How Full is Your Cupboard?

‘We find what we are looking for in life…if you look for happiness you will see it.’
Alexander McCall Smith – The Full Cupboard of Life

Even when I sit down to write, I'm never quite sure what kind of story will emerge. The characters seem to have a mind of their own. There they are, skating off when I thought they were going to look inside the broken box, or picking up a gilded spider when they should be watching the road for smugglers. That's part of the excitement.

When this happens, I keep writing because something unexpected and wonderful might flow.

Still, there are times when the plot takes a turn for the worse. A character is sick, has an unhappy life experience, is no longer talking to their significant other, seems to be dwelling in the darker spaces. At these times, I wonder whether I have the courage to take the story where it needs to go. Will I be happy with the outcome? Will the character recover, be better for the experience? Will people enjoy reading the end result?

At this point, I remind myself that readers will bring to the story their own life history. A sad or confronting story can be meaningful, satisfying or even uplifting. So with a full cupboard of life, I can carry on even if the wayward characters eschew the broken box, or fail to safeguard the pass. All I have to do is open the cupboard door.

Guest Blog on ebookrevolution

In 2015 I had the pleasure of meeting Emily Craven, author, professional speaker, blogger, podcaster and entrepreneur. She is an inspiration for anyone interested in epublishing and other opportunities in the digital age.

We share a fascination in reading practices now that the digital revolution has taken hold.

Emily has been kind enough to host my blog about (subversive) ways of reading Peter Carey's True History of the Kelly Gang on her ebookrevolution.

If you've read Ned, let me (and Emily) know how you went about it.