It’s so good to complete a task, isn’t it? To finally tick something off a to-do list. I have a habit of starting jobs, getting bored with them, and leave the finishing for someone else! It’s an annoying habit that means my lovely husband, Sean, will find me doing some DIY job and then leaving it once the ‘fun’ bit is done! He then has to tidy up the mess I’ve left! I think I’ve gotten better over the years but I’m sure in spite of his patience this has got to be irritating!

Things changed when we had kids. The to-do list was never likely to be finished however hard I tried, Sean couldn’t finish what I didn’t manage to do because there was always something else. Part of the reason I learnt to cook was so that at the end of each day I could say Ta-da! I achieved something! There might be toys all over the house, a washing pile the size of Mount Everest, or children in varying degrees of messiness, but there was food on the table and it was going to taste good! 

When cooking dinner started to get a bit mundane and no amount of new recipes could quench that feeling of needing to achieve something. I started to write. I quietly bought an A4-lined notebook and started. It felt great to write a number ‘1’ in the top right and corner and then as I finished each page to write the next number. I used to write while dinner was cooking. Wooden spoon in one hand and pen in the other! Gradually the pages built up and still, I didn’t tell anyone. I wrote and wrote and wrote. I didn’t want to tell anyone in case it turned into a fad that I lost interest in. There had been a few of those! Like the time I wanted to learn piano, or decided to sell Mary Kay makeup (despite the fact I didn’t use much, also I didn’t like selling to my friends as I would tell them to buy it somewhere else cheaper!).

Eventually, though I admitted to a few close friends what I was doing and told them the concept. They were super encouraging and helped me with names and ideas. My friend Kerry (she’s super amazing by the way!), read sections for me. It took me about two years of quietly plugging away but I finally finished! Seems a shame that story is now in my drawer waiting for me to fall in love with it again and rework it with all that I’ve learnt since!

I hope this inspires you to realise no matter how busy you are you can find time to pursue the things you love.

Of all the books I’ve mentioned there’s one that stands out as the most important in my life, I read it every day and it changes me as I read and study it. I’m sure you’ve guessed by now that it’s the word of God, The Bible. Most people think of it as a dry dusty book to be kept on bookshelves. Or something for special ceremonies, like weddings, funerals, and Christmas. But I know it’s so much more than that.

I wanted to share with you today one verse from it that is my rule for life. It comes for the book of Proverbs which was written by Solomon. It contains all kinds of gold in it as well as some that will make you smile. A favourite is ‘Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.’! I’m sure there have been times when Sean has consider living on the roof! Especially when I was pregnant!

But seriously the verse that I love and live by is Proverbs 3:5-6 – ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.’ I have found that God is entirely trustworthy and as I stop trying to fix everything myself, and give God the chance to do what only He can do, things seem to fall into place. It might not always be what I expect or in the timing I expect but it’s always much better than I would have done on my own. 

I realise this isn’t the most popular book to write about, and may make you question my sanity, but of all I have learnt and experienced, I can’t deny it’s power to comfort, teach, challenge and change. If you only read it occasionally or have never read it, can I encourage you to get it somehow. There are loads of versions out there to read. I usually use the NIV, or ESV. If I want to see a verse from a fresh point of view I use the Message or Passion translations. 

If you want to ask me anything about this at any time I’d love to chat about it. Click on the link to contact me!

Next time I’m going to write about why I started writing my first novel and how I got started.

Last time I told you about a few of my favourite books. Since having kids I’ve loved helping them discover some of my favourite books from my own childhood. Roald Dahl was a big part of the reason I loved to read. It felt like such an achievement to finish one of his books as they felt so long!

My own love of writing started young. I remember telling stories to my sister when we shared a room to help her get to sleep. When I was eight I entered a writing competition at school and wrote a story about a giant bird that made the tower of Pisa lean! Then when I reached my teenage years I would write in the style of the novels that were the favourite at the time – Point Horror. Anyone who knows me now knows that’s not what I like at all! I have nightmares at the smallest thing! But I wrote my own point Horror which I would write in the evenings and then bring in to school the next day and would then be passed around the class for everyone to catch up.

Eventually though I knew this was not the kind of thing I wanted to write and so I burnt the manuscript. Not sure whether it was a great idea now. I’d be interested to reread what I’d written then but it would probably be embarrassing!

I have often secretly been writing little things, whether stories or poems. At some point I’ll tell you what tipped me over to actually attempt a novel. The idea for my first novel came from a conversation I overheard about it not being fair that someone got rain on their wedding day. It got me thinking who knows what’s fair? Who decides?

I started writing without a plan and wrote almost the whole thing by hand before typing it up. At first I didn’t tell anyone as I was embarrassed and not sure I would finish it. When I finally finished I printed it and handed it to a couple of friends to read. I know now that was a big mistake! It was unedited and raw. But for me it felt like such an achievement to finish.

More on this later. But I wanted to inspire you to have a go at whatever it is that you’ve always dreamt of doing! You never know what might come out of it.

The start of this year has been bumpy with the return of homeschooling. It’s been hard work so far but we’re coping. It’s been amazing to be in our new home to do it. I think homeschooling four kids in a two bed flat nearly sent me crazy last year! I love my kids and when they were small I briefly considered homeschooling but realised that I need a bit of space for myself. I’m an introvert and so space for myself is the best way for me to stay sane! At the moment I’m able to get that time from 3 until 5 when I shut myself into the kitchen and cook. That’s why I’ll be putting on some of my favourite recipes on for you at some point. There are already some of my recipes out there on an old blog I wrote on wordpress called ‘Indulgent Diners Wanted’. Feel free to have a look.

This year is all about writing for me. I’m excited to be finalising the edit on my novel Reflections and I’ve gone back to the first novel I wrote a couple of years ago and rewriting it with all the wisdom I’ve learned from writing my most recent novel. Also from all the seminars I attended at the Festival of Writing and from lots of online resources. As well as my ever patient writing partner Sophie. I know that she is one of the reasons I’ve persevered in writing. We’ve really missed our Starbucks writing sessions over this last year but we have met up and had virtual write-ins.

We have some exciting announcements lined up this year to do with both our writing projects. She’s definitely worth following on her website www.sophiebeal.co.uk. She is a genius in creating prose and a master of editing! I love the actual writing but find the editing challenging.

One of my favourite things is to read. I love to read. My favourites I can read over and over! I’ve read ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ by Alexandre Dumas three times! I love the unexpected twists and turns. The planning that must have gone into writing such a complex novel. Another of my favourites is ‘The Handmaids Tale’ by Margaret Attwood but this isn’t one I can read over and again. But I love how Margaret Attwood sows together the story, weaving in and out of past and present, full of imagery and symbolism, it’s a masterpiece. I love simple straightforward stories too but my taste tends to be towards the unusual and so is my writing! I also love Jane Austen, Charles Dickens among others. Let me know what your favourite novels are, I love to read when I have the time so throw me some suggestions.