Coffee marks the start of my workday. Thankfully, I make a cracker coffee at
home, otherwise, if I walked to my local cafe, I'd get absorbed into lively banter
and distracted by every passing dog until noon!
Writing is lonely work. I find, especially in winter, having a candle burning adds a
sense of company into my space. Of course, the best creative companion is our
dog, Heidi, curled up asleep at my feet.
*Click on an image and take a seat at my desk!
As you can see, It’s a Wrap began as an animated movie script. I was super
fortunate to have an hour long Zoom call with a former Pixar executive last May,
who urged me to convert my screenplay into a book ‘as quickly as possible and
get it out there!’ So that’s exactly what I’ve done.
As a journalist, I wrote about facts and how things happened. As a children’s
author/screenwriter it’s an entirely different process. Everything is bouncing around
in my imagination. It’s a busy place. Sometimes, I take a break to find clarity for my
characters or the story itself. I grab the leash and beautiful Heidi, our Shetland
Sheepdog, and I head off for a brisk walk no matter the weather. Winter is my
favorite time of year. I also like to delve into the soil and find gardening another
productive distraction in the writing process. I call it ‘painting with nature’ and plant
loads of flower seeds so each spring and summer our property is bursting with a
curated display. There’s nothing like surprising a neighbor with a fresh bunch of
flowers in the morning.
I love little points of interest on my desk. One is this lovely blue book printed in
1965. The Poet’s Manual and Rhyming Dictionary, by Frances Stillman.
Sometimes, my mind takes a wander through its chapters. It’s second hand and
the pages smell wonderful and old. The fox, well, I have a thing for foxes and
find it thrilling to spot one at night in our yard (knowing our chickens are safe in
their coop). Christmas decorations and various cards that catch my eye often get
their moment of glory perched on my desk, often alongside an embarrassing
collection of half-drunk cold cups of tea!
Yep, I write a lot of my work by hand! I have notebooks everywhere. Maybe I
revert to my reporting days. I feel closer to the words when them come out of
my pen. Then, I transcribe every sentence into my computer and add bits and
bobs along the way. It works for me!