by Fiona Gibson
10. Do you plan a book from start to finish before you start writing?
Not really. I have my main characters clearly drawn in my head, and a setting and theme – but the plot can be fluid. Knowing every twist and turn would be very boring to write, like painting by numbers. When things are going well, the book takes on a life of its own – even I can be surprised at how everything turns out.
Why Every Writer Should Own a Dog1
It took a ton of nagging before I agreed to get a canine companion – but a week or two after Jack moved in, I realised I’d been mad not to do it years before. I’m not making light of the huge responsibility; obviously, it’s a massive commitment. But if you can offer company, walks, affection and all the things that keep dogs – and humans – perky and happy, then, in my experience it’s a wonderful thing. Here’s why …
Someone to talk to … who doesn’t talk back. Yes, it’s thrilling to see your novel on the shelves of a bookshop, or glimpse someone reading it on a train – but a lot of what goes on is far less exciting. It’s lonely as hell sometimes. Now my kids are older, I can work when they’re around – but most of the time’s it’s just me here, in a deathly quiet house. I love having Jack plonked on the floor at my feet or nudging my hand off the mouse when walk time is upon us. And I’ve never felt lonely since he moved in – not for a second.
Fresh air, exercise and all that health-giving stuff … As a breed, writers tend not to be the healthiest types. We spend ridiculous amounts of time holed up in gloomy little rooms, hunched over keyboards, often surviving on coffee and random bits and bobs grabbed from the fridge. Before I had a dog, ‘taking a break’ meant fiddling about on Facebook, Twitter or eBay – ie, yet more gawping at a screen. But a dog has to go out, which requires the shifting of the butt – away from that shimmering screen. Then you remember that the outside world actually does still exist.
A dog helps to write your book … Yes, really. Often, after a brisk forty-minute walk with Jack, I find that an annoying plot problem has miraculously untangled itself. Ideas flow more easily when you’re striding through a park, or up a hillside, than when you’re glaring at a screen, feeling stuck and tired and anxious.
Encountering other dog-type people … Get a canine pal and you’ll find yourself catapulted into a whole world of doggie-loving types – most of whom are incredibly friendly, viewing you as ‘one of them.’ After a long morning of writing, this raises the spirits (if nothing else, you’ll be relieved to note that you are still capable of conversing with other humans). You might even find yourself putting some of these people in your books. Although months or even years can go by, and you still won’t know them by name – but you will know the name of their dog.
All the stroking and cuddling that goes on … If you’re stuck on a difficult sentence/chapter, stepping away from the computer and messing about with your dog can help to dispel those stressy moments. What is it about stroking an animal that lifts your mood instantly? I have no idea – but it works. Sometimes I write on my laptop stretched out on the sofa with Jack curled up at my feet as a sort of living, breathing foot-warmer. He’s good like that.
(1or, failing that, any house-residing pet will do – even fish. A writer friend told me that she dreamed of owning a huge aquarium, convinced that gazing at its slowly-moving inhabitants would soothe her frazzled mind).
Acknowledgements
A big bark of thanks to Caroline Sheldon, Bryony Woods, Sammia Rafique, Becke Parker and the wonderfully talented and bushy-tailed Avon team.
Special tail-wags to Carolann for our daily head-clearing walks and to Dee for medical expertise (on what happens when children stuff small objects into ears).
Messy but hugely affectionate face licks to Jen, Kath, Cathy, Michelle and Wendy V – my lovely friends since we were young pups. Unlimited treats to Tania, Vicki, Amanda, Sam, Hilary and Pauline, collectively known as the Dolphinton Writers – truly an author’s best friend.
Tons of love to my parents, Margery and Keith, and to my own gorgeous though rarely obedient family – Jimmy, Sam, Dex and Erin, plus our rescue dog Jack who’s a bundle of loveliness, even when forced to wear an embarrassing head cone.
About the Author
Fiona was born in a youth hostel in Yorkshire. She started working on teen magazine Jackie at age 17, then went on to join Just Seventeen and More! where she invented the infamous ‘Position of the Fortnight’. Fiona now lives in Scotland with her husband Jimmy, their three children and a wayward rescue collie cross called Jack. Jack’s special talent is to nudge her hand off her mouse to announce that it’s Walk Time. She is currently attempting to train for a marathon, but at present, Jack is outpacing her.
For more info, visit www.fionagibson.com. You can follow Fiona on Twitter @fionagibson.
Laugh-out-loud funny, Fiona’s writing deals with the real life cringe-worthy moments we all know so well …
Buy Take Mum Out
By the same author:
Mum On The Run
The Great Escape
Copyright
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
AVON
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First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers 2013
Copyright © Fiona Gibson 2013
Fiona Gibson asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
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Source ISBN: 9781847562616
Ebook Edition © February 2013 ISBN: 9780007478439
Version: 2013-12-10
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