Towards the end of a varied working
life, Shirley Ford became a carer for the elderly in their own homes. During this time, she also trained as a
reflexologist, and a reiki practitioner. She has now retired and lives in
Dorset, with her husband and little rescue dog, Bailey, where she enjoys long
walks on the beach, reading and, of course, writing.
When did you start writing and why?
For a couple of years I
became a part-time carer/PA for a disabled lady in the village. She is author –
Sallyann Sheridan. At the time, she was still physically able to run writing workshops
and I helped with organizing and running them. She encouraged me to take part
and I began to write short stories, learn about characters, show not tell, etc.
I didn’t find short stories very fulfilling and like the saying goes, ‘everyone
has a book in them’ I had the urge to write a book. But what about? Fate lent a
hand; I read an article in a magazine by Penny Vincenzi on the methods she uses
to write her very successful books. Take a group of women, and create a story
around them! It immediately gave me an idea for my book and I started writing
my first novel– Every Why. I have since completed a sequel called Be Mindful,
both available as ebooks. I am now on my third novel.
What themes do you write about?
I try to write about what I
know, which is women and relationships. Safe subjects! And so far have stayed in my comfort zone, but as I become more
confident I
have plans to branch out in a different direction.
have plans to branch out in a different direction.
What influences how or what you write?
My influences are based on
friends, family, people I meet, things I read and my surroundings.
You had a special reason for writing poetry. Can you tell me a bit about this?
My son lost all contact
with his two sons nine years ago, through an acrimonious divorce, which meant I
lost all contact with them too. I found myself in a very dark place. I helped
and supported my son as much as I was able. After several years of going to
court for access, without any success, his ex-wife gradually turned the
children against him, and he gave up the fight to see his sons, as he said that
it was causing them too much anguish. I did not agree with his actions and this
feeling is always between us. My son and I never discuss the children any more.
The only way I could deal with the loss was to express my pain and frustration
through poetry.
My salvation came when I
moved to the West Country. Through several friends, one of them being Sallyann I
became a more spiritual person and I learnt a lot about forgiveness, and
letting things go and I have come out the other side with a more positive
attitude and a strong belief that one day we will both see the children again.
My book of poetry called Heartfelt, took me on a journey from heartbreak and
pain to a feeling of hope and faith.
How did you teach yourself to write?
I enrolled on a distance
learning course for creative writing, and attended various workshops and belong
to a local writing group. I have had no formal training.
What aspect of the craft do you think is most difficult to learn?
Punctuation seems to be my
biggest problem. It is so easy to get carried away with the story. Also the
‘show not tell’ aspect, which I have already mentioned, especially if you have
several different characters and you want to describe them.
What are the good things about writing?
Losing yourself in the
story. It’s just you and the keyboard. Forgetting about everyday life! i.e. the
washing, the ironing, the cooking.
What, if any, are the pitfalls of writing?
Editing must be one of the biggest
pitfalls for me. You must develop a thick skin to cope with the bad grammar,
spelling mistakes, punctuation and errors with time lines and story lines,
which editing will pick up, along with the comments such as, ‘do you really
need to say that?’ or ‘that doesn’t make sense’. So the story that you thought
perfect now needs a complete re-write.
What advice would you give someone wanting to become a writer?
Just do it! Plain and
simple. Don’t make excuses, have a
go. Join a writing group to get support and constructive advice. If you need
inspiration, think about your family, your childhood, your job or your hobbies,
there must be at least one story amongst your memories.
As a Reiki practitioner do you ever practise on yourself, and does this have a positive impact on your writing?
Once you become a Reiki
practitioner, it stays with you whether you knowingly practice it or not. I
have also been practicing Tai Chi too for the last six years, which has the
same sort of positive energy. I can feel my hands tingling now as I write about
it! It is a healing energy, which
I do use on myself (and my dogs). It creates calmness and I don’t stress about
whether I have written anything during the day, or even whether my books are
any good, so I think it does have a positive impact on everything I do.
You do a lot of book reviewing. What impact, if any, has this had on your writing?
I very often read and review
books, which are not in the genre I write in, which I find helpful as it
expands my own field of writing and I can learn from other authors.
What are your future writing plans?
I had a wonderful childhood
growing up in Cornwall as the daughter of a stationmaster at a small railway
station. I plan on writing a book about this period of my life, complete with
photos.
I also have several
children’s stories about an elephant, which I might resurrect. And other ideas
swirling around in my head. I just need more hours in the day!
How can readers connect
with you?
Web Site: www.shirleyford.co.uk
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/Shirl13
Email:
shirley.ford@mail.com
Thank you, Shirley, and the best of luck with your future writing projects.
Thank you, Shirley, and the best of luck with your future writing projects.
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