My Creative Everyday

Everyone needs tips for social media and most people struggle, even if they've thousands of likes, follows and comments.  I say this whilst we're in the heart of the Christmas period, which can feel overwhelming. It's magical with decorated trees and festive excitement filled with catch ups.  Then there's technology, namely this morning a post draft disappearing, 30 minutes lost and you decide you can't face rewriting it!  I see why those new to social media struggle. Even when you've been doing it for as long as I have, and you love it mostly, you still have days where you think, I just don't have time for this.  Remember,  1. it's not always like this, 2. some platforms are better than others, &  3. the days the tide flows in a certain direction, stop swimming against it!  With any task, there's bits you enjoy and others, not so much. If you focus just on the negative, eg all the blood, sweat and tears, you'd never get to the end when it al...

The dilemma of persevering with a book as a writer or reader struck me this week. As a writer on more than 50,000 words into a novel, I'm too invested to give up on it. So though I'm excited about a new idea for a novel, I find myself attempting to hang in there.  However, as a reader, I have two new books 30 pages in, and I'm tempted to abandon both.  The first is a recent best seller full of hype. The premise intersted me, but the style and tone is do cold that I am repelled from becoming absorbed by the story. It doesn't feel right for me in the throngs of December and Christmas.  The second is a historical drama from a vest selling and well regarded author. I've read one of her books, a long time ago. I'm bored, simply not engaging with the content and style.  Book 1 is 400 pages long. Book 2 is 600 pages. Perhaps it's the length, or I'm daunted by the task of completing them.  Sometimes it takes a while to get into a book, for me to find a rhythm an...

What has writing this book taught you?  So much. First of all, how people like my writing and want to read my stories, so it felt important to start putting them out into the world. It’s taught me to trust my instincts in terms of the plot, not to plan at the outset and let the story take me where it needs to go. It’s taught me I’m comfortable writing in this genre. The writing flows naturally for me in this genre and it offers me the freedom to explore what truly fascinates me about humans, relationships and the world. There’s opportunity for me to utilise all those little observations I’ve soaked up over a lifetime. How have you grown as a writer compared to ten years ago?  Ten years ago, I was busy writing plays. I’d just written and co-produced a 4-part WW1 musical and was researching a full-length play about a historical figure. I was taking my writing seriously and was having success with playwriting but I still felt somewhat frustrated because I’ve always wanted to writ...

With announcements that And Just Like That , the love-hate Sex n The City return to TV, limping to an end, I'm not surprised. I watched some of the first season on a longhaul flight back to Australia, and the online lacklustre for it over the years reflects my impressions of those episodes I saw.  Was it ever going to work without Kim Cattrall?  I've just finished watching How I Met Your Father , and whilst it took a little while for me and the actors to settle in, it is a show I wish had continued beyond it's two seasons because Kim Cattrall and Hillary Duff were such a joy.  The main character is an aspiring photographer, which resonated with me and the last few years where I've experimented with my camera, carrying it around instead of a notebook and pen.  Leighton Meister was in it too which was a cool surprise. The episodes where cast from HIMYM featured were massive stand outs.  Spoiler also - Aidan from Sex n The City (John Corbett) is in HIMYF!!! Reflect...

"They struggled as caterpillars," I said yesterday. I was handing out butterfly stickers in a creative writing course I ran yesterday.  Unexpectedly there was lots of much needed lovely laughter throughout the day. Since we started these classes, I've noticed how we transform from the beginning of class to the end. Students are happier, and it's wonderful to be a part of that. I really appreciate the feedback, how they feel I've been so kind and also learnt about the craft.  Bringing people into the world of the power of words, the beauty in imagination and the joy of creation! They could all be heroes, time travellers and monster slayers. Anything was possible at the start of the day. I saw magic. What we made, individually and collectively was such fun. It's amazing.  Last year, the last time I ran a class, I felt like a healer and understood what it might be like for doctors.  London is bursting with creativity. That's one of the many things I love abou...

What made you decide to write your autobiography, and how did you decide which parts of your life to focus on? I ’ ve always loved writing and dreamt about writing a book, well at least for the past 20 years or so, but after quite a few bodged attempts to write a novel, I figured I should attempt to write about something I know about, so an autobiography, seemed the best bet. And the parts I focused on, well, honestly, there isn ’ t much I left out. But, of course, my acting career is woven in and out of the narrative. Was it difficult to relive certain moments while writing about your life? How did you manage emotionally challenging parts of your story? It was totally difficult to write about some things; I mean, I tend to bury the dark stuff in my life, so revisiting those moments (which were necessary) really hurt, you know, things like the losses of loved ones and my times of deep depression. I guess I have come to terms with the pain of those emotionally challenging experi...