29.7.15

Wordy wednesday with Mary Kendrick

Today's Wordy Wednesday is with my friend Mary Kendrick, aka @mamacrow. Mamacrow is a busy mum and home educator of 7 children. So the fact she finds time to write as well is pretty impressive and testament to her organisational skills! Mary is an as yet unpublished writer, so I was intrigued to see how her answers to my questions differed to other. Is success all down to biscuit choice? Well let's find out.

When did you start writing?
I have always made up stories - I remember long times spent in front of my mother's full length mirror, being different characters and carrying on long dramatic adventures and I would make up magic spells which were essentially short rhyming verses. I was a massive bookworm and learnt to read before I went to school, pretty much by osmosis I think, and as soon as I could write words down I was writing stories- I still have an exercise book from primary school somewhere with a long involved story in it about a family of potatoes who lived in a vegetable rack! I would write poetry too, or rather, attempt to, and the one class I would always win at the local annual Schools Arts & Drama festival was the story making class.

I did English at GCSE and A-Level and both involved creative writing, then I ended up doing a Library and Information degree and working full time for about six years, before becoming the stay at home parent. I carried on writing stories down now and then when the urge took me, and started blogging when we started home educating. I ended up taking a second attempt at Nanowrimo in 2013 and triumphantly completing it! That was such a turning point for me, I realised I could write something of length after all, and got the book writing bug after that - I've just completed my fifth. I can't NOT write really, it's a compulsion more than anything else.

What 3 things (not including paper, computer, pens) would you like to facilitate a good days writing?
Uninterrupted time is good, not always easy to find with seven children! A decent chair - my pelvis doesn't like sitting on the floor any more. Music is important too, but I more use that when I'm not writing, to think to and work out plot ideas. I pick really carefully for each new project then I can whack it on when I do write and it's easier to slip into that particular world - its not essential though, I can do without it if I have to. Really I just need my laptop, enough charge in it, and a decent chair.

 Do you write to a schedule, eg every day or three times a week, set times, etc or do you write as and when the mood strikes?
When writing a book I try and only take one day off a week, two at the most. Writing time is essentially in the evenings, after about 8 or so when the younger ones are all happily in bed. I also take my laptop along to me to various sports that the kids do - yes, it's only an odd hour here or there but it all adds up plus in many ways it's easier to get the words in then because I have no internet to distract me!

The money question, as I know that you are as yet unpublished, I assume you don't live from your writing earnings!
No, I make no money yet. I'm working on submitting my work to publishing agents and plan to self publish. When I can I fit in part time work to help keep our collective heads above water. I would LOVE to make enough money from writing to live - mainly so that I could spend more of my time writing! At the end of the day it's almost immaterial because I'd write anyway, paid or not.

What are your favourite biscuits?
I'm not actually that fond of biscuits, but you can't go far wrong with a bourbon, and I do quite like a pink wafer biscuit from time to time... Oooh, and anzac biscuits! I love those! (don't like biscuits, names three...hmmmm a secret biscuit eater?)

Where do you do most of your writing?
Upstairs in the bedroom, at at desk in the corner. It's a really nice little corner actually, the windows to one side so I can have fresh air but not be distracted too much and I have a notice board on the wall in front of me with various pictures and things out of National Geographic mostly, that I've been inspired by, and lists of things and also a huge pile of CDs. My darling husband (also an author) got me a commemorative glass book ornament with my first three book titles (a trilogy as it happens) engraved on it, and that's on my desk too.

What book are you reading at the moment?
Book? Singular? *manic laughter* I nearly always have several on the go. Currently I'm mainly reading Elsa Shciaparelli, a biography by Meryle Secrest, and Memories of Old Sussex by Lillian Candlin. I'm also picking my way through Hanging out with the Dream King, conversations with Neil Gaiman and His Collaborators but it's slow going because I'm not enjoying it as much as I thought I would, and I'm also labouring through The Secret Life of Trees by Colin Tudge which is AMAZING but very DENSE if you know what I mean, in a thinky, layered kind of way.

Do you use social media (facebook, twitter, instagram etc) to engage with your audience, do you think it helps sales and do you find it fun or a chore?
I've been on twitter for ooh, about seven years now I think. Whether it helps with sales or not we'll have to see but the support of other writers and artists is wonderful, and it's helped me find some volunteer test readers too.

Do you own an e-reader? and do you prefer to read digital or paper copy?
I'm the proud and happy owner of a kindle. Not only did my husband buy it for me, but he replaced it when the first one died AND he has it linked up to his amazon account so he can keep on buying books for me! Genius! I LOVE it. Not only is it instant - buy a book and PING! it's there, but you can switch between books and carry HUNDREDS around in it in this light little thing you can hold easily in one hand, perfect for reading in bed or while breastfeeding. I still love paper books - you can leaf through them more easily, and the smell - the feel! The touch! I love both, they're both good for different reasons. Funnily enough, my dissertation was regarding paper versus electronic books.

 Do you dream in colour?
Yes. Do people really dream in monochrome? I'm so intrigued by that! I have really vivid, involved dreams and often write them down and turn them into stories.

If reading and writing were banned, what would you do instead?
Um, I'd break the law a lot?! (you could join Andy Stanton and his secret band of underground writers) I love music and singing, and used to play the violin so I suppose I'd take that up again and maybe learn the cello too, I've always wanted to. I could practise the piano more as well, and do more art... I like watercolours, and boy do I need more sketching practise. And I dance - I do a couple of adult ballet classes, which I love. So long as I can do something expressive. I'd still want to read and write though, and no one could stop me making up stories in my head, I'd still do that.( a rebellious streak, I like that)

 What is your ideal holiday?
We've had a couple of very happy family holidays to Cornwall, I'd always be pleased to go back there. Mine and my daughter's current 'when we win the lottery!' dream is two weeks in Disney Land!

Here's hoping then that your writing brings you the riches required for your Disneyland trip! Thanks for the answers. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for publication dates!


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23.7.15

The Night Circus By Erin Morgenstern - A Book Review

I have been struggling to read books lately, and yet my book pile keeps growing! Luckily it is moving into summer festival season where I have time off and sunny days in a tent away from digital devices and usually lacking a phone signal. This weekend was the first of many summer festivals and I was able to finish a book I started a while ago. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, which I confess I bought mainly because of its intriguing cover and when I dipped into it at random (a technique I favour in book selection) I loved the style of the writing.

Having finished it I was keen to review it so you can share the joy. First things first, this was not my favourite story. I have read stories that grabbed me more. There is a story but it's quite mixed in time and place and it didn't grab me and drag me along as some books have. That said, the dreamlike style of the writing matched the smooth and ethereal feel of the plot.

The tale begins with a competition between two people who we barely know, though of course we learn more about them as the story builds. The competition is not played out by these powerful characters though, but rather, by young stand-ins that themselves don't know all of the mystery, or of the full scope of the competition.

The Night Circus is the chess board and we are drawn into its magical collection of tents and acts, of art and scents, of music and melody. For someone that loves festivals I was really taken with the images. The writing itself is gorgeous, creamy and rich. I normally hate books that focus on description too much but I could honestly have read this forever. I reread several paragraphs just because they were so perfect, so beautiful.

I don't want to spoil anything in the book for you (because you simply must read it if you haven't already) but I did tweet this...and was excited to receive a reply.


And I'm not lying, it was scorchingly written, but not over the top or flowery, just wonderful.

But I'll leave you with something I loved from the beginning of the book. And then you can run off and grab yourself a copy, make some hot chocolate and popcorn, and enter the Night Circus, weather permitting. Take a red scarf.
"He had expected it to be a show.
Something to sit in a chair and watch.
He realized quickly how wrong he was.
It was something to be explored.
He investigated it as best he could, though he felt woefully unprepared. He did not know which tents to choose out of dozens of options, each with tantalizing signs hinting at the contents. And every turn he took through the twisting striped pathways led to more tents, more signs, more mysteries.
He found a tent full of acrobats and stayed amongst them as they twirled and spun until his neck ached from staring up. He wandered through a tent full of mirrors and saw hundreds and thousands of Baileys staring, wide-eyed, back at him, each in matching grey caps.
Even the food was amazing. Apples dipped in caramel so dark they appeared almost blackened but remained light and crisp and sweet. Chocolate bats with impossibly delicate wings. The most delicious cider Bailey had ever tasted.
Everything was magical"
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22.7.15

Word Wednesday with Zaro Weil

Today's Wordy Wednesday is with Zaro Weil, author of Journey Back to the Great Before. You can find out more about today's mysterious guest at http://journeybacktothegreatbefore.com/

So I began with the usual questions...

When did you start writing?


Very young…maybe around 7 or 8.
What 3 things (not including paper, computer, pens) would you like to facilitate a good days writing?


A view, cup of tea/coffee, lots of pillows
Do you write to a schedule, eg every day or three times a week, set times, etc or do you write as and when the mood strikes?


I write any time any where. It could be in my cabin in the woods, or on a train, or in bed, or on a bench in the middle of a park.
Is writing your main source of income, I read lots of articles saying writers make no money, and my readers asked this question a lot! Can you survive on book writing alone? if not, what else do you do?


I don’t write for money although it would be great to have a film made from my book and use the money to take a trip around the world. (As research for Volume 2 of Journey)
What are your favourite biscuits?

Little Spanish cookie donuts made of almonds with icing on the top.(ooh sound nice!)

Where do you do most of your writing?


In bed or on a sofa.(I'm impressed you can write like that, I'm sure I'd fall into a fantasy world of sleep!)
What book are you reading at the moment?

“Swerve” by Stephen Greenblatt

Do you use social media (facebook, twitter, instagram etc) to engage with your audience, do you think it helps sales and do you find it fun or a chore? 

I wish I knew how to use it better, but in fact I find it a little embarrassing. But I guess it does really help sales if one is good at it.

Do you own an e-reader? and do you prefer to read digital or paper copy?


I own an e-reader. Two. But I prefer a hard copy and love to turn pages.
Do you dream in colour?


Of course.
If reading and writing were banned, what would you do instead?


Eat and cook and watch films and make films
What is your ideal holiday?

Going to new places with other languages and seeing things that amaze me.

Massive thanks to Zaro for taking part, her book Journey Back to the Great Before is available now, find out about other books she has written at GoodReads
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16.7.15

Compassion Fatigue - I'm guilty

BBC News - The direct mail that tugs the heartstrings http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-33549655

This rant was brought about by a reminder via the BBC News site of the way charities target people.

I realise that charities need to be given money and time and often old clothes to work, and I know about the argument that the money spent on advertising and promotion is regained in donations but one thing that is annoying is that it's not fairly spread.
For example. I see an online request or a TV advert for a specific event (in the last year this has happened to me at least twice) I respond with a donation - usually using a website, my name and address and details are given. Over the next year I receive numerous 'news letters', 'updates', requests for more money, asks for direct debits, pens, coasters, in short I receive in 'junk' mail well over the value of the original donation I made. So while over all, the advertising is paid for by donations, I feel that mine is wasted and hasn't gone to the thing I intended at all.
And usually, unlike with an email, I don't have an easy opt out on the paper mail. There is no 'send the enclosed card back to stop future mail'. Last year after about the 7th mailshot I finally tracked down, via an online search, an email address and asked to be removed from the mailing list. So far I have had no more mail from that charity.

Christmas is also a high pressure time for charities with certain charities insisting on sending 'gifts' of pens, stickers, wrapping paper, cards etc and then asking for a donation. The idea here is presumably to make you feel so guilty at having received a gift that you donate more. It's horrible to add such pressure in a donation request in my opinion.

The people in the cases the BBC highlights feel pressured to give and I feel that too sometimes, though the final effect too much 'bumpf' through the post actually has, is to harden me to charity requests.
Because I do support several charities (on a regular basis) I now find it easier to disregard letters that fall on the mat begging me to stop child abuse, help battered woman and feed the starving elderly. I send these letters straight into the recycling. I am not proud or happy about this hard hearted attitude, I would like to be soft and kind and care lots but as the BBC has reported, it doesn't stop, it increases. Donate £5 and next you will be asked to donate £20 and then set up a direct debit and then a new, equally worthy cause will fall onto your mat.

I don't know the answer. For me it is picking a charity or two and setting up a regular donation. I do respond sometimes to world disasters but luckily my main charity is also a member of DEC so I don't get extra requests subsequently. Otherwise, for local charities I donate in cash only, so they don't have my details or know who I am. Perhaps charities could look at online and phone donations and ask at the time "Is this a one off donation or should we contact you in the future?" and make that a large and clear question, not a vague check box buried amongst the terms and conditions in a way large corporations would be proud of.  Don't even get me started on the 'chuggers'; the charity muggers that accost you on the street and try and guilt you into donating, showing you pictures of starving cats and beaten dogs.

Have I got 'compassion fatigue'? Is it possible that the constant attempts by so many charities to wear me down, to get me to part with money, has actually had the opposite effect? Maybe.

How do you cope? Do you give regularly? Not at all? Cash only? Or are you a sucker for a good cause and give as often as you can?

For information you might like Give as You Live - an online scheme (which costs you nothing) where you sign up and many online purchases cause charity donations to be given on your behalf, Amazon is part of their scheme for example.

The charities I support regularly are CMT UK (as I have Charcot-Marie-Tooth it's rather self serving of me) and World Vision - where I sponsor a child in Uganda.
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15.7.15

Wordy Wednesday with Stephie Chapman

Hello! This Wednesday you are going to meet and find out about the delightful Stephie Chapman who has just written Getting Over Jessie Franklin


 What happens when you find your 90's boyband crush on Facebook, and then add him?

Years ago, Cassie loved Jesse. But he was the bass player in her favourite band and didn't know she even existed. Fourteen years on, the band has broken up and she's found him on Facebook, and it turns out that after finally meeting in London, he quite likes her, too. Their relationship quickly intensifies and Cassie and Jesse find themselves in a long distance relationship spanning five thousand miles. But just as she's beginning to think all her dreams have come true, a misunderstanding tears them apart and as she tries to piece her life back together in London, Jesse is planning a way to win her back with the help of her best friend... and a ukulele.

Sounds like a perfect summer read to me! But let find out what makes Stephie tick...and what biscuits she likes...

So Stephie, When did you start writing?

When I was about 5 ;) I've blogged on and off since I was 17, and have had ideas for novels swimming about in my head since around then, too. But Getting Over Jesse Franklin is the only one I've ever finished.

What 3 things (not including paper, computer, pens) would you like to facilitate a good days writing?

1) A nice glass of wine.
2) Some peace and quiet.
3) More wine. And maybe someone to bring it to me, so I don't even have to get up.

Do you write to a schedule, eg every day or three times a week, set times, etc or do you write as and when the mood strikes?

More the latter really... But that's pretty much every day. I even took my laptop on holiday so I could write Jesse Franklin. Obviously I felt like Colin Firth's character in Love Actually, minus the falling in love with someone I couldn't really converse with part.

Is writing your main source of income, I read lots of articles saying writers make no money, and my readers asked this question a lot! Can you survive on book writing alone? if not, what else do you do?

It's not exactly a great money spinner at the moment, and I supplement our family income with some social media bits and pieces. But I don't think you write for money, you write because you love it. Because you can't not write. It's the same with an awful lot of creative careers. You do it because it feels innate, and if you can make some dinero from it, then that's a bonus.

What are your favourite biscuits?

GOOD question! Err.... I'm very partial to an Oreo. BUT my absolute favourite are stroopwafels - but that's playing fast and loose with the word "biscuit". - ooh you trickster, but I'll let you off, they are good, and I have allowed other writers to choose jaffa cakes, so the field is wide open!

Where do you do most of your writing?

At the kitchen table, for easy access to aforementioned stroopwafels, and the kettle. Or, in the evenings, on the sofa, plugged into Spotify.

What book are you reading at the moment?

Coming Up Roses by Rachael Lucas, and I'm loving it.

Do you use social media (facebook, twitter, instagram etc) to engage with your audience, do you think it helps sales and do you find it fun or a chore?

Yes, I enjoy social media a lot. I like Twitter and Instagram more than Facebook, and the instagram community are, on the whole, really lovely and supportive. I don't find it a chore, but I do find them all enormous time suckers.

Do you own an e-reader? and do you prefer to read digital or paper copy?

I have the Kindle app on my phone, and I've read heaps more since getting it. I'd like to say I prefer kicking it old skool with a paper copy of a book because there is something wonderful about opening a brand new book for the first time and feeling the spine crack, however, for ease I do like reading digitally. I'm a fence sitter with that one.I think a lot of people feel the same!

Do you dream in colour?

Yes. Vividly. And sometimes in Dutch... which is weird, because I can only speak a very little Dutch.

If reading and writing were banned, what would you do instead?

Sing and dance and play my ukulele.

What is your ideal holiday?

Wondering around a European city (or maybe just Amsterdam, because it's my favourite place in the world) with a friend, and no kids, stopping off for a beer by a canal. Eating really amazing food, in the sunshine. Just walking and people watching and having a good time and putting the world to rights. That's what I absolutely love to do. European city breaks. Try them.

Thanks for taking the time for some interesting answers, I am now tempted not only buy the book and the stroopwaffel but also by a trip to Amsterdam, so good selling! haha

If you'd like a copy of Stephie's Book you can get it here  Getting Over Jessie Franklin is £1.99 on Amazon for Kindle or Kindle app

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12.7.15

The day I got married and didn't wear white

I blogged about my marriage proposal a few days ago and when conversation with some online friends turned to wedding dresses it seemed appropriate for me to do a follow up post.

I was married in the early 90s and I did not wear a wedding dress. I'm not the sort for flouncy and feminine, and wasn't confident that I could pull off the sultry and sexy, slinky look, dresses just aren't me (no one mention festival ballgowns - that's something I only discovered in my 40s). My mum and dad lived abroad and Mr TM didn't want a big wedding. He wanted to be married to me - but is not a fan of huge parties. I think I was lucky he didn't suggest we elope and have no party at all!

Also I was quite 'unconventional' even then. (surprise!) I liked a mix of hip-hop, and heavy metal music with a large splash of what we'd now call emo and some new romantic stuff too. So when I was deciding what to wear for my wedding I knew I didn't want a big flouncy white dress (wedding dresses in the late 80s and early 90s were VERY big) At first I thought about just a black wedding dress but they were really expensive and I've always been cheap (stop sniggering at the back) in the end I settled on traditional English hunting attire. I bought a red jacket (which I still own and wear) at a clothing sale where models sold off the clothes they no longer wanted after a photo shoot, I think I paid £5. I already owned a long black skirt and some black thigh-high boots, I bought a wing collar shirt and a hat with a tiny black veil. Sorted.

Remember how cheap I am? As we were only inviting 10 close friends we decided to have our reception at Pizza Express. They kindly reserved the entire upstairs for us (no extra charge) decorated it with banners and balloons and streamers (no extra charge) and even all signed a card for us! We just asked that we could order anything from the menu and they should keep bringing wine and champagne and that we'd pay afterwards. It was the best and cheapest wedding reception I've been to!

My grandma made our cake too - so that was free (and extremely tasty!) Here she is with me before the reception. (sadly my grandma died while I was pregnant with DD so she never met her - but that's a whole other story)


And here is the cake she made, and the bouquet she made too - with silk flowers, so I still have it.


and here (finally) a picture of Mr TM and I cutting the cake.



My wedding day, over 20 years ago. Does it all look terribly dated? Yes I think it does, but it was a super day, and we had great fun, and here we still are over 20 years later.
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9.7.15

My ten dieting secrets for successful weightloss

It finally happened. I have reached and actually fallen slightly under, my goal weight of 140lb (I’m currently 139.9lb). I weighed 155lb in January, when I weighed myself to see if giving up alcohol would make any difference to my weight over Dry January.

plate of salad with tuna
Tuna and egg salad with extra light mayonnaise
Using FatSecret a free diet app, which records calorie (also fat, carbs etc) and sets goals etc I have managed a simple diet since then and now am planning to just stay around this weight.

Several people have asked my my ‘dieting secret’ and sadly I’m not sure there is one. The secret is that well known one, you have to eat less calories than you need…then you lose weight. If you eat more than you need you gain weight, and if you eat the right amount you stay the same.

That said I do have some tips to sticking to your set limit. And some ideas for meals and snacks to keep the calories down.

  1. Don’t ban any food. If there is a food you like and want to eat just include it in your plan. This might mean you have to eat a smaller portion, maybe half a pizza with a green salad rather than a whole pizza! or a small chocolate bar rather than a 1lb one, or it may mean missing out something else, so why not just have dessert for dinner? If you have a sweet tooth and crave lemon meringue just go for it, but you can’t have everything.
  2. You will need willpower. There are lots of foods that taste much much better than skinny feels but if you want to lose weight you may have to say no, not every time (see point 1 above) but some of the time. Be prepared to feel like a holy martyr. Feel good about saying no and if you feel hungry and your stomach grumbles ensure you know how many calories you’ve had that day and then mentally tell your body to ‘suck it up and use some of the fat you have  already!’  (don’t do this out loud though, it’s considered odd)
  3. Plan some snacks. If, like me, you are always hungry and fancying a nibble on something, plan some snacks. I have found that there are great low calorie options such as savoury popcorns, fruit, and even low calorie crisps that can be included in your diet.
  4. To start with just record what you eat and when, I found using a dieting app was great for showing me where I was going wrong! When you see what you are eating and a pattern you can look at how to change it. If you always snack at 10.30 it’s silly to just stop – but you can change what you snack on (see above) Like wise if you tend to eat a larger meal at a certain time of the day, tailor your calories toward that. I like to eat a medium breakfast, snack at 10.30 and then have  a light lunch with a bigger evening meal for example. The FatSecret app is free and available on Android, Apple products and on the web. The website allows you to buddy up with people similar to you too, which can be a great boost.
  5. Top examples of low calorie foods and meals I discovered are : Tuna fish, spookily low in calories and eaten with a salad (eg salad niciose) can be really filling for a tiny percentage of your daily allowance). Quorn, another high protein, low fat, low calorie food, great in a tomato sauce (homemade with no added sugars etc) with rice or green beans. Sushi, I found that a small pack of Yumie sushi at lunch was only 200 calories, perfect with a bottle of water, feels exotic and special full of flavour and very few calories. I’ve already mentioned popcorn, brands like Propercorn are great. 
  6. Bulk up your plate with more vegetables (not root veg) and try to cut down on fat and carbohydrates. Lots of people will swear by a low fat or a low carb diet – in my opinion these work because fat and carbs have the most calories! I’ve used calorie counting only and have found adding extra lower calorie vegetables to meals has worked well.
  7. Drinks are easy to consume and can hide an alarming calorie content. Alcohol really is an empty calorie (add Costa Chai Lattes to that list of hugely calorific drinks too!!) and alcohol is a poison, so I have given it up completely in the week. I now drink non alcoholic beer and wine after work instead, double health gain! Since finding out how many calories are in those yummy flavoured Frappes and Lattes in coffee shops I also tend to avoid them unless it’s a treat. Saving big money and numerous calories.
  8. Be honest with yourself, if you don’t record everything you eat you might gain weight and will feel defeated. Better to see where you are going wrong on food intake so you can change it. It’s not easy to diet. You will need to change habbits. There is no magic trick. You just need to eat less. If you mess up a day, don't panic, just go back to doing it right the next day. I went to a couple of events where food was on offer so I just gave myself a diet holiday! That way I didn't feel bad, I enjoyed myself and went back to the diet afterwards. (oddly you do find as time passes you automatically make better choices anyway) 
  9. I haven’t talked about exercise and that’s deliberate. I don’t exercise much and I didn’t step it up when I started this diet. The extra calories burned via exercise are surprisingly low.(you need an hour of fast cycling to burn off a single donut). Exercise will change some of your shape and convert fat to muscle and muscle is denser than fat and can weigh more. Most scientists agree that diet is much more important to lose weight than exercise (I’m not talking about over all health – exercise is obviously good for health, but losing weight is what I’m focusing on)
  10. Drink more water. Everyone says this, but it's true and it helps. It stops you eating when really you are just thirsty. It fills your stomach if you drink water with a meal. It helps your body work and it's zero calories. And it's something to swallow!
So there they are, my diet secrets, which sadly boil down to eating fewer calories. But it is possible! It’s taken me 6 months at 1600 calories a day (1800 in the first 2 months) but I’ve lost 15 lbs. The FatSecret app allows you to choose how fast or slow you want to lose the weight and I chose slowly and it’s worked perfectly. I would suggest after losing 5lbs or so you reassess the calories you should be consuming, as you get smaller you need fewer to stay the same!
pan of quorn chilli
Homemade Quorn Chilli



Good Luck - let me know how you get on.

 (This in not a sponsored post. Nothing to disclose here, move along)
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8.7.15

Wordy Wednesday with Greg Jenner

Have I mentioned I'm an author groupie? Well I am and this leads me to stalk follow numerous authors and other clever folk on twitter. Luckily for me most authors are also very happy to chat about their books! And this week the rather super Greg Jenner has agreed to answer some of my silly questions. He's used to silly as he writes Horrible Histories! And so also he's pretty good on the historical fact front, and is well worth a follow on twitter for that!

 He also writes history for adults

A Million Years In A Day: A Curious History of Everyday Life is a fun, accessible history of daily life that tracks the evolution of many routines and rituals back to the Stone Age. It's the story of how your life came to be the way it is. Unlike other history books, it's not about kings and queens: it's more about putting on underpants, going to the toilet, walking the dog, and getting drunk with your mates. 


So let's quiz Greg!

When did you start writing?
I first dabbled with comedy sketches at university in 2004, but it wasn't until 2008 that I plucked up the courage to try again. I was working as the resident historian on the new series of CBBC's Horrible Histories, and my producer kindly let me have a go at writing a few sketches. It was a steep learning curve, but as the historian I had access to every sketch written by the writing team - about 250 in all - so I learned a huge amount by studying how they constructed their jokes. All the while, I was reading about 200 books per year to research the series, so I was learning the craft of writing through both passive absorption and practical experience. In 2012 I started blogging for the Huffington Post, that did pretty well, and I realised that I wanted to write a book. So, I got an agent, signed a book deal, and sat down to write full-time for 15 months!

What 3 things (not including paper, computer, pens) would you like to facilitate a good days writing?
I am an obsessive Tweeter, so I'd need access to Twitter - it steals a lot of my time, but it also inspires me to be funnier,or more succinct, or more interesting. It's a great testing ground for ideas.

I'm a workaholic, and I have tunnel vision once I start, so I'll easily work for 10 hours without stopping for food or a loo break. That said, a nice pack of biscuits always helps! Oh, and I get terrible backache from not moving, so a stack of comfy cushions. Biscuits, cushions and twitter, those sound like all the essentials I need for blogging too!

Do you write to a schedule, eg every day or three times a week, set times, etc or do you write as and when the mood strikes?
I write every day of the week, though I'll do 10 hours on Monday-Friday and more like 5 or 6 hours on Saturday and Sunday. I've never had writer's block, but I do constantly rewrite and edit stuff. For me, writing is an obsessive duty - I feel guilty if I haven't done at least a 60 hour week. I'm also a perfectionist, which is awkward because I'm not very talented! But I enjoy it, and it was really rewarding to feel my technique improving over those 15 months. I'm hugely proud of the end result, and I'm relieved to see that people seem to like my writing style, so hopefully all the hard work was worth it.

Is writing your main source of income, I read lots of articles saying writers make no money, and my readers asked this question a lot! Can you survive on book writing alone? if not, what else do you do?
I was really lucky to receive a decent advance for my two-book deal, but the money gets spread over 5 years, so it's not quite enough to live on. I probably earn 50% of my income from book writing, 40% from my TV career, and 10% as a freelance writer for magazines. To everyone's surprise, I earn less than almost all of my friends, despite having two outwardly glamorous jobs: being an author and making Horrible Histories. But I love what I do, and it's thrilling to play a small role in helping children and adults fall in love with history. Oh that's such a lovely answer. I agree that seeing people enjoy work you've done is the best feeling! And kids certainly love Horrible Histories.

What are your favourite biscuits?
Chocolate Bourbons or Custard Creams. Either packet will be destroyed into tiny crumbs if left in my vicinity. Or even just in the same house.

Where do you do most of your writing?
I have an office in my garden, but I actually mostly work in the bedroom. I find it a very tranquil room, and it's fun to lie on the bed with a laptop - it feels less formal and contributes to a more playful feeling of experimentation. I imagine it's the cushions too, unless your garden office resembles a seraglio...

What book are you reading at the moment?
There are 14 books by my side at the moment. I'm doing preparatory research for my next book, so I'm just trying to get my head around a new area of historiography. But the book I most recently enjoyed was Andrew Roberts' superb biography of Napoleon, which is a fantastic read. I've probably read 20 books about Napoleon, but this one somehow felt fresh. 14! Now I don't feel so bad about having three books on the go

Do you use social media (facebook, twitter, instagram etc) to engage with your audience, do you think it helps sales and do you find it fun or a chore?
I'm on Twitter because I utterly love it, but obviously the fact I communicate with so many people has really helped me with my book - not just in marketing it, but in actually writing it. The 12 historians who fact-checked A Million Years In A Day are all Twitter contacts, and I'm glad to say I've since become friends with several of them in real life. I also used Twitter to test jokes, express ideas, ask advice, and cheer me up when I was going a bit doolally. Writing a book full time, 7 days per week, can be a lonely experience. Twitter kept me sane! Nice to hear that Twitter can be something other than a time suck!

Do you own an e-reader? and do you prefer to read digital or paper copy?
I do, but I barely use it - it's only for holidays and work travel. I vastly prefer the tangible texture of paper, and I find that I remember so much more when reading is a tactile experience that involves a physical book in my hand.

Do you dream in colour?
I do. Mainly I dream about playing football for Spurs; but being a typical Spurs fan, I very rarely win a match... even my wildest fantasies are drizzled in crushing disappointment.

If reading and writing were banned, what would you do instead?
I would campaign to get them unbanned - there is nothing more sacred than the discovery of new knowledge. Communication is the essence of humanity.

What is your ideal holiday?
A city break to somewhere historic, (why am I not surprised!) preferably a place that boasts loads of museums and Nutella-flavoured ice cream. I adored Florence, that ticked both boxes! My honeymoon to the Riviera Maya in Mexico was also amazing - it was the first time in 10 years my wife had seen me properly relax. It was weird, but a nice weird!

http://www.gregjenner.com/history-of-daily-life-book/

A Million Years in a Day by Greg Jenner is out now!  As of May 14th it's also available in audiobook, if you want to hear him read it...

Thank you to Greg for some excellent answers. 


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5.7.15

When your baby grows up.

Sometimes (often) I treat my daughter as if she is eight when in reality she is nearly sixteen. I still find myself thinking I should 'arrange' friends for her to 'play' with. Or tell her about things that I saw on my journey to work that would have entertained her at six years old but now are greeted with a stony stare and the snarky  (yet admittedly funny) response "cool story bro, do you have time to tell it again?"

At sixteen many places will see her as an adult, she can legally have sex (even typing that gave me chills), she will pay adult fares to many events and on public transport unless she remains a student, she can get married (with permission) , she can buy a pet ... and many other things (see http://www.mumsnet.com/teenagers/legal-rights-at-16 ) weirdly she can't drink champagne at her own wedding reception (though she could have a beer as long as someone over eighteen buys it) . Sixteen is a weird inbetween age and so it confuses me, she is still my baby, my child but at the same time she's a young woman with her own life to lead. She lives under a roof I pay for so I think I have rights in the rules she abides to but still it's hard to know what is stupid and draconian, and what is lax and dangerous for a Sixteen year old.

I have never had the responsibility for a 'proto-adult' before, years of being a mum hasn't prepared me for this. Entertaining a small child, keeping her fed and happy and healthy seems like a breeze compared to the trauma of deciding where she can go alone, when she should be back, who she should hang out with, how much she should stay in contact. You remember the stress I felt when she was at a festival without me for only one day and yet soon it will be everyday, out at college, or with friends. Life is expanding beyond our home for her and at the same time the world is changing in ways I haven't seen. While suddenly I can be in touch with a child via mobile phone anywhere, it also causes panic when she doesn't answer. She will be old enough to get a moped but the streets are more filled with vehicles than ever, even crossing the road is so much more dangerous than when i was a child, she can have social media accounts (and, and this is the worst bit, not let me know!) She has a whole life away from me and as this thread between us grows ever thinner it's terrifying.

When I read (and wrote) posts about the pain of having to stop breastfeeding your child, I didn't imagine I'd feel the same pain all over again as she grew up. She is so pretty and so clever (yes I know, I'm her mum I would say  that, but she is!) I know that she can do well in life, but every risk, every worry seems heightened suddenly.

Don't think by the way that I have too rosy a view of her, she an infuriating teen a lot of the time, a child who answers back, doesn't do her homework, sneaks sweets into her room (which she never tidies) and generally makes me think about selling her for medical experiments; but she is my infuriating teen. My love, my life.

I need to learn to let go. Because if I don't I'll spoil both our lives. But it's terribly hard. I imagine I'll go through all of this again when she leaves home. Maybe once (if?) she starts to pay her way in the home it will be easier to see her as an adult. But right now it feels like a seesaw precariously balanced between childhood and adulthood. One day tipping one way and the next the other, maybe once the seesaw clunks down on the side of adulthood this will all be easier but right now it feels so hard.


Are you the parent of a teen? How did you cope? Do you still baby your teen or have you managed to see them as another adult in the house?
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2.7.15

Wife's work

This recent spell of UK hot weather reminded me of something that happened over 2 decades ago.

When I was 21 I started dating a guy 19 years older than me. It was supposed to be a bit of fun, but weeks turned to months, and then years, and years, and we were still together. My family had got over the shock and I was living in sin with my new man (who they referred to as their Sin-in-Law). He knew I wanted to get married, but I knew that he didn't, and part of that reason was that he felt our age gap was too great. "It's OK now" he'd say, "you are 26 and I'm 45, it doesn't seem so bad, but what about when you are 40, or 50?" I would reassure him, "it will be fine, why wouldn't it?" but convinced I was too young to really know, he didn't listen.

Sometimes we'd joke about it, he'd ask me to do some tedious household chore, or help with his tax returns and I would say "oh no, that's a wife's job, I'm just a mistress, I get to sit in the sun and drink champagne!"

Then one hot evening, after I finished work I was sitting in the hot garden, with my hot feet in a bucket of cold water. I was grumpy, and hot (did I mention it was hot?) and he wandered into the garden with an old jumper of his, "would you darn the elbow of this?" he asked. I looked up, grumpy, hot and annoyed. "No" I snapped "I wouldn't, that's a wife's job, I've told you, mistresses don't do sewing". He stood looking at me, how sexy I must have looked, sweaty, feet in a bucket.

"well then" he said "will you marry me? then you'll be my wife, and you can darn the jumper"

A long pause. Seriously? He looked shifty "yes seriously, I've been thinking about it, I think we should get married, I'd like to marry you"

What a romantic proposal. Well it cured my grump. I laughed and said yes. And the rest (as they say) is history. Twenty three years later, I'm still doing the repairs...I even have a sewing box, because you know, that's wife's work.

This post is a personal one. It's just a tiny piece of my history and I'm posting it for me, for my memories and for DD. If you read and enjoy it too, that's a bonus.
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1.7.15

Wordy Wednesday with Joanne Mallon

This week a learning experience for us all with the author Joanne Mallon, who amongst other things writes about Social Media use!

 So hello Joanne, tell me a little about yourself: I am a freelance writer and author of three non fiction books – Toddlers: An Instruction Manual; How to Overcome Fear of Driving and the latest one Social Media For Writers. I also have a geeky lifestyle blog called Opposable Thumbs www.joannemallon.typepad.com and am a career coach for writers and other media types www.joannemallon.com

When did you start writing? 
I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t writing. When I was nine I won a national poetry contest. The poem was printed in the local paper and they paid me the princely sum of three pounds, so that was my first paid writing gig. I trained as a broadcast journalist and worked in TV as a producer for about 10 years, but over time I gradually got more and more into print and online media, since writing was always more my thing than broadcasting. I started a blog about 8 years ago partly in order to become a better writer. I think writing is like a muscle and the more you do it the more you can improve. My style is essentially practical, down to earth stuff laced with humour. Over the years I’ve written everything from software instructions (not much room for the funnies there) to an Agony Aunt column.


What 3 things (not including paper, computer, pens) would you like to facilitate a good days writing? 
Since I’m a total introvert, being home alone helps a lot. This isn’t always possible, especially since my other half is also a writer and works from home in a different room. I like peace and quiet, so that gets a bit more challenging when it’s the school holidays and the kids are at home. Other than that I find exercise very helpful for giving me mental clarity, so I will go for a walk or to the gym most days and that’s often where I get my best ideas. I wear a fitness monitor in an attempt not to end up glued to my desk so I walk about 5 miles a day. Also a deadline is very helpful, otherwise I will just faff about and waste time.


Do you write to a schedule, eg every day or three times a week, set times, etc or do you write as and when the mood strikes?
 I start with whatever I’m being paid to write, or whatever has the closest deadline. When writing is your job you don’t really have the luxury of doing it as and when you feel like it, although for my personal blog, I post on that whenever I have something to say. I run a children’s blogging site called KidsBlogClub www.kidsblogclub.com and I aim to post on there every Tuesday and Friday.


For books I keep a running word count and every time I sit down to write, before I start I will have a minimum number of words I’m going to get to that day. The challenge is actually sitting down to do it in the first place – I procrastinate quite a lot, but it’s like warming up to a run. Sometimes I think that procrastinating is just part of the dance that writers do, and ultimately if you get to where you’re going, that’s the important thing.


Then threaded through my week will be some sort of promotional or marketing activity – either doing interviews or pitching for new work or just polishing up the website and LinkedIn profile. Being self employed means that you have to keep planting seeds if you want to keep reaping a harvest. But I also think that if you believe in what you’ve written and you think it could make a positive difference to people’s lives then you owe it to them to spread the word, and that’s where doing promo stuff comes in.


Is writing your main source of income, I read lots of articles saying writers make no money, and my readers asked this question a lot! Can you survive on book writing alone? if not, what else do you do? 
It’s split between freelance writing, career coaching (I specialise in coaching people who work in media – see here www.joannemallon.com), social media management (which also involves writing in the form of tweets and Facebook updates) and occasional consultancy. I like that what I’m doing changes every week, depending on what kind of commissions and new clients come in.

What’s good about income from books is that it’s ongoing and you should get a (hopefully increasing) royalty cheque every year. My first two books were with a publisher who specialises in books which also raise money for charity, so when I get royalties the charities get a donation too, which is great.

Other paid writing I do includes: writing for websites and magazines; sponsored posts for the blog; technical authoring (instruction manuals); writing blog posts for clients; writing tweets. It’s far from being an easy profession but it is doable. I haven’t sold any foreign rights to my books, but that seems to help authors a lot. My other half has a book coming out that’s been sold to 8 countries, so that’s 8 lots of advances and royalties for one book.
With my coaching clients who are writers, what I’ve observed is that the most successful ones tend to have a non-sexy specialism, because those pay better. The less people who can write about the stuff you can, the better for your business. Or if a writer’s main specialism is something quite popular and over-subscribed, such as travel or parenting or beauty, then it can work quite well to have a non-sexy specialism to sit along side it. So you might write about lipstick for fun, but pay the bills by writing technical reports.
And of course the benefits of writing a book are not just financial. I get a lot of emails and tweets from people who say that my books have helped them in some way, and that’s really fantastic. When you write a self help book, a big aim of it is to make a positive difference to the world, so to see that actually happening is amazing. There are people who have turned around their relationship with their toddler; or got back out on the road again after being scared to drive; or got to grips with social media thanks to my books, so I feel very grateful to be a part of that process.

What are your favourite biscuits? 
Anything with seeds or cheese in it. I know most people will say chocolate but I’m a rebel.
 
Where do you do most of your writing?At my PC, unless my son is using it for gaming. Then we have to tussle for screen time. I make a lot of lists in notebooks but actual writing I tend to do at the PC, facing a blank wall to lessen the distractions.

What book are you reading at the moment?
 I have a couple on the go – I just went on a trip to Rome, so now I’m reading a book about vampires and set in Rome, called Dracula Cha Cha Cha by Kim Newman. Also just starting a non fiction book – Sex, Economy, Freedom & Community by Wendell Berry - which is my book club book for this month. I like being in a book group because you end up reading all sorts of great books that you never would’ve discovered otherwise.


You use social media (facebook, twitter, instagram etc) to engage with your audience, do you think it helps sales and do you find it fun or a chore?
 I think social media is essential for a writer these days, I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t use it. Writers have always had to help spread the word about what they do and this is just the latest way of doing it. So I use all of the platforms to varying degrees. I find that I get a lot of writing work via Twitter – either I’ll spot a shout out from an editor, or somebody will recommend me for something. I got my initial book deal for the first two books because the publisher had tweeted that they were commissioning.


Right now I have a dedicated Twitter feed for the new social media book @SocMed4Writers which shares social media tips for writers and has over 4,000 followers. People keep tweeting me that they’ve bought the book and are enjoying it so I think that helps a lot to spread the word.


Of course the challenge is that you end up spending all your time shooting the breeze on Twitter and not achieving much else. How I manage that is by having a cup of tea rule, in that I only go on Facebook or Twitter when I’m having a teabreak, ie if there is a cup of tea actually on my desk. I also schedule regular daily tweets throughout the day via Hootsuite, so it makes me look more active on there than I really am.


Do you own an e-reader? and do you prefer to read digital or paper copy? 
Yes I love my Kindle Paperwhite, especially for travelling. Now and again I read ‘real’ books but I prefer digital.


Do you dream in colour?
 No idea, I’ve never really noticed. I do have some pretty vivid dreams though.


If reading and writing were banned, what would you do instead?
 Weep! Probably go for more walks and listen to podcasts. And then have to get a proper job.


What is your ideal holiday?
 I like going somewhere I haven’t been before and walking about to explore it, then collapsing with wine and a good book in the evening. I would never go on a beach holiday and just lay by the pool. I live in the city, in Brighton so I like a bit of countryside on holiday. I like to not have the internet on holiday, although that gives my teenager the horrors.


Joanne Mallon's new book is Social Media for Writers 
 

This is a book for all writers - authors, journalists, copywriters and bloggers. It shows how you can use social media to help you attract more writing work. Through practical, easy to follow advice, you'll learn how social media can become part of your income stream as a writer. Best-selling authors and successful freelance journalists also share the secrets of how they use and manage their social media. It includes chapters on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Plus, Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram. Social Media for Writers also covers what your writer's website needs to contain, and how to set up a successful blog. You'll learn how not to let social media become a terrible time suck, and how to make it work for you.

 Thanks to Joanne for taking part, do you agree or disagree with her answers? feel free to comment below (especially about biscuits)

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