MY NEW WRITING MASCOT

IT is a truth universally acknowledged, that a writer in search of a good muse, must be in want of an elephant...



So let me introduce you to SALWAY THE ELEPHANT, amazingly made for me by Kay Sexton.

Kay put in an absolutely perfect mini-self for the Science museum project, and I was so impressed I hinted (actually begged) for her to make something for me.

The strange thing is that Salway the Elephant (you have to call him by his whole name otherwise he gets upset) does help me write. Finding a place for him to sit every day helps with the settling before I get down to the business. And now I can't wait for my next reading and hoping for someone to ask me the question, 'Do you have any writing rituals?'

Well, I'll say, there is this pink elephant...

But actually, since we're on the subject, do you have any writing rituals?

And does anyone else out there have a writing mascot they would be prepared to share?


If you're interested in what happened to all the mini-selves at the exhibition, Stitch London have been recording the whole thing on their blog. An amazing enterprise. I do like the cider drinkers, although disappointingly mini-Rachael and me have been "very well behaved", apparently.

I am in awe of this particular teacher, who still remains in control of her mini-class:



Can't you just tell she is the sort of teacher those children will remember fondly for the rest of their lives? There only needs to be one.