With Halloween literally around the corner, I thought I’d expose some of the scary truths about being a writer. Apologies if that sounds like frightful navel-gazing when I’m pretty sure naval-gazing would be far more interesting, but, sorry, I don’t know any sailors. Life can seem fairly terrifying at times and often the world looks like a dark and messed up place…If you’re anything like me, stories and books are a very necessary escape to release the pressure valve of reality. At the risk of scaring you, but hopefully not scarring you permanently, I thought I might share some of the scary truths about being a writer.
First let’s get the obvious out of the way. It is SCARY how TIME flies. Like this is the first time I’ve actually thought about sitting down to write anything for my newsletter and it’s already 29th October, so it is rushed. Apologies in advance for the typos.
Where did the month go? It was like a poltergiest throwing all sorts of shit at me. Like it is scary how many of my goals I fail to achieve. It doesn’t mean they’ve been thrown out with the baby and the bath water, they’re still in the pipeline, but I really overestimate how much I can get done in 24 hours a day.
I can remember the first time I ever considered the concept of time. Full disclosure, I went to a posh boarding school in the UK from the age of seven and there was this statue of Father Time behind the school on the terrace. Okay, I just went Googling and found him. (See photo below.) This is the exact statue of Father Time me and my fellow school inmates had to run around every morning before breakfast come hell or highwater, frost or snow. It was us kids doing the running, not Father Time. He just stood there, as if Time was standing still. I didn’t get it then and I still don’t now. Time is not an idle, hunch-backed, benevolent grandaddy figure. Time is a relentless task master, a Frankenstein-Hermes-Icarus character, a stitched Halloween goblin that flies at lightning speed straight for the sun.
On an aside, another scary thought: the posh school with statues and temples and all, still managed to spit out an unrefined young lady like me. Oh the money wasted…now that is a really horrifying thought.
Nowadays, I’m back in the school environment, but life and work couldn’t be more different to my own schooling experience. It’s scary how little funding the school I work at gets from the government. It’s scary that they let ME take charge of young people (cue witch’s cackle). And, folks, I’m ‘encouraged’ (theatrical groan from the wings) to dress up for Halloween, which is not so simple as you might imagine because the last thing I want to do is trigger any of my more feisty students’ scary behaviour. Actually, that’s not entirely fair. I’m lucky. The kids I teach are generally fabulous…and not at all loud or unruly or disruptive or throwing half eaten soft cheese around in my classroom. Well, rarely…
Let’s get back to writing. What else I find terrifying is how I ALWAYS misjudge every writing project I start. Full disclosure: A few weeks ago I may have told Jodi Gibson (see scarily talented writer in my Author in the Spotlight below) that I’d be doing NANOWRIMO - that’s a month in which many many writers try to blast out 50,000 words of a writing project in a month - but a few days ago, it transpired that the manuscript I’m currently working on, Alice and the Impossible Game, needs a whole change of main male protagonist. That’s a knee-buckling rewrite. That is super scary. I will be in no position (unless you count on my knees or in a heap somewhere) to start the new romance novel that I had planned for NANOWRIMO. It also means that Alice gets yet another scenic detour while I fix her , which also means delaying my planned publishing date until early(ish) next year, which also means I feel like I’ve rubbed up against failure again. Sometimes this feels like the novel that will never be…Sometimes I feel like the author who will never be…
Anyhow, the good news is, I’ve been procrasti-designing a book cover. It still has a way to go, the typography is a little too drunken, but hopefully you get the feel of what I’m aiming for…And you, dear readers/subscribers, are the first to set eyes upon my next book baby.
Another thing that is really scary - putting your work out there and waiting to be hit with criticism. But feedback and reviews are also a writer’s best friend. So, what do you think? Hit me with it! Feel free to email me: annafoxkirk@gmail.com Eek!
Suffice it to say, my writing is continuing, in between the teaching and shopping and cooking and ubering, and despite the moments of panic and anxiety, despite the numerous detours and scrapping of plans: the writing MUST GO ON.
Writing is a scary business. Writers need to have a lot of BLIND FAITH. Writers need to be prepared to EXPOSE themselves in public not matter how humiliating that may be. However, writers DO NOT QUIT despite the goblins—Imposter, Distractor and Drivel—even though writing is a lot like Halloween the whole year round!
What else scares the shit out of me about writing? In no particular order, 10 other things:
My body. It refuses to do the stuff it used to be able to do and I still want it to do. I am conscientiously objecting to growing older, but my body is slowly corrugating into Mrs Time. This week I was out of action with a trapped nerve in my neck for several days.
Also, talking of my health, at the back of my mind, lurking like a spider in a corner is the fear of having another stroke. Best not think about that or my husband’s health issues for too long. I keep chipping away, trying to keep healthy, trying not to overindulge in delicious food, trying to keep a positive outlook and healthy frame of mind.
FOMO - It’s so easy as a writer to get buried in the work. I feel like I have to make sacrifices and prioritise my writing, but sometimes, when I come up for air, I realise I’ve missed out on fun with family and friends. I’ve said ‘no’ so many times, I suspect sometimes I don’t even get invited any more (or perhaps they don’t actually enjoy my company - goblins, goblin thoughts…).
Bad decisions and indecision. I’ve made a few. I’ve had to scrap a lot of written work. I have that suffered that crucifying feeling of wasted time. I am indecisive by nature. I envy people who seem to know exactly what they’re doing. How? Seriously, how?
Distractions. Distractions that cause car prangs - yes, I managed to prang my car less than a week after buying it because I may have been a little distracted mulling over plot points. Yes, my husband is long-suffering.
Intimidating people. Is it me or are there a lot of them out there? How do they manage to be so ‘in the know’? It makes me suspicious. It makes me think it’s all a ruse and beneath that armour of superiority and disapproval, they secretly aspire to be more unruly and out of control, like me. Or maybe they don’t.
Disruptions and worries, aka my kids. One now wants to go and live in Spain. One is so in love it is both marvellous to behold and also makes me wince. And the third one with the hickies on his neck has tidied his room for the first time in years. I am waiting for him to ask if he can invite the girlfriend over any day now…
The challenge of self-publishing. While I relish the control (Mmm, I maybe a control freak) and I want to self-publish my work, getting my head around algorithms and marketing and the business side of writing is daunting to say the least. I’d rather have tea with Freddie Kruger. But it’s a must. I’m facing my fears and putting my big girl pants on.
Other great writers. Reading is a great escape, but it’s also scares the bejesus out of me because there are so many talented writers out there. Comparisonitis can crush creativity… unless you remind yourself that you are comparing to better understand (excuse the split infinitive) the writing craft, and your genre, and trends etc. A writer has to have humble expectations and high aspirations. I think. But I could be wrong.
Writing in and of itself. It happens. It rarely happens as expected. Putting it out there in the world can be terrifying. What if everyone hates it? What if the reviews suck? What if I’m writing drivel…?
So after all my drivelling, let me waste no more time and introduce you to an Aussie author who is SCARILY thoughtful, talented and together (and all round gorgeous!) - the inimitable Jodi Gibson!
Jodi, what makes you want to write novels?
Jodi: I love the creative process of exploring characters and stories. And I love how the story evolves and changes organically as you write. Simply, the whole process of writing brings me joy.
Anna: And immense joy to a lot of readers too!
How would you describe your novels? What can readers expect?
While my first novel was more of a contemporary drama, my two latest are what I call feel-good reads. A combination of heart and humour that readers can enjoy being whisked away into, but also with some underlying themes relevant to today’s women. I love reading that type of thing and love writing it. I hope to think that my authentic blend of heart and humour and creating relatable characters is maybe my USP.
Okay, if you could reinvent yourself, who would you be?
Oooh. Great question. I think I’m finally at the stage of my life where I realise reinventing myself means not totally changing who I am, just having the freedom and confidence to keep doing what I love which is writing. But if I could reinvent one aspect of myself, I’d be less of introvert and more of an extrovert!
Do you have a writing routine? Where and when do you write?
Not a routine as such. I just try to write every day. As I work from home for our family business, that ‘paid’ work comes first in the day. Generally, I’m writing between 1pm and 3:30pm each day. And 10am Thursday mornings with my Insta ‘Write Squad’ pals.
Can you tell us more about Ask the Author?
I started the Ask The Author podcast after realising I’d been asked quite a lot of questions from aspiring authors over the past two years which I’d been happy to answer through email or direct messages. As they were topics that most aspiring writers would be interested in, I thought ‘Why not answer them to a broader audience?’ and so the podcast was born. It’s a bite-sized podcast, around 10 mins per episode, and addresses all things writing and publishing so easily fits into your day. I’m having great fun with it and people seem to be enjoying listening.
What are you currently working on?
I’m currently preparing for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month in November) so I’m outlining what will be my fourth novel, my third feel good fiction. It has a bit of a similar vibe to the movie ‘The Holiday’, with a bit of a twist. I’m looking forward to writing it.
Anna: And I’m looking forward to reading it!
In the spirit of Halloween, I couldn’t resist asking Jodi what scares her. She said:
Spiders
Moths
Small aircraft
Anna: I couldn’t agree more!
Even though I have flown in a Gypsy Moth, you could hear me screaming several hundred feet below, which begs the question, why do we do it? Why do we like being scared. Sometimes.
There’s a certain strange attraction to being scared witless. It’s a head rush. And an adrenaline rush. If you survive, it makes you feel alive. Telling stories helps you feel connected.
On, on, with less scary stuff…
If you haven’t already read it, you’re going to love Jodi’s latest book, ‘Reinventing Emily Brown’. The premise of having the chance to reinvent ourselves is pretty compelling. Read on to discover what’s in store for you:
When life knocks Emily Brown, it knocks her hard.
Broke, homeless, and teetering on the edge of divorce, Emily finds herself on the doorstep of her childhood home in the coastal hamlet of Curlew Bay, with her disgruntled fifteen-year-old daughter in tow.
Contemplating how her once successful life has unravelled so completely, Emily realises she can either wallow in despair or, as her mother would say, ‘take the bull by the horns’. Determined to prove she’s not a complete and utter failure, Emily hatches a daring, albeit feeble, plan: a reinvention of epic proportions.
Despite her concerted efforts at a fresh start, Emily’s plans are constantly thrown into disarray. Hayley is hell-bent on making each day a battleground, Emily’s usually reliable mum, Mary, is acting oddly out of character, and Emily’s ‘perfect’ sister, Lucy, is hiding something behind her flawless façade. Throw in a cantankerous basset hound and a disastrous foray into the beauty industry and Emily is left wondering if she’s made the biggest mistake of her life.
Little does she know, her greatest challenge lies in Simon, her childhood sweetheart. As their lives are once again entwined, the secret Emily has guarded fiercely for years is now poised to shatter everything she’s tried so desperately to build.
Will Emily choose the easy way out and flee to the city like she did all those years ago?
Or will she discover the courage to confront the ghosts of her past and learn to embrace the true Emily Brown?
More on reading…
There’s nothing better than curling up with a heart-warming book, don’t you think? I have to be honest, I don’t read horror and rarely read anything scary. Life is scary enough. I’d much rather read something uplifting.
Another terrific Aussie author friend, Cassandra O’Leary, has just released a new book:
Yuki Yamimoto has a problem with billionaires. If only she wasn’t stuck in a luxury resort with one billionaire in particular!
A feel good, second chance romcom novella with steamy scenes. And a monkey. This book is #2 in the Girl on a Plane series by Cassandra O’Leary.
Tell me what you’ve been reading this month. Anything that has blown you away?
As well as tucking into Jodi’s joyous ‘Reinventing Emily Brown’ and having Cassandra’s ‘Girl on a Layover’ next in line, I’ve lapped up numerous Melanie Harlow’s, a Colleen Hoover, a Lucy Score this month. Right now, I’m reluctantly loving Emily Henry’s ‘Book Lovers’. I have to be honest, having written a manuscript several years ago entitled ‘The Book Lovers’ which is still in a bottom drawer somewhere, I was somewhat slow to pick up Emily Henry’s latest.
Unfortunately, it’s good. Very very good. Not that I’m comparing…much!
So friends, that’s it for another month. You can all now go back to your scary lives.
If you want to find out when my next book is released into the wild, please follow me on Bookbub:
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Send me your happy news for November. Share your scary stories. I want to hear it all!
Here’s hoping your Halloween is less heart attack and more heart throb!
Very warm wishes,
Anna