My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece

My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece is the debut novel by Annabel Pitcher, and it’s the first YA book I’ve read since, well, being a young adult. I’d never really considered reading a YA novel since then but I’d heard such great things about it that I just had to give it a go, and I’m very glad I did.

It tells the story of 10-year-old Jamie and his family and, as you can gather from the title, it isn’t a happy premise. Jamie’s sister Rose was killed in a London terrorist attack five years earlier and his parents, his dad in particular, have never fully recovered. They’ve recently separated and in an attempt to make a fresh start Jamie, his sister Jasmine (Rose’s twin) and their dad are moving to the Lake District, Rose coming with them in the urn that holds a permanent place on the mantelpiece. Once there Jamie starts a new school and befriends a Muslim girl called Sunya, and what follows is a heart-warming yet often heart-wrenching slice of Jamie’s life.

It sounds like a tragic tale, and while the subject matter is certainly tragic it doesn’t come across in that way. It’s told entirely from the point of view of Jamie and that gives it a certain lightness and even a touch of humour—it’s hard to believe that such a harrowing subject could be humorous but it really was, and I found myself smiling and laughing throughout. Terrorism wasn’t the only difficult subject covered either but it instead touched on a whole range of topics including bullying, racism, alcoholism, divorce and grief, but much like the central theme they were all handled with a gentle touch.

But, that’s not to say it was completely void of deeper feelings. A lot of the time it was incredibly emotional, particularly when you consider the overriding themes, and at certain points I found it truly heartbreaking. I was in floods of tears at the denouement, and the fact that I was so immersed in it and went through so many emotions is surely an indication of what a fantastic book this is. The writing and its gentle nature made it a true joy to read, and being told through the eyes of a 10 year old boy made it appear more innocent and yet, at the same time, all the more poignant.

The book stayed with me for a long while afterwards, and the fact that I’m writing this review more than a week after reading is a testament to that—I simply haven’t been able to get it out of my head. I found myself immersed in Jamie’s world and really could see everything through his eyes; he has a truly unique voice and Annabel has portrayed him brilliantly, and the whole book, in fact, is brilliant. It covers difficult concepts with sensitivity, humour and just the right amount of sentimentality, and with certain subjects it almost leaves you wondering why we can’t all think like Jamie. I absolutely loved it, and don’t be put off by the YA label—it’s a book that anyone, at any age, can appreciate, and I urge you to go out and read it.

The Snow Child

OK, so I don’t do many reviews these days but this is one that I couldn’t resist. It’s a beautiful book and there’s been a huge amount of hype surrounding it which, as it turns out, is all for good reason – I’d heard whispers about it for months and when it was named one of the Waterstones 11 for 2012 (their pick of the best debut fiction of the year) I knew it was something I had to get my hands on, and I’m pleased to say that I did.

The Snow Child can best be described as a fairytale for adults. In fact, it takes its inspiration from the traditional Russian fairytale The Snow Maiden, and that magical and slightly otherworldly feel continues throughout the book.

A middle-aged couple, living on an Alaskan homestead, long for a child but after a devastating stillbirth 10 years previously are unable to fulfil their wishes. They’re lonely, isolated and are growing further and further apart, yet one evening they impulsively decide to build a snow girl when the first flakes begin to fall. The next morning their creation has disappeared, but footsteps are leading away from the pile of snow…

What follows is a truly enchanting story, full of hope and wonder, and the descriptions of the Alaskan wilderness only add to the magical feel of the book. The prose is beautiful and you can really feel the isolation and savage beauty of the situation the characters are in, and I found myself quite emotional by the end of it. When Jack and Mabel are joined by their snow child there are some really beautiful moments, and the small cast of characters that join them are all wonderful (particularly straight-talking but lovable Esther) and they really help bring the story to life.

It’s a short and sweet review, but trust me when I say that the book itself is even sweeter. I absolutely adored this book. It’s Eowyn Ivey’s first novel and I really hope it does as well as it’s tipped to, and if you’re intrigued by modern takes on traditional fairytales then you can’t go wrong. I really didn’t want it to end and am sure it’ll be on my shelves for a long time to come, and it’s even better for this time of year—it’s the perfect book to curl up with whilst you’re watching the snow fall outside, and I truly can’t recommend it enough.

(Thanks to Waterstones for my read and review copy)

Getting the balance right

So, I have a confession to make—I don’t think I’ve written anything remotely fiction-related since my failed attempt at NaNoWriMo. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve thought about fiction, and at times have even started planning things, but as far as putting fingers to keyboard? Nope. Nada.

My problem is that I have a really tough time trying to get the balance right between fiction and non-fiction writing. Non-fiction is of course my day job and so the bulk of my time is spent writing content, articles, blog posts and other pieces of copy, and I personally find it really tough to switch that off at the end of the day and focus on fiction instead. Actually, I find it almost impossible, particularly if I’ve written a few thousand words already—after all that writing my brain is fried and I can’t even string a sentence together, so come the evening I simply want to curl up in a ball and read someone else’s work instead.

But what about the weekend, I hear you cry? Valid point, and it’s this area I need to focus on the most. Again, because I write so much during the week the last thing I want to do is go anywhere near a laptop at the weekend, and instead prefer to have writing-free time with the only words I’m concerned with being those other people have written. This needs to change, and my action plan, therefore, is this:

• Carve out time to focus on fiction rather than spending all my time writing for other people, ideally spending an hour or two at the weekend on my own stuff.
• I need to put myself in a different mindset, one that says writing can be enjoyable when it isn’t for other people, whilst also giving me a kick up the backside saying HOW CAN YOU EVER WRITE A BOOK IF YOU CAN’T MAKE TIME FOR FICTION YOU BLITHERING IDIOT!! This is the voice I clearly need to listen to.
• Try to be more efficient with my day so that I get all my work-related writing finished as soon as possible, thereby freeing up more time to clear my head and potentially think about fiction.
• Read more books in the genre I want to write in, as well as those that could help me with the craft of fiction writing.
• Ideally I’d like to do more of the work I enjoy doing and less of the stuff I don’t, and being able to write fewer words a day so I can write in the evening without being brain dead would be perfect.

Of course, this isn’t all going to happen overnight, but even if I can manage to write a few words at the weekend it’ll be a good place to start. Let’s see how it goes…

One of those days

Today is one of those days. We all have them—days when we’re shattered and can’t concentrate on a single thing for more than a few minutes, when that horrible stressed feeling starts to swirl around in our stomachs making it even harder to sit still and stare at the screen. Days when we realise that it JUST ISN’T HAPPENING no matter how hard we try and how much we will our brains to get in gear and produce something, anything, on the page. But, the beauty of being a freelancer is that it doesn’t matter.

If you’re having one of those days there’s no point getting stressed about it—just accept the fact that you won’t produce anything even remotely coherent and take some time off instead. A few hours, an afternoon or even a whole day, whatever works for you. You’ll have a chance to recharge and you’ll go back to it feeling far more refreshed than you otherwise would, and I’ve realised that it really is the only solution to feeling this way. Getting stressed out is entirely counterproductive and will simply leave you even less able to function, so embrace the flexible working concept and take a break (unless, of course, you’ve got pressing deadlines, in which case SIT AT THAT COMPUTER UNTIL YOU FEEL MADNESS CREEPING IN). That’s what I’m doing for the rest of the day. To the couch, with a book and a cup of tea in hand—much better.

Tax return hell

It’s that time of year again. Nope, not the time when you have to battle through those resolutions and suffer the horrors of the gym only to find yourself weeping into the biscuit tin by the weekend, but the even more terrifying thought of tax return season. Freelancers, if you haven’t done yours yet you’re RUNNING OUT OF TIME! You’ve only got until January 31^st to file your return and pay any money you owe (incidentally, I find it highly unfair that they make the deadline 31^st January—if the good ‘ol January Blues weren’t already getting you down then the thought of the tax man taking all your hard-earned cash certainly will) or you could find yourself subject to fines and interest penalties. As if they don’t take enough of our money already…

I hate tax returns with a passion. It’s the only part of the freelancing life that I really dislike—it’s so much harder to actually hand over physical money instead of just seeing an intangible amount written on a payslip—but it doesn’t mean I can’t impart some (barely) useful information if you’re new to the whole thing. So, here are a few top tips to help see you through without having a nervous breakdown in the process:

• Register early. Never leave it until the last minute because you can’t just head online and instantly file your return—if you haven’t already registered for self-assessment it’ll take a good week for your registration details to arrive in the post, and then you’ll need to leave around 4 working days for any payments to clear (unlike most of the developed world, HMRC hasn’t yet discovered the delights of instant payment processing). Really, you need to get a shift on.
• Be prepared. Know what you’ll be letting yourself in for and do your research to make sure you don’t get any nasty surprises, because going into the minefield without knowing what you’re doing can be even more stress-inducing than it needs to be. Check out hmrc.gov.uk to familiarise yourself with the process and read any guides you need to, and pay particular attention to something called payment on account…
• Payment on account—the most ridiculous thing ever. I can’t explain it in any great detail but it basically means you have to make two payments to cover your current year’s tax, the first one being due before you actually fill in your tax return for that year. It’s worked out according to your previous year’s tax return which doesn’t make the slightest bit of sense (why work on old figures when you have no idea what you’ll actually earn by the end of the year? Madness) but hey, that’s the government for you. Like I said—read up on it so you don’t get a surprise, because if it’s your first tax return you’ll have to pay that payment on account ON TOP OF your current liability, and that can be a big shock if you’re not ready for it (does any of that make sense? Probably not. RESEARCH!).
• Keep accurate records. Keeping records of all income, invoices, receipts and expenses should of course be a central part of business management, but if you’re a bit lax make sure to step it up a notch. This is particularly the case with the new rules set to arrive later this year—I don’t know the ins and outs as yet but as I understand it, small businesses could be fined up to £3000 if they fail to show the necessary paperwork when required (what did I say about them already taking enough of our money? Insert here).
• Go on a course. As Stacey reminded me in the comments below (thanks!), the HMRC run free courses on expenses, self-assessment and other self-employment related issues and can be invaluable when you’re starting out. Get in touch with your local tax office or business advice centre to see when they’re running near you.

What more can I say? Good luck. You’ll need it. And if all else fails, have a stiff drink—I certainly will be *glug*

Start as you mean to go on

It’s hard to believe that the Christmas and New Year celebrations were still in full swing less than two weeks ago. Days quickly return to normal once you’ve back in the daily grind (who’s ready for a bank holiday already?!) but we’re still barely half way through the month, so I thought I’d take the chance to say a few words about getting back into the swing of things freelancing-wise.

I don’t know about you, but after a nice long break I go back to work feeling refreshed and ready to attack. It’s a cliché but the New Year really can be a fresh start—it’s a chance to re-evaluate things and get back on track, perhaps approach new markets with renewed vigour and motivation, and if you start well you’ll have a fantastic kick-start to the year. So, here are a few ways to start it as you mean to go on:

• Increase your marketing efforts. You know that email template you’ve got languishing on your hard drive? Get it out, dust it off and start approaching markets. Search for local clients that might want to use your services or even do a wider search for copywriting/marketing/press agencies – you never know where you might be able to snap up some additional work.
• Get in touch with old clients. If you’ve got clients that have used your work in the past, what’s stopping them from needing your services in the future? Don’t be afraid to be pro-active – a simple email could be all it takes to remind them you’re there and available for work, and even if they don’t need your help straight away you’ll be fresh in their mind should something come up.
• Use social media to your advantage. There’s no denying that social media can be a huge time-sucker (Twitter being my procrastination method of choice), but if used wisely it can lead to fantastic benefits. I’ve managed to nab a few clients using this very site, and just last week I noticed a Tweet from a copywriting agency seeking new writers – a quick email and a test piece later and voila, new client. It’s often the case of being in the right place at the right time but there’s no reason you can’t search for potential clients who might be in need of your services, and besides, who wouldn’t like an excuse to spend more time on Twitter?
• Think bigger. It’s a New Year and that means it’s time to be brave and put yourself out there, because you never know what’s around the corner. Whether you’ve got a fiction idea itching to be put onto paper, a non-fiction proposal waiting in the wings or even a desire to break into journalism now’s the time to get going, because with all that stored up motivation it’s the perfect opportunity to take some risks.

Of course, these are tips that we should always be putting into practice but sometimes it’s easier said than done, with daily life and work stresses often getting in the way of clear, logical thinking. That’s why now’s the perfect time to get back into the proactive mind-set to make some positive changes, so what are you waiting for? Start the year as you mean to go on and get out there and do it!

The Joy of Books

Ok, so I know this is doing the rounds today, but I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT and couldn’t resist posting it here too. Isn’t it the best thing ever? It’s so magical and so beautifully done that it just makes me smile to watch it. I love the idea of a bookshop coming alive at night and the music sets it off perfectly, and as it says so well, there’s nothing quite like a real book. Watch, love, enjoy!

Looking back, moving forwards

So, 2011 is almost no more. In just 24 hours’ time I’ll be celebrating the ending of the old year and the beginning of the new one (with an obligatory glass of champagne or two, of course), so I thought it only fitting to re-evaluate the year and everything that’s gone along with it.

First up – writing goals. Well, let’s just say that they haven’t all been met, but that certainly doesn’t mean that this year has been a failure. 2011 was the year that I had my first ever magazine feature published in all its printed papery glory, and I’ve also found some wonderful new clients which has allowed me to flex my writing muscles in more challenging ways. I’m in a great rhythm with freelancing and am on a pretty even keel, something which is no small feat when you consider I’ve only been doing this freelancing malarkey for 2-and-a-bit years, and while this year has certainly had its ups and downs I’m chuffed with how it’s ended. I unfortunately haven’t spent as much time on fiction writing as I’d have liked but I still managed to give NaNo a go, and despite the fact I only got around halfway/25,000ish words I have a much better idea of the genre I’d like to write in. So, again, all good.

As for next year, I intend to keep moving forwards with freelancing to find more challenging and lucrative areas of business, and the same goes for fiction where I hope to be able to spend more time on it to get something solid down on paper. I’m not giving myself goals that are too specific this year (at least, I’m not being specific in public!) as I’m pretty happy with the way things are going, so for now, moving forwards is my main goal (I may blog on how I intend to do this over the next few weeks, we shall see).

Next – reading challenges. As above, they didn’t all go according to plan, but that’s simply because I discovered so many new books I couldn’t wait to read that the initial challenges fell by the wayside. This suited me perfectly and I’ve actually read a far wider selection of books than I otherwise would have done, covering everything from the classics and literary all the way to crime and commercial fiction.

So, next year I intend to put a more open challenge in place – rather than sticking to set genres or authors I’m going to set myself a target of reading 50 books (15 more than the 35 I’ve managed to read this year) covering any genre I see fit. That way I’ll hopefully read just as widely as I have done this year, and it’ll also give me the chance to attack my ever-expanding TBR pile which currently stands at 17 books, having been increased again thanks to lovely Christmas goodies.

What more can I say? 2011 has been a pretty good year, but as ever I hope to improve on it in the next one. Fingers crossed 2012 will be even better and the same goes for you guys as well – have a very happy New Year (and belated Christmas wishes too!) and may all your writing and reading resolutions come to fruition. Bring it on!

Happy National Freelancers Day!

Today is National Freelancers Day, a time when freelancers everywhere can celebrate the way they work, take a moment to think about the contribution they make to the economy and basically feel pretty damn lucky that they’re not stuck in a soul-destroying 9 to 5 office space (well, that’s my take on the meaning of the day anyway). I almost missed it this time round and didn’t even realise the significance of the date until this afternoon, but I couldn’t pass it by without writing a (very) little post for it.

So what can I say? Well, besides the fact that this is a great way to work, we freelancers are also bringing something valuable to the table. Not only do we provide a service but we do it in a way that’s flexible and cost-effective for clients whilst being beneficial for us – it’s a win-win situation for everyone concerned, and for the most part we’re in control. We’re doing it for ourselves and need to celebrate that fact, and what better way to do it than this? Happy National Freelancers Day!

NaNo – Day 1

Image by J. Paxon Reyes via Flickr

It’s the first of November, and that can only mean one thing – NaNoWriMo has officially begun! (Oh, and so has Movember, if you’re a guy and fancy growing a masterpiece of a moustache for charity.)

So how has it been for you? My NaNo novel has gotten off to a flying start – 3,358 words are already in the bag. I’m sure they’re all complete tosh, but they’re there, and that’s better than nothing. I’m very chuffed that I’ve doubled the daily target of 1,667 words, but that’s only because I decided to take the afternoon off and concentrate on it to give myself a head start – I know that a lot of days aren’t going to be quite so successful and I hate playing catch up, so hopefully it’ll give me a bit of leeway so I won’t panic quite so much. Or at least, that’s the plan…

Anyway, I’m enjoying it so far, and it’s made me realise how much I missed writing fiction. I’m really starting to get to know my characters as well, and being able to write crap is probably helping me in this respect – I can write reams of stuff that will be useless in the long run but that’s helping me figure out the story and the people within it, and yet I’m getting plenty of words down at the same time. Result!

Hopefully everyone else out there is having a good NaNo experience too, and now, onwards – more wordage awaits.