Tag Archives: Margaret Graham

The Books That Have Changed Me – by Award Winning Author Dr Kathleen Thompson

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Books are powerful aren’t they? They give instant access to great minds from numerous centuries, experiences beyond our reach and limitless knowledge. 

As a doctor I find psychology fascinating, and thought manipulation, together with the powerful instincts driving human behaviour. So naturally George Orwell’s Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-four influenced me tremendously. Having volunteered for the Spanish Civil War, Orwell saw first-hand how politics and power-wrangles ultimately controlled and re-wrote history. His experience when the faction he had been fighting for was made the convenient scape-goat for the emerging winners was surely a major inspiration for his books, and through sharing his insights, he made me aware of the lies and mind games we are exposed to every day – sadly often from mainstream media. 

Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed explores fascinating aspects of the human psyche too – such as why even educated intelligent people will cling to a blatantly false belief – because being proved wrong is more intolerable than most people realise. He warns of the ubiquity of false memory and the dangers this poses when relying on crime witnesses. Interesting for me, he also explores ‘blame culture’ and how it often leads medical errors to be suppressed, thus losing the opportunities to learn from them, in contrast with the more open investigations of aviation disasters.

Also dealing with the psyche, a book I reviewed for Frost – Offline explains how social media utilises our brains’ release of dopamine – the pleasure/addiction hormone, to draw us in, and how our views and perceptions can be, and are, manipulated using simple psychological principles. This important read continues to influence how I use social media.

My daughter introduced me to Japanese Manga. I particularly love The Drops of God – how a famous wine expert posthumously encourages his estranged son to learn about fine wines – and guess what? You learn too as you read – what would you like to know about Margaux, Amarone, Dom Perignon? It’s all in the story and I know a lot more about fine wines now than I did. I just need to work out how to afford some of them – maybe another book will help with that?

When I found myself struggling with breast cancer, I knew I had to write a book to help others who didn’t have my medical knowledge. But how to write a book? I had no idea. Eventually I discovered The Writer’s Springboard: An Exploration of the Essentials of Fiction Writing by Margaret Graham – and at the other end of it – the guru herself.  Through this book, and her tutorials, Margaret gave me the tools to write my book, which definitely changed my life in so many ways.

But I can’t mention Margaret Graham without commenting on her incredible list of novels – under both her own name and her pen-names, Millie Adams and Annie Clarke. Margaret is a best-selling author because she sucks you in. You don’t read, you experience. She hasn’t worked in a coal mine, or braved the dreadful cold on a canal boat, or built her home from scratch in the Australian out-back, or struggled in the middle of a war-zone (well actually … but that’s another story) – but she has that talent of making you feel the experience. So now I feel like I’ve done all these things too – and these ‘experiences’, albeit from the comfort of the sofa, inevitably change one, don’t you think?

So what books changed your life?

By Dr K Thompson, award-winning author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.

 

Christmas on the Home Front by Annie Clarke – Review

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October 1942: As Christmas approaches, the evacuees decide a pantomime is just what the village of Massingham needs.

Viola loves her new job away from the factory, and hopes that her romance with the handsome Ralph might have a happy ending. Meanwhile, married life is proving tough for Fran and Davey as they are forced apart by war work and an unexpected arrival on her doorstep turns her world upside down.

Following her husband’s shock confession, Beth finally feels as though she’s regaining control of her life, that is until he turns up . . .

A lot can happen on the home front, but Christmas is a time for family and friends, and the factory girls will do everything they can to ensure this year’s celebration is one to remember.

Do you need a big hug?

Well, Christmas on the Home Front will wrap its arms about you and make you feel loved and cosy as you turn the pages.

I feel like I’ve been waiting rather impatiently for the latest in the Home Front saga – and it was only July – but it’s been a loooong year. I have wondered what Frances, Sarah and Beth have been up to since we last met – that time it was Wedding Bells and this time it is most definitely about the children – because Christmas is about the children, isn’t it? But it’s about a whole lot of other things too. Especially in Massingham.

Our lovely girls are still working at the munitions factory and their mams are still making proggy rugs to sell to Briddlestones for extra cash. The evacuees are settled at Massingham Hall and the community does what it can to help – and oh, lord, little Eva, what a character, she made me laugh so much. There’s the hustle and bustle of everyday life and a panto to prepare for. And this is no ordinary pantomime I can tell you!

All life is here, in Christmas on the Home Front, it teems from the pages, and the love, hope and dreams of the tight community of Massingham shines from every line.  The times are tough, the people more so and they all pull together to help each other. As always, with any Annie Clarke book there is warmth and compassion in bucketloads.

All of the Home Front books can be read without having read any of the other titles but why deprive yourself. You’ll miss out on so much. I was worrying about poor Ralph the whole way through. Would he be able to redeem himself, would his secret past be revealed. To find out this and so many other things get yourself a copy, a cuppa and a big fat slice of cake and snuggle up to discover for yourself.

I sat up until the wee hours reading and had to stop myself at 2am to save the last chapters for the following evening. I wanted to savour the richness of the ending and I was not disappointed. I closed the book feeling warm and satisfied, and with the feeling that there are good people in the world, you can find them everywhere. I know these are fictional characters but they reminded me of so many people I know and have known – and that’s the magic spell Annie Clarke casts.

I feel I could catch a train when all this is over and find my way along the streets of Massingham. I’d stay there a while, walk to the beck where so many happy memories were made, along to Massingham Hall which would surely be a five star hotel by now.  Perhaps the landscape would have changed but the people would still have the strength and heartiness of the characters in this book. Don’t miss out on a hug!

Christmas on the Home Front 

Published by Arrow £6.99

About Annie Clarke

Annie Clarke’s roots are dug deep into the North East. She draws inspiration from her mother, who was born in a County Durham pit village during the First World War, and went on to became a military nurse during World War Two. Annie and her husband now live a stone’s throw from the pit village where her mother was born. She has written frequently about the North East in novels which she hopes reflect her love and respect for the region’s lost mining communities. Annie has four adult children and four granddaughters, who fill her and her husband’s days with laughter, endlessly leading these two elders astray.

The books that have changed me by Margaret Graham (aka Milly Adams and Annie Clarke)

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The books that changed me, or should I say perhaps, developed my understanding… Heavens, so many, but let me take a stab at it.

Margaret Graham, Annie Clarke, Milly Adams, books that changed me

As a child I read The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett in which an obnoxious orphan Mary Lennox arrives to live with her uncle at Misselthwaite Manor in Yorkshire. Archibald Craven  locked  the door leading to his wife’s beloved garden on her death. He also secreted his son, with crooked legs and back , in his own quarters for his own safety, and went about his business elsewhere, leaving the kindly servants to care for this disparate household.

The children find the secret garden, and slowly as they work within it, and  as the seasons roll on, the healing of both begins.   This book introduced me to a love of gardening, to the relentless rhythm of the seasons which has given me solace and a sense of something ‘bigger’. It grounds me.

Then as a teenager I read I Never Promised you a Rose Garden by Joanne Greenberg. This is the story of a  schizophrenic young woman, who spends some years receiving therapy ina residential centre. As  the young woman recovers she is devastated to realise that the world is not perfect, that happiness is not a given. That there are ups and downs, and one must find a ‘centre’. But as the psychiatrist says: I helped you heal, but I never promised a rose garden, I promised you a life.

I found this profound, and it stabilized the angst of a teenager, and was a great guide as an adult.

As an adult I was struggling to write my first novel – to navigate my way through the muddle of my thoughts, . I read Cinderella to my children one evening, and realised that it is the clearest example of the common structural form. It enabled me to write my first novel, and create almost 30 other books. It also allowed me to teach aspiring authors, perhaps the most rewarding part of my writing life, apart from editing Frost Magazine.

Basically, there is one protagonist, Cinderella, she has helpers ( mentors) and enemies (antagonists). Cinderella is on a journey, which is the plot, in order to resolved the theme, which for me was her quest to find love. Fourth must be Reginald Hill’s Dalziel and Pascoe novels. Erudite, immaculately structured with characters in complete balance, and scattered with laugh-aloud humour. They freed something in me, and made me brave enough to be myself, and allow the humour I inherited from my parents free rein.

Fourth are the Reginald Hill Dalziel and Pascoe novels, beautifully structured and written, with a superb balance of characters. Erudite, fascinating, and laugh-aloud funny. They gave me the courage to allow myself to use my own sense of humour, inherited from Mum and Dad. 

Fifth and perhaps most importantly From Both Ends of the Stethoscope by award winning author Dr Kathleen Thompson

Dr Thompson is ‘the doctor who knows’ what it is to face the chilling cancer diagnosis, and then find your way through the maze of information and treatment. The book is set out in an extraordinarily accessible way for the patient, and also for those like me who have friends with this  illness,  it gives me a way of helping, of listening, of supporting. It is life enhancing, and invaluable.

If I can sneak in a sixth, The Variety Girls series by Tracy Baines made me realise I should have been on the stage, not stuck in a study writing. You see, I could have ‘hoofed’ with the best of them, and hugged the spotlight, and showed off, and my mum would have been shocked, then proud, as I received a standing ovation – just me, not the rest of the chorus, of course. Ah, well, I can dream.

 

My Writing Process – Tracy Baines

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I’ve always wanted to write novels, but it felt overwhelming, and to be honest, I didn’t have the confidence to dive into something so all encompassing – so I wrote articles and short stories. I’m so glad I did something – other than procrastinate. I learnt so much from writing short stories: brevity, character, structure and so on. It’s the same skills – you just need more stamina if you’re writing a novel. Gosh, I never knew how draining sitting down all morning could be.

I could always find the time for a short story and it taught me that I could finish things. Finishing is so important. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve heard people say they’ve got loads of beginnings. If you’re struggling, I’d say choose one thing and keep going until you finish it. My short stories have been published in magazines various magazines in the UK and abroad.

At the moment I’m working on the Christmas with the Variety Girls  – the sequel to The Variety Girls which was published by Ebury Press in February 2020.

I always write straight to my computer but I make a huge amount of notes by hand. I also go back to writing by hand if I get stuck and can’t get the words flowing. I don’t know why it works, but it does. Most mornings I’ll write a page of A4 of free flow. It’s like a warm-up to get the motor running and I find I can express myself more easily when I do this.

Daydreaming is important to me too. I play around with ideas for as much time as I can before I begin to write. I’ll read a lot of books for background details and research, and some of that will inspire a character or a scene. My books are set in the Variety Theatre during WW2 and I love reading books about old theatre and music hall stars to get creative thoughts flowing.

When I start writing I tend to stick with one character and work out what she wants most of all. Then I work out what could stop her getting it. Gradually all the other characters and events start to pop into my head. I make a synopsis, then develop a plan or outline which will change as I go along. It’s like having a road map. I can take detours here and there, but I always have a road to go back to. I’ve found this stops me from panicking about where I need to go next.

I try to work for a few hours each morning, actually writing, but I’m thinking about it most of the time. I might work in the evening if I’ve had a disrupted day. I tend to write more when I’m past the middle point. Some days are better than others. But if I’m having a bad day I’m happy as long as I get something down that moves the story forward. I know I can always go back and fix it. Again, the short stories helped me because I am not afraid of deleting huge parts of text to get to the nub of the story

Early in my career I was lucky enough to be mentored by Margret Graham – who also writes as Milly Adams and Annie Clarke. I’ve learnt an enormous amount from her and also from reading her many books. I am loving her latest – Girls on the Home Front series.  She is a superb teacher and if you ever get chance to get to one of her workshops crawl there if you have to. She’s also written two books that are brilliant in explaining things such as show and tell etc. No waffle, just practical advice and instruction – and plenty of exercises. You learn how to write by writing – you have to do the work – but having someone wonderful to mentor you makes such a difference.

Margaret’s explanation of structure took me time to understand. It’s very simple but there is such depth to it. It is foremost in my mind when I sit down to work out my novels: normal world, point of change, a rising arc of tension, crisis point or darkest moment, the slipper test, resolution. If you want to know more I can highly recommend The Writers Springboard. She describes structure so simply.

When the writing’s going well there’s nothing like it. It must be what drugs are like. I forget time and am totally in my little world. And when a character  arrives unannounced and tells you their story. Sublime. The difficult part is maintaining the momentum when the words aren’t flowing. It’s turning up at the desk, day after day, in the hope that this will be the day it all starts making sense.

My advice for other writers would be not to think you’re too old, not clever enough, thin enough, rich enough. Have confidence, work hard but most of all enjoy it. It will shine through in your writing.

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The Variety Girls published by Ebury Press £6.99

www.tracybaines.co.uk

Girls on the Home Front by Annie Clarke

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August 1941: As war sweeps across Britain and millions of men enlist to serve their country, it’s up to the women to fight the battle on the home front.

Fran always thought she would marry her childhood sweetheart and lead a simple life in Massingham, the beloved pit village she has always called home.

But with war taking so many men to the front line, the opening of a new factory in the north-east of England presents an opportunity for Fran to forge a new path.

Against her father’s wishes and with best friends Sarah and Beth by her side, Fran signs up to join the ranks of women at the factory. It’s dangerous work but as the three friends risk life and limb for their country, they will discover that their lives are only just beginning…

 

I knew this was going to be good when I started holding my breath, not daring to cough or sneeze. You’ll have to read it to understand why!

Fran, Sarah and Beth have been pals since childhood, growing up in a mining community in the north east of England. Due to the skilled writing, I was in the factory with those girls from the start. Annie Clarke really brings to life the stark choices people made during wartime. For the whole time I was reading, I kept thinking that I couldn’t do what these girls did. But everyone was doing their bit for the war effort in so many different ways, and Girls on the Home Front explores why people made the choices they did.

The girls’ fathers, brothers and boyfriends work in the mines and, thanks to the wonderful descriptions you really do wonder how any man could do that job – and yet thousands did, and not just in wartime. It serves as a contrast to the dangers the girls themselves are in.

What I enjoyed most was the sense of community that Annie Clarke describes so vividly, the tiny details that paint such a vast picture of life as it was then, and the feeling of people pulling together when times were tough.There’s such a strong sense of place that I felt I knew Massingham and had been picnicking by the beck with the characters.

Beautifully written, the warmth shines from every page and the layers are as deep and rich as the coal seams the men work upon. Storytelling at its best. The camaraderie makes you long for a connection that I think we have lost today. Online communities can’t replace what you’ll find within these pages.

Totally unputdownable. I feel bereft until I meet the characters again.

Published by Arrow £6.99

 

My Writing Process – Margaret Graham

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I think a lot before I even put fingers to keyboard. I have a rough plan, and character, and get to know them, and the plot, and theme, which of course will drive the plot.

 

I have been writing for over 30 years, under three different names. Novels, and series, features, plays including a community play. And helped to research a TV documentary that grew out of a novel, Canopy of Silence.
I have written the first of a series The Girls on the Home Front set in WW2. There is fashion in writing, or should I say publishing. At the moment there is a thirst for series about 2nd WW!!. When Downton Abbey was on, it was 1st War. The thing is, a writer must write for the market, we produce a product. Sound basic, but there you are. Packaging is key. You will note there are fashions in packaging too. Sagas seem to be three women against a library photo shot of a street or something.
Tell us about your process
Sit down  and do it! I get the idea, research the period etc. make notes, and all the time one’s mind is working, and arriving at a plot. Then you have to BE the characters, all of them, so they come alive.
Do you plan or just write?
I plan but not nearly as much as I did. I think that’s experience, I know now what is necessary.
What about word count?
Women’s fiction is usually about 100,000 words these days, but if you have a publisher they will tell you what they want.
How do you do your structure?
There is of course, only one structure: one shape, Normal world, then a point of change, then a rising arc to two thirds through the book, when there is a climax and it seems all is well, but like Cinderella the ball, the clock strikes, and it all goes wrong, so the last third is about resolving it finally, though no need to tuck it up neatly, just to show that the characters have developed enough to find a way through.
One main character and protagonist and antagonists. There has to be a theme, or message or it’s without depth.

And exposition, scene setting, showing not telling because we live in a visual age, so people are used to seeing things, not to wading through lots of telling. So create scenes, and it’s best if it’s through the eyes, (or point of view) of one person only in a scene. It helps with empathy.

What do you find hard about writing?
Actually doing it, I suppose. The day to dayness of it.  I write two a year, as well as being a Frost Magazine editor, and running my charity, Words for the Wounded so it’s a rush.
What do you love about writing?
Creating other worlds, and being in control of those worlds. As a parent I realised long ago I was in control of very little, but in fiction the characters have to do as they are told.
Advice for other writers.
Learn the skills – go to a credible writing class, or mentor group. It’s an apprenticeship and as such, you need to learn the craft. It is a craft, a nuts and bolts craft, not an arty farty Art. Basically, get down and dirty, and keep at it, share your work with a group, listen to constructive not destructive criticism, read to see how others do it. And don’t rush.

My first bit of writing, a novel, After the Storm was published. My very first bit of writing, so I had to learn in full gaze of the public. I switched point of view within scenes, and put in too much research and not enough dialogue. But it worked. My later books, however, are considerably better and easier to read. And  of course, enjoy it. No point otherwise is there, life is too short.

http://www.margaret-graham.com

www.wordsforthewounded.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/margaretgraham4/

A Day In the Life by Rosie Nixon Author of The Stylist and Editor-in-Chief of HELLO!

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I’m woken up from dreaming of the gentle rustling of palm leaves in the sea breeze, by the muffled sound of – no, it’s definitely not a seagull – it’s a baby squawking in his cot. My sleepy husband next to me mumbles, ‘Your turn’. I haul myself up on to my elbows and peer at my iPhone: 6.30 am. Thank God it’s past six. Clever Rex! You slept through! The day is off to a good start. Some mornings I’m bleary-eyed if I’ve been up in the night with him, cuddling, administering Calpol, soothing him back to sleep with a warm bottle. Those nights are less regular now he’s nearing age one, and I’m actually missing them a bit. They are babies for such a short time. I pad downstairs and he greets me with open arms and a big giggle, standing up in his cot, raring to go. Now I can hear chatter coming from the adjacent room. Heath is awake too. We go in and collect him before going down to the ground floor for breakfast together.

Fifteen minutes later, mushy bits of museli, Cornflakes, Oatibix, strawberries, banana, blueberries and milk all over a highchair, breakfast table and four people, we’re done. I put Rex back in his cot for his morning nap and go back upstairs to get myself ready for work. I like to look reasonably smart during the week – a patterned dress, sandals and a combination of Monica Vinader jewellery, is a staple look.

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Credit Kate Gorbunova

Just before 9 I rush off to drop Heath at nursery on my way to the station. I’m lucky it’s only a short train journey to Waterloo and then a five-minute walk to HELLO! HQ on the South Bank.

The day flies as soon as I reach my office – morning conference is a chance to catch up with the HELLO! magazine team on the content for this week’s issue, we discuss features, news stories and look through the latest photos. This will be followed by management meetings discussing strategy for the brand, perhaps lunch with a showbiz PR or a star themselves to discuss an exclusive or new idea, then more meetings about online, digital and video content. HELLO! is a multi-platform brand, so there is always so much going on. Sometimes I’ll have brought my party frock and heels in to work where I’ll quickly change and head off to an awards ceremony, launch party or press event.

If I’m not going out, I’ll rush to get home for bath and bedtime with my boys. I try to switch off my phone for that precious time. We are avid readers in our house, so bedtime stories are a must and then, all going well, both boys are tucked up asleep by 8pm.

I’m back catching up on emails once they are down, and my husband and I will cook dinner together, have a glass of wine and catch up on our days. Currently, I’m having fun mapping out my third novel in The Stylist series. Although life is busy, creative writing has become a part of my life – sometimes ideas will have been swirling around my mind all day, so I need to get them down. This is theraputic for me, and when it’s flowing well it’s a lovely way to relax.

I will try to get in to bed by 10pm, but 99% of the time it will be gone eleven. The last thing my husband and I will say to each other is ‘Please let them both sleep through.’

The Stylist by Rosie Nixon is out now (HQ, £7.99)

 

 

A Day in the Life of Rob Sinclair

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One of the hardest parts of my life as an author is actually finding the time to write. As I struggled with this realization while putting the finishing touches to my newest book, Rise of the Enemy, I wrote a blog post that was clearly tongue-in-cheek (see here). Again, on the day I’m writing this, I’ve just returned from a two week holiday so have a backlog of other tasks, starting with work in my garden which has turned into something of a jungle in the space of 14 days…

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My life has changed immeasurably since I caught the writing bug some six years ago. At that time I was still working full time as a forensic accountant, but on the flip side I had no kids. Life was really quite straight forward, comparatively speaking. I drafted my first book, Dance with the Enemy, early in the morning before work, at lunch times, in the evenings and at weekends. It took a lot of dedication and commitment – I was spending every spare minute drafting and editing. Then something happened. I had two boys and my life was turn upside down – as was my house…

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Both of my boys (they’re 4 and 2) go to nursery three days a week, so once they’re out the house at 7:30am it’s time for breakfast then exercise. By the time I’ve showered it’s usually about 9am before I start work. I do all of my writing sat on the sofa in the lounge with my laptop. Yes, that big dent right there is where I sit. Every day I feel like I’m a little closer to the floor.

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It’s that first session, in the morning, when I always feel most productive and creative. I’ll generally blast through until about midday, with a couple of five minute breaks to make a coffee with my beloved Nespresso machine (every coffee-lover should have one)…

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I break off at lunch and do a bit of housework before I get back to writing. By that point I generally feel a bit less enthused. Writing can be a mentally draining experience, particularly when you’re drafting and coming up with new ideas. The  afternoon session ends about 4pm, then have an hour spare before I pick up my boys – generally more housework or checking my Twitter and Facebook accounts.

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By the time the boys are in bed and my wife has come home and we’ve had tea it’s about 8pm by which point I’ll look to do another hour or two of promotional work; social media largely but also blogs/interviews if I have the mental strength left (which is rare!).

Then it’s in bed safely tucked up with a book for ten minutes (if I’m lucky) before lights-off between 10pm and 10:30pm – what a rock n’ roll lifestyle, eh?!

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