This week, I thought I’d blog about my volunteering role. Not a role that I talk about much on social media but some of you eagle-eyed folks have picked up on my early morning postings. And questioned, what I’m doing? If you spy an early morning post linked to breakfast at McDonalds, I will have just finished a night shift answering phones for a charity. The shift starts at 2am and finishes at 6am - its my preferred shift. I’m usually in Maccy’s within 10 minutes, as it is the perfect place to allow my brain to download from the topics and calls taken during the night. I tend to be the only person who is ‘eating in’ and the staff greet me with a smile. Which is always lovely. I have the entire place to myself, while a line of traffic snakes past the window for the ‘drive thru’. 
 
It might sound melancholy but it’s become a vital routine after each night shift giving me chance to grab breakfast and empty my mind, before heading home to start my day. I do different shifts each week but my preferred shift is the night shift. For eighteen months, I have willingly given my time, four hours a week, to those that need to talk. I’ve found it to be rewarding and have gained a sense of purpose knowing that my experiences in life haven’t gone to waste. We all encounter ‘something’ in life, I endured rotten times as a child and in my thirties – the early hours of the morning were the worst for me. I frequently hear callers make comments that I once uttered and instantly understand where they are coming from. Sadly, during my difficult times, my comments fell on deaf ears or were answered back with insulting cliches! My callers benefit because I understand where they are sitting with their hurt/pain/upset/trauma/situation/issue – I haven’t ‘lived’ what they’re going through but I recognise the emotions and the isolation they talk about. 
 
I truly believe: we don’t heal until we’re heard!
 
So, should you spot my social media Maccy’s breakfast posts know that I’m heading home grateful for the opportunity to have listened to another - who needed to be heard. 
 
Samaritans: freephone on 116 123 - 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.

Last night, I meet with a local group and walked them through the process of writing a book, from idea to published page. The group sat in silence as I explained how I generate ideas, observe and dive into research at various points. I explained how I plan the plot using post-it notes, characters arcs and describing locations. I used a multitude of examples that I have used for inspiration within my own books.

I talked about the practicalities of coloured post-it notes, my manuscript template and my writing habit. The highs and lows of creating chapter by chapter to produce draft one. I shared my dislike of editing and how I approach the task in an attempt to make it likeable in my world.

I enjoyed myself immensely - the evening was full of book chatter, laughter and a great company!    

I walked into the quaint library at Wolston, Warwickshire and was instantly transported back to my childhood library - what a perfect little gem in the middle of the community! I was delighted to greet the audience who were eager to hear about my publishing journey. This author talk was a little different to my previous one as I had an interviewer conducting proceedings, the fabulous Aimee - a Reader Development Officer for Warwickshire. 

We spent a wonderful afternoon chatting books, sharing memories and making connections amongst the group - it was so rewarding to see the audience thoroughly enjoying themselves. 

Topics discussed:

Jane Austen                                                                           Post-it notes
Computers from Comet                                                       Shetland
Family expectations                                                              Deciding on a series
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe                            Knitter 'n' Natter groups
Funny pet names                                                                  New year story
Emily Bronte                                                                         Reading habits
Saturday morning library trips                                           Warwickshire Book Bingo*
Lasagnes & Dominoes pizza                                               Hawkshead 
Allotments & comfrey tea                                                   Beatrix Potter 
The Girl on a Train book                                                     Writing Retreat
Drinking tea                                                                         1994
Secrets                                                                                  Romantic Novelists' Association  
Polesworth library                                                               Writing groups
Highlighter pens                                                                  Three day recovery
​Connections


* A Warwickshire reading scheme for 2026 - available at your local Warwickshire library

Over the years, there have been many occasions when I have rocked up at a writers’ group laden with numerous items and belongings … never before with my dog! Given his age, his frailty and the hours he had spent alone at home, I decided tonight would be his first meeting. 
 
My cheery ‘hello’ to those assembled around the meeting table was overshadowed by their reaction to me carrying an empty padded bed-basket and announcing I had a guest. My return journey from the car was filled with squeals of delight, as I presented my guest to his waiting audience. Boy, did he receive some fussing from the ten other members. Though I was reminded by the secretary that first and second guest visits to group are free, membership subs might be deemed necessary in future. Anyway, Teddy behaved himself all night and was offered an invite for February’s meeting.
 
Once proceedings began, I read aloud my offering for this month’s group exercise: a piece about George Eliot. I read a fictitious letter addressed to her dear friend Caroline Bray, highlighting a difficult moment in Eliot’s life. I received praise in return and much satisfaction, as I nearly never wrote the piece due to a busy schedule. It just shows that the right idea, allowed to mature before writing, is always a winner. Good job I sat at my desk late into the night on Sunday, polishing the piece. Several other members contributed their pieces too and as always, I was surprised by the range of offerings from poetry, essay to short stories.
 
During the evening, I submitted my poems for the groups’ Annual Poetry Competition – so the new year is off to a flying start!

​Having given an author talk earlier in the week, I thought I'd rehash a blog post from a couple of years ago ... it might help someone.

1. Choose a social media name eg. @ErinGreenAuthor that you can use across each of the platforms. I have author-friends who use various different combinations across the platforms and it takes me ages to find them or tag them when I want to support their book publications. For example, Donna-MarieSmithAuthor, DMSAuthor, DMSmithAuthor, MsDonnaMSmithAuthor, Smith_DM - sick to a simple formation and use it across everything. There have been many occasions when I literally haven't been able to find them, despite repeated searches, so had to forego the idea of reposting about their new book. If folks can locate you easily, they'll willingly support you.

2. Create your website and share your writing journey as soon as you feel comfortable. Having a dedicated place where anyone can read a blog update, book news or a daily interest post is vital in helping to build your audience. Don't shy away from being 'you' and sharing your personality. Readers like to feel they know you as a person - I've learnt that over the years. My early posts seem very 'sterile and proper' - readers don't get a flare for who I am as a person.  

3. Grow a thicker skin. It happens to us all but you're going to be on the end of someone else's remark. It hurts. It stings. It sticks in your memory. It surprises you when it happens but I'll guarantee, it'll happen. I've had people openly say, 'I don't like your book covers' and 'I can't stand the way your Amazon page looks with loads of quotes from other authors' - both features which I am not responsible for. Or the worst yet, when an author asked me over the table at an authors' luncheon, 'how's your current writing going?' I began to answer with 'it's going well at the minute ...' and before I could say another word - she said, 'well, I don't really care!' Talk about being gob-smacked - I nearly fell off my chair!!! But then, so did she realising she'd spoken her thoughts aloud across the table! So yeah, grow a thicker skin and simply learn how to 'smile and wave'. 

4. Realise that you've no idea who is reading your blog posts or social media. I kid you not but it might be the senior commissioning editor of that publishing group you've been desperate to send a full manuscript to. In which case, are you OK with them reading your last post of, 'I wrote three words today. Wrote nothing else all week. This writing crack is a doddle!' It's very honest but might the editor be a little concerned about your output and meeting deadlines if they signed you? Alternatively, I know from experience that I got my introduction because an editor kept seeing my social media posts and was intrigued by my daily output. She called my agent when she heard I was 'doing the rounds' with other publishing groups. My rule is simple: think Bagpuss! If you're of a certain age you won't know who Bagpuss is, or was. A fat furry cat-puss - a cuddly toy that lived in a shop owned by Emily. Anyway, to cut short stories even shorter, lost articles were brought into the shop and placed into the window for passers-by to view, and hopefully claim. The objects were dirty, broken, stained and tatty but the singing mice 'on the mouse organ' used to clean and repair each one before it went into the display window. And that is my point! Nothing goes into my Bagpuss-shaped window on social media unless it reflects me positively. I don't do politics, gossip mongering, showbiz celeb bashing or author put-downs in my shop window. I do happy-to-be-alive stuff - all polished courtesy of the mice on the mouse organ, Professor Yaffle and Adelaide the doll!

5. Protect yourself as an author mentally, physically and emotionally in order to create. I literally think of myself as a bean factory inside a giant bubble. I know that sounds strange but I do. I have input and output like any other factory, with working hours and downtime. Whatever boosts my productivity, creates happiness or is a positive experience to my life then I welcome it. If something externally hinders me, be it people, places or certain topics then I steer clear of that 'thing'. Hence the bubble in which my bean factory sits - entry is on an invite only basis, just like Mr Willy Wonka's factory! That sounds harsh, but I've learnt over the years what's good for me. I've learnt that my raw materials for creativity are art, reading, music, nature, exercise, meditation, sunlight and stars, animals, good people, good food and good sleep. I can honestly say that is my week listed right there! For the assembly line, I need space, routines and silence to 'think and do' which results in word production - thousands of the little buggers each week, I'm delighted to say. If you've stuck with me this far, you're probably wondering why a bean factory? Because for me there are few things in life as perfect as a tin of Heinz baked beans. I never buy other beans; in my opinion they don't compare. I can't see inside the sealed tin, can't see the actual product and yet I will happily pay more for the dearest baked beans, because they are worth every penny. The reason being, I know what I'm getting every single time - guaranteed and without fail. Never have I found a blemished bean, no sauce, half empty tin, funny taste, squashed beans, weird smell, watery sauce and I've been eating Heinz beans for half a century. Not once have they failed to deliver the goods for me. I want my readers to know exactly what they are getting inside 'the tin' when they open one of my books. I want my readers to have certain expectations which I meet every time they part with their hard-earned cash for my next publication. And like Heinz, I'm never going to trash-talk Cross and Blackwell beans simply to boost my own sales. That's me! Inside my little bean factory bubble, every day that I can be, because I spent so long as an unpublished author praying to be given a chance to write books. 

6. Not everyone out there wants you to be a success - some folk simply want to make oodles of money off the back of your dream of 'writing a book'. Be careful. I've heard too many remarks such as 'I've finally got a publishing deal and they only charged me £4000 pounds!' This is vanity publishing, they promise you the earth, charge you for their production services and deliver you a pile of printed books for you to sell yourself. This is not a traditional publishing deal. This is not independent publishing. I frequently see services advertised for authors and my first question is - what's their track record? Is that editor known amongst the industry or simply an over enthusiastic nobody who wants to make a quick buck. That might sound harsh but they are out there, preying on us creatives who are eager to see our stories in print. Don't fall under their spell. Sometimes its not simply about cold hard cash but boosting their own reputation or association.

7. Find your tribe. In the beginning you have no idea who's who and what's what. You make friends all over this bookish place with anyone that wishes to be your buddy. After a while you realise you have a select group - your true tribe. These are the ones you can trust, they have your back, they support you in any way they can, they are thrilled to bits when you sign that new contract and they are your writing family. Find your tribe and repay their kindness with the exact same support!

My first 'author talk' of 2026 took place at a local venue for a Women's Institute group. An audience of 40 ladies were present for the session and they took much delight in hearing my journey from secret scribbler to publish author.
​
As always, the book chat, laughter and stories flowed as I spoke for near on 90 minutes about my experience. There were a couple of questions at the end but I think most people were amazed to hear the specifics of my publication journey.

Topics mentioned were:

Cardboard Library tickets                                    Bank clerks
Jane Austen                                                            Spare bedrooms
C.S. Lewis                                                               Writing retreats
​Confessions                                                            Dreams
Nappies                                                                   'Girl on a Train' book
Tap dancing                                                            Women's lives 
St Ivel trifle                                                             Acceptance of situations
Paint stippling                                                        Cake
The World Cup 1994                                               Writing groups
Big screen computers                                            Euston station
Bottom drawers                                                      Romantic Novelists' Association
Love, life, laughter and loss                                   Amazon website
Mortgages                                                               One million words
Pride & Prejudice                                                    'Plodding'