On The Eighth Day of Christmas
The Writing Advice Emma Forrest Gave to Me…
Happy new year!!
I hope you had a good one no matter where you were or what you were doing. I danced and danced and danced last year and so these old bones — and this head — are feeling a little weary this morning, so let’s keep it short and sweet for today’s Twelve Days Of Christmas Writing Advice. And today, is day eight.
Of course, on January 1st, it has to be all about new year’s resolutions. I’m going to try and keep mine simple this year — I’ve decided to look after my back. It sounds a bit dull, but any writer knows this is the place where we suffer the most. The first six months of 2021 were spent with terrible back pain for me, so much money went to physios, I invested in a proper office chair which the cat quickly commandeered. The key to a healthy back at this age — at any age — is exercise. But as today’s author explains, a healthy exercise regime isn’t just about physical health and she has a very creative suggestion for getting your daily dose of fitness.
By 30, Emma Forrest had written three novels and had swapped her Sunday Times column to pursue a career as a Hollywood screenwriter. Her novel Royals was a Radio Two Book Club pick. Her memoir Your Voice In My Head published in 2011 was critically acclaimed. Another memoir Busy Being Free was published in 2022 and I loved it.
Regular readers may remember the curation on women writing on obsession that Emma put together for The Book Room. You can find that here, plus my interview with Emma about her own work and why she loves the books she chose so much.
So, let’s hear from Emma herself…
