My Writing
We all have a story to tell, and experiencing life’s ups & downs is a journey we all travel.
Becoming a writer means so many things and an important step if we want others to read our writing – is actually getting out there and sharing it. Perhaps tentatively at first – but then more confidently as we start to enjoy the process.
In sharing my writing (and more of my personal story) I hope to encourage you – even in some small way – to share yours. Little steps really do add up.
One Step Forwards
Aimee Lewis is walking across England on the Coast to Coast route. She is the beautifully incompetent main character in my novel One Step Forwards. And the people she meets, the landscape she travels through, and the simple act of journeying are all part of her transformation as she finds her way home.
With themes of love loss & learning to live again – set against a backdrop of the stunning Lake District Fells, Yorkshire Dales & North York Moors – it has a lot of meaning for me personally.
I am currently undertaking the mammoth task of my ‘structural’ edits and hope to make it ‘agent ready’ by the end of the year.
At the Crossroads – Exploring Motherhood
Sometimes in ‘writing life’ it turns out that the book we start writing isn’t the one we finish first. Whilst my novel shares the essence of my personal story – it isn’t actually about me.
In 2015 my life changed irreversibly when I lost my baby-to-be through miscarriage. In just over a year I went from pregnant and partnered to childless & single. And I discovered that whilst the universe may not give us what we want – it can certainly give us what we need to develop & grow.
So, At the Crossroads: Exploring Motherhood is ‘the book that needs to come first’ And it’s exactly that – a memoir-style exploration of my own journey within motherhood – and all that it means to me.
I’m living the book as I write it – Pausing if you will at the crossroads of life.
When the Globe Breaks
We ALL have a story inside of us and a very big part of mine has been my fertility journey. When the Globe Breaks is a chapter I wrote for the Believe series. An anthology of stories published in 2019 by my friend Sue Williams Believe You Can Succeed: True Stories to Inspire Women in Business eBook: Williams, Sue: Amazon.co.uk: Books
I was a hollow shell when I lost my baby-to-be and journaling was a hugely important part of my survival and healing. Writing When the Globe Breaks was immensely challenging but sharing this chapter remains a big part of my journey.
I wrote it three years after my miscarriage – when it was still an immensely raw time. But through consciously living my life and the ongoing healing which has occurred because of my writing – I now feel drawn to make it more widely available. I still have my dark days – but there are now many more joy-filled ones
Should you wish to read it – please take utmost care of yourself – there may well be some triggering scenes. It is shared with my love.
WRITING INSIDE OUT BLOG
You can follow more of my journey – on the Writing Inside Out Blog – as I write my books and encourage you to share your story too. Let’s have some fun.
COMMISSIONED WRITING
For over twenty-five years I have facilitated and lead groups in many outdoor environments. And in recent years I have enjoyed ‘hosting’ and guiding small-group walks for Wilderness England (and their parent company Wilderness Scotland)
So, it has been my pleasure to combine my love of writing, walking & The Lake District National Park – into a series of ‘long form’ blogs.
Walking The English “Coast to Coast”
This is my favourite long-distance walk. It’s a route I first did with my Dad over a series of four holidays and then grew to love as I explored it more with groups.
They say – write about what you know – so my novel (One Step Forwards) is also set on this very walk.
If you would like to read the blog you can find it here https://wildernessengland.com/blog/walking-coast-to-coast-england/
Welcome to the Lake District National Park
It’s a funny thing ‘travel’ writing. I live and work in a beautiful place and yet I am hesitant about sharing walks, about feeling ‘responsible’ should someone have a problem (or cause one) because of my recommendation.
It’s a balance I have to manage and all part of writerly life I guess.
So, if you do visit the Lake District. Please take care on the fells (the hills), look after yourself and those around you – and vitally please look after the National Park herself – with her flora, & fauna, and inspiring places to visit.
Follow this link to read the blog. It’s a long one – so maybe make yourself a cuppa first https://wildernessengland.com/blog/lake-district-overview/
Ullswater
One of the best things about dipping a toe into a spot of travel writing is the research.
Mr ‘Google’ can do a lot, but for this blog, Millie-Dog and I had a lovely visit on my birthday. I swam in the lake, enjoyed a cream tea (sent in the post by my amazing sister), and discovered things about the area that I didn’t already know.
You can find out more here https://wildernessengland.com/blog/ullswater-guide-lake-district/
