The writing essential
No, I’m not going to talk about computers, though without it I’d be stuck. I find it so much easier to type my thoughts directly onto a word document than via pen and paper. Possibly because I change my mind a fair bit, which is easy to manage on a computer, but on paper leaves me with a scrawled mess of illegible hieroglyphics. Here’s an example of a page I wrote in the garden at the weekend (what can I say, the sun came out, I wanted to sit in it and my computer is a desk top that doesn’t budge from the study).
Plus the computer is there for the essential research that always comes into every book. For my latest book, Oh Crumbs (did I mention it’s now available for pre-order?!) I had to research the biscuit industry. Now I’m not going to be getting a job as marketing director in McVities anytime soon, but I did find some useful information that hopefully gives the book authenticity. For example, research suggests youngsters are turning to traditional biscuits like custard creams and bourbons, though the UK’s favourite biscuit is the chocolate digestive. If I had to choose only one biscuit for the rest of my life, that would be my choice, too.
But I like the variety; a biscuit to suit my mood. If I’m feeling extravagant, I go for the Belgian white chocolate chip cookie. Indulgence at its best. For everyday, I opt for the dark chocolate digestive. If I’m feeling virtuous (it does happen), I reach for the lower calorie Rich Tea. To me it’s the champion of dunkers, though surveys have put it in second place behind the ginger nut. I only ate those when I was pregnant. Some say chocolate digestive’s are fabulous dunkers, but to me that would contaminate what I consider to be THE writing essential (you knew I’d come back to that at some point, didn’t you?) – the mug of tea.
Because it doesn’t really matter which biscuit I choose – hey, sometimes I don’t even need to choose one at all – what I can’t write without, is my mug of tea.
Perhaps I should set my next book in a tea company…
