Stop press

Just a very quick blog to say that I have been published today - it is fantastic to see my name is print.

Find yourself a mentor

I am currently doing an application form, which has made me think about an old family friend and it has made me realise that sometimes you have to look backwards to move forwards.

Sometimes it is easier to forgot who has been there in the past and helped shape you for the future. It is strange, sometimes the hardest and saddest memories are the ones which makes you smile strong and gives you the strength to try even harder. If I could give any advice to anyone today - it would be to find a mentor, or two for your life. If you can find people who inspire you than whatever life throws up you, you can come up smiling, even when the end of the smile is being greeted by tears from your eyes. The poem below was written for a friend, who died nearly 13 years ago but his openness and ability to listen and discuss anything is something we could all learn from at times. Open your minds to the power of the unknown and life will always surprise you.

The Mentor

In memory of Tom Scott 1932 - 1997

As we walk in life,

There are quiet mentors behind us.

Hearing our footsteps; feeling our fears.

Sharing our laughter; and catching our tears

There was no friendship asked for,

But the greatest was given

A friendship which was filled with

Fun, faithfulness and fellowship.

The colourfulness of the friendship is easy to recall.

In remembering the smile, the laughter and the kind words.

The eagerness to listen

Backed with the unfailing nature to understand.

What more is needed in a friend?

Qualities like these are priceless,

And it is a friend like that

Who you cannot stop yourself from loving.

Without you, my friend

Life seems a duller place.

The sun has lost a little of its shine

And life hasn’t got the same bounce.

I miss your strength

Your courage and belief in the world and its wonders

I know you’re there, in all our hearts.

But sometimes that just won’t be enough.

Happiness is a butterfly...

Currently working on demons, dreams and Little Pink - too much to type at the moment. Here's a little quote though to show that I have not forgotten you all:

"Happiness is like a butterfly, the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder."

How to write well naked

I was sitting last night watching "How to Look Good Naked" on TV and I had this brain was - how to write well naked.

Now before you finish creating images of me using my moleskin notepads to cover up my delicate parts, I was thinking more about being able to show off what I write and not to hide it all in a note pad. Last night, when Gok worked his magic on his chosen lady, it was not really about the clothes she wore, but more about the person that they covered.

As with all makeover shows, the journey, last night, was to make the lady recognise her own inner beauty so she would be proud of who she was. If you are wondering what this has to do with naked writing, it is the principle of being able to be bold enough to share what is being written in its naked form. When I write, the words comes from a place deep inside of me that isn't shared with many people, like my own wonderland and my fear is always what if I have the courage to let someone else into my wonderland, will they want to change it?

There are guidelines to write and edit prose, but before you get to that stage, you first have passion. Passion (to me when writing), is letting the words pour out of your head and jump onto the page as if you had the last bit of paper in the whole wide world. Sometimes it is the rawness of fresh words that motivates my entire world. Stories, poems and novels take time and the editing process can take a lifetime and turn your whole world into a mass of red pen and correction fluid that changes the passion into a reality.

Writing is my passion, it is my legal high that costs nothing, and if the words are right they will give me the same hit, time and time again. To me, it is wonderful to get lost in words and now I intend to share my passion for prose. I can't guarantee polished works of fiction and correct grammar 100% of the time. But I can promise naked prose with you and, if you let me, I will take you on a journey to an unknown world.

Start your dream life today

Ten very important questions

This top ten is not mine - it is taken from Glamour magazine, February 2010 and was written by Jacqui Ripley. When I read the article, they rang true to me and I think they should be shared. them as I think anyone can relate to them, unless you have your dream life and then you might have your own advice!

1. What are your top three heart-sinkers?

2. Do you value things you don't actually believe in?

3. Are you working towards the life you want - or are you putting it off?

4. What would you do if you won the lottery?

5. If you knew failure wasn't an option, what would you want to do with life?

6. What is your inner critic shouting at you?

7. What would you do with an extra hour in the day?

8. Picture a successful person you admire. How different are they from you

9. What is your intuition telling you?

10. How would you play out your fantasy life?

It makes you think about what we actually want to get out of life.