Firstly, apologies that we have been quiet for a while. We have been going through a fair amount as a family, some of which I am sure I will write about in the coming weeks. But for this week I thought I would give you a bit of an insight into me as a writer with a bumper post and an interview with…me.

Where do you write?

I usually write in my shed at the bottom of the garden. I had been promising myself a shed for a long time because we have a fairly small house for four of us but we ended up building it during the pandemic. It is made completely from wood, which makes it a lovely relaxing place, especially as the side window looks out onto the ancient woodland at the back of our house. I have two desks in there, my writing desk where I write by hand, and a larger desk, made by Matt from floor boards, where I have my laptop. It has a tangle of wires at the back – my family says my superpower is tangling wires. To my right is a cork board covered in images that inspire me, including Rey from Star Wars who I keep to remind me that women can do whatever men can, and lots of images of nature and the sea. I also have a bookshelf with all my most prized books, and a white rocking chair which I sit in to read. I also write in coffee shops, at the dining room table or anywhere when I can find a minute to fit it in. I find that I get a lot more written if I am less prescriptive about where I write.

How do you find time to write?

Because I live in a neurodiverse household, things often don’t go to plan. That means that I normally try and write at 6am, before anyone else has got up.  At that time there is less chance of something coming up that I need to deal with. I have a full time job and two teenage boys to taxi and even at 6am I don’t have long. I try and write in the evening after I have made tea but often I am tired and unproductive at that time, having worked all day. I rely on the weekends for writing because my teenagers sleep in and I can have a good long stretch of time to myself. I would love to have more time to write and that is the ultimate dream, but it is on hold until my boys finish school. But watch this space! One day I would love to be living the writer’s life full time.

Why do you write?

For lots of reasons. To make sense of things. To get things out of my head and look at them in a more detached way. To tell stories. To remind me of things that have happened. To do something for me in a world where I spend a lot of time doing things for others. Because I have always loved the sight of my hand forming words across a page. But most importantly, so that I have a voice.

Having a voice has become increasingly important to me in recent years. My day job is advocacy. I work to help people find their own voice and use it, and to help people to get their voice heard by people who are not listening. And yet I realised that  I often didn’t use my own voice or have a chance to tell my own story. And so I write to tell  that story.  One day I hope to get my story out to a wider audience because I think it is an important one. But for now I write to practice writing, to practice telling my story and because it makes me feel heard, even if only by my own notebook.

Who inspires you?

There are so many writers that inspire me in so many different ways. In fiction, I love Marcia Willett for her beautiful descriptions of simple, every day sights and the wonder and joy she put into the ordinary. Lucinda Riley was a fantastic storyteller and plotter and I love the way that Jodie Picoult addresses difficult issues in a way the reader can’t help but engage with. I also love Ali Smith who always challenges me and writes with a style totally her own and Maggie O’Farrell, particularly her early work. Marian Keyes is another favourite, I love how she blends humour with serious issues, getting you thinking whilst you are laughing. I love the food writing of Nigel Slater who shows how you can write poetically about any subject.

In general I love writers who make me think about things in a new way, whether by the way they create images or the way they challenge thinking. They inspire me to be bolder with my own words and the aims of my writing.

Do you have a writing playlist?

I really struggle to write with music playing. I am much more likely to be listening to wave sounds to start with, until I relax into it, and then complete silence. I think it is because I am a big music fan and I get lost in the rhythms and lyrics, rather than concentrating on what I am writing about. Also, the music I like tends to be quite upbeat or story driven and that is hard to come away from to write, I think something quieter might be easier but that is not really me. I mostly listen to music when I am driving. At the minute I am enjoying my Happy Songs compilation for upbeat days and Ed Sheeran’s new album, –,  for more meditative moments. I like the way Ed Sheeran tells meaningful stories with his song lyrics, its an art I would like to master  – to get so much into so few words.

What do you do when you are not writing?

Life outside writing is pretty busy. As well as my full time job as an advocate and office manager for a great charity, I look after my husband and two teenage sons, and I try and fit in all the things I love. They include walking, reading, cooking, and being around water. I love swimming and kayaking when I can find the time. I also like playing tennis with my boys and playing the clarinet and piano. I am a member of an orchestra and we do several concerts a year. I enjoy listening to music and visiting galleries and museums for inspiration and I love people watching. There are always so many things to take me away from writing, but they are also the things that inspire my writing. It is just always about finding the balance.

What do you write?

A lot of my writing is about my life married to a neurodivergent man. When Matt was diagnosed autistic and then with ADHD around six years ago, writing became a really useful tool to understand what I was feeling and work through the difficulties we were encountering. I had lost myself within our marriage and writing has helped me to find myself again, explore what I want out of life and face up to things that I had been suppressing for a long time. It is one of the easiest and cheapest self help tools, and now I am looking to help others with the things I have learnt by sharing them here and in the book that I am in the process of writing.

In the past I have written a course and course materials to help parents support their children with maths and a PhD thesis on the best ways to do this. I also write poetry and am a great writer of lists. I have a notebook which I carry everywhere and jot down things that inspire me or my thoughts on something that comes up. I am not sure what I plan to do with these things, but they will be there to come back to when I know.

What do you write with and on?

I normally write by hand with a blue Bic biro. I have a Passion Planner notebook that I make all my ‘on the go’ notes in and I also use their yearly Planner which I love (even though I have to order it from America). For my journal I use a soft backed colourful A4 wide lined notebook, often from Tescos as they do lovely ones fairly cheaply. I also normally buy a special pad for a new course or project – and that can be anything that takes my fancy. I type things up on my laptop, normally on Word.

What is your writing talisman?

The main talisman I need for writing is my trusty blue Bic biro. I have tried writing with other things but it is never the same. At A-level I studied both English Literature and Maths (which was so unusual at that time that I had to move sixth form to do it) and got into the habit of using blue for English, writing and creativity and black for Maths, numbers and logic, a habit that has stuck with me every since. I have tried to be more environmentally friendly and return to the fountain pens I used to use, but none of the three I have tried seem to like me because they constantly become clogged and refuse to write! If anyone has any ideas on how I could get the ink flowing again I would really appreciate it because I do feel guilty about all the plastic in the biros.

Do you use any movement to help with your writing?

I have recently realised how much I love moving my body and how it is the first thing I let slide when things are getting on top of me. We have just been away on holiday and I swam every day and remembered how much it frees my mind up so that is definitely something I plan to keep up. More generally at home I go for a walk, usually round a lovely reservoir nearby or in the woods in the next village. I also like to do some yoga in my shed when I can’t get out.

Tell us about your writing firsts

The first piece of writing I had that was widely read was a poem about bullying that was shared through the education service my mum worked for. It was used to help children to understand the impact of bullying so on reflection it was the beginning of using my writing to show people how others experience the world. The first blog post I wrote was about studying a PhD part-time whilst working and raising children, which I wrote for my university. The most exciting first was the first piece of writing I was paid for which was an article I wrote for the TES at the start of the pandemic. It gave tips to parents about how they could help their children with maths without driving everyone crazy and was an offshoot from my PhD research. Although none of those things are what I am writing about now I can see the path from there to here very clearly so I hope there are lots more firsts to come.

Where would your dream writing desk be?

What I would absolutely love is a view over Dartmoor, a really isolated part with just ponies, sheep and cows, a tor for interest and a peek of the sea in the distance on a clear day. I feel so alive every time I go back there and I think that would be great for my writing, plus when I hit a block I could just go outside for a walk to get my mind back on track.

What do you wish you had known about writing earlier in life?

I wish I had been told that your experience is unique and you are the only one who can write your life’s story. Everyone has something important to say and everyone should have a voice so tell you story, your way. The power is in the writing and in the telling, even if it is only read by a couple of people, or by no one else at all.

How would you like your writing to be described?

The number one way in which I would like my writing to be described is as honest, authentic and from the heart. We live in a society that likes to promote certain ways of being and so many of us don’t fit those moulds. I want my writing to challenge people’s stereotypes and make them think about how life might be for others, and to know that that is OK. I also really want my writing to support others who love neurodivergent people, let them know that they are not alone and that it is possible to care from someone neurodivergent and live a fulfilling life yourself. I want to reflect the hard times and the good times of living with a neurodivergent partner and be the person I needed to read when my husband received his diagnoses. I want my writing to be inspirational for those who are going through struggles, to help them see there is always hope.

A very big thank you to Beth Kempton for these questions prompts. You can find Beth at Home – Beth Kempton