Where I Write: Gabrielle Kent

Posted on 4 June 2015

There’s a whole world of magical adventure to explore with incredible tale Alfie Bloom by debut author Gabrielle Kent, and today we’re taking a look at where the story came to life.

I am such a colossal fidget that I can’t force myself to sit in one spot for too long while writing, so I flit between places. I have a great little writing desk set up in in my spare bedroom. It has several little toys relating to my book sitting on it, bought for me by my husband Satish. Just like Hexbridge Castle, the castle on my desk harbours a dark secret in its cellar – one of my wisdom teeth!

The red and gold chap with the moustache is a Japanese Daruma, a symbol of perseverance and good luck. His eyes are blank at first. You paint in one when you start a project, and the other when you finish it. The base is weighted so that whenever you knock him down he bounces right back up, just as a writer must do when receiving rejection slips! This little guy received his second eye when I completed Alfie Bloom and the Secrets of Hexbridge Castle. Above the desk is a picture by my friend Ken Wong. His work is magical and suggests all kinds of stories to me.

When writing I start off sitting properly at the desk, but within thirty minutes my legs are propped up on the desk. An hour later and I’ve moved the laptop to the bed where I continue to fidget between sitting and lying down. Kali the cat, Destroyer of Sofas, comes to visit regularly and likes to lie under my knees.

My full time lecturing job means I only write in the evenings, weekends and holidays. It can be difficult to find enough time to spend with Satish, so I’ll often tap away on my keyboard in this chair while he plays videogames next to me. Some games have really repetitive soundtracks, so I often have to put on headphones in order to concentrate. As usual, I begin to fidget and an hour later I’ll be writing lying in front of the fire with Kali.

Satish’s parents live in The Wirral. If I have deadlines to meet when we visit them, I write from their attic or the local libraries. Chunks of The Secrets of Hexbridge Castle and its sequel were written in Birkenhead and Liverpool central libraries. Liverpool’s main library is a brilliant building and is next door to galleries and museums, which are great for an inspiration break.

I’m an autumn/winter type person. I don’t like sunny weather very much. It’s too bright, too hot and the sky is light until far too late. I love to write in front of a cosy fire when it’s dark and cold outside, or by a window when it is pouring down with rain. I like the sound of the wind in the chimney and the sight of trees blowing in the breeze. I like to light a candle when I’m writing, but not when I’m editing. It has become a sort of ritual. All of these things seem to help me write.

I’m quite jealous of people that have great little writing sheds to work from. One day I’d like to build a summerhouse or buy a shepherd’s hut for the back garden as a writing spot. Something like Madeleine and Robin’s treehouse, or Alfie’s library would suit me just fine. You can NEVER have enough places to write!

Buy Alfie Bloom and the Secrets of Hexbridge Castle today!