WRITER'S DREAM; On Taxes

It has been in the news lately about major high street companies and big brands not paying their fair share of UK taxes.  While these companies are not doing anything illegal, it has ensured that the public have been very vocal in demanding a crack down on tax avoidance. HMRC have answered this call by deciding to crack down on small businesses and hobby earners.

Basically this means that if you are making money from your writing (or any other kind of hobby) then you are classed as a small business.  It is in your own interests to register as a Sole Trader with HMRC as soon as you start to earn money, however little your writing income may be.  Not only does this demonstrate honesty to the Tax Office, but it covers your back against spitefulness too.

When people know of your published work they might assume that you are NOT tax registered.  If you have a fall out with someone, or someone seems a bit envious of your work, calling the tax office to report you for tax evasion is an easy axe for them to grind. 

This is not paranoia - it is something that has happened to me more than once so I speak from personal experience.  The traitor is always the one you just don't see, and it is usually someone close to you.  On both occasions when the tax office has phoned me to alert me to a false report made against me, the report had come from spiteful, jealous women I had previously considered friends and neighbours. There was also the strange case of a shop keeper in the Highlands who rang one of my editors demanding to know if I was tax registered and how taxes were paid via the publisher etc.  It's just such an easy target for the envious and malicious to try and hit - they can't seem to help themselves.  Of course, they were all left with egg dripping off their faces when they were told by the tax officer that I'd been registered for years and HMRC know all about my writing and recording etc. 

The Tax Office have a duty to inform you of any false reports made against you and to let the informer know that you ARE tax registered and all the paperwork is in order - that is, to nip the spite in the bud as a lot of their time is wasted by such false reports.  If however, you are NOT tax registered then they have a duty to investigate you - and your enemies have won.  So cover your back from back-stabbers by making sure you register with your local tax office as soon as you get published.

It's not just publishing though; it's any small hobby earning enterprise, so if you are involved in multi-level marketing (Avon, Betterware, Cleaneeze etc) or any online sales (Ebay, Amazon Marketplace) or any kind of casual trading (car boot sales, nail and beauty services, etc) you must register this activity with HMRC.  If you earn very little you might not have to pay tax at all or you can pay self employed income tax via your PAYE tax account.  You just need to complete a tax return form once a year and keep track of income and expenditure - that's it.  Yes, the paperwork can be a bind, but as it stops spiteful people in their tracks, it is well worth the effort.  It looks good on you CV too, as you will be a Sole Trader with your own part time business enterprise going on in your free time.  Who knows how big this enterprise will grow over time?

I know tax is a boring subject and  it is my least favourite part of being a self-employed freelance writer.  There was a time when I didn't think I had any enemies at all, but that's because they'd successfully disguised themselves as friends and good neighbours.  When their masks fell off, I had the satisfaction of knowing I'd done the right thing from the start and of knowing that the local HMRC tax officer had deflected their spite on my behalf. 

Take a tip from me; register your writing/business properly to cover your back, before the axe falls at the hands of someone you trusted. You will then have the satisfaction of knowing that their malice has been successfully thwarted and your enterprise is safe from spite.

Writing and publishing is a business. It pays to be businesslike.

WRITER'S DREAM; Respectfully Yours...Working With Editors.

When new writers are first trying to get their work published it can very much seem as if editors are the enemy.  As the rejections keep coming, often with no explanation at all, it can be very disheartening.  It can also be extremely frustrating to watch other authors consistently publishing their work, when you never seem to get a break, or a leg up, or your foot inside the door.  It is quite natural to feel a touch of envy from time to time, especially if you have been consistently sending out your work without success, but if this envy poisons your attitude towards the industry, editors will pick up on it. 

The role of an editor is to preserve the quality of their publication or House, which means that they have to be very selective about who and what they accept for publication.  They have to make sure the work they do accept will fit in with their overall list and that they don't have too many authors all writing similar things.  This is one of the reasons why coat-tail hanging is ineffective - there is no point approaching the House of a particular author with a carefully copied and virtually identical style, or with a synopsis for a book that is similar to what they are already publishing.  You are courting rejection if you attempt this. 

For a short time my brother and I were writing for the same House, although the editors there were initially unaware that we were related. We were also writing on completely different topics, as you can see from the picture above; I was writing my popular Wicca titles, while he was writing a more mainstream self help title (Learn to Live Your Dream and Success Is Guaranteed by Ian Bruce).  It is only by chance that we were writing for the same House at the same time, and I don't think this is a common practice within the publishing industry as a whole.  But it did make for some interesting conversations and comparisons!

Being respectful to editors is of course basic courtesy, but it is also vital for your career prospects. It is possible for unpublished authors to get a negative reputation for themselves, simply because they cannot handle rejection without a petty comeback, or a whinging demand for an explanation. Editors don't owe you anything, unless you are one of their contracted authors and even then you are only one of many, so you need to be respectful of their time.

It is also true that editors network and move in the same circles, so if you get a bad name with one, you might find others automatically give you a wide birth.  Like lots of upper and middle class occupations, word of mouth recommendations are a part of the publishing industry, but you generally have to wait to be invited into the fold before you can start to use nepotistic networks.  Don't be fooled by an editor moving on to a new publication either - it is highly likely that you will meet them again at a different House or magazine, so you need to ensure your working relationships are positive ones from the very beginning. Try not to get your name black-listed by piggy-backing, over-entitlement or a bad attitude.

I have worked with editors from all kinds of backgrounds, from an old school working class 'cub reporter' who had steadily worked his way up the ranks of the newspaper, to the descendant of  one of England's finest poets for whom publishing is literally in the blood. This diversity of background serves to enrich the industry as a whole, though there is no doubt that it is increasingly difficult for someone to get a foot in and learn 'on the job' as I did.  In that respect I was quite lucky to get published when I did, because things have changed greatly in the past decade or so. 

Working alongside editors is an education in itself. You are effectively working with highly skilled, highly educated, quite well-heeled people, especially if you work with London publishers.  It is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the art and craft of writing and how the industry works.  You will pick up the lingo so that you can speak their language when you make submissions to magazines etc.  You will be able to tell them exactly what you are offering - a feature, lead-feature, article, column, snippet, nib and so on - but you must get this accurate!  Moreover, editorial polish rubs off and you will become much more refined in your day to day communications.  Friends and family are likely to be the first to notice this and comment upon it. 

So far from being the enemy of new writers, editors can be potential allies and referees.  They might hold the door fast against you for quite some time, but if one day they swing it open and invite you in, be aware that you are joining a whole new world and give the opportunity the respect it deserves. 

ONCE UPON A DREAM; Battle Ready

There is nothing quite like illness to liberate the tongue.  I can remember when my grandmother was dying of cancer - always a caustic woman, she became truly vicious. I suppose she felt she needed to say what she really thought and say it fast, before death silenced her and she missed the opportunity!  My mum was the same when she had cancer too, but her vitriol ebbed away in tune with her recovery.  I do come from a line of plain speaking women but even I struggled to understand this cutting level of honesty. I mistakenly believed that illness can soften someone and make them more inclined to lean on loved ones for support.  

However, since I started having flashbacks back in 2010, I have discovered that illness reduces the need to be polite all the time!  I used to go out of my way to prove how tolerant I was; this meant I would turn a blind eye to things which should have been addressed.  I thought it was the best way to enjoy a quiet life. In fact, it was the best way to invite people to take advantage of my good nature, which of course they did with great gusto. 

Over the last few years I have had a change of heart. As I already have enough on my plate I have lost the inclination to try and be everyone's friend.  Now I don't care what the neighbours might think of me or what they might say about me.  They and their opinions, are irrelevant to me.  I'm less inclined to put up with the mischief of other people's kids - if they are misbehaving around me I have to say something.  I have had a complete reassessment of all my relationships and I have booted the free-loaders and users out of my life altogether.  I have had altercations with people who thought they could steal from me, use me, lie to me, trespass upon my kindness  - and get away with it; that I would still want to be their friend afterwards. As if. 

Any soldier will tell you that PTSD is a bitch to live with.  It can be exhausting and debilitating.  I have found though, that it can also be a source of empowerment because it means that you are always battle ready.  This doesn't mean that I am constantly looking for a fight. I'm not.  I just want a quiet life.  What it does mean is that I have a new way of tackling people who try to dump drama into my life, or who are taking advantage, or being two faced.  I simply won't put up with it.  I don't need it and I don't need them.

I have always stood up for myself when absolutely necessary, but now I'm more assertive than I was before.  Now I prefer to nip such things in the bud as soon as they become apparent. I don't wait to see if things will change or improve - I just deal with it right away. Of course some people don't like it - namely the ones who have been taking the piss!  But I have noticed that they give me a wary respect these days and a wider birth, rather than treating me like a bff just so they could get close enough to stab me in the back.  I got my back covered now. 

When I first had this change of strategy I was surprised how well it worked.  Being too nice didn't get me the quiet life I wanted - being brutally honest and assertive did.  The bottom line is this;

• If you phone me looking for an argument, you will get one - but you will not win
• If you knock on my door looking for an altercation, you will get one - but you will not win
• If you stop me in the street to try and learn all about my life for your gossip-mongering - you will be told where to go
• And if you send me whinging letters demanding an explanation, you will get a reply - but you won't like it one bit.

This new level of assertiveness seems to be working. It has rid me of hangers-on I can do without and it's told the local gossip what she can do with her feeble-minded tickle-tackle. In the bigger picture it means that even in the darkest times of illness we are still growing and maybe the illness has something to teach us. Perhaps there is a lesson in it that will make us stronger in the long term. The Universe is the best tutor if we are prepared to be attentive students. 

I'm proud of myself for having the courage to stand strong in the face of adversity. Illness has made me better able to stand up for myself and to speak my mind more freely than ever. After all, its not like I'm going to remember the argument long enough to be upset by it!  So it hardly matters. 

I feel battle ready and this is not a bad thing. It means that I am living up to my name and proving that a Bruce is not to be crossed without a reckoning to be paid for it.  It means that I am living up to the motto of the thistle "None shall irritate me unscathed".   Maybe it's time to be a bit more charmed and dangerous?  

POET'S CORNER; The Music Box

The Music Box

(sung to Brahms Lullaby)

Once upon a time

In a land far away

There a girl

Wronged in love

Chose to put her heart away

She made a music box

With a sweet melody

And there in every note

She poured all her grief

As she wept and as she cried

The magic music box played

The charm was made

The spell was cast

As her pain began to fade

So she took her bleeding heart

And she laid it within

Then closing down the lid

She let the magic begin

Her heart is gone

Her love long lost

She’s now colder than ice

Her wounds still bleed

Within the tune

As she turns the key round thrice

But soft, the heart still beats

Longing to heal

And yes, the heart still bleeds

For to hurt is to feel

"Let me out

Set me free

Please don’t give me up so lightly

It’s not the way; I cry within

Won’t you let me love once more?

I beat only for you

These wounds will not heal

If you keep me locked away

 Because one love was cruel..."

The years have passed

The maid is gone

The magic music box plays

Its melody

Each time will be

A lament to lonely days

So heed its gentle tune

If you hear it one day

A heart still beating true

Hopes to find love someday.

By Marie Bruce

WRITER'S DREAM; Read Like A Writer

I have always been an avid bookworm, devouring one book after another with an insatiable appetite.  I'm a big reader too - I read everything I see from bill posters to shampoo bottles - if it's written down, I have to read it. I can't help myself.  I respond to texts, emails, letters and social media messages much more efficiently than phone calls or surprise visits. Basically, if you want my attention - put it in writing. 

A love of books is essential in a writer; not only novels, but all types of books.  The books I pulled from my study for the picture above are an eclectic mix of poetry, history, art, witchcraft (that's one of mine!) nature and epistolary. It is a random selection to illustrate diversity in reading habits, because as a writer, you just never know where your next piece of inspiration is going to come from.  You need to be open to both fiction and non-fiction. 

Oftentimes I can be reading something, or flicking through a book of fine art, and it will suddenly trigger an idea that sends me rushing off to get my laptop and start writing before I lose it. Inspiration is fleeting - if you don't act on it, it doesn't hang around, so you need to pin it down in that first flush of excitement.  

Reading a book that isn't remotely related to your usual subject as a writer, can be very inspirational - some of my recent Spirit&Destiny columns have been inspired by military books; two topics that are poles apart and yet a moment of inspiration can bring them together to create something completely new.

I have also noticed that since writing books myself, I read differently and I am more difficult to please as a reader. Over the years I have learnt how to read like a writer; I am constantly looking for what it is that is engaging me. What is it about certain books/authors that keeps me coming back for more?  Why do I choose one author over another when both are writing similar books, say Philippa Gregory over Hilary Mantle for example.

When reading novels I seek out the bare bones of the story arc; I try to define the muscle-tone of the sub-plot that fleshes it out; I look for the ligaments and tendons that hook it together. Seeking out the anatomy of the book in this way enhances my enjoyment of the novel, because I can see the technical expertise that has gone into crafting the book. I never read this way before I was published and it is a skill that I've developed in my years as a writer. Now reading a book by a favourite author is like watching a master craftsman at work.  But I had to have years of experience in writing and editing myself to develop this level of critical analysis, which has been a gradual and natural development, rather than something I planned to do.  Writers become very deep readers.

It isn't only books that inspire either; I have been inspired by films, music videos, a piece of music, a Kylie concert, my counselling training course, Scotland...inspiration is all around you if you look with a writer's eyes. So next time you pick up a book to curl up with, try to read more like a writer and ask yourself why you are enjoying it. If there is something that moves you, makes you laugh, that you can relate to, make a mental note of how that sentence has been constructed. Where are the hooks - in other words, what keeps you reading and turning the pages? Do you have a preference for 1st, 2nd or 3rd person narrative? And if you are bored by a book and don't finish it, again ask yourself why - the answer will be a tip on what to avoid in your own writing. 

All reading is research to a writer, providing it is read in the right way and through the eyes of an author. 

Happy reading!

POET'S CORNER; Ice Queen Valentine

On this cold and frosty Valentine's Day

A poem to melt the heart...

Ice Maiden

She stands alone on a moonlit night,

Immune as the frost begins to bite.

Her heart is cold, she feels no chill,

This feisty maiden with an iron will.

Her stare can turn your blood to ice,

And chill your bones in a trice,

Her skin is soft and white as snow,

But hoar frost forms where tears should flow.

Her freezing touch invokes a gasp,

She is numbed by the pain from winters past.

Strong as the snow-capped mountains white,

Frozen in time when Love took flight,

Hiding behind an ice-cool mask,

And freezing out those who take her to task,

Concealing her wounds behind a glacial wall,

She keeps her fragility hidden from all.

From Love's harsh blows her frailty sheltered,

Yet the wish of her heart is but to be melted.

By Marie Bruce

IVORY TOWER; Winter Is Coming...it's arrived!!

Once upon a time in a land far away, there stood an ivory tower, amid a frozen sea of ice and snow...

Oh, okay, so I live in a semi-detached house, but I am nothing if not imaginative! It has been a very busy week of revamping my home and turning it into a wintry wonderland.  I've got lots more lovely things; pictures, candle holders, faux furs and such like.  I wanted to make it like a silvery forest and I had two images in mind as I gathered items together - Narnia and Scotland in the snow.

My mum bought me a big picture of a king stag in a snowy setting. Like the winter woodland picture I got last week, the stag is also shot through with silver thread, making it glimmer like a magic spell. I bought some silver cushions with stags on the front to go with the silver tree cushions from last weeks shopping trip. I also found some gorgeous tea light glasses in frosted white glass with sparkly gray squirrels on them. 

It was starting to look very much like the Highlands in winter, which is what I wanted, but I also wanted to give a nod to the place I actually live which is Yorkshire, so I got a stunning picture of a long stemmed winter white rose.  It has a mother of pearl finish and it gleams in the light. I love it.  It has replaced the pink rose picture that featured in the home shoot; that one is now hung in my bedroom.  The pearly finish gives the white rose a nice warm glow and a white rose is the sigil of Yorkshire.

It was important to me that the room didn't look too cold. I wanted it to have the essence of winter, but with a certain cosy glow about it. The whole point of my doing a wintry theme was that I can no longer enjoy deep winter like I used to because my thyroid illness makes the cold a lot less bearable, even dangerous, to me.  So I chose things with a silvery, glowy finish.  To add to the cosy feel I got a few faux fur items to snuggle up in; an Arctic Wolf hearth rug and some creamy Snow Leopard cushions and throw, which go nicely with the Silver Wolf throw I got last week.  So now there are lots of soft, cosy textures to add warmth to the room. As I said, I feel the cold and it can quickly make me ill, so I do need throws to snuggle under when I'm reading a book or watching a film.  

The cream faux suede curtains and silver tree voile panels look great, with the panels diffusing the light so that it looks like a snowy day, even when it's not! This was a lovely surprise. I also got two beautiful mirrored silver tree tea light holders for on either side of the piano.  These look stunning when the candles are lit inside and set the branches glimmering.  Another lucky find was a pouffe/footstool in champagne velvet, buttoned with diamante - it was on sale and just the right size for the space.  I do think that the right things just come to you if you are open to receiving them. You just have to go shopping with an open mind and a sense of gratitude.   It's the little finds that finish the job too; the new snowy owl and white filigree heart coasters make a cup of coffee more special and enjoyable somehow.

The final touch was another gift from my mum and it's a lovely dress-form but unlike the kind dress-makers use, this one is decorative and already wearing a cream frothy tutu and a string of pearls.  I adore her and I've named her Odette, after the Swan Queen.  I raided my jewelry box and added a couple of strands of beads, my bridesmaid pearls, my grandmothers double tier crystal necklace, a little diamante bow broach and a replica of Anne Boleyn's 'B' pearl choker, so now she looks all dressed and ready for the ball.  She is like a little snow queen, standing in the corner of the room.

So after a week of hard work, creativity and imaginative design (not to mention taking advantage of the January sales!) I now have a beautiful winter wonderland room that glimmers like a silver forest.  A place where Highland stags roam, trees glitter and a snow princess awaits her prince...a fairytale in frosted sparkle and winter white.  

I've fallen in love with my little nest all over again and I feel like I want to hibernate. Winter has come to my house, bringing a touch of the Scottish Highlands with it and I can now enjoy my favourite season all year round, without fearing the Cailleach's bite. It is my own version of Narnia, where it is always winter, but never cold and deadly! And I couldn't be happier with it.