IN THE SHOES OF… Louisa MacDougall

What's life like in someone else's shoes (or bunny slippers)? This month Françoise Price invites children's author Louisa MacDougall to tell us about her day.

Louisa MacDougall in the Outer Hebrides

7am

 

Start the day!

 

We live on a croft in the Outer Hebrides and have two ‘pet’ lambs (lambs we’ve had to hand-rear because things didn’t work out with their mothers). They are bleating and head-butting the door by about 7am – so there’s no need for an alarm clock.

 

Once their milk bottles are made, it’s time to wake my daughters, who usually do the first feed in their pyjamas. Then it's 45 minutes of chaos getting everyone fed, packed and ready to head out the door.

'My daughters usually do the lambs' first feed in their pyjamas'

 

The school bus picks the girls up at the top of the hill, about ten minutes away from our house, so I walk them (and our collie dog) to the bus stop most days. It’s a beautiful route and a good way to clear my head and plan for the day ahead.

 

8:30am – 9:30am

 

Chores, admin and coffee.

 

9:30am – 11.30am

 

Writing and research.

 

Last week I finished a collection of animal short stories, so I’m between projects today – doing some research before I settle on what comes next. It can be so satisfying having the creative freedom to choose your topics, but I’m definitely more productive when I’m told what to do!

 

For now, I’m dipping into some reading on wolves, cuckoos and Northern right whales. Tomorrow I’m heading out for a site visit to the ancient standing stones at Calanais. Trawling through newspaper archives and visiting sites that might become story settings is a part of the writing journey that I particularly enjoy – there’s so much possibility!

 

Our dining table (one day I’ll get my own desk!) has a sea view (pictured below), so it is easy to be distracted (and hopefully inspired) by storms, diving gannets and seals outside.

The sea view!

 

11.30am to 1pm

 

Chores, more coffee and another quick walk.

 

It's wild and windy today, but a friend has tagged along, so I won’t be lonely!

 

'A friend has tagged along on my walk so I won’t be lonely!'

1pm to 3pm

 

Book launch prep.

 

Advance copies of my new book, Rory and the Balloon Bicycles, are due to arrive any day now, so the afternoon is about preparing to send it out into the world.

 

'My first book arrived via ‘dragon delivery’ from the sky (pictured top) 

and the plan is for this book to ‘hatch’ out of a giant dragon egg'

My family are very involved in my author life, and we’ve made a tradition of making silly ‘unboxing’ videos together – my first book arrived via ‘dragon delivery’ from the sky, and the plan is for this book to ‘hatch’ out of a giant dragon egg.

 

For the last few days, we’ve been adding layers to a giant papier mâché egg. It’s nearly dry, so I’m adding a few more strips before we pop the balloon mould inside and paint it green!

 

I’m thrilled that this chapter book adventure is making its way out into the world this summer. I love Giulia Cregut’s cheery illustrations, and even though I’ve seen the proofs on screen, there’s nothing quite like holding a book you’ve written and seeing it pop up on bookshelves in libraries and shops.

 

Sticking with the balloon theme, I’m planning a launch event at our local library and hope to include a balloon-modelling element – so I’m going to have a go at doing some myself, following YouTube videos. It may not be the most grown-up way to spend a workday, but I do try to test out event activities at home first – craft projects can be more fiddly than you think!

 

3pm to 4pm

 

Letter-writing.

 

Living on an island, I’m limited in the number of schools that I can visit, but I try to find other ways to connect with young readers, such as by becoming a class’s ‘author pen pal’.

 

This afternoon I’m writing a letter to one of the schools that I keep in touch with – I’ll tell them a bit about my characters and ideas and set a creative writing challenge – something linked to the Highland Cowgirl books this time, I think...

Writing and receiving letters has been a highlight of my first year as an author, and I’m hoping to connect with more schools next term.

 

4pm onwards

 

Family time.

 

Work day over, it’s time for mum’s taxi to begin its shuttle run between choir and swimming lessons, followed by a usually-rushed dinner and bedtime.

 

My younger children still enjoy a story before they go to sleep, something that feels precious, particularly as I know that it won’t last for much longer. Reading brilliant books and seeing young readers’ reactions to them also doubles as a great experience for me as a new author.

 

At the moment, we’re re-visiting the How to Train Your Dragon series, by Cressida Cowell, and enjoying I Don’t Do Mountains, by Barbara Henderson – perfect preparation for their upcoming school residential trip (though I’m hoping my brood don’t have quite such hair-raising adventures as Kenzie in the story).

 

*Header image by Tita Berredo and Ell Rose; 

All other images courtesy of Louisa MacDougall

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Louisa MacDougall is the author of the Rory and the Snack Dragons chapter book series and the Highland Cowgirl picture books. She lives on the Isle of Harris, where she works in community engagement and helps on the family croft.

 

Find her on Facebook as Louisa MacDougall Author,
Instagram @louisamacdougall
and Bluesky louisamacdougall.bsky.social

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Françoise Price is a Feature Editor for Words & Pictures magazine.

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Ell Rose is Illustration Features Editor of Words & Pictures.
Contact them at illustrators@britishscbwi.org

Tita Berredo is the Illustrator Coordinator of SCBWI British Isles and Art Director of Words & Pictures. Contact her at illuscoordinator@britishscbwi.org