I was 40 before reading a complete book!

I've just finished reading another book, Out of the Dark by Linda Caine and Robin Royston. It was quite an intense and sometimes disturbing read, but well worth every effort. It is about a woman whose life begins to change when a past childhood trauma rears it's ugly head and causes her so much distress and pain. She seeks help from Psychotherapist, Robin Royston and together, over the years, begin to piece together her broken life and bring Linda back to a happier place. I chose to read this book because I have a background of studying different models of psychotherapy and am also writing a current novel of a similar nature. (By the way, my story is not going to be a so called 'misery novel', it is about an inspirational woman who draws strength from her life experience and makes a magnificent change to be shared with those who read the finished book.)

Being a bit of freak when it comes to word count ( I guess that is some kind of obsession  I have picked up from writing articles and books over the past six years or so), I guestimated Out of the Dark to be around 130,000. A mere 110,000 words more than I have written towards my very first novel. Yes I have some way to go yet, but the passion to get there is still going strong. It took me some time to realise though, the importance of reading lots of books if I was going to be a writer. Believe it or not, up to the age of 40 I had never read a whole book, only bits and pieces and the odd magazine or newspaper. Never a book or novel. Even at school, goodness knows how I got through, but I would often read only the bits I needed to read in order to pass a test or exam, never a complete book. A bit of a cheat really - but then I was never a competent reader and would often shy away from reading out in class. As an adult, it wasn't until I started to push myself into reading books from start to finish, their true value began to translate through my own writing. Books like, Reasons not to move to the countryside by Judy Rumbold - a wonderful reality check and often very funny story of Judy's move to the countryside. Or Hovel In The Hills by Elizabeth West - a beautiful account about a couple who leave their job and go to live the simple life in an old cottage in the Welsh hills. Or Mitch Albom's Five People You Meet In Heaven - am emotional story of how a man who dies and on his way to heaven says goodbye to his loved ones and realises the lessons he learned during his lifetime. Or The Magic Cottage by James Herbert - an enchanting but paranormal story of a couple who move into an old cottage that tries to take over their life (Mmm, a strange life parallel there, a story maybe for another time!). I do not mean copying the authors work, what I do mean is in order to write a book worth reading, I required experience as a reader too - this is helping me to develop a style of my very own. Over the past six years I have read many, many books and will say it is often much better than sitting and watching the TV programme or a film. The difference for me is when I have a good book to read,  it is far easier to be taken into the world of my imagination with their words, than be placed in front of a TV screen and have it put there before me. With a book, as the story unfolds, it is like an escape or an oasis, away from the reality of washing up pots, ironing and feeding our hens. But like everything, a balanced attitude is needed. So, I read a few books, do someting different and come back to my writing a few weeks later - and so with great enthusiasm, I continue to write a further 1,000 words towards my first draft of my very first novel.

Paula Thwaite. paulaannethwaite@gmail.com