I Will Start Procrastinating Tomorrow

In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.

What a wonderful opening to the most amazing reading experience I've ever had and it made me determined to write my own books.

I had been introduced to books at a very young age and thoroughly enjoyed reading the likes of The Secret 7, Famous 5, The Jungle Book, Treasure Island, the list goes on, but I had never been on the journey that J J R Tolkien took me along.

That was it, my future career decided, I would write books for a living!

Then came college, then my accountancy career begun, then family life, three children take up a lot of time, so I promised myself come retirement I would finally achieve my ambition.

It would be far easier now, after all I had read to my children, and then grandchildren, most of the Roald Dahl and Dr Seuss books, I just love the Cat in the Hat.

Life can throw up so many distractions, or is that an excuse, I have to be honest my philosophy became why procrastinate today when I can procrastinate tomorrow. I had to ask myself did I still really have a burning desire to become an author or had the flame almost died.

Came the day and my daughter asked for help with my grandson. He began refusing to help and she thought that perhaps a personalised tale would encourage him to do so. On reflection I am sure she was deliberately giving me that little push I needed to get started.

Oh dear where are my creative juices, from where do I get inspiration.

“Let me help”, hang on I recall that phrase from a Roger Hargreaves book, Little Miss Helpful I think, and it gave me an idea.

My story writing career begins.

Inki is tall, very tall

Binki is small, very small

Inki and Binki are friends, very good friends, they help one another like all good friends should.

Today Inki and Binki are going to pick apples for Farmer Brown,

Farmer Brown has a big farm with cows, sheep, horses and dogs.

Inky is in the Orchard picking apples but Binky is too small and cannot reach the apples.

Never mind Binky I will help you and he lifts Binky high enough to pick some apples.

Oh thank you Inki says Binky as he drops the apples into farmer Browns large bucket.

They have soon filled the bucket, Farmer Brown is very happy

Thank you Inky thank you Binky said farmer Brown here are two apples for you each to take

home and some money to buy ice cream at the village store.

Inky and Binky really enjoyed themselves helping farmer Brown but I think they are enjoying

the ice cream even more.

Do you agree Morgan?

Oh, dear did I really write that, my daughter wasn't impressed, my grandson Morgan wasn't impressed but it did get me started, my thanks to Roger Hargreaves for the inspiration and idea.

“Don't stop me now”, with acknowledgements to Freddie Mercury and Queen, so today I am one of the leading authors not only of children’s books but also in a number of other genre.

In my dreams

So where did it all go wrong, why didn't I write my books?

I have had many incredible experiences during my lifetime, living and working in the Middle East for over 12 years traveling through the Far East and Australasia, and achieving a lifetime ambition of sitting on the “Dock of the Bay”, what a great song that is.

There is enough material here for a multitude of books, camping out in the Saudi Arabian desert, Tai Chi at 6:30 AM in Hong Kong, the casinos in Macau, the amazing vineyards on the South Island of New Zealand, visiting many towns and villages in Egypt, during the course of my work, that were off limits to non-residents, oh I almost forgot, skinny dipping in a Scottish Loch.

The dream remains, all be it with less determination than I once had, but I will write that book in fact I am going to do it right now.

Change of mind, I will start it tomorrow.