Research and thinking…

I’ve always found that the best way to get ideas is not to look for them. My father always told me that if I couldn’t sleep or was worried about something, then I should tidy my sock drawer. I got very annoyed about that, because what I actually wanted was sympathy, and preferably lots and lots of it. Only he wasn’t big like that. In fact, if I’m being honest, my parents were like Peter Cunningham and Ruth from the cafe in my Swansmere series, so it was more a case of ‘right, what’s happened? How are you going to put it right?’ You knew they’d help, but they wanted you to think it through and come up with ideas for yourself and I’ve done the same with my children, who haven’t disowned me (yet), so it seems to work.

So when Peter works in the garden, or Lucy is trying to find where her daughter’s PE bag and reading book have managed to hide this time, they also think some of their best thoughts. Just as this week I’ve been sweeping up leaves, while more and more fall. In two years' time, I will have bags of leaf mould, and in a year’s time you will have new books to read and, I hope, enjoy.

At the moment, I’m working on what I call the 1a draft of a Lucy Williams book which, all going well, you’ll be reading this time next year. The first draft I write quickly to get the idea of the story down. This current draft is where I put in all the missing words and do all the research. It’s an easier process than the first one, because I know I have the base story, but it’s still frustrating because I see all the things I could do, but I always enjoy writing and know how lucky I am to earn my living doing something I love.

So today I am researching fashion and style, and how they’re effectively a cloak of invisibility or a way to shout 'here I am'. I’m looking at expectations and grief and fresh starts and sunny days out on the Harbour. Most of all, I’m spending time with the characters because for me it’s all about the people, in fiction and in life.

I think it’d be a better world if it was like that for more people, so please, till we meet again on Tuesday, do one nice thing for yourself, and one for someone else. I try to do that each day, and it doesn’t have to be a big thing. Today's ‘for me’ has been to put on my LED candles so the dark outside is countered by gentle glimmers. For someone else, I’m making my husband one of his favourite lunches, which is fish fingers and tomato chutney thick sandwiches made with a French-style bread. There’ll also be salad and a handful of crisps. It brings back memories of when we sat and ate the same meal from a pub, and a current smugness that I can do it too!

Take care of yourself. You’re the only you there is! And enjoy this harbour picture, while bearing in mind that we’re not having fish finger rolls for Sunday lunch. That would be so wrong that I’d have everyone from Windy Bay and Swansmere after me. We’re having roast chicken and homemade apple cake on Sunday, but today is Saturday because we readers and writers can time-travel.

That’s why I’ve finished with this picture of a sunny day in a lovely place. Why not come with me in your imagination? You bring the cold drinks and I’ll bring ice cream or cake. Or shall we have both because they're calorie free.