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Fairytale Mushrooms and Staying Well

fairytale mushrooms, or fly agaric toadstools

I do like nice fairytale mushrooms, or fly agaric toadstools as those actually are. The woods here are full of them just now, and they’ll feature in my next newsletter.

Staying Well

I am still well. So I can walk among the mushrooms and crunch through the first fallen leaves of the season. Exactly two years ago today I was on my way to hospital again, so I’m very glad things are different now.

I have a new article that references that particular hospital stay over on Women Writers, Women’s Books: Doctors and Deadlines: Writing with Chronic Illness. It contains wellness tips that I hope will be helpful to everyone, not just those with chronic conditions. Here’s one of them:

“Sleep. Sleep well and long. Make yourself stop thinking about writing a while before bedtime. If you have a brilliant idea in the night, write it down and let it go. Do not lie there for hours going over every little nuance that you’re going to perfect the next day, and then cry for your characters because of what you’re about to put them through. You’ll be far better placed to do terrible things to them if you’re well rested.”

More Fairytale Mushrooms

More fairytale mushrooms.

And it’s not long now till the latest ‘terrible things I put my characters through‘ is published. One week today, in fact. (Out now!)

Stay calm. Breathe. Look at mushrooms.

Set in 1st century Scotland, SISTERS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD includes the battle of Mons Graupius between the Romans and the Caledonian tribes. The book features a neurodivergent main character and some rather complicated romance! Out in paperback and kindle, September 21st 2022.

Amazon UK

Amazon Worldwide

“Ethereal and spellbinding….” Historical Novel Society

30 Replies to “Fairytale Mushrooms and Staying Well”

  3. Great article on writing through chronic illness! I’m sharing the link with another of my writer friends who is dealing with severe fibromialgia. Praying you continue on the road to recovery. You’re an inspiration to the rest of us who aren’t suffering like that (although I just came through a 2-week bout with a kidney stone). Thanks for the advice! We’ve had so much rain here lately that we, too, are seeing a multitude of mushrooms popping up all over people’s lawns.

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  4. Your new book sounds fascinating, and I love the photos of mushrooms! It always feels magical when I see a “fairy circle” mushrooms.

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  8. I once thought these white spotted red mushrooms were as fanciful as the stories they were illustrated in until I actually discovered one not far from my home (after I moved countries, that is)

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  10. I thought I was the only one taking pictures of toadstools! You photos are much better quality than mine. I’ve preordered Sisters at the Edge of the World for Kindle and look forward to it. I wish you the best. I opened “Doctors and Deadlines” yesterday but haven’t had a chance to read it yet. The title struck a chord with me. I’m trying to write my first novel. With fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, though, it’s a struggle and balancing act every day. I send you my best wishes for good health and rewarding writing.

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  11. Those mushrooms are amazing. Are any of them edible? Although, they are pretty, they don’t look appealing as food. I’ve had a notepad by my bed forever, because if I don’t write down ideas or lists for what I need to do the next day, I don’t sleep. So–good advice, my dear.

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  14. I love the tip about sleep. I sometimes keep myself awake trying to work out plot logistics. Also woke my partner up once because I got the giggles at an amusing plotline. He was not amused 🙂

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