The hare and the shooting stars

How empty books can change your life

Cover designed by Angela Harding

Big plans afoot

This book, I hope, will turn out to be my “go to” book this year and possibly even change the trajectory of my life. That all sound a bit dramatic for a journal, given to me as a gift this Christmas. But I have chosen it to become my companion, my confidant, my tracker and my reviewer. It will contain my hopes, dreams, fears and questions and will keep me focused for what I hope will be a life changing year for me. I will visit its pages daily, and let it shape my ideas so that magical dreams start to happen. I’m holding my breath as I write this, in anticipation of what is to come.

My biggest dream this year is to get a book out into the world. There, I’ve said it! That felt big as I don’t often talk about my book dreams despite having this one in my head for over twelve years. It is a book that I have visualised so clearly… people looking at it, using it to change their mindset, their selfcare practices and their life. It is a book of beauty, self-kindness, deep connection and awe and wonder. I cannot wait to share it with the world.

What’s taking you so long?

That is a very good question. Well, clearly books do not happen overnight. It has taken years of percolation, time away from my busy day job, bravery to begin to share my words with the world on social media platforms, working on overcoming timidness, and imposter syndrome and finding people who encourage my craft rather than scoff at it. Whilst still a work in progress, all that is in place enough now and I am thankful for that. The biggest joy has been meeting people, either online or face to face, who get how it is for a writer, encourage creativity and action and share dreams that really can become a reality. I think this is a crucial part of the writing process as it can be a very isolating occupation and, as social animals, we thrive in the company of other like minded souls.

Nearly there!

My book proposal is nearly finished, over sixty pages of it so far. I’ve worked hard on it, with the guidance of Beth Kempton’s course on the subject and the lovely people who did the course with me (some of which I still talk to on a weekly basis). I am using my journal to document important deadlines. I have set one for the the end of January for the proposal to be completed and then it will be sent off to agents. This feels daunting but exciting at the same time. My efforts will be scrutinised and either accepted or rejected but either way at least I will know if my idea is good enough to be taken to the next stage.

Of course there are no guarantees, anything can happen in that time. But I am one for accountability and deadlines (not for everyone I know). By setting this in ink and of course telling you my plans, I am holding myself accountable to be able to try and make it happen. I have a strongest sense of belief than I have ever had that the time is right and no matter how tricky it feels, this is the year to get things moving.

Nature at its heart

Needless to say there will be a strong nature theme to my book. Writing about nature and helping people to look at the detail of it through my eyes brings me deep joy. The knowledge of how good nature is for wellbeing has been a constant message I have wanted to share with as many people as possible over the years. This will be the book’s main message, but with a bit of a twist.

A progress report

Over the coming months I will let you know how I am getting on. I am excited to see what the universe has in store for me and my readers. If you are up for me sharing the whole paper to print journey with me, let me know. If you are in a similar position, please get in touch so we can encourage each other along our path to authorship.

Happy New Year to you all. I hope all our dreams will become a reality and we feel fulfilled, excited and grateful for all that we manifest in the coming months.