Lucy Mitchell's Blog, page 61

Why There Will Always Be People Who Don’t Understand Your Creative Life – And That’s Okay! #Writer #Creatives

This can be a tough one to accept.

If you are a creative person there will always be people in your life who will never:

Understand why you spend hours, days, months, years working on the same story.
Understand why you read so many books a week.
Share your creative enthusiasm for your creative projects.
Understand why you’re cartwheeling around the garden after receiving one tiny sentence of positive feedback.
Understand your weird and wonderful creative ways.
Be able to relate to the buzz you get inside when your blog post is being shared or liked.

These are the ones who say stuff like “I don’t understand why have you just spent your whole day rewriting a paragraph…I mean who does that?”

And

“Why are you sat at the kitchen table crying over 157 words?”

Their lack of understanding doesn’t mean they are bad or cruel. They are not out to get you. You just have different interests and are motivated by different things. It is as simple as that.

No matter how many hours you spend trying to explain your creative tendencies to them…

“I need you to understand something, writing makes me goofy happy. You also make me happy, maybe not goofy happy but a different form of happy.” *awkward face*

Or, excitedly gush about your latest project…

“This story kept me awake all night. At 3am I got up and started writing. All my characters started talking to me and then my bladder got excited too so there I was running back and forth from the loo with a head full of plots and stuff.”

They will still cast you a puzzled or horrified look.

If we were all the same life would be pretty dull.

Here are some things to consider when accepting that there will always be some people will never understand your creative life:

As a creative person you will always be a mystery to some people. This is actually a good thing and you should always strive to remain a mystery. Keeps people guessing about what you will do next.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. You can’t force others to like what you are doing or what you have created.
Each one of us has different talents and skills to offer the world. As Walt Whitman said we are all here to ‘contribute a verse’.  Being creative (either through writing, blogging, podcasting etc) is your way of contributing a verse. These people are also contributing a verse in their own special way.
If you are a true creative person (i.e. not doing it for the money or future fame) then you will know that your creative side is a huge part of who you are as a person. It’s not something you can change or switch off and anyway why would you?
According to this article Neuroscience confirms that highly creative people think and act differently than the average person. Our brains are hardwired in a unique way! This means that some people are going to think we are from another planet.
Being misunderstood comes with the territory of leading a creative life.
There is a place in the world for all of us.

In my experience those who don’t get your creative ways at first eventually come to accept them. Bizarrely they can actually turn into your biggest supporters.

The sooner you accept that not everyone in your life is going to understand your creative life the better!

So, stop getting stressed over them not understanding why you have spent the entire day staring blankly at your fourth chapter.

Focus your energies on returning to that fourth chapter and spending the rest of the week trying to work out what’s wrong with it

#BookReview The Day We Met @toodletinkbaby #TuesdayBookBlog

This book is high on my book blogger list titled, Books Begging To Be Turned Into Films. 

The Day We Met  is one of those unforgettable books where you pray it’s turned into a film soon…because you desperately want to go to the cinema with your girlfriends, watch it on the big screen and then go back home and over wine and nibbles have deep conversations about what happens.

This book will mess with your head. This story is about an affair. What Roxie Cooper does so well is that she makes you want to stop what is happening because the two people having the affair have complicated lives with other people, but secretly you can’t help thinking how good Stephanie and Jamie would be together. As you carry on reading the book you become lost in what is right and what is wrong. If you love moral quandaries then this book is right up your street.

Oh my goodness, it took me months to recover from this book.

Here’s the blurb:

Stephanie and Jamie are meant to be. The problem is they’re both with other people…

Stephanie doesn’t believe in fate, true love or living happily ever after. She’s content enough being married to Matt. But then she meets Jamie, who understands her more than anyone else ever has.

Jamie’s married to his childhood sweetheart and believes in everything Stephanie doesn’t. He’s happy with Helen. So why does he have such a strong connection with Stephanie?

When Stephanie and Jamie meet one fateful weekend in 2006, it sparks a tumultuous relationship which spans over a decade. The day they meet changes everything…

Ten years, two people and one epic love story that asks what happens when you meet your soulmate after you’re already engaged to someone else?

Here’s my review:

It has been described as ‘an epic will-they-won’t-they love story with a twist,‘ and I totally agree.

I alternated between trying to keep a lid on my simmering emotions (very intense in places) and bouts of heartache while reading this book. At times I felt like Roxie Cooper was playing with my emotions.

It is a frustrating story (in a really good way). The characters are either engaged or married when they meet, and then go on to have children with their partners over the next ten years. There is a lot at stake for both Stephanie and Jaime and what makes things hard is that Roxie Cooper makes us like their spouses.

I loved the two distinct voices in Steph and Jamie and this really worked. I also loved their flaws and imperfections. They were relatable and I think is why the book was so captivating.

This book is Roxie Cooper at her best. It is a compelling and unforgettable story.

The ending…well…all I will say is that reading the ending of this book is an experience!

Please can someone turn this into a film?

My friends and I would definitely go watch this at the cinema.

3 Things I like About This Author:

After reading Classics at Newcastle University, Roxie realised she needed a break from studying Latin, Ancient Greek and all that serious stuff, so naturally, she became a dancer in a nightclub (à la Coyote Ugly) for a few years before going to live in Australia.
When she returned, Roxie swapped dancing on a bar, to practising at the Bar, and became a barrister for 7 years.
She’s added a really cool Spotify list with this book.

Click here for more details. 

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How The Act of Sharing Your Not So Perfect Writing Life Helps Other Writers #writer

Writing is not easy.

If you have ever found yourself forcing out a few words while listening to a crowd of negative voices in your head or staring miserably at 1567 words you wrote yesterday, which now sound like nonsense, you will understand.

Social media doesn’t help. There are days when it feels like everyone else has the perfect writing life. They’ve smashed their daily word count target, come up with ten new ideas for future books, caught the eye of an interested agent, watched their blog post go viral and taken over every form of social media known to mankind…all before lunch.

You, on the other hand have not written anything since you woke up because you can’t find your favourite pen, the coffee machine is on the blink, your dog has run off with your notebook, you can’t remember the last time you wrote more than two paragraphs, you’re still nursing an eight-day cold, over breakfast your husband said your latest romance book premise is ‘unrealistic’ and the kids are running riot.

It’s on days like these when we need to read about other writers and their not so perfect writing lives. Their stories are smile inducing and in some cases feel like a much-needed virtual hug.

Sharing moments from our not so perfect writing lives is important and something we should all do.

These moments help other writers in the following ways:

Reading about another writer’s not so perfect writing life helps alleviate those crap feelings which we all get. The ones which usually start with ‘I must be the only writer who..’ 
These moments makes us all smile and nod knowingly at our laptop screen. In view of the pain and suffering we all go through with our writing we can all do with a smile.
Sharing stuff like this makes us feel like we’re not alone. We are in this together.
Friendships are made when we share moments from our not so perfect writing lives. We can identify with other people going through similar episodes of pain and suffering.
We are making art and the creation of any art is messy. It’s always good to look up and see you are not the only writer making a creative mess.
Social media is not real life.
Reading about not so perfect writing moments distracts us from comparing ourselves to other writers. We forget the ‘I could never write as something as good as her,’ and say things like ‘I love the way she never gives up no matter how many rejections she has received’ and ‘I love how she’s trying to do the laundry, editing and all the childcare at the same time.’
Reading about another writer who is clearly having a tough day but is still carrying on can be inspirational. This is when a not so perfect writing life moment becomes powerful. You think to yourself ‘blimey – if he’s still smiling and carrying on with his writing…after his daughter accidentally knocked his coffee over his laptop, his wife is in bed with a nasty bout of flu, his mother is due to call in this afternoon, the kids are not dressed, the dog’s limping, his house is a mess, I can struggle on with my first chapter!’

So, on the days when you experiencing a painful episode of writer’s block and you are wrapped in a comforting blanket, watching Netflix whilst stuffing your face with chocolate. Share this not so perfect writing life moment! I guarantee there will be someone else in the world going through the same thing.

When your draft feels like a collection of typos and editing is getting you down and you are sat behind the shed in the garden, with a glass of wine and a box of tissues, share this not so perfect writing life moment. There are other writers around the world sat behind their garden shed pouring themselves another large glass and toasting their typos!

When you have had no luck with finding an agent or publisher and are toasting marshmallows on a bonfire (made from wood and your draft novel) – share this not so  perfect writing life moment! There are other draft novel bonfires being lit all over the world. You are not alone.

Let’s use our not so perfect writing life moments to help others.

Have you checked out my debut novel yet?

The perfect beach read

#BookReview As Luck Would Have It @zoe_writes #TuesdayBookBlog #RomCom

This book, As Luck Would Have It, is a strong contender for my Best Book of 2019. It is such a sweet romance I didn’t want to turn out the light and go to sleep. I wanted to throw open my bedroom window and burst into a glorious song.

Before I devoured this book I was on my annual ‘read other genres book break.’ This is where I give myself a four-week reading break from romance; I scare myself witless with a few good psychological thrillers, a biography or two and then maybe some hard hitting crime fiction to finish me off. The aim is that when I return to romance I feel refreshed and energised. Two weeks into my break this year I was…how can I put this…mmmm…gagging for a bit of romance. So I did the unthinkable and rushed back to romance where I fell into the arms of this fabulous book.

I thought the premise was excellent; two childhood sweethearts bump into each other years later at a town raffle and due to a mix-up they both win a holiday to Marrakesh. As they are both at a cross roads in their lives and can both do with a good holiday they decide to ignore the fact the prize is billed as a romantic getaway and just go as two old friends. What could go wrong?

This book made me smile, laugh out loud and it was so well written I felt like their gooseberry friend who hung around with them on holiday. It is classic romcom and would make an excellent film! Am thinking Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan from back in the day (the Sleepless in Seattle era) for lead parts.

Here’s the blurb:

Natalie Jackson might keep up appearances on Instagram, but in reality her fiancé has just jilted her after the birth of their baby and she’s moved back in with her mum. Life isn’t exactly going to plan!

So when she enters the village raffle for the holiday of a lifetime, she thinks she has no chance of winning. But her name is pulled out – and, as luck would have it, so is a ticket bought by her childhood nemesis: Will Brimble.

Surely a romantic holiday for two is the worst idea ever…right?

Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Sophie Ranald and Lindsey Kelk.

Here’s my  review:

I loved the characters Natalie and Will. Both have experienced a fair amount of heartache and sadness in their lives so by the time they get to the town raffle, both really need a holiday.

The holiday is hilarious in places because the hotel are expecting two loved up guests on their honeymoon. Natalie and Will are keen not to lose their holiday of a lifetime and start making the hotel think they’ve just got married. It really did feel like watching a good old fashioned romcom film. It has been a long time since I did a book belly laugh.

This book made me fall in love with the romance genre all over again. I didn’t need a reading break, I needed this book! Well done, Zoe May!

If you want a great beach read – check this book out.

3 Things I Like About the Author:

She has a gorgeous dog who looks like she’s part of the Zoe May romance writing team, so check out her instagram feed.
She likes to travel and puts some lovely pics up on Instagram.
She has a fabulous sense of humour.

Have a great day x

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Why You Should Protect Your Writing Dream #Writers #AmWriting

I am hoping this blog post will make you wrap up your writing dream in bubble wrap paper, place it in a sturdy box, write FRAGILE all over it and store in a safe place.

We all start our writing journey clutching a big, colourful and exciting writing dream.

‘I want to write something that people will want to read.’

‘I am going to write that novel I have been longing to write.’

‘I want to see my book on Amazon.’

‘I want to get snapped up by a literary agent.

‘I want to be at my own book signing.’

‘One day I will be a successful author.’

Your writing dream puts fire in your belly, keeps you awake at night, puts a spring in your step, encourages you to buy pretty notebooks and makes you write thousands of words over Christmas.

It has taken me a LONG time to realise that a writing dream needs protecting.

Sometimes we forget how fragile they are.

Just think about what the average writing dream endures:

Pulled apart. You spend half your writing career pulling apart your writing dream in your head, on paper and on your laptop.

Deflated. You spend too long on social media comparing your successes to the successes of other writers. You conclude they have achieved so much more than you and this isn’t great. Air starts to ooze out of your writing dream. By the end of the day your writing dream feels like it is a deflated beach ball lying in the corner of your mind.

Inflated. You will find things like positive feedback, encouragement from friends and loved ones supporting you inflate your writing dream.

Crushed. In the early stages of your journey you make the mistake of telling the wrong people about your writing dream. A few silly jokes, about YOU actually writing a BOOK, later and that writing dream of yours feels like it has been crushed. You tell yourself ‘it was just a silly dream,’ and spend the rest of the evening doing some internal screaming while stuffing huge chunks of chocolate into your mouth.

Ignored. You find yourself craving a break from writing which weirdly coincides with a nasty bout of Writer’s Block so you ignore your dream for a few weeks.

Discussed. Your dream is discussed at length with writing friends, interested loved ones, other writers you meet at conferences and on social media.

Trodden on. You get some stinging feedback on your story which makes you cry. If only you knew that in six months time it will be this feedback which will get your story noticed by an agent. Anyway, you’re upset to think about this, so you spend a good week hating your own writing and your dream feels like it has been flattened and trodden into the carpet.

Resurrected. Your writing dream will normally be resurrected after a few glasses of wine, many hours of daydreaming, several likes on social media to a blog post or some unexpected writing praise from a loved one.

Stamped on. The rejections are coming in thick and fast. Every time you close your eyes at night all you can see inside your head is, NO, NO, NO. You tell yourself all sorts of horrid things like there’s no hope for you and after a few weeks it feels like your writing dream has been well and truly stamped on.

Glued back together. The urge to write is strong and no matter how hard you try to keep yourself busy all you want to do is write. You remind yourself of the negative feedback, the rejections and the ridicule, but that fails to stop you creeping over to your laptop. Line by line you slowly start to glue your damaged writing dream back together.

Tied together with some old string. Sometimes you get so desperate that you can no longer find the glue to repair your damaged writing dream. You’re mentally exhausted and about to start the tenth draft of a story which has been bugging you for four years. Your piece of work has been rewritten, revised, deleted, edited, rejected, edited, chucked on a bonfire, hated, loved, screamed at, cursed, cried over and hugged tightly. You allowed your dream to take all the knocks and now it is too tiring to glue the shattered bits of your writing dream back together, so your mind finds what feels like some old string and ties it all loosely together.

Writing dreams are precious things.

As I have hopefully shown above we put our writing dreams through a lot.

These things need protecting.

They are so fragile.

I wish I had not put my writing dream into so many situations where it came under unnecessary strain and stress.

These are things I think we can do to protect and care for our writing dreams:

You don’t need to tell everyone your writing dream. There’s nothing wrong with protecting it by keeping it to yourself – especially at the start of your career.
Accept that this is YOUR writing dream. It’s not your loved one’s dream, your mother’s dream or your writing friend’s dream. Letting other people dictate what happens to your writing dream will lead to damage.
Build an imaginary wall in your head separating your writing dream from your work. When you get negative criticism on your work the wall will protect your writing dream. Your writing dream does not need to take all the knock backs your work gets. Your work WILL get criticised (guaranteed) but this should not damage your writing dream. Build the wall and if you have to stick that dream in a glass case too! I now have a wall, a huge moat and acres of imaginary land separating my dream from my work.
Don’t discuss writing dreams on social media. It is guaranteed someone will spot your post after eating a large slice of asshole pie and will take great joy in ripping your dream apart.
Ignore what other people say about your writing dream. It’s YOUR dream. If you want to dream big than do it.

Once you allow your writing dream to be destroyed you will end up walking away from a fantastic and life changing passion.

Dreams are what sets our souls on fire.

Now go and build that imaginary wall or find that box!

Look after your writing dream.

Have a great day

#BookReview Somewhere Close To Happy @LisforLia #TuesdayBookBlog

Ever read a book which stays with you long after you’ve finished it?

This book, Somewhere Close To Happy by Lia Louis, first came into my life in April. I managed to read it on NetGalley as it was a few months away from publication.

Once I finished Somewhere Close To Happy I thought the story of Lizzie and Roman would leave my mind, but it didn’t.

After the book was published I found myself in new book lover territory; rushing across Cardiff in blister-inducing shoes (I’d opted for style rather than comfort in Primark when I bought them), to Waterstones in my lunch hour (if you knew how far this was you would take a sharp intake of breath), to see whether this book was there so I could purchase and read it again. I don’t normally read books again.

I would just like to say I don’t normally huff and puff across Cardiff in uncomfortable shoes, with my deodorant on the verge of letting me down and bathed in a sticky sweat. Only for special books.

Here’s the blurb:

Lizzie James is happy.

She has a steady office job (with a steady stream of snacks), has had the same best friend since school, and she sees her family every Thursday night for take-away and trashy TV. Lizzie likes her uncomplicated life.

Then a letter arrives one day from her first love, Roman. A letter dated the day he disappeared, 12 years before. As Lizzie uncovers the secrets of the letter, she discovers what really happened the year her life fell apart – and all avenues lead back to Roman.

Lizzie James thought she was happy, or somewhere close to happy, anyway. Now she’s not so sure.

Here’s my review:

Somewhere Close To Happy has wrapped itself around my reading heart.

This tender and sometimes raw story of Lizzie and Roman is about friendship, loss, troubled teenage years, dysfunctional families, toxic relatives and how sometimes we just get a bit stuck in life.

It is rich in glorious detail and at times I felt like I was at Lizzie’s Dad’s on a Thursday evening, tucking into a steaming, homemade lasagne before heading to snuggle on the sofa, watching Eastenders while passing bourbon creams around. 

I found myself slipping into Lizzie’s life with ease which I think is down to the brilliance of Lia Louis’s writing. I became like a little sponge for Lizzie’s emotion; together we got anxious about Roman, we cried, we hated Auntie Shall, we gossiped with Priscilla, we thought about Olivia’s wedding, we listened to Katie telling us we were brave and strong enough, we missed Hubble, we recalled happy days laughing with Roman and we wondered what the hell had happened to him.

I loved the cast of quirky and interesting characters. I would like to say that I am a fully fledged member of the Lizzie and Roman fan club AND I am also a proud member of the NEW Priscilla and Hubble fan club (I am setting it up). Everyone needs a Priscilla friend in their life. My goodness she’s amazing and her support for Lizzie brought a tear to my eye. When Roman called Hubble, Lizzie’s grandfather a ‘ledge’ I had to agree with him. I know Hubble only had a minor part but I grew really fond of the memory of him.

Lia Louis doesn’t shy away from some quite serious themes; mental health, grief and addiction and I think she handled them really well. This book is surprisingly uplifting and positive.

There is a strong theme of friendship running throughout the book; Lizzie and Roman supporting each other through their time at The Grove and the daily battle against their demons. Priscilla supporting Lizzie by taking her on a quest to find out what happened to Roman and not letting her give up at the first hurdle.

I liked the use of the word ‘stuck’ throughout the book; Lizzie’s mum telling her daughter that sometimes we just get stuck and how she found herself stuck living with Lizzie’s dad. Lizzie realising how stuck she has been living her dormant life and Roman being trapped and stuck with his mum, stuck at the Grove all those years ago. The book is not only about Lizzie finding out what happened to Roman but it is also about how we can get stuck in life and the things we have to work through to become unstuck.

The quest to find out what happened to Roman made me anxious in places. I liked the way Lia Louis fed me tiny clues and made me think we would find him in the next chapter. Much love for the trail which led to Cardiff and Newport from someone who lives near Newport x

I am not going to say what happens with Roman because you need to read it to find out.

This is a wonderful debut from Lia Louis which will make you alternate between laughing and crying.

If I have made you want to read more, please click here.

Lia Louis can be found on Twitter @LisforLia

3 Things I love about this author:

She’s a happy mama to 3 children and always updates us on Twitter about how she’s doing on the mother front.
She’s aways waiting for the nod to get into her pyjamas.
She always gives us a baking update on Twitter.

 

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The Writer’s Other Half – Job Description #WritingCommunity #Writers ❤️

If you think being a writer or an author is difficult, please spare a thought to your husband, wife, girlfriend or boyfriend!

Now that I have published my debut romance novel, Instructions For Falling In Love Again, this is a subject I now feel strongly about.

Our loved ones deserve recognition!

It can’t be easy loving a writer.

You have to sit and watch the person you love spend their entire day editing the hell out of a paragraph.

You have to pretend to listen and be interested as your loved one talks plot twists in the wine aisle of the supermarket.

You have to keep passing your beloved tissues after the fictional death of a much loved character.

You have to ignore your loved one murmuring the name of a handsome main character in their sleep.

Standing here, clutching my book and thinking about everything I went through to get it out into the world, all I can think about is…it must be tough for my loved one!

I think we can all agree on this, the writer’s other half is a special human being with many interesting qualities.

So, I have given some thought to what their job description might look like:

Job: Vacancy: The Writer’s Other Half

About The Role: 

An exciting romantic opportunity has arisen for a self motivated, patient and enthusiastic individual to help support and love a writer throughout their literary journey.

Hours:

Can change and will be dependent upon:

The emotional state of the writer. Some writers might require more emotional support than others.
The stage the writer is at with their creative project. Extra hours will be required if the writer is going through a bad patch of writer’s block or if they have been on the receiving end of some unexpected negative criticism.
The writer’s love of social media. Hours will vary according to the peaks and troughs of the writer’s social media accounts. Must be prepared for all communication to stop if the writer’s work is being tweeted a lot. On the other hand they must be willing to put in the extra hours when their writer has fallen out with Twitter.

Location:

The job will be based at home with the writer.

Key Duties / Responsibilities: 

Must struggle to accept that tweeting is important writer work.
Must be able to wait for hours outside a bookshop (with the kids and dog) while your writer struggles to find a book to read for pleasure. 
Must be able to multi task – watch the sport and at the same time engage in weird conversations. Must not be phased by interesting topics such as romantic cliffhangers, unusual murder weapons, falling in love with ghosts, issues faced with getting intimate with another astronaut in space, finding love while climbing up a dangerous mountain and the dating problems faced by Merfolk.
Must be able to keep the cupboards stocked with chocolate and ensure there is a constant supply of cheese in the fridge while your writer is going through episodes of fictional trauma.
Must possess a basic knowledge of your writer’s work which will include the name of one character (which you must keep repeating in conversations to signal to your writer you are interested) and a rough idea of what happens at the end.
Must be able to accept the fact that your writer’s favourite pet does not possess a basic knowledge of your writer’s work but still gets more hugs and cuddles than you.
Must accept that pillow talk is going to include an assessment of your writer’s latest idea for a future bestseller. You will be experienced enough to know that this conversation will be one-sided and any romance that follows will depend on the changes in your facial expressions and the number of your gasps of delight while your writer explains the premise.
Must be willing to accept the house pecking order: your writer, the kids, your writer’s fictional characters (an array of needy and attention seeking invisible people), your writer’s favourite pet, your writer’s mother, the other pets and finally you. Harsh but true.
Must be able to step in with the children, pets, relatives and housework if your writer is in the middle of a writing binge and cannot be disturbed.
Must be able to bring your emotional writer back down to reality by reminding them that no one died whilst they read their first draft. Yes it was a total clanger of a draft but no one died.
Must be able to accept that advising your writer’s draft novel needs more work could lead to divorce.
Must be willing to act out ALL scenes your writer is struggling with.

About You:

You will be an expert at walking on eggshells.
Your tea and coffee making skills will be world class.
You will be a professional at keeping a biscuit tin well stocked.
You will have selective hearing and be able to go deaf when your writer is trying to tell you about their issues with their book’s opening paragraph.
You will be an expert in looking for positives in a literary rejection crisis.
You won’t understand what all the fuss is about with writing. This is a key skill!
You will excel at cheerleading from the sofa.
You will enjoy celebrating what seem like small achievements to you but to the writer they will be huge, like finishing a first draft, the end of writer’s block and getting a few re-tweets on their latest blog post.

Salary:

Paid via the salary of love, clean shirts and the occasional pint down the pub

Perks: 

You might get a line dedicated to you in the acknowledgements section of your writer’s novel.
You will get the kudos of saying you are romantically linked to a writer. Sigh! Doesn’t that sound great?
You will never be short of reading material.
Your life will never be dull!
You will always have someone who will listen to your life problems and troubling feelings. They might even scribble down some notes while you talk.
You will always get an invite to your writer’s book signing event…as long as you buy a copy

The Writer’s Other Half – Job Description #WritingCommunity #Writers ❤️

If you think being a writer or an author is difficult, please spare a thought to your husband, wife, girlfriend or boyfriend!

Now that I have published my debut romance novel, Instructions For Falling In Love Again, this is a subject I now feel strongly about.

Our loved ones deserve recognition!

It can’t be easy loving a writer.

You have to sit and watch the person you love spend their entire day editing the hell out of a paragraph.

You have to pretend to listen and be interested as your loved one talks plot twists in the wine aisle of the supermarket.

You have to keep passing your beloved tissues after the fictional death of a much loved character.

You have to ignore your loved one murmuring the name of a handsome main character in their sleep.

Standing here, clutching my book and thinking about everything I went through to get it out into the world, all I can think about is…it must be tough for my loved one!

I think we can all agree on this, the writer’s other half is a special human being with many interesting qualities.

So, I have given some thought to what their job description might look like:

Job: Vacancy: The Writer’s Other Half

About The Role: 

An exciting romantic opportunity has arisen for a self motivated, patient and enthusiastic individual to help support and love a writer throughout their literary journey.

Hours:

Can change and will be dependent upon:

The emotional state of the writer. Some writers might require more emotional support than others.
The stage the writer is at with their creative project. Extra hours will be required if the writer is going through a bad patch of writer’s block or if they have been on the receiving end of some unexpected negative criticism.
The writer’s love of social media. Hours will vary according to the peaks and troughs of the writer’s social media accounts. Must be prepared for all communication to stop if the writer’s work is being tweeted a lot. On the other hand they must be willing to put in the extra hours when their writer has fallen out with Twitter.

Location:

The job will be based at home with the writer.

Key Duties / Responsibilities: 

Must struggle to accept that tweeting is important writer work.
Must be able to wait for hours outside a bookshop (with the kids and dog) while your writer struggles to find a book to read for pleasure. 
Must be able to multi task – watch the sport and at the same time engage in weird conversations. Must not be phased by interesting topics such as romantic cliffhangers, unusual murder weapons, falling in love with ghosts, issues faced with getting intimate with another astronaut in space, finding love while climbing up a dangerous mountain and the dating problems faced by Merfolk.
Must be able to keep the cupboards stocked with chocolate and ensure there is a constant supply of cheese in the fridge while your writer is going through episodes of fictional trauma.
Must possess a basic knowledge of your writer’s work which will include the name of one character (which you must keep repeating in conversations to signal to your writer you are interested) and a rough idea of what happens at the end.
Must be able to accept the fact that your writer’s favourite pet does not possess a basic knowledge of your writer’s work but still gets more hugs and cuddles than you.
Must accept that pillow talk is going to include an assessment of your writer’s latest idea for a future bestseller. You will be experienced enough to know that this conversation will be one-sided and any romance that follows will depend on the changes in your facial expressions and the number of your gasps of delight while your writer explains the premise.
Must be willing to accept the house pecking order: your writer, the kids, your writer’s fictional characters (an array of needy and attention seeking invisible people), your writer’s favourite pet, your writer’s mother, the other pets and finally you. Harsh but true.
Must be able to step in with the children, pets, relatives and housework if your writer is in the middle of a writing binge and cannot be disturbed.
Must be able to bring your emotional writer back down to reality by reminding them that no one died whilst they read their first draft. Yes it was a total clanger of a draft but no one died.
Must be able to accept that advising your writer’s draft novel needs more work could lead to divorce.
Must be willing to act out ALL scenes your writer is struggling with.

About You:

You will be an expert at walking on eggshells.
Your tea and coffee making skills will be world class.
You will be a professional at keeping a biscuit tin well stocked.
You will have selective hearing and be able to go deaf when your writer is trying to tell you about their issues with their book’s opening paragraph.
You will be an expert in looking for positives in a literary rejection crisis.
You won’t understand what all the fuss is about with writing. This is a key skill!
You will excel at cheerleading from the sofa.
You will enjoy celebrating what seem like small achievements to you but to the writer they will be huge, like finishing a first draft, the end of writer’s block and getting a few re-tweets on their latest blog post.

Salary:

Paid via the salary of love, clean shirts and the occasional pint down the pub

Perks: 

You might get a line dedicated to you in the acknowledgements section of your writer’s novel.
You will get the kudos of saying you are romantically linked to a writer. Sigh! Doesn’t that sound great?
You will never be short of reading material.
Your life will never be dull!
You will always have someone who will listen to your life problems and troubling feelings. They might even scribble down some notes while you talk.
You will always get an invite to your writer’s book signing event…as long as you buy a copy

The Writer’s Other Half – Job Description #WritingCommunity #Writers ❤️

If you think being a writer or an author is difficult, please spare a thought to your husband, wife, girlfriend or boyfriend!

Now that I have published my debut romance novel, Instructions For Falling In Love Again, this is a subject I now feel strongly about.

Our loved ones deserve recognition!

It can’t be easy loving a writer.

You have to sit and watch the person you love spend their entire day editing the hell out of a paragraph.

You have to pretend to listen and be interested as your loved one talks plot twists in the wine aisle of the supermarket.

You have to keep passing your beloved tissues after the fictional death of a much loved character.

You have to ignore your loved one murmuring the name of a handsome main character in their sleep.

Standing here, clutching my book and thinking about everything I went through to get it out into the world, all I can think about is…it must be tough for my loved one!

I think we can all agree on this, the writer’s other half is a special human being with many interesting qualities.

So, I have given some thought to what their job description might look like:

Job: Vacancy: The Writer’s Other Half

About The Role: 

An exciting romantic opportunity has arisen for a self motivated, patient and enthusiastic individual to help support and love a writer throughout their literary journey.

Hours:

Can change and will be dependent upon:

The emotional state of the writer. Some writers might require more emotional support than others.
The stage the writer is at with their creative project. Extra hours will be required if the writer is going through a bad patch of writer’s block or if they have been on the receiving end of some unexpected negative criticism.
The writer’s love of social media. Hours will vary according to the peaks and troughs of the writer’s social media accounts. Must be prepared for all communication to stop if the writer’s work is being tweeted a lot. On the other hand they must be willing to put in the extra hours when their writer has fallen out with Twitter.

Location:

The job will be based at home with the writer.

Key Duties / Responsibilities: 

Must struggle to accept that tweeting is important writer work.
Must be able to wait for hours outside a bookshop (with the kids and dog) while your writer struggles to find a book to read for pleasure. 
Must be able to multi task – watch the sport and at the same time engage in weird conversations. Must not be phased by interesting topics such as romantic cliffhangers, unusual murder weapons, falling in love with ghosts, issues faced with getting intimate with another astronaut in space, finding love while climbing up a dangerous mountain and the dating problems faced by Merfolk.
Must be able to keep the cupboards stocked with chocolate and ensure there is a constant supply of cheese in the fridge while your writer is going through episodes of fictional trauma.
Must possess a basic knowledge of your writer’s work which will include the name of one character (which you must keep repeating in conversations to signal to your writer you are interested) and a rough idea of what happens at the end.
Must be able to accept the fact that your writer’s favourite pet does not possess a basic knowledge of your writer’s work but still gets more hugs and cuddles than you.
Must accept that pillow talk is going to include an assessment of your writer’s latest idea for a future bestseller. You will be experienced enough to know that this conversation will be one-sided and any romance that follows will depend on the changes in your facial expressions and the number of your gasps of delight while your writer explains the premise.
Must be willing to accept the house pecking order: your writer, the kids, your writer’s fictional characters (an array of needy and attention seeking invisible people), your writer’s favourite pet, your writer’s mother, the other pets and finally you. Harsh but true.
Must be able to step in with the children, pets, relatives and housework if your writer is in the middle of a writing binge and cannot be disturbed.
Must be able to bring your emotional writer back down to reality by reminding them that no one died whilst they read their first draft. Yes it was a total clanger of a draft but no one died.
Must be able to accept that advising your writer’s draft novel needs more work could lead to divorce.
Must be willing to act out ALL scenes your writer is struggling with.

About You:

You will be an expert at walking on eggshells.
Your tea and coffee making skills will be world class.
You will be a professional at keeping a biscuit tin well stocked.
You will have selective hearing and be able to go deaf when your writer is trying to tell you about their issues with their book’s opening paragraph.
You will be an expert in looking for positives in a literary rejection crisis.
You won’t understand what all the fuss is about with writing. This is a key skill!
You will excel at cheerleading from the sofa.
You will enjoy celebrating what seem like small achievements to you but to the writer they will be huge, like finishing a first draft, the end of writer’s block and getting a few re-tweets on their latest blog post.

Salary:

Paid via the salary of love, clean shirts and the occasional pint down the pub

Perks: 

You might get a line dedicated to you in the acknowledgements section of your writer’s novel.
You will get the kudos of saying you are romantically linked to a writer. Sigh! Doesn’t that sound great?
You will never be short of reading material.
Your life will never be dull!
You will always have someone who will listen to your life problems and troubling feelings. They might even scribble down some notes while you talk.
You will always get an invite to your writer’s book signing event…as long as you buy a copy

The Writer’s Other Half – Job Description #WritingCommunity #Writers ❤️

If you think being a writer or an author is difficult, please spare a thought to your husband, wife, girlfriend or boyfriend!

Now that I have published my debut romance novel, Instructions For Falling In Love Again, this is a subject I now feel strongly about.

Our loved ones deserve recognition!

It can’t be easy loving a writer.

You have to sit and watch the person you love spend their entire day editing the hell out of a paragraph.

You have to pretend to listen and be interested as your loved one talks plot twists in the wine aisle of the supermarket.

You have to keep passing your beloved tissues after the fictional death of a much loved character.

You have to ignore your loved one murmuring the name of a handsome main character in their sleep.

Standing here, clutching my book and thinking about everything I went through to get it out into the world, all I can think about is…it must be tough for my loved one!

I think we can all agree on this, the writer’s other half is a special human being with many interesting qualities.

So, I have given some thought to what their job description might look like:

Job: Vacancy: The Writer’s Other Half

About The Role: 

An exciting romantic opportunity has arisen for a self motivated, patient and enthusiastic individual to help support and love a writer throughout their literary journey.

Hours:

Can change and will be dependent upon:

The emotional state of the writer. Some writers might require more emotional support than others.
The stage the writer is at with their creative project. Extra hours will be required if the writer is going through a bad patch of writer’s block or if they have been on the receiving end of some unexpected negative criticism.
The writer’s love of social media. Hours will vary according to the peaks and troughs of the writer’s social media accounts. Must be prepared for all communication to stop if the writer’s work is being tweeted a lot. On the other hand they must be willing to put in the extra hours when their writer has fallen out with Twitter.

Location:

The job will be based at home with the writer.

Key Duties / Responsibilities: 

Must struggle to accept that tweeting is important writer work.
Must be able to wait for hours outside a bookshop (with the kids and dog) while your writer struggles to find a book to read for pleasure. 
Must be able to multi task – watch the sport and at the same time engage in weird conversations. Must not be phased by interesting topics such as romantic cliffhangers, unusual murder weapons, falling in love with ghosts, issues faced with getting intimate with another astronaut in space, finding love while climbing up a dangerous mountain and the dating problems faced by Merfolk.
Must be able to keep the cupboards stocked with chocolate and ensure there is a constant supply of cheese in the fridge while your writer is going through episodes of fictional trauma.
Must possess a basic knowledge of your writer’s work which will include the name of one character (which you must keep repeating in conversations to signal to your writer you are interested) and a rough idea of what happens at the end.
Must be able to accept the fact that your writer’s favourite pet does not possess a basic knowledge of your writer’s work but still gets more hugs and cuddles than you.
Must accept that pillow talk is going to include an assessment of your writer’s latest idea for a future bestseller. You will be experienced enough to know that this conversation will be one-sided and any romance that follows will depend on the changes in your facial expressions and the number of your gasps of delight while your writer explains the premise.
Must be willing to accept the house pecking order: your writer, the kids, your writer’s fictional characters (an array of needy and attention seeking invisible people), your writer’s favourite pet, your writer’s mother, the other pets and finally you. Harsh but true.
Must be able to step in with the children, pets, relatives and housework if your writer is in the middle of a writing binge and cannot be disturbed.
Must be able to bring your emotional writer back down to reality by reminding them that no one died whilst they read their first draft. Yes it was a total clanger of a draft but no one died.
Must be able to accept that advising your writer’s draft novel needs more work could lead to divorce.
Must be willing to act out ALL scenes your writer is struggling with.

About You:

You will be an expert at walking on eggshells.
Your tea and coffee making skills will be world class.
You will be a professional at keeping a biscuit tin well stocked.
You will have selective hearing and be able to go deaf when your writer is trying to tell you about their issues with their book’s opening paragraph.
You will be an expert in looking for positives in a literary rejection crisis.
You won’t understand what all the fuss is about with writing. This is a key skill!
You will excel at cheerleading from the sofa.
You will enjoy celebrating what seem like small achievements to you but to the writer they will be huge, like finishing a first draft, the end of writer’s block and getting a few re-tweets on their latest blog post.

Salary:

Paid via the salary of love, clean shirts and the occasional pint down the pub

Perks: 

You might get a line dedicated to you in the acknowledgements section of your writer’s novel.
You will get the kudos of saying you are romantically linked to a writer. Sigh! Doesn’t that sound great?
You will never be short of reading material.
Your life will never be dull!
You will always have someone who will listen to your life problems and troubling feelings. They might even scribble down some notes while you talk.
You will always get an invite to your writer’s book signing event…as long as you buy a copy