I am delighted to welcome Ali to Jaffareadstoo
IS
YOUR PET A GOOD WRITING COMPANION?
From the age of three I have always had pets,
and when I started writing Home Comforts
I couldn’t contemplate creating the characters without including a few furry
friends. In the book, Jo and her son, Tom own a large ginger and white cat, a
border terrier, a three-legged rabbit and two guinea pigs, which are based mainly
on pets that I’ve owned.
Since joining Twitter I’ve noticed that many
authors state in their profiles that
they ‘love cats’ or ‘love dogs’; a few others declare a passion for guinea pigs
and rabbits, and it made me wonder how these much-loved animals affect their
owners’ writing habits. Are they a help
or a hindrance? Last year we bought our first dog, Lola the labradoodle, and we
also own a feisty tabby cat called Winnie. Both of them are valued members of
the family and, in my experience, have a very positive influence on my writing as
well as other areas of my life.
Every morning, whatever the weather, Lola has
to have a long walk, so lounging around in my dressing gown and procrastinating
are not on the agenda. Instead, I get plenty of exercise and fresh air to
kick-start my day and improve my motivation. Writing can be a bit isolating so
a quick natter with other walkers is fun and gets my thoughts flowing. Sometimes
I have my most creative ideas when I’m out marching through the fields and have
to scribble them down as soon as I get home.
When I’m writing, Lola is great company and
cocks her head on one side attentively when I am muttering to myself or reading
parts of my manuscript out loud. Unlike Winnie, she has a short attention span
and wants to be let in and out a lot more.
I think of this as a positive, however, because it forces me to get up
and move around as recommended by my back surgeon! Always the clown, Lola can
certainly relieve any boredom, but can also be distracting if she keeps
plonking a slobbery ball or other toy in my lap. Unfortunately, I can’t think
of any positive aspects to the bad smells she makes but it’s a small price to
pay!
Winnie tends to fulfil a slightly different
role because she is so relaxing. Who needs meditation when you can listen to
the loud, steady purr of a contented cat or stroke its soft, silky fur? Whatever
mood I’m in, I’m always cheered up by her miaowed greetings and her small furry
body weaving around my ankles. Once I settle down to write, she curls up into a
beautiful little ball and stays like that for several hours; I only have to glance
at her to feel at peace. Sometimes it can be a bit too relaxing and I have to
fight the urge to nod off! On the other hand, I soon liven up when she wakes up
and pads across my keyboard, typing gobbledegook and causing me to lose any
unsaved work.
At times she can be distracting, especially
when she paddles defiantly at the window until I get up and let her in. I wouldn’t mind, but she’s got a perfectly
good cat flap. Her unexpected absences can also affect me - if she hasn’t put
in an appearance for breakfast, I find it difficult to concentrate until I see
her trotting across the front lawn and hear her announcing her arrival.
I have only scratched
the surface of whether Lola and Winnie make good writing companions, but in a
nutshell they certainly have a positive impact on my physical and mental
well being, and provide me with entertainment, comfort and inspiration. I’d be interested in hearing about your own experiences, whatever type of animal you own.
 |
| Lola and Winnie |
 |
| Corazon Books May 2015 |
A laugh-out-loud comedy
about families, friendship and romance.
Jo Longford's life
takes an unexpected turn when her bosses wrongly accuse her of stealing from a
client. Suddenly, she needs to find a new job and a new home for herself and
ten-year-old son, Tom. Not to mention their small menagerie of badly behaved
pets.
Her selfish mum isn't
much help; obsessed with keeping up appearances, nothing her daughter does is
ever good enough for her. But at least Jo can rely on best friend Val for
support. They've been getting themselves into mischief since they were
teenagers, and that includes joining a cringeworthy dating agency and an
eventful school reunion. Some things never change!
Life certainly doesn’t
get any easier for Jo. Will she be able to fend off her sex-mad landlord – a
retired businessman who struts around in Lycra and thinks he’s God’s gift to
women? Are her new employer and quirky clients at the Handy Jobs Domiciliary Care
Agency all they seem?
And will Jo ever be
able to sort out her chaotic love life when two equally unsuitable men
gatecrash her world?
My thanks to Ali for this charming guest post
and to Ian at Corazon for his help with this interview.
Great Stories with Heart
and to Ian at Corazon for his help with this interview.
Great Stories with Heart
~***~
Hello Ali (and Jaffa), I know exactly what you mean with how brilliant animals can be. I've got two dogs, a cat and some chickens, and they make such a difference to our family life - certainly couldn't imagine life without them! Give Lola and Winnie a fuss from me, and all the best with your book ��
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you value your pets as much as I do. I've always wanted a few chickens and a couple of Indian runner ducks (they look so funny). If only my garden was bigger so I could have a donkey!
ReplyDeleteThanks mrscarlielee and Ali - I don't know what I would do without Jaffa. If I had room I would have more pets and especially some chickens and a donkey :)
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