Author of Pivotal (Hashtag Press, £7.99, October 17th 2019, women’s fiction)
Pivotal
Life really does imitate art
I have no idea why I decided to set part of my debut novel, Pivotal, in Gloucestershire, except perhaps because I wanted to avoid the story becoming too autobiographical. At the time I had never been to the area, so after a fair number of visits I felt better able to represent the location with authenticity.
Then, the strangest coincidences started occurring.
Having described a fictional beach copse in the grounds of an old manor house, I rounded the corner in the Painswick Rococo Gardens to a glorious copper-leaved display. I discovered that the original name for the house itself had an uncanny connection to the plot. This was too good to be true and made its way, along with half a dozen more coincidences, into the book.
A coach makes all the difference
The biggest hurdles I had to overcome in order to complete my first draft were the ones of my own making. Things have a habit of getting in the way, if you let them.
Like many writers, I found a routine and a daily word count target helped, but my most productive times were when I was working with a coach, on three separate occasions. Each time they helped me get unstuck and create a clear goal and a plan of how to achieve it.
Being a creative writing coach means I can spot when it’s time to invest in myself. I can set all the goals I like but I’m just the same as everyone else and need help sometimes to take action. I honestly believe I wouldn’t be seeing Pivotal get published without their support.
I meditate
For the last one thousand and forty days (yes, I’ve been counting) my morning routine has started with a ten-minute meditation. I’d never really considered it before as I have one of those brains which just won’t switch off and didn’t think it would work for me.
Then, after I attended a guided taster session organised by a friend, I came away deciding to use an App at home and give regular practice a go.
Now, as part of looking after my wellbeing, along with baking and coffee (both of which feature in Pivotal) I can’t imagine life without my daily meditation!
A writing shed
I have found that a closed door to my study doesn’t prevent interruptions to the creative process. I dream of a Roald Dahl style writing shed in the hope that the extra metres from the front door, and the brief exposure to the elements, will be a more successful deterrent to intruders!
I am a huge ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ fan
Although I’ve not yet been fortunate enough to be in the audience, every year I look forward, like millions of others, to autumn and those cosy Saturday nights-in. For me it’s not the glamour and the sparkle, although that is fun. It’s the progression of the celebrities and the teaching ability of the professionals. I can only imagine how wonderful it must be to learn something so intensively. The Argentine Tango is my favourite dance so don’t be surprised to see a Tango connection within the pages of Pivotal.
When I’m not writing or coaching…
I love anything creative, including sewing, sketching, interiors; spending time at home with my family and long walks with my husband, preferably involving a pub roast. We’re also hoping to adopt a four-legged addition to the household soon, which should help to work off the home baked cakes and the lunches.
Many of my writer friends have dogs who play a starring role in their books. I suspect something similar might happen to me in the future. Watch this space.
Why write Pivotal?
One evening, the core idea for the story popped into my head, pretty much fully formed. The main premise poses the question at the heart of the book. When we make a significant decision, how much control do we have over who we become? Whilst it has been a challenge to get the story finished and the book published, I never considered giving up.
Pivotal is a book full of ordinary women whose lives are disrupted by an extraordinary dilemma. Someone asked me recently if I’d cast the main characters in their forties to fill a gap in the market where this demographic is under-represented. If I did, I wasn’t conscious of it. I wanted Pivotal to be full of relatable characters and the kind of book which leaves you thinking. It’s the kind of book I like to read and one I felt needed to be written.