Put 'em Up

Have you heard the story about the famous author whose son was asked at school: 'What does your mummy do?' He thought for a moment, then said: 'She's a typist'. What does your family make of your writing? Are they supportive, or do they find it strange? On a long car journey recently, the six year old asked us why her grandmothers don't work. We explained that back in 'the olden days' as she calls it, women often gave up work when they married. She thought for a moment, then said 'Ah, but Katharine Brown famous author did not give up work. She carried on writing ...' Yesterday she solemnly presented me with a scroll of A4 paper - it's pinned up in front of me. She had written inside: 'Certifacate (sp): Kate Lord Brown You Have Won this Certifacate for the Best Selling Book Ever. Well Done. Love Your Daughter'. Bless her - that faith 'famous', 'best seller' - moments like that make you feel there's no damn way you're going to let them down.

So we're all up against it - what's your reaction? I'm glad to have a PM and a bare knuckle boxer on the family tree - right now I need the genetic gifts of both to survive. Are you fighting back, changing the way you work, questioning what's essential? I was thinking last night about the advice of my old Tai Chi teacher - he said you need to develop the strength of the reed, the ability to bend under pressure and then spring back. It's like the old 'fall down seven times, stand up eight' mantra. What's your favourite quote or passage about surviving the things life throws at you?

There have been a couple of interesting books recently about the shaky foundations we have built our modern culture on. Alain de Boton's 'Status Anxiety' and Oliver James' 'Affluenza'. Both give plenty of food for thought. James' argument is that we've confused the things that make us genuinely happy (security, connectedness, authenticity, feeling competent), with an addiction to consumerism, celebrity, fame, keeping up with the neighbours. These are the top ten causes of stress in society:

Death of spouse
Divorce
Marital separation
Jail term or death of close family member
Personal injury or illness
Marriage
Loss of job due to termination
Marital reconciliation or retirement
Pregnancy
Change in financial state

Recognise any of them? I checked four last year - which probably explains a lot. These are of course the great themes of fiction too, and that's what I'm hoping to do, channel all of it into creating better work. Even as I'm working on the draft of book three, the characters of book four are taking shape, I'm getting snatches of dialogue, glimpses of scenes. There's so many books waiting to be written. So what are we all going to do ... stand up for the eighth time, and make it happen. As Zola said: 'I am here to live my life outloud'.

TODAY'S PROMPT: Why not take one of the top ten life events and develop a storyline around it? These are all things your readers will have gone through, or seen people they love going through. They are great dramatic hooks and will bring empathy, sympathy, catharsis to your work. What common character traits do your hero/ines have? I was looking for something linking my lead characters and had an 'aha' moment yesterday - they are all survivors. Writing them, I had women like Lauren Bacall and Katharine Hepburn in mind - smart, feminine, sexy survivors - the kind of women you want with you on a riverboat in Africa, or covering your back in an LA shootout. It's what 'All the Lovely Ruined Things' is about - times are tough, things are 'ruined' for a lot of people right now ... but we can hope, and change, and adapt, refocus on the things that make us genuinely happy. Why not have a brainstorm about James' suggestions and focus on strengthening the parts of your life and work that will bring you security, connectedness, authenticity and a feeling of competence.