Writing is a lonely occupation, and it can be very hard indeed to keep faith in one’s abilities as an author. It is also very easy to get stuck. Call it writers block if you wish, but every now and again there comes a point where you either can’t go on, or you think the whole thing is a pile of effluent, or you’ve said what you wanted to say and it turns out to be unutterably dull.
Writing groups are an author’s salvation. I’m fortunate enough to belong to a writer’s co-operative based in Saffron Walden and a bunch of us meet most months to discuss works in progress and anything else that concerns us all. From time to time we also organise events to help promote our work and last weekend the lovely ladies and gents of the Saffron Walden public library allowed us to set up a couple of tables just inside the front door by the loos and we offered our books for sale.
It was lovely to meet some of our readership and talk to folk about our work.
A title that caught lots of eyes was my
How to Shit Around the World. I can’t imagine why. One chap was visiting the library with his son whom I’d guess was about seven. Dad had a flick through the book and a chuckle over some of the toilet tales and then called his son over from the children’s section and pointed out my book. Dad said, ‘Read out the title – but not out loud.’ The boy looked and read and his eyes widened in disbelief. I just wished I’d filmed his incredulous expression.
We were heartened by the reception the good people of Walden gave us and grateful to those who left our tables clutching author-signed copies of our books. Clearly we’ll all have to work hard to produce some new titles for December 2016.
Season’s greetings one and all.
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Amy Corzine, Victor Watson, Clare Mulley, Gabrielle Palmer and Carol Ann Frazer were among the authors at Saffron Walden Library |
