Sammar Ally Creative

AUTHOR'S CORNER;

BARBECUING THE NOVEL!

So, I've managed to survive the winter, the school year and the proofreading and successful publishing of my latest novel; the year has simply flown by darlings, and I am dead proud of myself!

Surely now that summer has graced us with its presence, and I no longer have to bother about school, writing my next masterpiece ought to be easy! I mean, the days are longer, brighter, and certainly warmer! The bees are buzzing and the birds are tweeting, inspiration, right?

UMM....THINK AGAIN YOUNG ASPIRING WRITERS!

IT'S NOT THAT EASY, BABY!

Whilst winter brought with it misery and dread, not to mention an underlying depression (which doctors have failed to diagnose, in my opinion) and a sense of darkened failing in life, which can only be equated to doomsday! Whilst winter brought with it rain, sleet and frost, whilst it whisked up spirals of wind and whirls of leaves, whilst winter blew and shoved you down the street on a daily basis! Whilst winter brought with it a grey sky, bare trees, and a short supply of sunlight and absolutely no vitamin D, it also brought with it the warmth of indoors, the compulsion to stay home, the short, cosy nights and the toasty slippers that kissed your feet!

There was not much reason to look out of your window in winter, there was no need to stroll up and down the neighbourhood, there was no desire to tend to the garden. There was however, great entertainment in spending many a boring winter day in the novel plot, only to be able to flit the boring winter nights away by writing your novel!

BUT SUMMER?

Well summer came with an unexpected, yet half anticipated force of energy, much like a Flamenco dancer entering a stage! The sun suddenly shone, and that great big heater in the sky was turned up by a whopping twenty degrees and suddenly the bees and the birds seemed to awake to a chorus of Rock'n Robin! People suddenly emerged from their houses clad in shorts and vests and summer dresses, not to mention jewellery they normally wouldn't be seen dead in! Traffic suddenly and curiously increased and car horns could be heard all over the neighbourhood, and road rage sang to the tune of 'Get out my bleeding way!' and 'Shut-up!' All this I was forced to witness from the window which my desk is situated by, and from which I receive my finest inspirations!

And the sight of summer strangely did not make for a calming state of mind, instead, it excited me and woke me from my lazy existence. I felt fidgety at my desk!

And my garden looked like a proper garden!

And I could hear the sound of children playing! And I was intrigued!

My husband started using the Barbecue once again and although he would normally profess to be a useless chef, he conjured up dishes that would make Jamie Oliver weep!

And where before my friends and family could not be bothered to phone me, the sunlight had temporarily taken them out of their senses; for they rang, and rang and rang at all hours of the day!

And seeing as the children were doing me a favour by gracing me with their lovely company (huh) they required feeding, so I had to take time out of my writing to go shopping.........

and shopping.....and shopping!

I'm sure the supermarket manager thought I was stalking him; I started addressing him by his first name!!

And grandparents (who normally can't be bothered to come round) decided to visit, because they missed us (huh) suddenly!

And suddenly, as if by some sort of sordid Voodoo magic, my entire family tree emerged

which was strange, as only last winter they were nowhere to be seen! But wait... it gets worse.....

HIS entire family tree emerged!! Notice how significantly bigger his family tree is? There were weddings and barbecues and parties and funerals to attend! Not to mention they all expected an invite back! Well, unless I get married, have an unexpected birthday or suddenly die, they've got a long wait!!

But they all, without exception expected to be offered a cup of tea!

I'm a writer, not a tea lady!!