My Life in Thirty Seven Therapies virtual book tour #thirtyseventherapies

March is National Women’s History Month, and we’re joining this book tour to celebrate a woman’s journey to finding herself.

Author Q&A, KAY HUTCHISON, Author ‘My Life in 37 Therapies’

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? Or what first inspired you to write?

Many things. Firstly, publishing my father’s life story gave me my first true experience of putting together an interesting personal story and the processes involved – it was a hardback full-color coffee table book Hurricane Hutch’s Top 10 Ships of the Clyde – we learned fast about design, researching images and permissions, the print and marketing demands. Then, after joining a writing retreat I discovered I really enjoyed shaping and telling stories about my own childhood, about relationships and the twists and turns of life.  There was quite a bit of preparation for the course with best-selling author Mavis Cheek – we had writing homework to do – I found I loved the experience and indeed the 12 short stories and poetry I developed were the beginnings of what is now My Life in 37 Therapies.  During my career, although there was plenty of creative writing to do with work, it was never about anything personal.  Now it is.

 

Where/When do you best like to write?

I like to set myself targets and I set aside blocks of time to write – half days, full days, evenings, even a week. I need to have enough time to balance walking, being out in nature, exercise (mainly yoga) and quiet time to help me think, plan and write.  But I always know when I’m ready – I immediately get cracking and write freely and energetically. I then work with an editor to refine the structure and content of the story.

 

Do you have any interesting writing habits or superstitions?

When I’m in the flow of writing I always keep a notebook and pen by my bed as I often wake up in the middle of the night, two, three, four times, with ideas that need to be in the story when I start writing the next day.

 

When you are struggling to write/have writer’s block, what are some ways that help you find your creative muse again?

I always listen to music at these times – there are a few special pieces of music that I like to listen to that help me capture the flow again.  The tracks have no lyrics, they are slow and evocative and they allow me to reach deep into the creative part of me and somehow the ideas appear. A few hours later I will have produced the next chapter or two.

 

What do you think makes a good story?

I like stories with kindness and heart, surprises or a shocking turn of events, a mix of joy and sadness and at the end, some deep, universal truths about life. Structure is also key. A clear beginning, a meaty core, and a sense of release at the end.

 

What inspired your story?

My own burnout.  Although I didn’t realize it at the time, it was a breakdown of sorts and something that changed my life and led me in a completely new direction. I tried things I’d never tried before. Once I had recovered, I wanted to share the story.

 

How does a new story idea come to you?

Usually in the middle of the night or when I’m out on my own walking, listening to the birds and stopping to sit on a bench with my notebook. I may not know exactly where it fits but I feel inspired to write about the idea as soon as I return home.

 

Is there a message/theme in your book that you want readers to grasp?

The passage of time and all of life is important to enjoy – no matter what you are going through – happy or sad, easy or not, don’t let a single moment slip by without recognizing it has meaning for you. At my time of life now, looking back, I find I enjoy life more every day. I am only now beginning to understand a little of what life is about and why things happened as they did in my life. The experiences made me sit up and take notice.  Before this, I was just rushing through life, in too much of a hurry to notice or appreciate, all that I had.

 

If your book was turned into a movie, who would you like to play the main characters?

1. 1. Cate Blanchett – Kay
   2. Tom Hanks – Jonathan
   3. Alex Baldwin – Graham
   4. Catherine Zeta-Jones – Daisy

Title: My Life in Thirty Seven Therapies: From Yoga to Hypnosis and Why Voodoo Is Never the Answer

Author: Kay Hutchison

 

An Accomplished Woman Embraces Her Mid-Life Crisis, One Bizarre Therapy At A Time

“A must read for anyone interested in relationship issues.” –Dr. Colin M. Barron, M.B. Ch

 

About the Author

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