Hello fellow readers,
Hope it’s been a good month for you. For me, it’s a busy one, with the imminent release of my novel ‘Not All That Glisters.’ When you have a lot of plates all spinning at once, that’s the time you need to take time out for relaxation, even if it is just for five minutes. So thought it might be good to reflect on relaxation, that elusive state we all have issues finding.
It’s all about headspace for me, relaxing the myriad of little ties to a million commitments and jobs, it’s very, very hard. I’m a person who sets high standards, not quite a perfectionist, but something close. I was told about the eighty: twenty rule quite early on in my life – the notion that twenty percent effort will get you eighty percent of the way to achieving perfection in a task…so to very good rather than excellent. But the good news is that by achieving just very good saves you a lot of time, time that you can use to work on some of the other spinning plates… and time to relax, whatever form that takes for you. For me, it’s going for a walk, listening to music, and of course, losing myself in a book even if it is only for a short while.
It wasn’t until later in life that I realised that it is not just about managing to keep plates spinning, it’s also about the plates themselves. All these ‘things’ we have committed to do. I decided to take a closer look at them. Are they really things I need to do, want to do, have to do? And guess what, some of those plates were neither needed, nor wanted or essential. So next logical thing was to let some of them drop.
I’ve now learnt that when I am presented with a new plate, I ask this question. ‘It’s not can you do it, it’s should you do it.’ I use this pearl of wisdom to sense check if the plate is worth putting up on that pole. It’s certainly helped me, it might for you too… or maybe you have some bright ideas of your own?
On another subject, you’ve guessed it, novels…
I thought I might give you an insight as to how I approach the writing of characters in my books. My technique is similar to the way actors describe their own approach to playing characters. They describe inhabiting the character, becoming them, in order to give a performance. It can’t be nice when you have to play the role of someone evil, certainly I have heard Richard Attenborough describe it as tough when he played the part of a mass murderer. My approach to writing is similar. I ‘get into character’ to enable me to write the words that they speak, make the inflections and movements that you know they would make. You almost have ‘to become them’ for the periods that you portray the character in words. Thats how I do it, but I am sure many other authors take a different approach.
I am also an author who works better with a little music in the background.
For me, just like Claire in ‘Not All That Glisters’, I pretty much have a constant stream of Classic FM in the background. Shout out to Aled Jones, I love his musical choice and happy but soothing voice. Bound to love his voice, well, he is Welsh! How can anyone not! Before you think I am a snob because I mention classical music, I am not, I genuinely do love it. Classic FM is perfect because the music is just the right frequency for concentration. Probably too much to go into music frequency and concentration now, another post perhaps. It also has advert breaks which are great for those times I leave the book to stretch, make a cuppa, etc. I do have a brain which needs a little bit of ‘something else’ going on to keep it occupied. Like doodling in a meeting so I can listen properly. Your either like me, or someone who needs complete silence to concentrate. Ick! No! That’s not my brain type. Which brain type are you? Doodler or silence? It apparently doesn’t mean anything special about yourself, but it is fascinating knowing something of how our brains work. Needless to say, the majority of ‘Not All That Glisters’ was written to the strains of Classic FM.
Up next!
And finally, the novel I am about to pick up and read. It’s called ‘Horse’ and was written by Geraldine Brooks. She is a Pulitzer Prize winner so must be a great author, haven’t read any of her books yet. It was recommended to me by a good friend, and I am looking forward to reading it, so will give you a run down on how I fared next time.
Until then, keep the plates spinning, make time for yourself, and enjoy your reading.
Best,
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