Thursday 26 November 2015

My Writing Space - A guest post by Cressida McLaughlin

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I am lucky to have a small bedroom in our house as my writing space. It’s got a big desk, lots of bookcases and colour, and a view over the garden so I can stare at trees and birds and rooftops when I need a screen break.

I have a white board, a purple glass board that I write ideas and plot points on with luminous chalk pens, and a felt board for pinning notes to. (I like stationery). I have a sparkly lava lamp, fairy lights, and often a scented candle.


Some people can write anywhere, and I can certainly jot notes down on the train, but when it comes to writing I like to be set up with coffee and music in the background. If we’re staying at my parents’ in London, I sometimes get up early and write in their living room. It’s another cosy space, with bookcases lining the walls, and a bay window looking out on the street.

I know I’m lucky to have a dedicated writing room, and I’d feel lost without it, but that doesn’t stop me from imagining my ideal writing space.

It would be a large attic room, with a gabled ceiling and a view of the sea. The walls would be white and the furniture wood, with blocks of colour in the form of books on shelves and a few bold prints or paintings. It would be a haven of calm, with fairy lights and a cosy chair in the corner where I can read over my work or relax with a book. 

That’s the dream, and I probably spend far too much time working out where everything would go. But for now I’m content with my little office, with its overflowing bookshelves, lava lamp and Benedict Cumberbatch calendar. It’s a bit higgledy-piggledy, but I’ve spent a long time getting it to just the right amount of higgledy-piggledy for me, and I love writing here. And I can always imagine the sea view! 



About the author

Cressy was born in South East London surrounded by books and with a cat named after Lawrence of Arabia. She studied English at the University of East Anglia and now lives in Norwich with her husband David.

Cressy's favourite things include terrifying ghost stories, lava lamps and romantic heroes, though not necessarily at the same time. 

When she isn't writing, Cressy spends her spare time reading, returning to London or exploring the beautiful and romantic Norfolk coastline.


Cressida on Twitter: @CressMcLaughlin

A Christmas Tail - the blurb

A Christmas Tail was first published as a four-part serial set in Primrose Terrace.
Catherine ‘Cat’ Palmer realizes that bringing an adorable puppy into work is a bad idea, especially when it gets her the sack. Deciding it’s the perfect opportunity to launch her dog-walking business, Cat enlists the help of flatmates Polly and Joe. After all Primrose Terrace, the street where they live, is full of home-alone hounds.
Getting to know the owners and their precious pooches isn’t all plain sailing, but soon Cat is making friends, particularly with sexy Mark and his Collie, Chips. But is he the right man for her?

With her talent for misadventure, Cat’s new life starts to show some cracks, and when one of the street’s loveable schnauzers gets ill, it looks like this Christmas could be turning into a dog’s dinner. But Cat has never given up on anything in her life – and this is one Christmas that’s definitely worth saving…


Tinsel and Terriers (Part 4): Amazon

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