Am I mad? A question a writer might ask themselves on a regular basis. The answer to which Is quite possibly yes. To keep writing and submitting in the current tough publishing climate does require a degree of (quoting Oxford concise English) ‘wild foolishness, great energy, intensity, enthusiasm, eagerness’. My musings often spill forth on to paper as those of a disordered mind. But… wait! My feverish determination to do, or die doing, paid off! My I‘ve got nothing to lose, not even my reputation attitude when approaching wonderful Safkhet Publishing turned my often shattered dream of being published in the UK into a reality. Yesss! Recipes for Disaster, a sexilicious Romantic Comedy written around delicious and fun recipes, is published and doing well. I have a further three book-contract! Three books!!!
Covers for Naked Fully Clothed and A Little Bit of Madness
coming soon!
Books I’ve slaved over, sweated over, cried and laughed over; taken on every piece of constructive criticism to improve, even employing editorial help via the RNA, are finally seeing the light of day. I’m a writer, yet cannot find an appropriate word to describe how I feel. Euphoric would come close. Life, I’d decided, you see, is too short to pour so much precious time into something that, despite all efforts, might remain a pipedream. Safkhet saved me. Could I really envisage giving up something which is fundamentally a part of me, my writing? I’m glad I didn’t, even if it does make me little bit … intense.
On which note (the life being too short bit. A fact most people wake up to one day), I am now wondering if I might have slipped over the edge into complete insanity. I’m giving up this: For this:
Yep, we’ve decided to spend six months a year cruising, six months in situ at our mooring in the harbour, water on tap, electricity ditto, and open countryside views outside our portholes. We’re retaining a small flat in Worcestershire as an investment and insurance against the worst winter can throw at us ~ and going for it. Life really is too short to mow lawns, decorate and clean a house we don’t enjoy, we reckon. It might make us mad, but we’ll be happy with it.
And, yes, we have boated in all weathers, bent props, been weed-bound, sunk and fallen overboard, so we know what we’re in for. Oh, and of course we absolutely will give our children our location once under sail … possibly.
Do you have a dream? Have you ever toyed with a life-changing plan and then taken the plunge?
I’d love you to share. And please do feel free to check back as I share my own life-changing progress along with my fabulous publishing journey.
27 comments:
Wow what a big change! Sounds great to just go for it though! Good luck x I adore the cover with the bunny x
Oh Sheryl, you're living my dream (well one of them, published aside). I keep telling my husband we should sell up and by a boat - trouble is it would be a bit of a squeeze with 4 children, so I may have to wait a bit longer. It looks lovely, good for you - happy boating! x
Oh Sheryl - I'm so excited for you! Your books, your boat and your wonderful new life. Wow. Hope you have WiFi wherever you go! Hugs ~ Vicki
OMG! That is so terrific! You are Little Miss Adventurous, I can't believe how lucky you are. And doesn't your narrowboat just look the snuggiest thing ever? Fantastic! If you're ever in the vicinity of Foxton Locks (closed, I believed owing to dought, but still), give us a shout and we'll drive up to see you, heee heee! Congratulations, I think it's fantastic that you're living your dream.
My personal plunge? Not quite as dramatic, but I decided to leave my home country, family and all my friends behind to come to England when I was nineteen. You have to appreciate that I didn't know a soul here, had never visited the university I had applied to (and that accepted me) and had no real financial basis for doing what I was doing. My family expected me to come back within three months. That was twenty years ago! Not sure I could do it again though....
Great post, thanks SO much for sharing. DM me the name of your boat and I'll keep an eye out...
Thank you, Lindsay! I adore that cover, too. We're just getting the blurb up for the book. I can't tell you how thrilled I am to finally be having this one published. It was one I'd wanted to write for a long, long time. I owe a lot to Kim and Will at Safkhet Publishing! :) xx
Thanks, Sue. You can come and holiday anytime! My son has just rented a gorgeous little flat in Warwick, so he's all set. We're all starting out on a new adventure, you might say. He actually lived on our smaller boat for a while, btw, in central Birmingham, so loves the boating life. I suppose I shall have to let him in when he visits. Haw, haw! :) xx
Thanks, my lovely supportive friend, Vicki! Yes, we will have WiFi. We have a permanent internet connection at our mooring, though. Just not possible to function without nowadays! Good luck to you, sweetie! :) xx
Way to go!!!
We have to sell our little 30ft boat to accommodate the bigger boat, sadly, Nicky. That one is called Aquaduck - and has Donald Duck painted on the side (painted by moi - I did some signwriting on boats in my earlier boating days). I will miss little Aquaduck, but needs must. How adventurous were you?! You have to write me a blog post! I'd love to know what (or who :)) enticed you to stay - and what your family's reaction was when you did. Love it! :) xx
you are what?!
Cool! I can say one of my authors lives on a boat! I love it.
Don't forget you need internet!
Haw, haw, do you seriously think I would have considered it without, Kim? Now, of all times? No way. Permanent link at mooring. Latest tech on boat. Sadly we have to sell little one. Nooo, not Snoops! Little Aquaduck has to go, but she's going to a good home! :) xx
Wow Sheryl, that's truly amazing and brave and I love it! I’m so excited for you. Remind me how to fish and I’ll come and sit on your boat and drink wine all day, it looks beautiful... a perfect home. Live the life you dream of living... live the dream and enjoy – loving the books and the blog - don't ever stop - tons of love as always x
You either, Claire. Sometimes you just have to make it happen. You are amazing. Don't know where you get your energy, but you're an inspiration to writers - and women in general. You can come anytime, Claire. Oh, and we'll probably have fish in the freezer, which might be better than the tiddler we'll catch. Cheers. m'dear. Hope to see you soon - and absolute best of luck. You deserve it - and you've earned it! :) xx
How fab - I love how you are grasping life and living the dream!
It all sounds wonderful - I just hope there is room on board for the dogs!
Love, Janice xx
Sheryl, Congratulations! I wish you the best of luck. From one person who chucked it all to another, you go girl!
Wow, Sheryl! What an amazing plan - and what a book could come out of it!! Congratulations on your guts and imagination.
Liz X
Wow - go for it! Having down-sized last August and now living in a converted cow byre and hayloft, tiny but perfect, at the end of a country lane ... we are in heaven! You will be too. Less cleaning, more fun and more time to do the thing you want to do most - writing! Life is about grasping the moment, it's way too short and a congrats hug is winging it's way to you!
I've just tried to post a comment it hasn't come through!! Will try again.... what I said:
I better not show your 'move' to my husband who has LOVED canal boats all his life and is now the Manager of the Peter Le Marchant Trust who provide day outings and holidays on the canals for people of all ages with any kind of disability or seious illness. The Trust is in Loughborough, not very near to you unless you will be travelling the canals! It is amazing what the effect is of cruising slowly along the canals in the countryside. A child aged 8 who hadn't spoken for years, suddenly spoke. Blind people just love the opportunity of sitting in the bow of the boat feeling the air on their skin and hearing country sounds.
I'm sure you will have a wonderful life and so many adventures. And so much more time, when you're not working the locks!! H x
Thank you, Darlene! :) xx
Dogs are part of the boating experience, Janice. Little Snoops loves the boat. He also quite likes the canalside pubs! Thanks so much for popping by! :) xx
Thanks, Stephanie! Sometimes you just have to follow your gut instinct and stay true to yourself. As you would know. Playing the sax on the bar! Loved that image. A girl after my own heart! :) xx
Thank you, Liz. I love boating, all aspects of it. When you've done a set of fifty locks in the torrential rain - only your evening dress left to come home in, when you've sunk!! ...yes, really... you know you've experienced the worst. Still love it! :) xx
Linn, thank you! It's something we've wanted to do forever. Not something to embark on foolishly, though. Lfe on the water in winter can be... well, challenging to say the least. We've been there and done it,tough. And still we felt more content. The timing is right, I feel it. :) xx
Harriet, we have friend who runs just such an enterprise in Upton-on-Severn. He's a lovely man. I admire his dedication. He's showed us around his boats, and is so proud of his achievements. He should be. So should your husband. We will be travelling, yes, through the summer. As for the locks... Thank God for canalside pubs! :) xx
Wow! I love the canal boat and I heartily endorse the no cleaning bit. I've never been domesticated and not sure if the accumulated dust everywhere means its someone coming, or someone going. Anyway, just wanted to say that if that's mad, then I want to be mad too.
Thank, Chris. I totally agree. I was about to say, when someone pays me to do housework... But even then, uh, uh. Thankless task. I mean, cleaning two bathrooms and a downstairs loo every week - now that is mad! :) xx
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