Menna Van Praag's Blog, page 42

poetry

“A woman must have a room of her own if she is to write fiction.” Virginia Woolf

I used to write novels at the kitchen table. Stephen King wrote Carrie in the laundry room of his double-wide trailer. I’m sure many writers write in much crazier conditions. But, I’ve found it an undeniable fact (especially after dear O learned to walk) that to have a room of one’s own in which to write is a blessed thing indeed. Otherwise it can be rather difficult to write anything at all. I refer to a rather funny, but poignant, poem by Lynn Peters:

WHY DOROTHY WORDSWORTH IS NOT AS FAMOUS AS HER BROTHER

“I wandered lonely as a…

They’re in the top drawer, William,

Under your socks -

I wandered lonely as a -

No not that drawer, the top one.

I wandered by myself -

Well wear the ones you can find.

No, don’t get overwrought my dear, I’m coming.

“I wandered lonely as a -

Lonely as a cloud when -

Soft-boiled egg, yes my dear,

As usual, three minutes -

As a cloud which floats -

Look, I said I’ll cook it,

Just hold on will you -

All right, I’m coming.

“One day I was out for a walk

When I saw this flock -

It can’t be too hard, it had three minutes.

Well put some butter in it. -

This host of golden daffodils

As I was out for a stroll one -

“Oh you fancy a stroll, do you?

Yes all right, William, I’m coming.

It’s on the peg. Under your hat.

I’ll bring my pad, shall I, in case

You want to jot something down?”

Pic: the real House at the End of Hope Street had a writing room in the garden – could it be anymore perfect?!

The House at the End of Hope Street

Guess what happened today? Something rather magical. I found the House at the End of Hope Street! It wasn’t actually on Hope Street (it was in Choorley Wood and belonged to my lovely friend Tanya’s mum) but it was heaven. Even before I stepped into the garden, I knew. It’s a strange and incredible thing, spending years creating a place in your imagination and then seeing it made manifest in real life. And when I went inside I was even more astonished. There was Peggy’s crockery cabinet – where characters from Wonderland & Narnia live out their lives on the cups – and the stove where she mixes her magic hot chocolate, and the table where the new residents sit as they tell their stories of lost hope. Needless to say, I want to move in tomorrow. Sadly, she’s selling in this summer, so I can only hope there is another House at the End of Hope Street out there somewhere, waiting for me…

George Clooney & Me…

“Brick walls are not there to keep us out. Brick walls are there to show how badly we want something. Brick walls are only there to stop the people who don’t want something badly enough.” – Randy Pausch

I did something a little crazy today… funny, crazy, and a bit embarrassing too So, I heard that George Clooney is currently in Cambridge filming and a journalist friend told me where he’s staying – in a rather posh hotel, of course. And suddenly I had an idea. I could take him a copy of my film script. It’s a black comedy and I do think he’d rather like it. Spoiler – in case you’re getting excited now – this story doesn’t have an exciting ending Anyway, I called my co-writer and together we went to the hotel, armed with a copy of the script. We waited outside for a while, eyeing the bodyguards (a new addition to the place) and trying not to chicken out. Eventually, Dave urged me to go in. I couldn’t get in through the front so I went round the back, via the restaurant, and came to the front desk. I was so embarrassed at the thought of asking the receptionist to give my script to George Clooney that I nearly ran out again.

Then I remembered everything I’m always writing about courage and knew I had to seize the moment. Meanwhile, she’d started looking at me a little funny. So I asked. And – I might have seen this coming – she told me she had no idea what I was talking about. Of course Mr Clooney wasn’t staying here. He wasn’t even in England. Now, I knew this wasn’t true and I mumbled something to that effect. I tried another tack, explaining that I was a local author who’d written the first draft of my latest book in their library while drinking their hot chocolate – all true. But she wasn’t budging. And, thinking it probably best not to grab her by the lapels and shake her, I said “okay” and strode out onto the street where Dave was waiting. Now, I know that little story was a bit of a non-event, and yet it’s an example of me climbing a brick wall. Granted, this time I failed, but next time I might not. The point is, to always keep climbing!

Pic: signing books on my little tour of NYC bookstores.

Chocolate…

“What you see before you, my friend, is the result of a lifetime of chocolate.” ― Katherine Hepburn

Yesterday I popped over to London to meet a few friends and Emma took me to the most AMAZING cafe where I drank… drumroll please… salted caramel hot chocolate. Now, I’ve drunk hot chocolate all over the world and I’ve never had this before. I LOVED it. I drank two cups then fell asleep in a hot choco coma on the way home. Bliss.

The cafe is called Caravan, close to King’s Cross station, visit it if you get the chance – their choco fudge brownies are also amaaaazing )

Dancing…

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”

- Neale Donald Walsch

Last night I went Lindy Hopping (swing dancing for slackers;) for the first time in a LONG time. Now, I love Lindy Hop. It gets me out of my head and – especially when doing jumps – makes me squeal with delight. So why haven’t I been in so long? Because, when Wednesday night comes around and it’s been a long day and I’m tired, it just feels easier to sit on the sofa and eat cookies while watching TV. We all have an innate inertia inside us and, if we let it, it can shrink our lives until we’re hardly living at all. Now, sometimes we just need to chill out, but sometimes we need to go dancing. Or whatever it is we love, because life begins at the end of your comfort zone and once you haul yourself off your sofa. That’s the lesson I learnt last night & it made me squeal with delight…

Passion!

“To find joy in work is to discover the fountain of youth.”

― Pearl S. Buck

Writing is one of my greatest passions. I love my work. I adore it. And, even I lose my fire every now and then. Last week was one such time. The words just weren’t coming, nor the urge to write. In the past I used to push when this happened – nothing good ever came of it – now I just wait, knowing the fire will return soon enough. Yesterday I went on a writing workshop taught by Laurence Gouldbourne. He teaches with such passion and brilliance that you can’t sit in his class and not have fireworks shooting from your pen, feel passion ablaze in your heart, before too long. Yesterday I was reminded again that to live without passion is not to live at all. And, even now and then, we all need someone to reignite us. Thank you, Laurence!

Day 100!

“In a mood of faith and hope my work goes on. A ream of fresh paper lies on my desk waiting for the next book. I am a writer and I take up my pen to write.”

― Pearl S. Buck

I began the 99 Days with no idea how I’d write them. I’m amazed I found inspiration each day – it shows the power of giving your word and sitting down at your desk every day – and if I can do that then you can do anything too, I’m sure. Anyway, I ended up enjoying it all so much that I couldn’t resist doing a bonus day!

This morning the sun is shining, the daffodils are out, the smell of spring is in the air… and HOPE is out there in the world. Which is lovely but, like most fulfilled dreams, it hasn’t changed my life. I feel proud to have done it, pleased to have achieved something I worked so hard at and grateful for the opportunity. But I’m not any happier than I was before. And that is the important thing to know about fulfilling your dreams. It’s a wonderful thing to do but it won’t make you happy, only one thing can do that: you.

A picture of HOPE above my writing desk.

Day 99 of 99 Days

“There is a modern day philosopher’s stone – being in this moment. And what it does is transform ordinary, mundane lives into exquisite magnificent lives.”

Ariel & Shya Kane

What a wonderful 99 days it’s been! For me, and I hope for you too. When I began this project, I just wanted to give insights and inspiration to help you fulfil your dreams. But along the way I’ve learnt so much more about life, the meaning and point of it all, than I expected. I know that courage, tenacity and faith will enable you to achieve a lot, but the fates are fickle, bestowing fortune and favour as they fancy. Most circumstances are beyond our control, twisting and turning throughout our lives. And so it’s lucky that joy doesn’t wait for the fulfilment of your dreams, it doesn’t tease you on a future horizon, but offers itself freely in every moment. And, when you enjoy the everyday mundane moments as much as the magical ones, then you will experience the true fulfilment of all your dreams.

Pic: Artur, O & Me enjoying a magnificent, mundane moment in Hamburg this weekend.

Day 98 of 99 Days

“We all have to find our way toward what ever miracle awaits us.”

― Juliette Fay, Shelter Me

I used to feel lost. I had no idea what to do with my life (the idea of being a writer seemed so ridiculous I didn’t even consider it) and no hope that I would ever love anything very much. Forget about miracles. And then, very gradually, I began to feel my heart and find my courage. It began with reading The Artist’s Way when I was 19. That was when I first began to believe, to hope, that one day I could be a writer. Today I’ve just done a Creativity and Intuition workshop with Ariel & Shya Kane. Tomorrow HOPE STREET will be published. Life is a miracle indeed and mine shows that anything is possible for anyone.

Pic: Hope Street in Cambridge, England. When I wrote the book I didn’t actually know it was a real place. Let alone that there was no number 11…

Day 97 of 99 Days

“Security is mostly a superstition. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”

― Helen Keller

I used to think I was safe, if I lead a little life that avoided anything remotely dangerous or daring. And then, one day, I was walking along the road and a chimney stack fell on my head. If that’s not a sign from above, I don’t know what is. I look it to mean that there was absolutely no point in hiding – physically or emotionally – because safety was an illusion. After that I stopped working for the money and started doing what I loved instead, I began risking my heart and reaching out, I smiled at strangers, I went travelling, I did daring things that had scared me silly before. It was wonderful. Now I believe that, since we’re never safe, we might as well live life to the full!

Pic: A beautiful new edition of Alice, a piece of art.