Tomorrow it begins: The Writer in the Window

24 hours…

Well, technically I won’t physically be in a window (as I’d first imagined), but The Writer on the Upstairs Floor doesn’t quite have the same ring to it!

I can hardly believe that it’s almost time. I had the idea months ago, and it’s been weeks of planning, stressing and imagining this moment. This morning I was thinking: it feels as though all the roads I’ve travelled in life have led to this.

I have no idea how it will go; all I know is that I’m desperate to write this book. Tomorrow marks the start of a celebration of many things:

·       The wonderful independent bookshop Paper Moon in Guildford

·       Books and reading

·       My 20^th novel

·       My new publishing home at Headline

·       Courage – for all of us

The best laid plans of mice and men

I’ve never planned out every chapter before, but it’s essential for this writing marathon. So far I’ve plotted 18 of around 30 chapters and I have only the rest of today to finish the rest…

What I’ve realised in this planning is how excited I am for this book. My characters are fully formed in my head and their stories are screaming to be told. There will undoubtedly be flaws, time discrepancies and typos, but I won’t have time to read back through what I’ve written at this stage. But beyond that, I’m hoping there will be an exciting thriller that readers will enjoy once it’s had its edits.

Why I write

And just to prove how important independent bookshops are – when I was in Paper Moon the other day, I picked up Why I Write by George Orwell. I’d never heard of this book, but there it was, calling to me, personally selected by people who know and love books. So of course I bought it!

Not only is it a fabulous book written by one of the greatest authors of our time, it also made me think about my own writing journey and I realised this:

I write because I have to. Not for money (although the bills do need to be paid) or to chase success, but because it’s what I need to do. It’s hard to explain why, all I know is that even when I try to take a break, something calls me back to the keyboard or notebook. It’s my happy place: creating fictional worlds and people I hope feel real.

Maybe it won’t always be this way, but as long as it is, I will keep writing.

But more importantly…

I am a reader. I have been since I learned to read, and I am never without a book.

So, onwards to a week of celebrating books…

If you live locally and can spare any time to come on this wild adventure, please come down to Paper Moon and say hi to Jack, Hannah and me. And you never know, maybe when you’re there you’ll find a book that changes your life. Seeing you there will make this all a little less scary!

If it’s too far, don’t forget there will be a livestream if you want to check in at any time and see how my word count is progressing. Disclaimer: this livestream isn’t for entertainment purposes (I won’t have much time to chitchat!), it’s primarily for verification.

Thank you to everyone for your support. There’s still time to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you’ll be able to leave comments (nice ones I hope!). https://www.youtube.com/@AuthorKathrynCroft

See you tomorrow! x