For those of you who might not have read my last blog, perhaps the title of this one needs some explaining. So, if it does, for speed (mine not yours) you can read this.
I truly hope this will be my last ‘begging blog’ for a long while. Besides, two weeks today, when my next blog is due, I’ll have just landed in Kathmandu and I suspect the sensory overload of that will overide all thoughts of fundraising.
But I’m not there yet and this week, your blogger still needs you. The crowd-funding campaign for my second book, 21 Miles, is now at over 70% and has nearly 200 backers. But 70% is not 100% and 200 isn’t the 250 I need. So if you’re at all interested in reading it, I would love you to buy it (and thank you to everyone who already did).
I don’t think I mentioned before that not only will you get a beautiful book for your bookshelves (which hopefully contains a good story), you’ll also be listed in the back as one of the amazing people who made it happen. A symbol of solidarity for independent publishing in a world driven by genre fiction and the latest celebrity vehicle. Haven’t you written the new ‘Girl on the Train’? No. I’ve written about a girl in the sea and 21 other girls who met and ate with me to talk about life fulfilment and the meaning of motherhood.
I hope this is enough to tempt you. I’ll be indebted if you could click this link and pledge because your blogger needs you. Still.
Oh, and Kathmandu? I’m going to climb another mountain – not quite as big as Aconcagua in Argentina which I climbed in January – but this one requires a harness, ropes and carabanas, that sort of terrifying technical thing. It’s the next step in my quest to something bigger…
But I can’t think about that at the moment. Before I leave I have a major report to finish and file on theatre provision in Essex (!). I have over 100 artists and fertility experts to programme for Fertility Fest next year– which has just been confirmed for w/c 7 May at the Bush Theatre in London with the main festival activity happening over the weekend of Friday 11th to Sunday 13th May (a date for your diary, it’s going to be special). And I have to finalise and deliver the manuscript of my book 21 Miles to my publishers. Before that I have to complete the crowd-funding campaign. In fact there’s no point in the manuscript if I don’t complete the crowd-funding campaign. So Kathmandu and carabanas are not on my radar at the moment. But in two weeks time they will be.
Life would have been much easier, I reckon, if I’d been able to have a baby.
Oh, your last line. I so often think the same of me.
I very rarely read any blog posts from ‘the old days’ as I’ve moved myself on from the failure trenches, but yours I do always still read when they pop up.
Finding the new focus in life was and still is the big challenge, building the unexpected future is tough. The sleepless nights, the mummy club, the school run, the dressing up box and the days out with grandparents would all have been much easier and far more straightforward I feel.
So true. The Dressing Up Box I really miss. Sigh. Days out with the grandparents I guess I could pass on, although having said that me and my mum did just go for a walk…
Girl on the Train was vastly over rated, and I am much more excited about reading your book! Great news about Fertility Fest and all the best in Kathmandu on your climb. I agree with what you say that your life would have been easier had you had a baby – but I’m sure it would not have been as exciting and full of adventure.
Thank you Emma! And maybe I also need to learn how to spell Kathmandu!!! And the girl thinks she wants to be a climber and a writer………………..
I enjoyed reading girl on a train – my husband worried it would upset me being so close to home. However, it was the first time I saw my struggles and disappointments reflected back at me. It was also the first time my husband realized how hard those trying years were for me and actually recognized my/our bravery in not slipping into self destruct. A few girlfriends (mothers) didn’t like it and I felt down for a time, feeling invisible but the fact it opened my husband’s eyes was enough. I’m looking forward to your book Jessica and yes totally agree that life would be easier had I been able to have the baby I dreamed of.
Lovely to hear from you Jane. I have to say I enjoyed Girl On A Train too and I think the fertility/infertility aspects of it are really interesting and not actually talked about enough! So good to hear that it brought you and your husband closer together – that’s the sign of great art! Jessica x