The revised draft of Against the Clock is almost complete. There is a beginning, middle and end. The gaping plot holes have been cobbled together. The continuity errors have been sorted (I think!). It will go to my developmental editor at the end of the week. I should be really excited, but instead I feel a little flat. I don’t think I’ve ever been as unsure about a piece of writing. If truth be told, I’m not unsure – it’s just not as good as I’d hoped. It doesn’t have the spark of book 1 (Clear to the Last). Perhaps because it’s book 2 of the trilogy. Is the middle always destined to be trickier to write? Who knows? Whatever, I need help. Hence the developmental editor.
What’s her role? Well, she will look at the structure of the manuscript as a whole – the story, pacing, character development, etc. and offer suggestions for improvement (hopefully not throw her hands up in horror and tell me it’s a lost cause!). The idea is that she won’t make changes as such but offer suggestions for improvements. The book will then come back to me, and I’ll work through those suggestions, either taking them on board and making alterations in line with the advice given, or (as is the author’s prerogative), choosing not to make the change, but possibly doing something different. (I’m hoping that even if I don’t agree with a suggestion, it will spark an idea for a better way to deal with that element of the book.) Whatever, she’ll then take another look at what I’ve done, and give me some more feedback – hopefully indicating that the book is in a better position than in the previous round!
I just wish I felt more confident about the story before I sent it off, but this does not feel anything like my best work. Perhaps I’ve thrown in too many elements. Perhaps not enough. Perhaps the end doesn’t feel very conclusive because it can’t be, because it’s not the end. Perhaps I’m worrying too much and just ought to crack on with book 3?
But instead, I’ve swapped back to one of the short stories I was working on previously. They say a change is as good as a rest, and that seems to be what I need right now! I’ll tinker with some stories for a bit, and then I’ll go back to book 3.
If there are other writers reading this, please let us know your experiences of battling with a difficult draft (particularly a sequel), or if you’ve used a developmental editor, I’d be very interested to hear how that process went. Any advice gratefully received. Thank you! 🙏
Yesterday was the 500th day in a row that I wrote 200 words or more. It feels like a huge milestone and I’m still reeling from the total word count (I’ll get to that in a minute)! If only I’d discovered the concept of #200wordsaday years ago! But what have I learned over the last 500 days?
The power of small and mighty! Small daily habits are life changing. I’ve started attempting to apply this philosophy to other parts of my life. But writing is probably the easiest, because a daily wordcount is so measurable.
Prior to undertaking the #200wordsaday challenge, I wrote sporadically at best. Sometimes I would have a run of productive days, and churn out thousands of words, but this would usually be followed by a long gap – sometimes so colossal that I would no longer feel that I could even call myself a writer. In these times, I would mentally beat myself up, and whatever project I was supposed to be working on at the time would turn into this horrible scary thing that I couldn’t go near. Writing 200 words a day, every day, helps prevent this anxiety and has done an awful lot to improve my mental health.
Related to the above, I now feel like a “proper writer”. I’m doing this!
Most days I don’t feel like writing, but again, most days I enjoy it when I start. There are some days where every last word feels like it must be dragged from my lumpen brain, and I hate what I’ve written, but thankfully these days are few. In any case, I figure writing is like anything else you ask your mind and body to do – you have to keep flexing that muscle.
200 words is the minimum – but most days you end up writing so much more. And even if it’s 200 words of rubbish, it exists, it didn’t exist the day before, and it’s something to work with. You can’t edit a blank page.
So, wanna know how much I’ve written in 500 days? Bearing in mind that I might reasonably have expected to write 100,000 words or just over, my actual total is:
202,463 words (so a little over 400 a day)!
But writing the words is only part of the process. Currently, I’m still beating those words into something that might possibly resemble a book very shortly. So, no time for sitting around feeling smug – I’ve got to crack on! See you next week. 😊
And we find ourselves in May already! How did this happen? As usual, life is galloping by, and no, book 2, Against the Clock is still not finished… (Some irony in that I am now very much against the clock myself as I struggle to get the manuscript ready in time to meet my developmental editor’s deadline!).
May means it’s also time for me to send out my quarterly newsletter, so if you haven’t subscribed to my email list as yet, now would be an excellent time to do so – just click the link here and you’ll be included in the next mailing. You’ll also get a FREE ebook – my exclusive subscribers-only story Angel in Digsuise (the prequel to Clear to the Last) which features Ellen Ingram as the heroine in her own right. As a little taster, I thought I’d do an interview with Ellen – and because spring is here at last after a relentless winter, it’s the ideal time to drag her away from her work for a few minutes. So, grab a cuppa and let’s get into the interview!
Me: Hi Ellen, welcome to the blog!
Ellen: Thanks for having me. Have to admit, it’s kind of surprised to be asked.
Me: Why’s that?
Ellen: Well, I’m guessing most people would have wanted you to have Simon on here next.
Me: Really? Hmm…well, I might ask him sometime, but I think readers will be just as interested in you – after all, you are the heroine of your own stand-alone story Angel in Disguise.
Ellen: Yeah, yeah. And it was good to feel myself fleshed out a bit more in that story, I suppose. After all, in the main trilogy I’m…well, useful more than anything else!
Me: You’re a lot more than that! Anyway, let’s provide a bit of background for anyone who has yet to read the books. Tell us a bit about yourself.
Ellen: OK, well, I’m Ellen Ingram. I run Fairview Riding School which I built up from scratch myself. I do most of the teaching which is a lot. Occasionally I get someone in to help cover a few lessons… well, I say that, but to be honest I haven’t been able to justify it recently. And it’s so difficult to get someone who’s available when you need them, but also the right fit, you know?
Me: Sounds like a lot of responsibility.
Ellen: Yeah, running any business is demanding, but I think running a riding school is particularly tough. When I think back to Covid, when we had no income coming in for months, but still lots of horsey mouths to feed… Well, you can imagine, it was pretty stressful.
Me: Yes, with all the restrictions and no customers…crazy when you look back on it. But even without Covid, having a business which involves looking after so many horses and ponies must be tough!
Ellen: The horses are easy to work with – it’s the customers who cause the problems! [Laugh] No, I’m joking, my regulars are great. Seriously, I’ve worked in the horse world all my life. It’s not for the faint-hearted. You get so many people saying, “Ooh, I’d love to work with horses, it’s my dream job!” but it’s bloody hard work, long hours, the pay is crap, and there aren’t many benefits! You have to remember it’s a 365-day-a-year job – the horses need looking after even on the non-teaching days. [Pause, interruption by email notification.] Sorry! One of the things that’s tough these days is all the legal hoops you have to jump through. There’s a lot of paperwork…well, computer work. The bane of my life! I’m not a natural when it comes to doing stuff online! You know, I’m the sort of person who still has a physical paper diary! I’d much rather be outside in all weathers than stuck at my desk. Oh, and that’s the other thing of course, the British weather!
Me: Ah, yes. Wind and rain or sun and flies! So, I’ve got to ask – do you enjoy your job?
Ellen: Oh, God, yeah. Why, do I sound like I’m just whingeing?! [Laugh] I mean, people don’t work with horses unless it’s their passion – there’s plenty of easier ways to earn a living without going home every night stinking of haylage and manure! No, seriously, I didn’t start out planning to run a riding school, it was more a side-line for the livery business I originally started. But over the years, the riding school side took off and that was the direction I decided to take it in.
Me: Do you ever regret that decision?
Ellen: Overall…no… Livery is getting much more competitive now – you know, people expect all the facilities these days. And, I have to admit, I found it quite hard to watch people doing stuff with their horses – or sometimes, not doing stuff with them! – I found myself wanting to step in, but it wasn’t my place….you know?
Me: Yes, I can understand that. You have more control when the horses belong to you.
Ellen: [Nodding] Plus, the kids I teach are great fun – keep me on my toes, keep me young, I guess. And the adults, come to that – I teach people from all kinds of different backgrounds – you’re constantly getting new perspectives on life. And I get a such buzz when I see an adult – usually somewhere in their middle age, who’s just returned to riding after a long break – and that moment when they suddenly realise they can do it. The smile on their face….well, it makes it all worthwhile!
Me: You sound pretty passionate about it.
Ellen: [Shrugs] Like I said, you have to be. It would get boring pretty quickly if you weren’t totally into it. And I’ve met some amazing people in the equestrian world. Whenever I think about quitting, I realise there’s nothing else I’d rather do.
Me: So, you spend all your time teaching other people to ride. What about you? Do you get much chance to ride?
Ellen: Ha! Yes, that’s the rub. Not as much as I’d like. I used to have dreams of competing, but that’s hard to fit in around running your own business. I mean, I haven’t quite given up yet, but I’m not getting any younger, so… [Sound of phone ringing.] Sorry, I’d better take this. It’s a client I’ve got booked in this weekend. Hopefully not another cancellation!
Me: Oh, of course. Thanks for taking the time to talk to us!
So, I hope you enjoyed my little chat with Ellen. If you want to see more from her, sign up to my mailing list now and you can read all about her in Angel in Disguise, or pick up a copy of Clear to the Last. And (spoiler alert!), she’ll also have a role in Against the Clock which will be out at the end of the summer.
And if you enjoy these interviews, let me know which character you’d like to hear from next! 😊
Let’s be clear, plotting in advance of picking up your pen – or putting fingertips to keyboard – is the way forward. There are so many advantages, for instance:
You know where your story is going and how it will get there. It helps prevent writer’s block because you’re not staring at a blank page wondering what happens next.
As a part of the plotting process, you naturally delve into your characters’ motivations, and desires. This leads to more nuanced and believable characters.
Plotting helps maintain consistency in your story. You can ensure that subplots are woven in seamlessly, and there are no glaring plot holes.
By outlining your story, you can identify pacing issues early on. You’ll know when to ramp up the tension or slow things down for emotional depth.
Planning can save time in the long run. You’re less likely to have to backtrack and rewrite large sections because you’ve thought through the story structure beforehand.
Having a solid plan can alleviate the anxiety that comes with not knowing where your story is headed. You can focus on writing without constantly worrying about what comes next.
How do I know all this? From the bitter experience of being a “discovery writer” (a.k.a. “a pantser”). All the advantages of the above are the disadvantages of being like me. When I start a story, of course I have a hazy idea of what it will look like. It’s not like there’s no plan at all in my head. I might have even written out some notes of the chief plot points, character motivations etc. But I never get as far as a proper plan right from the start – you know, one with a chapter list and a scene-by-scene breakdown.
Because, imagine that? Imagine how speedy I’d be if I knew what I had to write every day. I can manage maybe three or four thousand words in a day where the scenes are clear in front of me, when the words feel like they are falling from my fingertips almost faster than I can type. And that feels magical. Why wouldn’t I want to do that every day? Why would I prefer my plodding #200wordsaday stuttering progress, where I end up with over 80,000 words of mess to sort out at the end of the first draft?
Perhaps because for me it feels more creative. The ideas develop along the way, even when I begin to worry they won’t. Plot twists are unexpected, even to me, the writer! Characters take on a life of their own, and their motivations feel more authentic as a result. But I guess the biggest thing is that plotting it out in advance feels similar to telling someone else all the details of the story, which for me, instantly kills the creativity. It’s as though the story already exists, so the impetus to write it is lost.
I’m not sure if that makes sense to anyone else, but I am clinging to this truth while I go through the very painful process of editing/moving scenes/re-writing the monster that I’ve created. I’ve found that printing the thing out and working on it in hard copy format is better at this stage – perhaps it’s something to do with being able to physically see and move the pages about (I know this is possible digitally with Scrivener and other software, but the tangible feel of the pages is helping me at the moment).
But, I have to admit, this experience has made my reconsider my approach in the future – perhaps for Book 3, I’ll try to start with a little more of plan! 😉
Have you ever stopped to think why you choose to read the books you do? Are you a fan of a specific author? A specific genre? A specific format (ebook, audio, paperback, hardback – the physical feel of the book in your hands, the turning of pages, the smell of the paper)? Selecting a book to read is a very personal decision, which can be affected by many factors, both conscious and unconscious. Here are my top five:
1) Title – conventional wisdom would suggest that readers like short, snappy titles which make it really clear to a potential reader what they’re about. But then there are always exceptions to the rule (for example – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time). Whether long or short, they need to be intriguing and pique the reader’s interest.
2) Cover – many modern covers have bold sans serif fonts and strong images, while specific genres will have their own accepted style conventions. In physical bookstores, there are hundreds of extremely beautiful hardcover books vying for the reader’s attention, many of which include embossing, or decorative edges to the pages. But if you read on your Kindle or other device you may only see the cover as a thumbnail at purchase. The human brain processes images much more quickly than text, so you may be influenced by a cover illustration without even being aware of the fact.
3) Blurb – I’m always disappointed when a book (or author) is so famous that the blurb isn’t a blurb at all, it’s just a compilation of rave reviews from the big name newspapers. Just as disappointing is a blurb which gives a distorted impression of the actual book. Or one which gives away something fundamental, so that for the first third of the book you’re thinking “yes, but I already know the man is an imposter” or whatever it is. Writing the blurb is tricky, but a good one will make the difference between a reader purchasing or simply scrolling by.
4) Reviews – these are always tricky. As readers we like to make up our own minds about a book, so to what extent should you allow yourself to be influenced by the reviews of others? If you look at almost any book on Amazon or Goodreads, you’ll find someone who loved it, and someone else who loathed it. A single bad review might be more of a reflection on the person who wrote the review rather than the book itself (perhaps the book wasn’t for them but their criticisms make you realise it’s something which would appeal to you – e.g. maybe they love pacey, plot-driven stories, while you prefer to read something which is deep and character-driven). If the majority found it disappointing, there’s a strong chance you will too. But by the same token, just because a famous book gets rave reviews doesn’t guarantee it won’t be a disappointment – sometimes it’s hard for a book to live up to all the hype.
5) Reading the first line or two to get a feel for the author’s style (you can often do this online via the “look inside” feature). Do you prefer first or third person narration? Do you like a quirky narrative voice? I love to see the world through one person’s eyes for the duration of the story, so point-of-view (POV) switches are an anathema to me (particularly when they are sporadic and random) – but when they are handled well, they can be great. For instance, Beth O’Leary’s The Flat Share, is told from the POV of two main characters in alternate chapters. Each character has a rich narrative voice, distinctive and different from the other, and the interplay between the two really makes the book.
I’m fascinated to hear how you select books – what attracts or repels you? What’s your favourite cover design? Have you ever been disappointed by a book everyone else raved about? Or do you love a book that other people don’t seem to get on with? Let us know in the comments… 😊
Lynne Reid Banks died last week at the age of 94, after battling cancer. During her long and accomplished life, she wrote over 40 books for both adults and children, and for me, reading them over thirty years ago, they were inspirational in a truly motivating way.
Like a lot of teenagers, I took myself far too seriously when I was 17 – I’d had my first story published in PONY magazine and was therefore convinced that I was going to be a writer. But I was studying English Literature, and therefore I wasn’t content with writing pony stories – I wanted to write Great Literature (always with a capital letters, you understand!). I studied lots of works of Great Literature, and tried to absorb all their greatness as though somehow that would help me write my own work of Great Literature! Instead, most of it paralysed my own writing. But Lynne Reid Banks was different. I loved her direct, no-nonsense style, the brevity of her descriptions, the precise understanding of guilt and self-punishment, the careful unfolding of relationships that felt so true to life.
My Lynne Reid Banks collection – books for both adults and children
When I first read The L-Shaped Room, I particularly loved the first-person narration and its strong characterisation. First published in 1960, it was vintage when I picked it in the late 1980s, but it didn’t matter. The heroine, Jane, pregnant and unmarried, spoke to me from across the years – and perhaps attitudes in a small seaside town in Somerset twenty or thirty years later weren’t so far removed from those depicted in the book! What was so impressive was that The L-Shaped Room was her first book, and yet so assured and well-written.
At University, we talked about the concept of defamiliarization or “making strange” when writing – i.e. bringing to life some perfectly ordinary event by making it seem extraordinary, and there’s a brilliant example of this in the scene where Jane has given herself indigestion eating a huge curry and as a result is in fear of losing the baby as she walks home from the restaurant:
“My legs were trembling and when I put my hand against my face it was burning, and yet clammy. The next time I reached a lamp-post I clung to it. It was wet and cold, but it held steady, which was more than anything else seemed to. I put my forehead against it and hung on with both hands. Then I felt the post begin to slide upwards through my hands, as if more of it were coming out of the ground. It slid up faster and faster, though I tried to hold it down. Then I felt something hard strike my knees, and I smelt a very strong smell of dog.”
Someone then comes along and picks her up from where she has fallen (with the obvious irony of that someone being a neighbour who’s a prostitute), but I’ve always thought what a striking image this was, and it’s stuck in my mind forever after (though of course, I had to look it up to quote it!).
I loved lots of her other books, especially An End to Running and the books she wrote about the Brontës, and I admired the fact she wrote for both children and adults. Most importantly for me though, she was a ‘serious’ writer for whom love and relationships were consistently strong themes, and I knew I too wanted to write about such things.
Since her death, I’ve been moved to re-read The L-Shaped Room and some of her other books as a sort of homage. Yes, they are of their time and certainly read as such now, but they are rich in emotional depth and filled with such brilliantly vivid, flawed characters that their author will live on through them for a long time to come. Lynne Reid Banks, RIP.
Today’s post is an interview with Anna Rashbrook, author of the Horses and Souls series amongst many others, so grab yourself a cuppa and settle down for some behind-the-scenes info about Anna’s writing, and about some of the horses in her life.
When did you start writing – and what inspired you to take it up?
I’ve written bits and pieces all my life and have hoarded them. They were really useful when I was writing my memoirs. I wrote my first novel in 1992, a Christian thriller, but couldn’t find a publisher. It was only in 2019, when I was living in Austria, I had the time to write and give self publishing a go.
Could you share a brief overview of your writing journey so far?
I began with Challenger, which started out as a vivid dream, then Compromise and Chaos came that way too. Then came along a Christmas book, one based on my time teaching riding in Austria, then the end of the now Horses and Souls series as we moved back to the UK in 2021. Since then, I’ve written about the 1946 Grand National, based on an account my mother left me. Having moved to Wales, I’ve now written about Pit ponies too. In between I’ve written four memoirs and my latest a Christian cosy mystery. I’m taking a break now until May as I’m involved in organising the first ever Pontypridd Book Fair.
Sounds like you’ve been pretty busy over the past few years! So, if you ever have any spare time, apart from writing, what other things do you love to do?
Walking, reading, gardening and collecting old horse books. I volunteer with the local RDA, and really, really must get back on a horse soon!
What themes or messages do you explore in your writing?
All my books have a Christian message, some blatant, others more subtle!
How do you approach the writing process? Do you have any rituals or routines?
I have to have the plot as far as possible in my head before I begin, but if I get stuck, I take the dog out on the hills and think it through.
Do you tend to “write what you know” or do lots of research for your stories?
I really got into researching for my Grand national and Pit ponies books and had a real buzz from creating fiction from all the sources. Horses have been in my life through childhood and in work, so they are totally what I know, so I write with them inside me. The ponies in my Pit pony book came from the cover picture and wrote their own stories!
Tell us about some of the horses in your life.
I have three favourites. Emma, my first pony, a 14.3 dark bay, Dales cross who came into my life when I was 13. We had such fun and got into all sorts of scrapes together.
Then came Monty, a 15.2 palomino Welsh cob, who I had on loan when I worked in equine assisted therapy. I spent many happy hours pootling around the New forest with him.
When I worked in Austria teaching riding, my main partner in crime was Rodi, a 14.2 liver chestnut Icelandic who was the perfect lead horse. I could even turn around and check my ride when we were cantering and he wouldn’t falter. He did have his moments, such as immersing his head up to his eyes in streams! Like Monty, he could inhale carrots and apples.
A big thank you to Anna for giving us an insight into her writing world.
If you’d like to find out more about Anna’s stories, head on over to her Amazon author page, or check out her website Anna’s Horse Books which features all her books, including Castles in the Air (Horses and Souls, Book 5).
Incredibly, we are already nearing the end of March (although, if like me you’re in the UK, you could be forgiven for thinking it’s still February – cold, grey, windy and still wet, wet, wet!), so today is not only time for a monthly review, but also a review of the first quarter of 2024 – eek!
Working Draft of ‘Against the Clock’
In the goals I set myself in December, I gave myself until the end of April to complete a working draft of the sequel to ‘Clear to the Last’. I guess you could say I was on track, since the majority of the first draft is written, but it’s still a mess of random scenes which don’t link up, and worse, I’m concerned that I might have backed myself into a tricky place from which to write book 3. I have to admit, I’m not enjoying this part of the process one little bit. Experience convinces me that I will get through it, but right now, every time I open the document to start work on it, my heart sinks as I find another gaping plot hole/continuity error/contradiction, or other nonsense. I’m even feeling a bit annoyed with my characters. Livy is being even more anxiety-ridden than usual which is a bit tedious, and….well, everyone else just seems pessimistic and gloomy (apart from Reg of course, oh, and someone else, but I can’t mention that without the risk of a spoiler). Anyway, I’m hoping that a bit of extra time over the Easter hols will give me the opportunity to sort out the various plot lines so I can see the wood for the trees.
Short Story Collection
Since I’ve been so focused on Against the Clock, I’ve not worked on any short stories for the next collection. I’m frightened that if I swap to another project, I won’t be able to make myself go back to the novel because it’s in such a mess. Still, time for short stories once the novel draft is complete.
#200wordsaday
I’ve have written every day of 2024 and completed over 46,000 words to date (on average, over 500 words a day, well over target) – so that’s all good. Just wish the quality was as good as the quantity!
Social media & Newsletter
In the main, I’m sticking to my posting schedule, but clearly what I’m posting isn’t engaging or entertaining enough, because I’m not continuing to attract new followers in the numbers that I had been. On the other hand, I’m delighted to see that some more of you lovely people have been signing up to my newsletter recently – I hope you’ve managed to successfully download your free subscribers-only ebook Angel in Disguise –please let me know what you think of it. If you haven’t subscribed yet, you can do so here.
Financial stuff
Ebooks have outsold paperbacks this month, which hasn’t been my experience previously – though a contributing factor may have been my decision to drop the ebook price of Clear to the Last. Nonetheless, KindleUnlimited still makes up the lion’s share of my royalties, so my decision to remain in KU (and withdraw At the Paddock Gatefrom wide distribution and put it back into KU) is still working for me at the moment.
The US continues to be my biggest market – so a big thank you to all my readers across the pond!
The other thing to note this month is the ALCS payment. The Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society collects royalty payments on behalf of authors for ‘secondary rights’ (stuff like photocopying, library lending etc.). I’ve been a member for years (since the days when I wrote for the UK magazine market) and it’s completely worth the modest annual fee. They make two payments a year – one in March and one in September – but March is usually the biggest pay-out. It’s not a fortune, but it is a nice little bonus. If you’re a UK writer, and you aren’t yet a member, I’d highly recommend you join.
Beta Readers
I now have a team of Beta Readers lined up ready and waiting for the advanced version of Against the Clock – though obviously they’re still going to have a bit of a wait! I’m hugely grateful to everyone who has offered to help, and thank you for being patient after I possibly over-promised in my last newsletter! If you would be interested in being a Beta Reader, please subscribe to my email list and drop me a line with your details. I can then let you know what’s involved (ideally suited to someone who is an avid reader, with a sharp eye for errors, who’s not afraid of telling me they didn’t like something, but most importantly, is able to articulate why!).
So, all in all, a reasonably productive first quarter. Thanks for sticking with me while I continue to make (slow) progress. Now I need to back to book-wrangling – arrgghh! – wish me luck! 😉
Reading promotes happiness in lots of ways – for instance, it lowers our stress levels whilst stimulating the brain in a good way, it can enable us to sleep better, it allows us to briefly see the world through someone else’s eyes and even help us work out problems. Studies have shown that the brain reacts to reading in a similar way to meditation, so we enter a deeply relaxing, calm state, probably because we are extremely focused in much the same way as we would be in a meditative state. How many times have you been engrossed in a good book and lost track of time?
Creativity Through Writing
Much like reading, the physical act of writing can also encourage a zen-like flow state where you become unaware of the passing hours and are totally immersed in your fictional world. Creating something – a story, a book, a poem – can enrich our lives and give us a sense of satisfaction and achievement. (I always think of this as good quality happiness – the sort that comes with having done something, as opposed to merely being entertained or passively enjoying something.) Expressing your thoughts and emotions through writing can also be beneficial (look at the number of people who value the act of writing “morning pages”), and it can allow you to clarify your thought processes or crystallise ideas (in my case, with my poor memory, before they drift off somewhere never to be seen again!).
Riding and looking after horses
There are so many benefits of having horses in your life. To start with, their care ensures you have regular physical exercise outside in the fresh air, even if you’re not actually riding, meaning you are building your muscles, strengthening your bones, and getting a little vitamin D too. Exercise in itself releases endorphins which relieve stress and make us feel happier. Riding takes this a stage further, both physically (the level of skill, balance, and fitness required to ride well), and mentally. Riding can be calming and relaxing, or exhilarating and joyous. It can push us out of our comfort zone, whether that’s through competition, or riding a new horse or just an unfamiliar situation (such as riding along the beach through the waves, galloping in a wide-open space, or jumping for the first time). But challenging yourself can give you a huge boost of self-confidence. And of course, there’s the emotional and spiritual element – the bond that can develop between horse and human, and the joy that is gained from doing something you’re passionate about.
It stands to reason that combining a couple of these elements can really boost happiness. Having devoted my time to equestrian fiction writing in the last few years, I can attest to the fact it has brought me great pleasure and satisfaction. And I’m also delighted to have come into contact with so many other horse-book writers on my journey, meaning I’ve had the chance to read some great horse books too. If you need some more horsey fiction in your life, check out the authors at The Bookstore for Horses for some great reads to boost your own happiness. 😊
As we have just celebrated International Women’s Day (Friday 8th) and Mother’s Day (Sunday 10th), I’ve been thinking about my own mum, and mums in fiction.
My mum was super. (I suppose the vast majority of us think that about our own mums, but even so, I’m confident that mine was really super.) She was bright and funny and whenever I think of her, I imagine her smiling or laughing at something – often her own perceived foolishness. She had buried her own writing dreams as an adult, thinking that they were silly. In the 1940s when she was a child, I guess you weren’t really encouraged to “follow your dreams” because life was tough during and immediately after the war. She didn’t grumble about much (despite the fact we weren’t well off and went without a lot of stuff that other people took for granted – their house, where my dad still lives, doesn’t have central heating or double glazing). She was pragmatic and sensible about life, but underneath, she was a dreamer, loved travel, languages, books and most of all music.
When my friends and I developed a love of writing, mum was delighted, as it allowed her to join in and unleash that long-repressed side of her nature. She wrote lots – short stories, poems, even a novel or two. All just for us, of course, though if she’d lived a little longer, I’m confident that she might have been persuaded to have a go at self-publishing. She was the person who first told me about Lulu, the self-publishing platform, all those years ago – something I wish I’d followed up on sooner.
In fiction, quite often mums tend to get a bit of a raw deal. They are often shadowy figures in the background, or only well-drawn when they are not very nice. I always liked Catherine Crewe, Jill’s mum in the Jill books by Ruby Ferguson. Much like my own mum, Mrs Crewe seemed to be a satisfying mix of very sensible and proper, but a bit dreamy and distracted – and occasionally a bit rash, but in a delightful, life-affirming way.
Writing mum characters can be tricky. In many of my stories, the relationship between the main character and their mum is often strained or damaged in some way. (Perhaps this is kind of exploratory, since my relationship with my own mum was so good.) For instance, in ‘Box Rest’, one of the stories in At the Paddock Gate, the heroine, Laura, has had an accident and is being looked after (against her will) by her mum from whom, as an adult, she’s been estranged. In Clear to the Last, Livy’s relationship with each of her parents is problematic, with her father because of his absence, and with her mother for more nebulous reasons. And, without giving too much away, one of the stories I’m working on for the next short story collection has a gorgeously awful mum character who I’m really enjoying writing.
That said, I generally don’t buy into the idea of someone being the “bad guy” (or gal), as I doubt many of us think of ourselves as bad (though, I do love the Mitchell & Webb sketch “Are we the baddies?”). Parents, and arguably mums in particular, have such a strong influence on their children, but at the same time they are people in their own right, with their own desires, flaws and issues, and I find exploring that aspect in my stories very interesting.
I wish my mum had been around to see my books in print and perhaps to have a go at self-publishing herself. I suspect she would have found KDP and the other platforms fascinating and liberating, and she might have written lots of great books. The fact that she didn’t is a loss for both me and for the readers who might have been able to enjoy them.💔
Jenny Roman 