Authors Electric

wikimedia: Anton Lefterov In the last days of my pregnancy, a fog descended over my brain and working on my novel became impossible. 17 days before my son was born, I wrote in my diary: Extensive editing is going to have to wait. I think I can give it one hour a day during maternity leave, once I’ve figured out the whole motherhood deal. Reading these words ten months later, I want to throw back my head and laugh, then punch Past-Me in the face. The cliché is that nothing can prepare you for the reality of having a baby. Guess what? Clichés exist for a reason. There is no way to get ready for the sheer overwhelm of love that physically hurts, a body that has changed beyond all recognition, the euphoria and responsibility of making new life, and exploding nappies. And for me, someone who has always turned to words in times of chaos, what I was not prepared for was the fact that, suddenly, I was unable to write.  My days were now filled with caring for my son. Together, we figured o...

 To begin with: a disclaimer. I was mulling over ideas for topics for this contribution and first put finger to keyboard the day that Andrew Crofts’ New Stages of Life appeared here on the 27 th of last month. Serendipitously (or otherwise) while the topic I chose is somewhat related to Andrew’s, my thesis (NB ‘thesis’ = pretentious word for ‘stuff’) and ‘conclusion’ (NB ‘conclusion’ = the point at which it’ll stop) are not. Part of the reason may be that my response to Andrew’s current ‘grandfather to three’ status is simply to note that I am the eldest of 3 sisters and 2 brothers, the youngest of whom is already a great-grandmother of one. Thus dotage permits me to get away with most things and, anyway, there’s no connection whatsoever between our separate contributions. But, partly, like Andrew's, mine is also about age. I’ll start way back and to avoid overly embarrassing anyone, mainly myself, I’ll dress it up in semi-linguistic stuff. First, though, a (marginally relev...

At the time of writing I do not know if my 87-year-old mother will still be with us at Christmas. She was rushed into hospital with a severe stroke at the end of November, and has not yet regained her swallowing or speech. She's still being fed via a tube in her nose and is obviously not going to be tucking into turkey and all the trimmings any time soon. So this year, in my family, the usual run up to Christmas is turning into a subdued jog around various hospitals to visit her (she's been moved a couple of times), interspersed with quiet moments at home when I just can't seem to get into the mood for any festive decorating, xmas shopping, writing sparkly cards, or any of the other frantic preparations that usually accompany this time of year. This has, strangely, been blessing. I have some fresh candles and I've placed a few simple items around the house to mark the season. A silver reindeer tea-light holder. A Scandinavian-style reindeer wreath (because they don...

Writers read. Me, reading at home           Whenever you meet a writer, you can confidently predict that they read. A lot.           The reason they wanted to write in the first place is because they loved reading – it’s a sure bet. Take it for granted that they learned to write by reading avidly - reading anything and everything - classics, thrillers, comics, magazines, newspapers, romance, sci-fi, plays, poetry, satire. Sauce bottles, cereal packets, lists of ingredients. Instructions on how to operate machinery.           As with anyone who practices any craft, they develop a keen appreciation of its tools and techniques. A good cook, for instance, notices the way flavours are combined and quickly learns, from observation, exactly when to stop applying heat to a steak or fish. It’s an education  to attend an art show with...

Susan Jane Smith           I made a lot of mistakes as a young woman – looking for love in all the wrong places.  I had a lot of male attention but not the kind I wanted!  When I was 23 years old I had long blonde hair, a very short skirt (it was the 60s) and frequently a plunging neckline.  One spring I was photographed by the local newspaper lying on a bank of daffodils and the reporter asked what I wanted most.  My reply: “I just want to be happy.”  I was desperate for a man to love me and I put up with partners who lied and cheated and who put me down for challenging what was going on – all in order to try to keep them.            Finally, after a lot of counselling in my thirties, I started to make better choices in men and I also changed careers.  I then spent 20 years listening to people about their relationships – I was a psychotherapist and later ...

Susan Jane Smith, B.Sc.            Do you believe all children in the world deserve and need the following  (extracted from my book “ Emotional Health For Emotional Wealth ” )?              Freedom from fear.           Freedom from inflicted physical pain – that means no hitting or kicking them;  no burning them (including stubbing cigarettes out on their bodies), not being knifed or shot.           Freedom from imprisonment in their homes (no shutting in cupboards or cages, no tying up).           Freedom from neglect – not living with inadequate parents/carers who do not provide three nutritionally-balanced meals every day. Not living with drug takers or alcoholics, not having to take care of an adult who is physicall...