hostage in her own home – but there is more to the German that meets the eye – for how is it that he knows her name?

In Conversation with Jason Hewitt.

I really enjoyed meeting Jason and chatting to him. The ‘In Conversation’ style of event was a lot of fun, very relaxed, and Jason had so many interesting things to tell us that the time simply flew!

Jason Hewitt and “The Dynamite Room

The following day was my third event, and quite a change from what had gone before. This time I was in the Yeovil Library running a writing workshop for children.

Outside Yeovil Library.

The event was well attended and I couldn’t have asked for a better bunch of kids to work with. They were all so enthusiastic and imaginative and half an hour after the event had ended were all still sitting scribbling away. I suspect there might have been some budding authors in their midst.

Of course, these were only three events in a packed programme. The organisers have really built on last year’s success and I can’t wait for next year.

Times Have Changed, But The Need Remains By Jan Speedie

Posted on November 11, 2014 by Margaret Graham

As one of the tiny team of grannies who run Words for the Wounded (well, tiny in number, if not in shape – we do like our cakes) I thought it apt to take along a grandchild to explore the ARMY MEDICAL SERVICES MUSEUM set within Keogh Barracks, Ash Vale, Aldershot. GU12 5 RO. It is after all the commemorative year of the start of the 1^st World War and very much in many of our minds. The young are always up for some leeches, a bit of gore, and history brought to life, and this museum very much ticked the box. It is a small museum but beautifully formed and tells the story of the Army’s medical services from the Civil War to present day, not just for humans but their animals as well. Once inside the Museum we were faced with a tableau showing a scene from the civil war and some of the crude instruments used – it really makes you appreciate our modern NHS. As you walk through the well laid out displays we realised how medical practices have had to change to cope with modern warfare. From long impractical uniforms, to fit for purpose ‘ no messing’ togs. No more lethal looking knives, dirty bandages or leeches just well equipped medics and field hospitals. Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps. (QARANC) When we think of army nurses you probably think of Florence Nightingale going out to the Crimea to superintend the running of Scutari; her work is still remembered today. On display are the uniforms the nurses wore with their starched aprons and cap no ‘scrubs’ for them. Margaret Graham, our WforW founder, was telling me of her mother’s exploits as an army nurse in WW2 after she was posted to India. It was after that war that the Army Medical Services underwent reorganisation. In 1949 the QARANC was formed but the culture remained the same, a selfless sense of duty as they care for the sick and wounded troops worldwide The final displays bring you right up to the present day and the troops serving in Afghanistan.

Royal Army Veterinary Corp. (RAVC) Due to the growing mechanisation of the army the RAVC is one of the smallest Corps but one which provides an invaluable service for animals in their care. It was sad to discover the terrible treatment injured horses, mules and dogs received especially during the Crimea and Boer Wars. Slowly it was realised a proper veterinary service was needed for these valued animals and by the end of WW1 things were very different. A tableau also shows the heroic work of tracker dogs sniffing out insurgents, explosives and injured personnel. So, today, there are no leeches, but instead high-tech kind efficient care, recuperation and rehabilitation. If you’re in the area of Aldershot, do check the Army Medical Services Museum. www.ams-museum.org.uk/museum/ Rehabilitation and recovery is where Words for the Wounded comes in, along with many other hard working charities, especially as our troops return from Afghanistan and the work of charities such as ours is needed more than ever. www.wordsforthewounded.co.uk WforW raises money through writing prizes, so that, as well as raising money for our wounded service personnel, we create opportunities for aspiring writers. This year we have our usual short competition of up to 400 words of fiction/poetry/memoir with cash prizes for the top three, and publication in Writers’ Forum Magazine. www.writers-forum.com In addition we are launching the Independent Author Book Award for self-published fiction or memoir. The top prize is a professional press release from Palamedes PR www.palamedes.co.uk And a review in the fabulous Frost Magazine. 2^nd and 3^rd place have the opportunity of a discounted press release and Frost Magazine will also review their books. We open for entries from 11 November 2014 to 11^th March 2015 and you can find all the information on www.wordsforthewounded.co.uk and more news and chat on www.wordsforthewounded.blogspot.co.uk

A Day In The Life of An Indie Bookshop By The Chorleywood Bookshop

Posted on November 10, 2014 by Margaret Graham

Some people have the rather quaint idea that an independent bookshop is a rather dusty place, run by an elderly woman who spends all her time with her feet up, stroking a cat and reading. Others imagine it like the bookshop in Notting Hill, a rather more boutique-style place which sells coffee table books and travel guides.

If there were shops like this they would have closed by now. To be a successful independent bookshop in 2014 you need to be so much more than just a bookshop.

At Chorleywood Bookshop the owner, Sheryl Shurville, opens up at the crack of dawn, invoicing schools with their orders and organising the first of the deliveries. On the way she’ll be picking up a children’s author from the station to take to the school for an event.

Back at the shop a team of three will be unpacking boxes of books. Some will be for a literary lunch, others will be for customers who have ordered them the day before and others will be temporarily displayed in the window ready for the upcoming literary festival.

Along with our customers the staff meet so many authors and it’s like kids being let loose in a sweet shop. We love it. Here’s our owner, Sheryl Shurville with Ben Collins, The Stig.

The shop is busy with customers, many have come to buy greetings cards, others will be buying their tickets for the literary festival and some, of course, are just browsing the new titles.

Behind the scenes, one of the staff is now writing an article about an author event for the local magazine, someone else is pricing a box of children’s toys and gifts and the third member of staff is back and forth serving customers at the till, while working her way through a batch of books to be returned to the publishers and researching an out of print book for a customer who wants a second hand copy.

Sheryl returns and sorts out the banking and float for the author event later that day. Then she begins work on her introductory speech, sandwich in hand. No one stops to eat for more than 10 minutes, there simply isn’t time.

More customers orders placed, more cards sold, more personal book recommendations given-cups of tea are made and left to go cold.

Refreshments for customers are packed, shop signs and books loaded in the back of car, a bouquet for the author collected and on to the evening event… See Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman signing copies of A Very Pointless Quiz Book.

This may sound like exaggeration but this is exactly what it’s like at an indie bookshop, well, unless it’s Halloween,Christmas, Easter, Mother’s Day….when it gets a whole lot busier.

Chorleywood Literary Festival November 10 – 16^th. http://chorleywoodbookshop.co.uk/chorleywood-literary-festival-2014

Christmas Gift List For Book Lovers

Posted on November 9, 2014 by Frostie

Who doesn’t love a good book? Not many people and why the hell would you be friends with anyone who didn’t? Good question. Here are our picks.

The Happiness of Pursuit by Chris Guillebeau

This book is perfect not only because it is a great idea brilliantly executed, but also because after Christmas comes New Year and we all need a little bit of help and motivation then. Written by Chris Guillebeau, the New York Times bestselling author of $100 Startup. The book helps you to find purpose in work and life by committing to a life-changing quest.

Chris himself has undertaken a successful quest of his own, having visited nearly every country in the world by age 35. The Happiness of Pursuit offers inspirational and practical advice to help you bridge the gap between ‘impossible dream’ and ‘everyday reality’. But a quest doesn’t need to involve travel at all; what’s needed is commitment and progressive accomplishment, losing oneself in a task – whether it be a physical journey, an artistic enterprise or a philanthropic feat. Chris has surveyed thousands who’ve undertaken such pursuits, (from going on 50 dates in all 50 states, becoming fluent in five languages, to cooking a meal from every country in the world), and has recorded 50 case studies in his new book. Excellent stuff.

The Happiness of Pursuit: Find the Quest that will Bring Purpose to Your Life

Dark Witch By Nora Roberts

Book one of the cousins of O’Dwyer trilogy. Bestselling writer Nora Roberts sold 1.2 million copies in 2013 alone. Very impressive. The author of over 200 novels and the third bestselling author of the 21st century, you can’t go wrong with a Nora Roberts book.

Iona Sheehan has always felt a powerful connection to Ireland. So when her beloved grandmother confesses an extraordinary family secret, she can’t resist visiting County Mayo to discover the truth for herself. Arriving at the atmospheric Castle Ashford, Iona is excited to meet her enigmatic cousins, Connor and Branna O’Dwyer. And when she lands a job at the local riding school she is soon drawn to its owner – the charismatic, fiercely independent Boyle McGrath. Perhaps she has found her true home at last…

But Iona’s arrival is no accident. The three cousins have each inherited a dangerous gift from an ancestor known as the Dark Witch. And they are about to discover that some old legends can return to haunt the present.

Dark Witch (The Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy Book 1)

Circle of Blood. A Witch Hunt Novel by Debbie Viguié

Grippin, intellectual and scary. Buffy The Vampire Slayer meets Charmed. Perfect for lovers of horror or thrillers.

Samantha Ryan—cop by choice, witch hunter by necessity—is about to confront the witch who has been secretly manipulating her life. But her search for the truth about her past may end in her death.…

All her life, Samantha Ryan has been haunted by a circle of blood, which she has tried to keep at bay—ever since she escaped a vicious Salem coven of witches as a child. But now her carefully constructed life has given way to the darkness she might have embraced, had she not run away.

Angry, focused, and more than willing to use her powers on anyone who gets in her way, Samantha travels to New Orleans to confront Lilit.

Circle of Blood: A Witch Hunt Novel (Witch Hunt Trilogy 3)

A Nightingale Christmas Wish By Donna Douglas

More from the bestselling Nightingale series. This time to put you in the festive spirit. Perfect for Call The Midwife fans.

As Christmas 1938 approaches, the staff at the Nightingale Hospital have their own wishes for the festive season.

Ward sister Frannie Wallace is hoping she won’t have to live through another war like the one that claimed her beloved fiance. But with bomb defences going up all around London, it seems as if her hopes are in vain.

Staff Nurse Helen Dawson wants to find happiness again after the death of her husband Charlie. A handsome stranger seems to offer the chance she wants. But is she looking for love in the wrong place?

Matron Kathleen Fox struggles to keep up morale amongst her nurses as the hospital faces the threat of evacuation. But while everyone else worries about the future of the Nightingale, it’s for her own future that Kathleen truly fears.

As the country prepares itself for war, one thing is for sure – by the time next Christmas comes, nothing at the Nightingale Hospital will be the same again…

A Nightingale Christmas Wish

Cat Out of Hell by Lynne Truss

Funny, entertaining and addictive. From the author of the brilliant Eats, Shoots & Leaves.

The mesmerising tale of a cat with nine lives, and a relationship as ancient as time itself and just as powerful.

The scene: a cottage on the coast on a windy evening. Inside, a room with curtains drawn. Tea has just been made. A kettle still steams.

Under a pool of yellow light, two figures face each other across a kitchen table. A man and a cat.

The story about to be related is so unusual yet so terrifyingly plausible that it demands to be told in a single sitting.

The man clears his throat, and leans forward, expectant.

‘Shall we begin?’ says the cat …

Cat out of Hell

The Wolves of Midwinter By Anne Rice

Anne Rice is the bestselling author of The Vampire Chronicles. She has written over 30 best-selling books. This is a splendid and creepy read. A great present that will give hours of pleasure.

It is the beginning of December and it is cold and grey outside. In the stately flickering hearths of the grand mansion of Nideck Point, oak fires are burning. The Morphenkinder are busy getting ready for the ancient pagan feast of midwinter. Everyone is invited, including some of their own who do not wish them well…

Reuben Golding, the newest of the Morphenkinder, is struggling with his new existence as a Man Wolf, struggling to learn to control his desires and bloodthirsty urges. His pure, luminous girlfriend Laura seems all set to join him in this new way of life, but Reuben is not at all certain he will love her if she becomes as he is. Beyond the mansion, the forest echoes with howling winds, which carry with them tales of a strange nether world, and of spirits – centuries old – who possess their own fantastical ancient histories and taunt with their dark, magical powers.

As preparations for the feast gather pace, destiny continues to hound Reuben, not least in the form of a strange, tormented ghost who appears at the window, unable to speak. But he is not alone: before the festivities are over, choices must be made – choices which will decide the fate of the Morphenkinder for ever.

The Wolves of Midwinter (The Wolf Gift Chronicles)

Easterleigh Hall by Margaret Graham

An excellent book from best-selling author Margaret Graham. Reviewed here. Two more are on their way. Even more fun than Downton Abbey.

A compelling new series set in County Durham just before the First World War. Perfect for fans of Longbourn and Downton Abbey.

When Evie Forbes starts as an assistant cook at Easterleigh Hall, she goes against her family’s wishes. For ruthless Lord Brampton also owns the mine where Evie’s father and brothers work and there is animosity between the two families.

But Evie is determined to better herself. And her training at the hall offers her a way out of a life below stairs.

Evie works hard and gains a valued place in the household. And her dream of running a small hotel grows ever closer.

Then War is declared and all their lives are thrown into turmoil.

Easterleigh Hall

Last but not least:

How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur By Catherine Balavage

Our editors book is perfect for all of the actors or budding actors in your family. It has had good reviews and is selling well on both sides of the pond. We’re not being biased. Honest.

A book that cuts to the truth of the acting industry- written from an outsider’s point of view. Catherine Balavage grew up in a small Scottish town without either the proper training, or industry contacts prior to her career. The book includes advice from casting directors Amy Hubbard and Richard Evans, actor Andrew Tiernan and an exclusive interview with Spotlight amongst interviews with countless other industry professionals. It is an essential for anyone who wants to be an actor.

How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur

What will you choose?

A Day In The Life Of Wendy Breckon – Writer And Storyteller

Posted on November 4, 2014 by Margaret Graham

5.00 am. Wake up early, too early as usual. The creative mind cannot sleep. Wonder where the piece of paper I shoved under the pillow is? One gets many ideas in the middle of the night, but what good is a pencil, if there’s nothing to write on. Aah… it’s Wednesday today. The alarm was set for 6:30 am. Our son Olly, is a producer for Good Morning Britain (ITV) and often texts us when his features are on.

“Do you think that is one of his items?” I mumble to my other half, through bleary eyes, holding a cuppa and crunching a half fat biscuit.
Mmmm… his reply could be considered interesting…Where is that pen and paper?

Today of all days I am feeling so delighted. Last night, I read one of the stories from my memoirs of an Ulster childhood, at the Bridport (Dorset) Story Slam, and was fortunate to win the first prize. This reflection on my early experiences and my wonderfully eccentric grandmother, has motivated me to keep writing… and writing… and writing.

So where did this passion first begin? Probably on her farmhouse table in County Down when I was seven and not quite eight. As I scribble, the words fly across the page and she is there; dancing in a Cossack hat, making soda farls for tea and whispering unbelievable French words.

The day continues downstairs with a large cup of coffee and later on, lunch. In the room overlooking the garden, blushing apples on gnarled, old trees and the faded blooms of lupins are waving gently. I reach for another new notebook and pencil. Handbags and shoes don’t thrill me, but writing materials increase my excitement to dangerous levels. We are talking dotty, spotty, cute pets and London buses. I own many but never stop craving more.

When I need to clear my head, or just let ideas and memories simmer, I head for the front at Lyme Regis and just let things work themselves out.

Sometimes as a break from memoir writing, I send letters to magazines and have had a few published. The funniest one appeared in Homes and Antiques, where I told the tale of chasing a shoplifter in John Lewis down three escalators, before she disappeared without trace. My punishment as a student employee involved a ‘brief’ stint in men’s underwear and pyjamas. Naturally it took ages to recover!

Over the years the family has been very supportive of my writing. When my two sons were teenagers however, the fact that I had taught English and Drama to Glenn Hoddle the footballer in the 1970s, was much more interesting. They both loved the idea that their mum wouldn’t let him go to football because he dived over the desk.

As dusk settles, hopefully tonight we will get the chance to Skype our son Sam, partner Lorraine and grandson Finn (three), who live near Dublin.

I light one of my own home-made organic candles – fig and pink grapefruit, (another great passion), while we plan our next big adventure to Ireland. Naturally, the latest story will be tucked in my suitcase.

Wendy Breckon

wendybreckon@outlook.com

A Day in the Life of Emma Kavanagh

Posted on October 31, 2014 by Margaret Graham

Before Emma tells us of a day in her life, let me tell you that she has written a brilliant debut psychological thriller for Random House: a plane falls out of the sky, a woman is murdered, four people all have something to hide.

Emma is a former police psychologist but this is her day now. Over to Emma.

I would love to tell you what my typical working day looks like. But I am the mother of two small boys, the youngest just eight weeks old, and so once my maternity leave ends I’ll be working on figuring out a new typical.

So let me tell you about a typical day in my old, pre-baby life. I wake about 6am, stirred to life by the dulcet tones of my 3 year old, shrieking “Morning, Mummy. Wake up.” I blink, try to remember who I am and why there’s a stuffed dog that smells of stale milk resting on my forehead, then face the day. I always get dressed. That may not sound like much of an achievement but remember that I’m a writer. Pyjamas are practically uniform. But I’m a believer in getting ready for the day, allowing my brain to remember that I’m in work mode now. Then, after making my toddler toast (which he won’t eat) and scuttling him to creche or an obliging set of grandparents, I get started.

Work time is sacrosanct for me. I don’t have much of it, and that which I do have is fiercely guarded. Once my toddler is out of the house, everything is about writing. I’m even pretty good at staying off Twitter. Most of the time. I open up my laptop, hunker down on my spot on the sofa, and begin by reviewing what I wrote the day before. I’ll do a bit of a tidy up on that, just ensuring that it reads well enough that I feel comfortable moving on, then I’ll look at what comes next. I don’t tend to edit much on a first draft, just bits here and there. I like to get the words out so that I have something to work with later.

I’ll spend as much time as I can writing. Then when my brain starts to fizz, I’ll move on to e-mails and general admin. If I’m feeling particularly efficient, I’ll jot down a rough plan for the next day. Then I get to be mummy again and my world devolves into talk about Play Doh and Elmo.

So, that’s my life in theory. Of course, now I have two sons. I am officially outnumbered. So…um…watch this space.

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