How I Learned to Stop Saluting Magpies
Hurray! It’s finished.
This week I took delivery of the first copy of my book – How I Learned to Stop Saluting Magpies. After all the work and glitches, it’s thrilling to see it in its completed state. Jo Dalton has come up with a beautiful cover and Dawn Black the interior designer has also added a touch of magic. I’m grateful to them both. These have been very happy collaborations after months of working on my own to shape the story and the ideas, as faithfully and curiously as I can.
Along the way, I’ve read dozens – perhaps hundreds – of books as I’ve explored an eclectic set of topics – from flamingoes to Russian history, via Jane Austen, fish, classic films, superstition, trains, Japanese culture, forgiveness, slow living, anxiety, painting, long-distance walks and a mysterious grandmother. And much more. Like I said, it’s eclectic.
It takes — at least it’s taken me — a long time to get from the initial concept to the final product. Somewhere between four and five years. I can’t be sure of the exact date but know I was walking on the Cornish cliffs when the idea for it suddenly came into my head. It blew in with the wind like Mary Poppins, and then it wouldn’t leave me alone. It’s a sequel to my first book 31 Treats And A Marriage but with quite a different slant.
I nearly gave up several times. When my laptop was stolen from a train somewhere between Amsterdam and Berlin, I lost my research notes. I use a writing tool called Scrivener and thought everything was being automatically backed up, as that was how I’d set it up. Turns out it wasn’t. Something very odd had happened and no-one could work out what had gone wrong. The helpful people at Scrivener did their best but were mystified. Thousands of words and months of work – all gone. I nearly gave up then. But I bought a new computer, took a deep breath, drank lots of coffee and started up again.
Then there was the period of creative block when out of the blue I simply lost the desire to write. It was frustrating and perplexing and I wrote about it here. That was when I learned that we all need seven different kinds of rest, and I was due for some creative rest. Thankfully, after about four months, I re-engaged with the writing process and learned to love it again.
There is joy in completing this book but also sadness. My dear friend Anne Stanton was always so encouraging of my writing, and made such thoughtful comments about my previous books. She was often in my mind while I was writing, but she will never get to read this one, as she died of bone cancer in November last year. Similarly, Chris Harris — a wonderful man who was so well-read but made time to read my books, and to comment so intelligently on them. He died in January. I miss them both.
If you would like to find out how I learned to stop saluting magpies, and why it was so necessary, then the book is available in both paperback and Kindle versions. It takes a while for publishers’ details to appear on some websites so don’t be put off if you see an ‘out of stock’ message — it’s currently listed by Blackwell’s and Amazon but should be available to order through all good bookshops. If you read it, I would be thrilled if you find something interesting, something useful, and something that makes you laugh out loud. Something, too, that prompts a conversation. Preferably lively. And if you like it, please do consider leaving a review — it makes a big difference.
And now the moment has come…
You’ve been a long time in the making, little Magpie. It was just the two of us for those years—quiet hours, exploration, the slow shaping of something uncertain—and although I could never be confident that you would find your way out of my imagination, you have. It’s been such a rich experience and I will miss you. But nothing lasts forever, and now that I can hold you, it’s time to set you free. Flap your wings. Spread them wide. You’re ready to fly.
How I Learned to Stop Saluting Magpies: A Lifeline List and Letting Go of Fear. 2025. Esmeralda Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9934711-2-4
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