The Christmas Annual ... ?

Yes, well, the Christmas Annual ... If I was a bloke, I would prpbably be kicking imaginary stones about the floor / jangling change in my trouser pocket or even trying a pathetic out-of-tune whistle. Yes, I hear myself say, the Daughters-in-Distress Christmas Annual. The one I have'nt even put pen to paper for, I heard myself saying to no-one but me. Well, I hear myself repeating ~ to myself ~ I'd better get on with it.

So I did.

You've heard plenty of those interviews where musicians say something like, 'Oh yest THAT song, yeah, it took me half an hour when I was staying with friends in the Caribbean one Spring' ... well luckily for me, that's what happened last night [not that I was in the Caribbean, although very much would like to be]. I drew out a brief structure consisting of a page full of squares and considered this my story board. Wow. Such an achievement. And all my ideas just seemed to fall from a memory bank somewhere in my head, onto the page. Yes, my head ached, it still does but it felt like a feng shui overdose. Once the path was clear, the 'stuff' just came tumbling out. Those ideas must have been layering themselves for more than two years. Adapted activities from Creative Writing workshops I ran a few years ago, materialised themselves in a new format on the page; memories of picuture books I had researched ready for the process seemed to sketch themselves whilst I watched, even the flow chart flowed. What a relief.

Thank-you Fairy Godmother whoever you are.

Now ALL I need is an artist, illustrator, agent and publisher.

Maybe if I rub my pocket and count to three, one will appear out of thin air.

Gillian