One of the writers I follow on twitter (@rebeccaebrown) recently ran a competition on her blog (www.mylittlenotepad.com) where you had to answer a simple question to win a copy of her book:
What would your ideal alternative life be?
Easy I thought! I love creating and breathing life into my characters and this had the added bonus of self-indulgence. Me, me, me, me, me. So I sat down to think about what I enjoyed, what I was passionate about and what I'd want to take with me into my alternative life. Like desert island discs. My fingers hovered over the keyboard. What would I take with me and what would I leave behind?
Childhood dreams popped straight to the surface....writer (doing that), dancer (too much like hard work at my age), princess (please don't judge I was about age 5 when I went through that phase)....well this wasn't getting me anywhere.
How about a character in one of the many books I lost myself in as a child? Wendy? I longed to live in Never Neverland, no parents telling you what to do, being able to fly. Or Lucy in Narnia (I still carefully inspect the back of interesting looking wardrobes), but then you'd have to put up with the White Witch.
Hmm I was beginning to suspect that I spend too much time immersed in a children's world and if I did take on this new life, what would I do with my own children and family? I know they often drive me insane, and I would be happier if they didn't answer back so much and had better bladder control (just the toddler I hasten to add). But I would really miss them.
So Russian spy? No I'm too cowardly. Astronaut? No, too claustrophobic. How about a rich woman in the 1920's-1930's? (Blame Agatha Christie for that one). No, I love my freedom too much.
I kept going round in circles until I finally decided that life is pretty good at the moment. I'd want my life but with more sleep. All the rest of things I'd change are really down to me. To work harder at my writing and relationships, to take more chances, put myself forward more and to do something with my degree (Middle Eastern Studies). Oh and I wish I'd started it all a lot sooner!
So the competition is now closed and I didn't submit anything, but thank you Rebecca for such an interesting question. It certainly was food for thought.
Feel free to let me know what you would have put!
Middle Eastern Studies sounds very interesting, I just keep learning more and more about you when I read this. Stuff we don't get to talk about chasing errant toddlers round playgrounds.
ReplyDeleteIf I couldn't be me then I'd like to be Elizabeth Bennett. Boring choice I know, but she does end up with the lovely Mr D'Arcy who I believe was a mass of pent-up passion under his strait-laced facade...
Or otherwise I'd quite like to be a dolphin in the Hauraki Gulf, frolicking in the sunshine, chasing boats and flirting with their human occupants.