stepping out …

My author friend, Denise Picton told me some years ago that writers are waiting inside the waiting. Wise words that revisit me whenever I feel despondent about waiting for that email, or that phone call.

And … we’ve all heard the saying about the definition of insanity. So recently, I’ve been mixing things up a bit. Doing things differently and planning for a different result. After six years of writing and three and a half books lurking in my Writing folder on my laptop - I’m taking some risks and stepping outside my comfort zone.

For those people who know me well, deliberately curating an untidy, chaotic desk seems uncharacteristic. Nowadays, I aim to come to my writing space as a more relaxed person - the edges of me open to my characters; giving them freedom to take me where they want to go. Now friends and acquaintances - I haven’t actually adopted insanity. Writers will admit to carrying their characters and plot around in their heads, ready to engage with them whenever there’s a break in the torrent of everyday noise.

I’ve also lately embraced music through my ear pods as I sit down at my desk. Fiona McIntosh introduced this tip at her masterclass some years ago. A classical dirge if I’m writing a funeral scene, an Adele break-up song for a romance going wrong.

The biggest difference has been stepping outside the traditional route to publishing - submitting to publishing houses, literary zoom pitches, entering competitions. Yes, I’m still doing all those things, but a well-known and respected professional in the writing industry has lately been pushing me in all sorts of uncomfortable directions. I’m receiving clear and often brutal feedback and advice - working harder than ever before.

Yes, I’m still waiting inside the waiting, but have changed the waiting room up a bit.

Lessons in taking a more relaxed approach