As book two of my fantasy series, the Haven Chronicles, moves closer to its ‘fly – be free’ moment, I’ve been thinking a lot about whether writing and creating a book is a lone process or not. Can it be done by an author in isolation or does it require the input of others?
Solo project?
There’s no denying that an author writes a book on their own. Or maybe it might be more accurate to say that they write that first draft on their own. I certainly did, in a whirl-wind of brain dump, imagine, choreograph – scribble, scribble, delete, delete, scribble some more – as I penned/typed the next leg of Steve’s journey into magic.
Once that first draft was done and dusted and polished to what
I thought was a shine, I handed it over to my publisher for their response.
Team effort?
The next few months went something like this:
publisher
feedback
create
draft 2
publisher
feedback
create
draft 3
publisher
feedback…
You get the gist. There were several rounds of publisher feedback and draft revision before we landed on the final version. Somewhere in among that exchange, a number of beta readers were asked for their thoughts too.
The next stage was to hand over the concept to a book cover designer and while their design won’t change the words written down in my novel, they will add to the online and on-shelf presence of the story. Readers will come to recognise that book cover as much as they recognise my writing and Steve’s story.
Finally, dear reader, there’s you. Once published, a book’s
text may be complete and set in ink, but your response will tell me how you’d
like me to handle the story’s next stage in book three.
Answer to my question?
Book two in its original form was definitely a solo project. I knew where I wanted to take Steve, Hartley, and the darkling and the perils they would face. I think that’s probably the case for any writer. After that first draft was written, however, it turned into a team effort and book two is all the better for it. Eyes other than my own pointed out the weaknesses I had missed and directed me to solutions I would never have dreamt up on my own.
It’s like that phrase, ‘it takes a
village to raise a child’. It takes a community of book-lovers and book-experts
to create a book in its final form.
So I’d like to thank a few of those people for their undeniable help and support. I couldn’t have got this far without you:
Do you have a writer in your life? Whether it’s your sister,
partner, grandpa, or friend, there are plenty of ways to show them that you
care beyond gifts and evenings out (although those are good too). Here are five
ways to show your love to a writer.
Ask but don’t ask too much
Checking in on how your writerly loved-one is progressing
with their book or poetry is wonderful. It shows that you care, that you
listen, and that you know what is important to them. It might even provide a
much-needed break from the page or screen. But asking too many times can make a
writer nervous. I’ll tell you why.
Some writers can polish off a draft – first or otherwise – in
a month or less. Blimey! Most of us, however, take longer, maybe even much much
longer. Writing can also be a stop-start process, with days when we don’t
create anything. We do plenty of thinking, but little writing.
If you ask your writer how their book is coming along too
often, they may feel under pressure or that they have to lie. Worse still, they
may become demoralised by what they see as a lack of progress and lose the will
to write.
So ask by all means, but don’t ask too much.
Understand that a writer’s mind needs time to
create
Even those fast-drafters that I mentioned above take time to think before they put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). Writers generally spend a fair chunk of time musing over elements of their story. You might catch them staring out of the window, fingers poised over the keyboard, or head down while they walk the dog in silence. Other musing scenarios include:
driving the car, especially if alone
taking a bath or shower
just before nodding off on a night-time
school run
gardening, especially mowing the lawn
A writer may have the most detailed of chapter plans written down and ready to fulfil but more often than not, we need time to infuse our imaginations with the story, envision people and places, and choreograph scenes. We need to deep-dive into that imaginary world and breathe it in.
Don’t expect our story explanation to make sense
You’ll find plenty of memes on social media that portray the difference between the majestic world of a writer’s imagination and the sketchy version they later put down on paper. It’s just the same when we try to explain our story to someone.
In our mind, we’ve populated the world of our story, created
a fabulous plot-line, choreographed the action scenes and… Well, you know what
I mean. But when someone asks what our book is about and we try to explain,
what we say sounds lame or convoluted, or both. This might be down to a sudden
lack of confidence in our story or being put on the spot. Either way, we don’t
express the absolute genius of our literary creation at all.
So if you ask us what our story is about, be prepared to be
left none the wiser.
Read our books and leave kind words
Well, yes, this goes without saying really, but I’m saying it
none the less. If you love a writer, buy their book, read it, and leave a book
review. Even if it’s not your genre, give it a try.
After all, your writerly loved-one has put a lot of
soul-baring effort into that creation, so show them you understand and don’t
forget to express your pride in their accomplishment.
A cup of tea and a plate of biscuits
Sometimes, all it takes is a cup of tea and a plate of
biscuits to show how much you care. Remember that deep-dive I mentioned? As
writers, we can become so intent on soaking in our story and getting the words
out of our head and onto the page, that we forget about everything else – including
taking care of ourselves.
Or it might be that we’re tackling a difficult scene or
revising our story after feedback from our editor or publisher. Whatever the
scenario, we’re head down, brows furrowed, and possibly muttering away to ourselves.
After all, world-building is a mind-boggling process.
Avoid facing the writer-in-full-steam scowl by simply providing us with a little sustenance and then backing away. We may not express our appreciation at the time but honestly, you will be in our best best books later when we surface from the imaginarium.
Does anyone else feel like 2021 was a practice run for 2022?
Not that it was terrible; plenty of good stuff came into my life last year. It
just felt like wading through mud in fluffy slippers whilst balancing an
overfilled suitcase on my shoulders. That’s why my phrase for this year is
‘back on course’. Back on course with getting out into the world, back on
course with writing books, and back on course with getting those books out to
you, dear reader.
Book 2 of the Haven Chronicles
Unfortunately, my publisher’s schedule for 2021 meant that
the second instalment in my fantasy series didn’t make it out of the stalls
last year. The good news is that book 2 will definitely be published in the
first half of 2022.
Over the next few months, I’ll be asking for beta readers to help me polish my novel and ARC readers to get the word out to the reading community. I’ll also be revealing the book’s title and cover design. If you want to get involved as either a beta or ARC reader, drop me an email or register with Burning Chair’s reader group.
I can’t wait to share Steve’s continuing journey into magic
with you.
Social media for authors
My book of social media advice for authors is in the hands of Burning Chair. In the meantime, you can find plenty of advice for authors on my copywriting blog.
Social Media for Authors will be published in 2022 or 2023.
Writing Book 3
While I waited to hear back about book 2 last year, I began
to write the next novel in the series, and that will continue in 2022. I
greatly admire authors who can write a first draft in a couple of months, but
unfortunately that isn’t me. The target is to have the first draft of book 3
finished by the autumn. Fingers crossed.
Subscriber treats
In my December newsletter, I let subscribers access a deleted scene from Haven Wakes. The plan is to get subscriber eyes on deleted scenes regularly throughout the year – perhaps on a quarterly basis.
Last year, I only managed to read ten fiction books. In 2022, I want to increase that to at least twelve. Christmas presents and shopping got me off to a good start with my to-be-read pile. I have nine physical books and one e-book (Ghosts: Being the Experiences of Flaxman Low by K and Hesketh Pritchard) so far.
That means lots of 2022 book reviews on my Instagram and plenty of book recommendations in my newsletter too.
*
So that’s my writerly and readerly 2022 mapped out. Fingers crossed, it all goes to plan. I’ll keep you posted.
It’s Christmas Eve. The presents are (finally) wrapped and under our sparkly tree. It’s time to settle in for a restful evening with the family.
Before it gets too busy with cooking and unwrapping of gifts tomorrow, I’d like to wish you all the very best of festive holidays. May it bring you what you need and what makes you smile, all with a sprinkling of sparkle and joy.
Here’s to a better, kinder, and healthier new year.
This is the last of my December author interviews, but don’t be too sad because we’re going out with a good one. Pete Oxley is not only a fellow fantasy author but also one of the faces behind those lovely bookish people, Burning Chair Publishing.
Hi Pete. Lovely to see you today. Why don’t you introduce yourself to the readers before we get started?
Hi Fi. Thanks for having me! I’m Pete Oxley, author of the Infernal Aether series of steampunk-inspired dark fantasy novels. I’m also the better looking half of the team at Burning Chair Publishing…
Tell us about your latest book, Pete. What’s it called and what was the inspiration behind it?
My latest book is one I’ve been threatening my readers group with for far too long. It’s called The Great Big Demon Hunting Agency, and is an irreverent spin-off from my Infernal Aether books. It takes place a couple of years after the events of Beyond the Aether and focuses on a couple of characters who were bit-part players in the main series – lovable rogues Spencer and Bart. In terms of inspiration for the book, those two characters were initially just little plot devices, but they muscled their way in to the story time and again, insisting that I give them more air time. I had to cut most of their scenes from the main series – they were too much of a distraction from the main story arc and characters – so I promised myself I’d give them their own proper series when I could. My past few years have been focused on editing and publishing other authors’ books, including your good self, but for my own sanity I still need to write my own stuff now and again. I am in the thick of the final, final draft of this one, so my aim is to get this out in the first few months of 2022. As I say, it’s been much delayed, mainly thanks to us getting Burning Chair up and running, but I’m confident it’ll be worth the wait.
As soon as the book is ready I’ll be letting my readers group know – you can join that on my website, or join the Burning Chair readers group and we’ll again make sure you’re the first to know!
Exciting stuff! Speaking of inspiration, what inspires your writing?
Often it’s something I’ve read or seen which doesn’t quite
go as far as my fevered imagination would like it to. My Infernal Aether books
were inspired by Pat Mills and Kevin O’Neill’s outstanding comic book series
Nemesis the Warlock, and in particular the story The Gothic Empire, which blew
my tiny mind as a teenager – the idea of a totally amoral anti-hero got all
sorts of things whirring in my brain, especially when combined with a
demonic steampunk world. A few years later, this got mixed with the character
Angelis from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and lo and behold: N’yotsu was born!
Like most authors, I’ll usually find that inspiration hits
me at the most inconvenient moments – the shower, walking the dogs, in a
meeting at work. As a result my study is full of scraps of paper and scrawled
notes with random ideas on, most of which are yet to see the light of day. Yet.
Here’s the festive question: If you could have Christmas Dinner with any fictional character, who would it be?
Oooh, good question. I’m a huge Doctor Who fan, so any of
their incarnations would be a dream come true for the young kid in me (I’m
still refusing to grow up…!). Then again, Harry Paget Flashman (from George
MacDonald Fraser’s outrageously good novels) would be huge fun to spend the
afternoon with. I suppose it would be cheating to say The Ghost of Christmas
Present, simply because I can’t get enough of different Christmas traditions
and would happily relive the day over and over? Do I have to choose just one?
OK, I’ve got it. It could only be one person: Hartley Kegg, from Haven Wakes –
enigmatic, boisterous fun; and if we run out of food, wine or entertainment, he
could use his chalk to take us somewhere to replenish!
(How many Brownie points do I earn for that answer? 😊
)
Hartley thanks you for the compliment. Finally, what bookish plans do you have for 2022?
As far as Burning Chair goes, we’ve got an extremely
exciting launch schedule already planned, including the latest from someone
called Fi Phillips – you might have heard of her? Added to that we have the
next volume in Andrew Neil Macleod’s The Casebook of Johnson & Boswell,
plus new books from a frankly ridiculous number of talented, hitherto
undiscovered authors…!
As for me personally, there’s the first Spencer & Bart
adventure, which will certainly spawn more books. I’m also working on a crime
heist thriller set in the 18th century, which I’m aiming to publish
in the second half of 2022 and again will be the first of a long series
starring a bunch of characters who’ve been clamouring at me to get them on the
page for many years now. It’s going to be a challenge, but I’m a big believer
in aiming for the stars – in the words of the great Ted Lasso: “Taking on a
challenge is a lot like riding a horse… If you’re comfortable doing it, you’re
probably doing it wrong.”
Finally, I just want to wish you and your readers a merry Christmas, and a happy and prosperous 2022!
And to you, Pete. Thanks for chatting to me today. I’ll keep an eye out forThe Great Big Demon Hunting Agency in the new year.
*
If you want to find out more about Pete and his fantastical imaginings, here are the links:
And finally, here’s what I thought of Pete’s novel The Infernal Aether (for 5*).
“If Wilkie Collins, Edgar Allan Poe and Dennis Wheatley wrote a book together, this would be it.
Demons. Victorian Britain. Mystery. Plenty of buckles being swashed. And a cast of likeable, if sometimes broken characters. What more could you ask for?”
The big day is almost here and I’ve still got presents to buy (and wrap). But there are more important things to spend my time on – like interviewing authors for your entertainment. Today, I’m talking to author Claire Wade about her novel, The Choice, and her future writing plans.
Hi Claire. Lovely to see you today. Why don’t you introduce yourself to the readers before we get started?
Hi, I’m Claire Wade, I won the Good Housekeeping Novel Competition in 2018 with my debut
novel The Choice and I went
on to win the East Anglian Book Award for Fiction.
I have severe ME and as a result I co-founded the group Authors with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses (ADCI). I wanted to bring disabled authors together to find support and share experiences. We are campaigning for better accessibility and inclusion within the publishing industry.
Wow, that sounds like an admirable and much-needed campaign.
Tell us about your latest book. What’s it called and what was the inspiration behind it?
The Choice is
about a world where sugar is illegal and baking is a crime, it’s basically “The
Great British Bake Off” meets “The Handmaid’s Tale”.
It’s set in the near future where Britain is ruled by a matriarchal society and led by the domineering Mother Mason; she wants health and happiness for all but achieves this by enforcing strict food rationing, supermarket weigh-ins and legally-required exercise classes. The Choice follows Olivia, who was forced to quit her successful baking business when the sugar ban came into place. She has two young children and is scared of the extremes the government is willing to go to ensure people remain healthy.
My inspiration came from hearing news stories about the potentially addictive qualities of sugar, I wondered what would happen if this was true and the government made it illegal, like other Class A drugs. I wanted to explore how the world would change and what people like me would do if we were no longer allowed to bake. Food is such an essential part of our celebrations and how we interact with each other, take that away and what is left?
Speaking of inspiration, what inspires your writing?
As a result of my ME, I
was bedbound for six years, my only escape was through my imagination. I want
to write stories to help other people escape too. I write about people trying
to break free from the constraints of their lives, a
subject I’m deeply familiar with.
Food plays an important
part in all my stories, because it’s a universal language; sharing a meal
brings people together in a way that few other things do and it helps us to
connect.
Here’s the festive question: If you could have Christmas Dinner with any fictional character, who would it be?
I would love to have Christmas dinner with Molly from “The Secrets Of Hawthorn Place” by Jenni Keer, mainly because I want to go to Hawthorn Place, a quirky Victorian house on the Dorset coast. It’s a truly magical place and would make the perfect setting for Christmas. I’d have to insist on doing the cooking though, because Molly is a nightmare in the kitchen, but that’s okay with me.
Finally, what bookish plans do you have for 2022?
I’m currently working on my next novel. My disability means that writing is a slow process but even a few words a day is progress and a page a day is a novel by the end of the year.
I will be reading from The Choice, talking about my inspiration, my creative process and how I manage my disability with my writing. I’m really looking forward to it.
That sounds like a brilliant way to begin the new year. Thanks for joining me today, Claire. Wishing you a wonderful festive holiday.
*
For all the information you might wish for, here are the links to find out more about Claire and her writing:
Today’s interview is with poet and author Lily Lawson. Lily is very active in the Twitter writing community and a great advocate for fellow authors and poets.
Hi Lily. Lovely to see you today. Why don’t you introduce yourself to the readers before we get started?
Thank you Fi. Lovely to be here. I’m Lily Lawson; a poet, writer, and eternal student. I’m currently taking a year out from my open degree with the Open University. I get my study fix by taking short courses, reading non-fiction, watching webinars, and listening to talks online; social science or anything writing related is my go-to. I fit as much as possible around my degree when I’m at Uni. The only magazine I buy is Psychologies, learning is a serious addiction!
I have self-published two poetry collections My Father’s Daughter and A Taste of What’s to Come. My poetry, short stories and creative non-fiction have been published in anthologies and online most recently with Makarelle.
I love reading. My writing friends have got me back reading poetry books and expanding my fiction horizons. My TBR is the height of a house but I will get through it.
I love chocolate, mugs, American TV and listening to music. I can often be found hanging out on social media or on Zoom. You could say I have communication addiction too!
Tell us about your latest book. What’s it called and what was the inspiration behind it?
My latest poetry book is called A Taste of What’s to Come. The original idea was to bring it out first as eBook only. It is composed of poems that I intended to publish in future books so people got a taste of my poetry. I decided that first books should be memorable and I should be more invested because you can never publish your first book again. I felt My Father’s Daughter would do better and the numbers bear that out. I love both books but I made the right choice. I am glad I did do a paperback as well eventually; it sort of nagged at me that I didn’t in the first place, that won’t happen again.
Speaking of inspiration, what inspires your writing?
Everything! Music, tv, films, a conversation, a book, a blog post, poetry …. the list is endless. Some of my poetry is inspired by my own experiences. Prompts can be very helpful. I do clustering in my mind sometimes. I can’t freewrite; it comes out as a piece of writing or poetry. One of the stories in my upcoming book was a freewrite that I didn’t submit to Uni because it was too much like a story when it came out. My tutor said the one I did submit was too structured; it’s just how it happens for me.
Here’s the festive question: If you could have Christmas Dinner with any fictional character, who would it be?
I am a little torn on this one. I think Hartley would be fascinating but I love the idea of meeting The Darkling (both from Haven Wakes in case anyone doesn’t know). I am not even sure The Darkling can eat but Hartley certainly can. If I have to choose then it has to be Hartley, I bet he has a lot of stories to tell. Being a social scientist and a writer, I would love to talk to him. When I get stuck for conversation, I tend to default to interview mode, he would make a great subject.
Finally, what bookish plans do you have for 2022?
I am currently working on a book of short stories which I will publish next. I have plans for a set of 7 Rainbow Poetry books (one for each colour of the Rainbow) at least one of which should come out in 2022. The kids’ poetry is on the back burner for now. I am a little more realistic about 2022 than I was about 2021. I have learned a lot this year. I think publishing 1 or 2 books a year is a reasonable goal and I would be happy if I can do that.
It sounds like you’ve a lot on next year, Lily. I’ll keep an eye out for your short story collection. Thanks for joining me today.
*
If you’d like to find out more about Lily’s writing, here are the links:
And finally, here’s my 5* review of the first of Lily’s poetry collections.
My Father’s Daughter
Memories and moments.
This well-crafted collection of poems features memories and moments that anyone can connect with. From love, to family, to captured moments of just-being.
I’m back again with another author interview for you in the run up to Christmas. Today it’s the turn of climate fiction author Niki Baker – pen name N R Baker.
Hi Niki. Lovely to see you today. Why don’t
you introduce yourself to the readers before we get started?
Thanks so much, Fi. Hi everyone! I’m Niki, an English introvert who found her wings and followed her heart (on an extremely tight budget) to a little forested river valley in rural France. If that sounds like something out of a fairytale, well, it is. Magic is real, if you know where to look for it… but I don’t need to tell that to the author of Haven Wakes!
You definitely don’t, Niki. Tell us about your latest book. What’s it called and what was the inspiration behind it?
My book, 10:59, has been described as an eco-thriller. The central character is an eighteen-year-old called Louis (‘with a wiss, not a wee’) who finds himself working for an organisation that wants to save the world. But when he’s entrusted with the monstrous secret of how they plan to achieve that goal, he – and the reader – must decide whether they’re heroes or villains.
The inspiration for writing 10:59 was what we’re doing to the Earth. Most of us are born into societies based around economic growth at any cost. We might have a sneaking suspicion that we’re trashing the planet, but that’s someone else’s problem, right? When you step away from the rat race and really open your eyes, the fresh perspective is incredible: liberating, enlightening, and scary as hell. That – plus a ton of research and a penchant for sarcastic humour – is behind my novel.
Speaking of inspiration, what inspires your
writing?
All sorts of things. Experiences, images, news
stories, random thoughts… Okay, mostly random thoughts. I plant all of my ideas
in a document on my computer, and some of them grow.
Here’s the festive question: If you could have
Christmas Dinner with any fictional character, who would it be?
Excellent question, Fi. There are plenty of
fictional characters I’d like to spend time with, but at Christmas it would
have to be someone who doesn’t take themselves too seriously, is game for a
laugh, and isn’t averse to an alcoholic beverage or three. I think I’d choose
Allan Karlsson, the protagonist in Jonas Jonasson’s book The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared.
He’s had all kinds of adventures so he’d be a fascinating dinner guest, he
defies stereotypes, and he’s open-minded and good fun.
Finally, what bookish plans do you have for
2022?
I absolutely cannot wait to get back to writing, and the amazing reviews from readers of 10:59 are a huge motivation. My partner and I have spent the past two years slaving away in a mill (if we were eighteenth century peasants we’d definitely be revolting by now). Our home is a very dilapidated old paper mill that was in desperate need of some serious TLC, so we’ve had to devote every available moment to restoring windows, laying floorboards and plastering walls. We’ve still got a lot to do, but next year we’ll be able to slacken the pace a bit and I’ve got two half-finished manuscripts that I’m just itching to work on…
Wow, you’ve been busy. I can’t wait to find out what you write next.
*
If you’d like to find out more about Niki and her writing, here are all the links you might need:
And finally, here’s my 5* review of Niki’s debut novel.
10:59
So ‘now’ it’s astounding. 10:59 makes you think, and that’s putting it lightly. Without wanting to give too much away, it’s a storyline that connects deeply with our ‘now’ in 2020 and the choices that future governments may have to face.
This is a pacy, exciting, thought-provoking cli-fi novel that will stop you in your tracks.
Another week (closer to Christmas) and another author interview – this time with my good friend Suzanna Williams.
Hi Suzanna. Lovely to see you today. Why don’t you introduce yourself to the readers before we get started?
Hello Fi, and all your awesome readers.
In preparing this interview, I realised my author photo was
taken in 2010! Sending you a picture over ten years out of date seemed like
putting a dodgy image on a dating site, so I went in search of a new one. (Note
to self: need new author pic)
There are plenty of selfies with the dog on my phone, but
even though she’s cute and likes to sit on my writing chair next to me, you
probably don’t want to see that.
I also have lots of photos with my family, but readers will want to know that I write YA action adventure with a touch of sci-fi and a twist of romance, not how gorgeous my grandchildren are.
And then I remembered I had a photo with Fi at a reading of Haven Wakes in Chester. It was a great day. Look at our smiling faces. How could we have known that we would all be in lockdown in the middle of a global pandemic just weeks after this was taken?
It was an excellent day and that photo brings it all back.
Tell us about your latest book. What’s it called and what was the inspiration behind it?
I am completing the editing/re-editing stages on the last
book in my Shock Waves series, which is called Shock Tactics.
Things have been going steadily worse for my poor hero and
heroine throughout the first two books and I wanted them to finally embrace
their talents and take down the bad guys once and for all. And I needed to tie
up all the loose ends.
There are a couple of new characters in this book that I’ve
really enjoyed getting to know, like Lee’s dad who swears all the time in
Spanish, and Paige’s uncle who explains the real reason why he abandoned her to
the foster care system.
So, Shock Tactics is an end to the series, but also the
beginning of a new, hopefully better life for them. After all I’ve put them
through, I think they deserve it.
Here’s a sneak peek at the cover.
Speaking of inspiration, what inspires your writing?
Reading is a great source of inspiration. There is always
something in every book you pick up that will spark a series of ‘what-if-they-didn’t-do-that-but-did-this-instead’
thoughts which will often morph into new plot twists for my own writing.
I also have a collection of photographs of fantastical places. Who doesn’t love a hidden space behind a waterfall? Or a house built high in a forest of redwood trees?
Here’s the festive question: If you could have Christmas Dinner with any fictional character, who would it be?
This novel very quickly grounds the reader in the reality of Joe’s world – the Welsh landscape, his family farm, the local people – and draws us into his feelings about that world. There is a gentle humour to the book, the kind of banter you get between people that have known each other for a long time.
The book is written in present tense from Joe’s point of view which allows the reader to react and learn along with the character. I liked Joe from the outset. He’s hard working (unlike his medical student brother), responsible (he stays on at the family farm even though he doesn’t want to) and willing to sacrifice himself for not only those he cares about but also the occasional stranger. He’s an all round good guy who doesn’t realise his own self worth at the beginning of the novel. The interactions between Joe and the other teenagers and young people took me back to when I was that age. By the end of the novel, Joe has grown in courage and self assurance.
I have two favourite scenes from the novel that are very different to each other. The first is the party that Joe and Sarah attend. It’s probably one of the first times that Sarah has really relaxed and just been a ‘normal’ teenager.
My second favourite scene is the UFO sighting at the local pub. I love the characters’ reactions, cementing the personalities that have already been built up in previous chapters, but also it’s good to see Joe and Sarah’s plan come together, for once.
Ninety-Five Percent Human is a well written, insightful novel that mixes up the reality of our world (and Joe’s) with the concept of alien life forms and advanced technology into a believable and enjoyable read.
The festive break will arrive at any moment and be all over in a day or two. Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? Have you started? Are you looking forward to the big day? Is your home decked with sparkle and glitter? Has the dog given in to being dressed up for the season?
Even if you are organised and optimistic, the rush to create the perfect holiday can get to us all. So, here’s my list of how to keep your sanity in the festive season.
Be a child
This probably comes to some of us easier than to others but in our attempts to organise everything to the ‘enth degree, we can forget to actually enjoy the whole thing.
Take some time to remember what you liked about Christmas as a child. It might have been dressing the tree with baubles and tinsel without a care for co-ordinating colour schemes or whether the big decorations belonged at the bottom of the tree only. Maybe it was watching the Wizard of Oz (even though you can basically perform it word for word) or diving into a pile of presents and ripping off the wrapping paper with no thoughts of tidying up.
Try to include some of that child-like joy in your holiday.
Be grateful
Christmas is probably the most materialistic of celebrations and a time of year when we add to our belongings en masse. We can too easily focus on what we’ll get and what we’ll give, but forget to look at what we already have.
Take a moment to think of all the good things in your life that you’re grateful for.
Don’t do a Delia (Jamie, Gordon, Nigella…)
In a culture which force-feeds us celebrity chefs, eating plans, and cookery slots on daytime TV, you can begin to believe that success in life (and especially at Christmas) relies on having all the dressings and culinary implements and herby oils available on the market.
Mashed potato is boring, and roasties are so last year. Turkey just isn’t fashionable unless you’ve shoved your hand under its skin and given it a good grope.
Relax. If you like your turkey plain, that’s fine. If roast potatoes and peas are your thing, excellent. Cook what you want to eat.
Time out
It isn’t just for screaming five year olds. Time out can be invaluable for us grown-ups too.
Scream into a cushion. Kick a ball around (your children will enjoy that). Stomp about outside with a glass or mug of what you fancy. Whatever it takes (legally) to release some frustration, go for it. Everyone can benefit from a little time out now and then.
Worst case scenario
Perspective is a wonderful thing but it so often escapes us in the run up to the festive holiday.
If your worries are getting the better of you, take a moment to sit down and work out your worst case scenario. What is the very very worst that could happen?
So that present that you ordered online doesn’t arrive in time for Christmas. It will be just as welcome a few days later. What if your cooking rota – the one that you’ve planned with military precision for weeks – falls apart on the day? Nobody will starve from waiting an extra half an hour. So Auntie Betty doesn’t like her present. Give her an extra sherry and remember next year that blue really isn’t her colour.
Brainstorm
Is there too much to remember? Have you too much to do? If your mind is spinning with the overflowing mass of things to buy, jobs to complete, and people to contact, then have a brainstorm.
Write down all the jobs, all the purchases, and all the people then tick them off as you finish each task. It might also be handy to write down any emergency numbers you might need like the out of hours doctor and chemist, friend and family numbers (just in case you mislay your address book), and useful ones such as local taxi firms too.
Writing it all down will free up your brain and ticking off each task on your list is incredibly satisfying too.
Breathe
This isn’t as obvious as it sounds. If all else fails, take a deep breath in, count to six, breathe out, and smile.
