Bach flowers for finishing a novel

~ Jennifer Barraclough ~ Leave a comment

Browsing through the search terms which have been used to find this blog, I recently noticed the unusual one ‘Bach flowers for finishing a novel’.  The person who wrote it probably didn’t find much help from the information which was here at the time, but I was intrigued by the question and will have a go at answering it now. A large number of different remedies, only some of which are mentioned below, could be indicated; please visit the Bach Centre website for further details. Up to six flowers can be combined in one course of treatment and, as always, the choice depends on the personality and current emotional state of the individual concerned.

After months or years of working on your manuscript, becoming deeply involved with the characters and their story, the prospect of finishing the actual writing and moving on to the publication stage can seem quite daunting. The final product, which whether you realise it or not is bound to reveal some personal aspects of your self, is soon going to be launched into to the outside world. It may be met with criticism and rejection. You will have to tackle the practical demands of publishing and marketing, which may be unfamiliar or uncongenial. Are you anxious and fearful about certain aspects of the process (Mimulus)? Lacking confidence in your abilities (Larch)? Do you set yourself such high standards that you are continually revising your manuscript in a quest for perfection (Rock water)? Or do you keep making revisions because you are being over-influenced by others’ opinions rather than staying true to your own ‘inner voice’ (Cerato, Walnut)? Perhaps, rather like a devoted mother whose young adult child is preparing to leave home, you have anticipatory feelings of grief and loss (Star of Bethlehem), want to hold on to the former pattern of life (Honeysuckle) or do not know what to do next after finishing your novel (Wild Oat).

Many states of mind would tend to hinder progress on a personal project of any kind besides finishing a novel. For example: feeling overwhelmed by other responsibilities (Elm), being so willing to help other people that you do not have enough time for yourself (Centaury), mental lethargy in relation to getting started on a task (Hornbeam), the tendency to daydream about your ideas rather than taking practical action (Clematis), being distracted by outside influences (Walnut), feeling negative and discouraged after a setback (Gentian) or generally laid-back and apathetic (Wild Rose).

Or perhaps you are simply feeling tired of the book on which you have spent so much time and effort, and the best plan is to take a break from it before completing the final draft.

Whether a book ever can be considered perfectly finished is another question ….

A perfectly finished book?

~ Jennifer Barraclough ~ 3 Comments

WH Auden said: “A poem is never finished; it is only abandoned,” and the same applies to a book. Writers often get so closely involved with their manuscripts that they fail to notice imperfections which are only too obvious to other readers.

Novels are sometimes submitted with fatal flaws in the plot, or characters who have different names or different eye colours in various parts of the text. Nonfiction books may contain inaccurate or ambiguous factual statements, and those dealing with knowledge in a rapidly-advancing field will be out of date by the time they are published; this problem is largely unavoidable and may necessitate frequent revisions.

On the technical side, typos and formatting errors can creep in at any stage of the book production process, so it is important to check the text carefully several times. I should know all this by now, but being impatient to publish my latest book Persons not diseases on Amazon I missed a couple of tiny but important errors – a date printed as 19919 instead of 1919, one wrong digit in the ISBN – and had to resubmit the files.

It is a good idea to ask at least one other person to read through the penultimate draft of your manuscript, and leave it aside yourself while this is happening, so that you can check through later with fresh eyes before submitting it for publication. Even if you choose to ignore some of their criticisms or suggestions, they may well pick up important shortcomings which you have missed because of your own over-familiarity with the text.

As with most things, balance is important and is possible to make too many changes in the attempt to make your manuscript perfect, or to get it accepted by a publisher. The faded typescript of my own first completed novel has languished in a box file for 30 years – after getting a series of rejections, coupled with just enough encouragement to make me persevere, I carried out multiple revisions but eventually got so tired of the whole thing that I gave it up. Although there was certainly plenty of scope for improving the first version, I think that by being swayed too much by others’ opinions and trying to make it conform with a standard formula, I lost the freshness and originality of the first draft.

After all, many wise men and women have pointed out that nothing in this world is completely perfect, and that sometimes this does not matter or may even be for the best. From Leonard Cohen:

“There is a crack in everything, That’s how the light gets in.”

 

Writing with multiple identities

~ Jennifer Barraclough ~ Leave a comment

Over the years I have published under various names, as well as acquiring several blogs, websites and email addresses. For a writer, what are the pros and cons of having such multiple identities? I’ve been considering this question recently because I’m in the process of trying to streamline my internet presence, and deciding what material to update, archive or delete.

True multiple personality disorder (dissociative identity disorder) is very rare. But most people do display different sub-personalities for different aspects of their life and work, and keep them apart whether by default or design. There are potential advantages to this. If your day job is in a field such as law or accountancy which requires a fairly conventional image, you may not want your clients and colleagues to know that you write steamy romances in your spare time. If you feel your novel reveals more about you than you want anyone else to know, you may prefer to publish it under a pen name. If you write both fiction and non-fiction you may choose separate identities for each; I recently met a man who writes one of his blogs under the alias of the female protagonist of his series of novels.  And if you do not like your real name, or think it is unsuitable for the genre of your book, you may decide to choose a ‘nom de plume’.  According to numerology, names have great metaphysical significance and exert an effect on personal destiny.

But maintaining multiple identities comes at a price. It takes time to run two or more blogs or websites. Using more than one name can have social, financial or legal complications. Most writers find it enough of a challenge to market their books under a single name, let alone more, and the commercial success of a book sometimes depends more on its author’s reputation than on the quality of its content. In one famous recent case, the crime novel The cuckoo’s calling by Robert Galbraith attracted excellent reviews when first published, but did not achieve best-seller status until ‘Robert Galbraith’ was unmasked as J K Rowling.

Because of being married twice I have had three different surnames over the years,  a choice which probably did not prove helpful for my career. I sometimes feel tempted to use yet another name for the novel I am writing … however I think it would be better to stay with my real one from now on.

Setting personal boundaries: or, writers who never say no

~ Jennifer Barraclough ~ 4 Comments

 

I had several writers as clients in my life coaching practice. They often raised questions about how to find enough time and energy for writing amid the other demands and distractions of life. They might have agreed to take on extra responsibilities and activities, whether work- or family-related, because they felt obliged to accept or did not know how to refuse without causing offence or risking disapproval. Many were women working from home,  and I could empathise when they described feeling tense and frustrated about having their creative flow interrupted when husband or children wanted something, a visitor came to call or it was time to get the dinner ready. Writing, more than most other activities, requires sustained periods of solitary concentration.

The answers sound simple in theory:  Reserve a dedicated space to write in, preferably a room which is not shared with anyone else. Close the door when you are working. Switch off the phone. Reserve set times for writing each day. If there is too much else happening during normal waking hours, consider getting up earlier or staying up later, though without losing too much sleep. Say no to unwelcome requests.

Before putting such new strategies into practice it is advisable to have a friendly conversation explaining them to other household members, and asking them to respect your privacy by not interrupting unnecessarily or making a lot of noise. If all goes well they may even suggest helping in other ways, perhaps by taking over some of your usual tasks at times.

Many people find it difficult to follow these recommendations because they have been taught always to put others before themselves, and never to refuse when asked to do something however unreasonable or inconvenient it may be.  As a result they may become overworked, tired and resentful, and are unable to pursue their own wishes or develop their full potential.  If they ever do decline a request, they feel guilty about it. But:

If you never say No, what is your Yes worth? Tony Neate

Overcoming this ‘people-pleasing’ mindset is not about going to the opposite extreme of ruthless selfishness, but finding a balance between the best interests of others and yourself.

Many of the Bach flower remedies, selected alone or in combination on an individual basis, can be helpful here. For example Centaury is for those who are over-eager to serve others, and Walnut for those who are being distracted from their chosen path by outside influences.  For details about these and other remedies please visit the Bach centre website.

Not all distractions from writing are external ones. If you are finding it hard to focus because of intrusive worries or wandering thoughts, or are continually being tempted to check your emails or get another cup of coffee, you need to set firmer boundaries for yourself.

Personality and writing

~ Jennifer Barraclough ~ Leave a comment

Do you write primarily for yourself, or for your readers? The answer may depend on your personality type. Of the many different personality classifications which have been proposed, almost all recognise the introvert-extravert dimension.

Introverts tend to write for personal fulfilment and satisfaction. They choose the subjects which interest them, rather than those which might appeal to the market. They are reserved and solitary by nature and, in extreme cases, may have little or no desire to have their writing published or read by other people.

Extraverts, in contrast, continually seek contact with the outside world and relationships with their readers are of prime importance. They want to broadcast their message, to be noticed and liked, or achieve good sales in a specified market. They love doing media presentations.

This is of course an oversimplification, because personality traits exist on a continuum. Introverts and extraverts are not distinct categories; most people display elements of both at different times and in different situations. Some tend towards one or other end of the spectrum, others lie in the middle (ambiversion).  And this combination is probably what works best in relation to developing a writing carer, as my own experience may illustrate.

Like most writers I naturally tend towards introversion, but have learned to develop my extravert side. As a child my favourite pastime was writing stories just for my own amusement. My first published book was written much later on, while I was studying for a postgraduate exam in medicine, and I started it as a way of understanding and memorising the material from my lecture notes. But then I showed the manuscript to a couple of colleagues, who suggested submitting it for publication, and it was accepted second time round. I had no idea that it would become established as a textbook for medical students and psychiatric trainees and, in commercial terms, prove more successful than anything I have written since.

My next few books were about psycho-oncology and, though again I began writing them mainly for my own interest and education, I was very mindful of their potential impact on others because they dealt with some sensitive issues and would be read by some patients and relatives, as well as by staff.  Authors only ever hear feedback from a small minority of their readers, but I had favourable responses and reviews (except from one oncologist vehemently opposed to complementary therapies) and I hope these books have helped with the prevention and management of the distress often associated with cancer, and highlighted the fact that there can be something positive in the experience of this and other illnesses.

Since I retired from academic and clinical medicine, and started writing self-help books for general readers, I have aimed to develop this theme of seeking the silver lining in sickness and adversity. When I was asked by an interviewer for three key words I chose ‘balance’, ‘positivity’ and ‘self-responsibility’.

I am now going back to what I most enjoyed doing as a child – writing fiction – and my new novella is almost finished. Although I do intend to publish it, I am not expecting high sales because I have ignored the golden rules of targeting a market niche and staying within a defined genre. It’s a mixture of mystery and romance with a paranormal flavour and I wrote it because I wanted to, in response to one of those vague inspirations which come from an unknown source.

So long as you write what you wish to write,
That is all that matters …

Virginia Woolf

Persons not Diseases: the ebook

~ Jennifer Barraclough ~ 1 Comment

My new ebook Persons not Diseases was published on Smashwords yesterday. It’s a short practical guide to the ‘holistic healing approach’ written for patients, clinicians, and anyone else with an interest in natural healthcare.

It began as an update of my earlier book Focus on Healing and covers a similar range of topics, but soon took on a life of its own, with new case histories, and inclusion of some references to research in the field.

There is now plenty of evidence that changes in lifestyle and mindset, self-help practices such as meditation, and use of complementary therapies can assist with coping and recovery from almost any illness. Yet these simple natural approaches are often ignored or dismissed in orthodox medical settings. I am hoping that, if they are willing to look at this book, some of those sceptical clinicians whose hackles rise when they hear the word ‘holistic’ might change their views.

Some people still prefer to read from printed copies rather than electronic devices, and I plan to publish a print version of Persons not Diseases in the next few weeks. Meanwhile here again is the Smashwords link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/343192.

Choosing the cover for a self-help book

~ Jennifer Barraclough ~ Leave a comment

One of the pleasures of ‘indie’ publishing is having freedom to choose the cover image. I recently spent an hour or so browsing www.istockphoto.com in search of the best one for my new book Persons not diseases: a guide to mind-body-spirit medicine and holistic healing. With such a huge selection of titles now available online, it is often just a split-second glance at the cover which decides potential readers whether or not to ‘look inside’ a book, so it is important to choose a theme and colours which attract attention and convey the desired message.

But different people can interpret the same picture very differently depending on their emotional state, as I learned from a chastising experience some years ago when I worked in psycho-oncology at a hospital in England. I was giving a talk about coping with cancer and included a few art slides to represent different moods and attitudes of mind. My favourite was a colourful image of a trapeze artist high up in a circus tent. This was intended to symbolise positive qualities such as courage and joy, but one patient in the group thought it showed a woman hanging herself. When considering images for my new book I was careful to avoid anything which could lend itself to such a shocking interpretation, but on the other hand I did not want it to look too bland or sentimental.

I considered sunrises, seascapes, flowers and abstracts before deciding on a picture of a path winding up a green hillside, with blue sky above. I chose this picture mainly because I liked it, and I think it could also suggest taking ‘the illness journey’ through natural surroundings in a spirit of peace and hope. Talented designer Jeremy Taylor has now converted this photo into the cover image for Persons not diseases, which will be published as an e-book next month with a print version to follow later.

My Desert Island Discs

~ Jennifer Barraclough ~ Leave a comment

Imagine on this April Fool’s Day being invited onto Desert Island Discs, the BBC radio series in which each celebrity guest is asked to select eight pieces of music to take with them if they were marooned on a desert island, and also one book and one luxury item. My husband is currently listening to the archives of this program, which has been running ever since 1942, so we have been talking about our own choices. I would want mine to have an intrinsic beauty, to evoke some personal memories,  and to represent a mix of moods and styles.

Having said this I could easily fill my whole program with the pieces I have been singing in church choirs over recent years, including traditional favourites like Mozart’s Laudate Dominum, Palestrina’s Sicut Cervus, Schubert’s Ave Maria, Franck’s Panis Angelicus, and Tallis’s Spem in Alium, also parts of more modern works like Philip Ledger’s Requiem and Rutter’s Magnificat.

Bach would be essential, whether the magnificent Toccata and Fugue in D minor, the soulful Double Violin Concerto, or one of the simpler short pieces which I’ve been trying to learn on the piano, such as the Allemande from Suite No 4 in E flat major, or the Aria from Goldberg Variations which might help me fall asleep while on the island. Some New Age music such as The Fairy Ring by Mike Rowland would be relaxing too.

And Elgar, to remind me of England and especially the beautiful Malvern area which has been significant in my life – Land of Hope and Glory would be a bracing choice.

Popular songs which resonate with events, dances and romances from younger days would include Both Sides Now sung by Judy Collins, Here, There and Everywhere by the Beatles, Only Yesterday by The Carpenters, Summer Nights by Marianne Faithfull, Thankyou for the Music by Abba, The Carnival is Over by The Seekers, Days by The Kinks, Eternal Flame by The Bangles, Smoke gets in your Eyes by the Platters … and many more.

My humourous selection would be When the Foe-man Bares His Steel from the Pirates of Penzance – I once sang in the chorus. And I would like an aria from Grand Opera sung by Enrico Caruso or Mario Lanza, the passions of my teenage years, and at least one piece from a musical such as Carousel, West Side Story, Cats or Les Miserables ….

It’s lucky that I’m not famous enough to be on Desert Island Discs, because reducing this list down to eight items would be quite impossible. And I don’t know what I’d choose for my book, nor for my luxury, considering that I couldn’t have my iPhone or computer – now that’s a dreadful thought.

ebooks on Amazon Kindle

~ Jennifer Barraclough ~ 5 Comments

I’ve just published Amazon Kindle editions of two of my books: Life’s Labyrinth: the path and the purpose and Focus on Healing: holistic self-help for medical illness. Both are also still available as ebooks on the Smashwords site.

I’ve enjoyed exploring the world of electronic self-publishing with its rapidly-evolving technology. Despite having only basic computer skills I found it quite easy to upload manuscripts – though did need help with text formatting and cover design. I love having the freedom to write whatever I like in my own time – seeing it online within a few hours after it’s ready – being able to edit and update later if need be – and to check on the sales figures as often as I wish – all without wasting any paper (having chosen not to make printed versions, although this too would be quite easy to do).

My past experience with traditional publishing has also been satisfying overall, despite the various trials and tribulations along the way – often waiting months for responses to submissions, getting the inevitable rejection letters not always kindly phrased (I was devastated by the early ones but eventually grew immune), more months of waiting after having manuscripts accepted, finding errors introduced into the proofs, and royalty payments representing scant return for the years of work involved. Self-publishing may seem painless in comparison, but perhaps the process has become too easy. Marketing is up to the authors themselves, and most of us are not very good at that. And now that so many people self-publish there may be more writers than readers. Most self-published books sell only than a handful of copies, and some sell none at all.

But, probably like most other people who were born with a compulsion to write, I feel it’s about passion rather than profit. Whatever publishing method is used, it’s rewarding to see the finished products out in the world, and hopefully get some good reviews. And, in the case of my medical books, the reward of having readers say they’ve found them helpful makes it all seem worthwhile.

I’m now working on another two books which I hope to finish later this year. Meanwhile, here again are the links to the new editions of Life’s Labyrinth and Focus on Healing.

Too much medical measurement?

~ Jennifer Barraclough ~ Leave a comment

Following a couple of recent high blood pressure readings I had a 24-hour monitor test which was reported as normal – a great relief. I don’t know whether my various small lifestyle changes had made a difference, or whether the previous reading was the result of ‘white coat hypertension’ at the clinic, or of an inaccurate machine at home. I’ll keep an eye on the situation – and continue the improvements in diet and exercise, and with following the mantra NO NEED TO RUSH.

I am uncomfortably aware that many other people are taking long-term, even life-long, hypotensive medication on the basis of just one single high reading without having the 24-hour test – either because this wasn’t suggested to them, or because they couldn’t afford to pay for it.

Many medical screening tests besides blood pressure checks are advocated today. Occasionally, they detect an early case of serious disease which can be successfully treated. This life-saving benefit for a few people has to be balanced against the downside for many others – a widespread increase in health-related anxiety among the ‘worried well’ and the practice of treating risk factors and borderline abnormalities in the same way as established diseases, although in the majority of cases they might never have progressed to cause symptoms. Sometimes the treatments, or even the tests themselves, cause harm. In my own circle, for example, one woman recently developed renal failure attributed to ‘preventative’ medication prescribed on dubious grounds, and another suffered a bowel perforation during a ‘routine’ colonoscopy which had revealed no abnormality.

Many experts, quoting statistics from studies on large populations, claim that the benefits of screening tests and preventative interventions outweigh their risks. Others disagree. Political and financial factors are often involved as well as strictly medical ones. For example, the recent books Pharmageddon by David Healy and Bad Pharma by Ben Goldacre reveal the techniques through which drug companies covertly encourage doctors to prescribe. And although most healthcare professionals are sincerely motivated to put the good of their patients ahead of personal gain, they may be unconsciously influenced by the fact that careers can be advanced and money can be made by promoting screening programs or by broadening the definitions of pathology.

Over the years, I have been diagnosed with several different borderline conditions myself. I had treatment for some of them, and others I chose to ignore, but whether these were the ‘right’ decisions I may never know.