IN THE SHOES OF… Lorraine Gregory

 

What's life like in someone else's shoes? This month Deputy Editor Françoise Price invites author Lorraine Gregory to tell us about her day.

Author Lorraine Gregory

10.00 am

I’ve always been a night owl, so when I’m not working (I have a part-time job) or going on a school visit, I do enjoy sleeping late. Once I am up my first job is always to feed the cats. I have two gorgeous fluffy monsters who are my almost constant companions on most days.

 

Once they’re both fed my next job is feeding the birds! We moved to the countryside a few years ago and there are always lots of feathered visitors in our garden! I fill up the bird feeder and then sprinkle bird feed on the ground for the resident flock of pheasants to come and eat.

There are always lots of feathered visitors in our garden

 

I’ll fit in a few other household chores next so I don’t have to worry about them later.

 

11.00 am

I make myself some toast, catch up on my emails, fill in paperwork and peruse social media — I try to keep it short but admit to being sucked in on occasion. As someone who mainly works from home, it’s nice to be able to chat with writing friends and keep up with what’s happening in the publishing world.

 

My two fluffy monsters are my almost constant companions most days

One of the cats will normally come and sit on my lap at this point, so I’ll read or daydream while I am preparing myself to do some actual writing.

 

I think daydreaming is a big part of my process. When I’m starting a new project I spend a lot of time staring into space watching the next part of my story develop like a film in my head.

 

12.00 pm

My mum rings me every day and we’ll have a chat for half an hour or so and then I’ll finally settle down to do some work.

 

12.30 pm 

Depending on my mood I’ll either be writing new chapters, editing the old, or doing some of the work that goes around it. I may treat myself to getting out the BIG PAPER and have a bit of fun. I might write out my plot in order to make sure there are no massive plot holes or to mind map a new idea. I almost always end up drawing a few maps for every project as they’re a great way to solidify the world and help make it all feel real. For my most recent series, Interdimensional Explorers, a funny sci-fi adventure, I created a 3D version of the multiverse!

 

I’m kind of a cross between a plotter and pantser I think when it comes to planning: I like to have some idea where I’m going when I start but not a whole road map as so many things happen on the page and that’s part of what makes writing fun.

 

2.15 pm 

Break for late lunch.

 A walk around the lake: a great way to de-stress and find inspiration

3.00 pm

I like to have a walk around the lake every day and love spotting the local wildlife — so far I’ve seen swans, geese, owls, bats, buzzards, snakes, lizards and even a turtle, plus there are muntjac deer and rabbits on occasion. It’s a great way to de-stress or find some inspiration! I’ll usually sit on a bench halfway around the lake and enjoy a quiet daydream, or if I’m struggling with my story I’ll drag my son along so I can talk through plot issues.

 

4.00 pm 

I try to get in a solid bit of writing here, usually with a cat next to me! I don’t work to a word count as such but I like to keep momentum going by writing something fresh every day, but if I don’t, that’s okay too. I don’t think beating myself up is helpful — I want writing to be fun and something to look forward to — not something I feel guilty about.

Lorraine's most recent series, Interdimensional Explorers, is a funny sci-fi adventure

 

5.30 pm - 7.30 pm

Meal prep, eating dinner, and enjoying a TV show together as a family.

 

7.30 pm

I try to get in a good hour of writing here while everyone else is busy.

 

8.30 pm

Bath time! I find the bath a brilliant place for inspiration, probably because there are no other distractions there, just heat and bubbles so my mind is free to wander. I keep a notebook upstairs to write down the ideas I have in the bath; it could be something brand new or the solution to a plot problem, but it almost always works as a de-blocking technique when I’m stuck.

 

9.00 pm 

If the weather is good it’s nice to sit outside around the fire pit and chat, and if it’s wet then we’ll usually watch a film or binge-watch our latest obsession. I always seek out stories and am quite open to different genres as long as they tell me a good tale. I enjoy sci-fi and fantasy, crime drama, rescue shows, comedy or a good historical drama.

 

11.00 pm

Sometimes, I get a late surge of inspiration or the need to get the story to a good point for the next day, so I might get in some writing here. It’s quite a good time to write as the house is quiet and it’s easy to escape into my story world.

*Header image by Ell Rose & Tita Berredo; 

All other images are courtesy of Lorraine Gregory

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Lorraine Gregory is the daughter of an Indian dad and an Austrian mother and grew up on a council estate in East London where she read books and dreamed of one day writing her own. She now lives in the beautiful Suffolk countryside with her family and two very fluffy cats. She spends much of her time daydreaming and loves turning her ideas into funny exciting adventures for children.
Twitter - @authorontheedge
Instagram - @lorrainegregoryauthor

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Françoise Price is the Deputy Editor of Words & Pictures magazine.
Contact: deputyeditor@britishscbwi.org

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Ell Rose is the Illustration Features Editor of Words & Pictures. 

Find their work at fourfooteleven.com 

Follow them on Instagram and Twitter

Contact them at: illustrators@britishscbwi.org 

Tita Berredo is the Illustrator Coordinator of SCBWI British Isles
and the Art Director of Words & Pictures. 

Follow her on Instagram and Twitter or www.titaberredo.com 

Contact her at: illuscoordinator@britishscbwi.org