Today we have a guest post, by author Jenna Burtenshaw..

The Importance Of Creative Assistants

When it comes to writing any kind of story there is one thing I would not be without.

I could live without my laptop; I’d just go back to writing with a pen.  I could even manage without the regular cups of tea that often gather and multiply upon my desk, but my writing life would not be the same without my creative assistants.  And by ‘assistants’, I am of course talking about the furry kind.

The wet-nosed, crazy, canine kind.

My doggy assistants listen patiently when I decide to read tricky chapters out aloud.  They are among the first to find out where a story is going and what the ending will be.  Sometimes they give a sniff of approval.  If it is an exciting chapter, they may even bestow upon it the honour of a tag wag, and if they really like something they will usually fall asleep.  Yes, I take all of these as ‘good signs’.  If any of them wander off with their tails down in disgust, that’s when I know I need to rethink my strategy.

Maisie, my big, curly-haired scottie dog, is definitely the hardest to please.  She is a born critic who has far better things to do in her day than listen to a human chattering away.  She would much rather be outside snuffling her nose into a mud heap in the name of scientific doggy research, and when she does decide to listen, she demands a chewy snack for her trouble.

Nella, my Yorkshire terrier, is much easier to please.  Give her a tummy rub and she will happily pretend to be interested in anything you have to say.  She can be content for hours on a cosy cushion by the fire while I’m typing, only occasionally waking up to cause trouble, stir up the other dogs or chase birds.

Belle is another matter.  Belle is a pointer who jumps at every noise, hoping that she may one day get a chance to pounce upon her mortal enemy, the postman.  Her concentration span depends upon how many cats wander past the window or how many vans drive up to the house, and once she starts barking, she never wants to stop.

Between them, my creative assistants leap on my keyboard, drop soggy tennis balls on my books and knock piles of papers over whenever they take a liking to something on my desk.  They can be little demons when they are feeling rambunctious and little angels when they are in the mood for a cuddle.  They cheer me up when things aren’t going very well and somehow manage to distract me whenever I am on a typing hot streak.  They run through the house like whirlwinds, leaving trouble and muddy paw prints in their wake, but I would never be without any of them.  They certainly make things interesting!

If you are ever looking for a writing buddy, I say always ask a dog.  They are cuddlesome, fun, and guaranteed to keep you on your toes.

Which animal would you choose as your perfect creative assistant?

Thanks, Jenna, and good question! Do let us know, Bookbabblers. Jenna’s debut novel, Wintercraft can be bought here now, and her second book, Wintercraft: Blackwatch can be pre-ordered below, too. You can check out Jenna’s blog here.

Bookbabblers has Jenna Burtenshaw, author of ‘Wintercraft’ sharing her thoughts on reading with us…

Imagine there is a door in your house that changes shape every day.

Sometimes it is tall, gothic and black.  Sometimes it is blood red, with a sword propped against it and sounds of battle echoing from the other side.  Other times it is green and welcoming with forest creepers reaching in from whatever lies in the wild place beyond.

This door exists in every person’s world, but many people choose to ignore it. Like the Narnian wardrobe inviting Lucy Pevensie to step through its dusty coats for the very first time, the door stands patiently, waiting for us. Its appearance changes to match the mood of the person in front of it and the place it leads to alters all the time.  It is the door into both the scientific world of the future and the dinosaur-filled past; to worlds of magic and adventure, sorcery, history, impossibility, and every imaginable place in between.

Imagination is the only key needed to open this door.  With it, we can step through and discover new worlds of our own, or we can use books as our guides, leading us along paths and into stories that other readers have walked through before.

Whenever we pick up a book and read its first few lines, we step through that door and let the words carry us completely into another world.  Books invite readers to explore unlimited places and times.  They lead us down streets we have never seen and introduce us to fantastic characters that never would have existed until someone decided to write them down.

Books challenge us, excite us and scare us.  They share knowledge with us, and people who died many years ago can reach out from the past via their inky pages.  Books free our minds from the restrictions of everyday life, teach us how our own world could be made better and show us how people cope when life takes a turn for the worst.

Books have always been an important part of my life.  I remember sleeping with a book under my pillow when I was younger and reading by torchlight under the bedcovers during the night.  Most of them were adventure books, mysteries and fantasy stories. Even now, years later, my tastes have remained very much the same.

My writing space is lined with bookshelves and I love picking one out and curling up in a chair ready to head off through the imaginary door.  Reading is a kind of magic that many people take for granted.  Words really are just black marks on a page, but once you can decipher them an unlimited wealth of knowledge and experience is there to be explored.

When we give our imagination free rein and step through that door into the unknown, I think we learn a little bit about ourselves too along the way.  Give one book to ten people and most of them will see the world within it a little differently.  Few will agree exactly what a character looks like and each reader will relate to those characters in a different way.  This is because books allow the reader to remain in control.  Unlike film or television, where one view of a character or place is assumed to be right, books allow readers to draw those people and places using ingredients from our own lives and our own experiences.  Writers and storytellers show us glimpses of worlds they have created and invite us to fill the spaces in between.

I still sleep with a book or two near my bed and there are certain books from my childhood that I will never part with – stories like 101 Dalmations by Dodie Smith.  Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl.

I can’t remember a time when I couldn’t read, and certainly can’t imagine a time when I will ever stop. Reading is a fascinating and infinitely rewarding experience.  The imaginary door is a permanent and welcome fixture in my world and I am happy to step through it as often as I can.

Thanks, Jenna. Is this how all Bookbabblers feel about reading? Share your thoughts with us on this great post.

Wintercraft is in our shop now, and you can find out more about Jenna and Wintercraft here, and follow her on Twitter here.