It’s Friday afternoon. My desk is relatively tidy for once. There’s a lukewarm cup of tea to in front of me and a window to my left that frames the sort of scene most writers only dream of. In my mind’s eye rain is gently trickling down the glass and beyond the hedgerow, across the misty green, stands a castle. A proper one. Turrets, towers, and a winding path that begs for a dragon or a brave little knight. But the only thing in danger of catching fire right now is my patience.
Because while the view is peaceful, my focus is not. Welcome to the inner workings of a children’s author. Imagination is my superpower, yes, but it’s also my biggest distraction. And today, it’s running rings around me.
The Flu, the Fog and the Blank Page
Let’s start with the fact that I’ve been unwell for the past two days. Stuck in bed, coughing and sniffling and sweating out whatever cold or flu decided to visit. I’d love to say I used the time wisely. That I dictated the next Space Ranger Fred adventure into my phone or brainstormed new characters between naps. But truthfully, I didn’t.
I barely managed to eat a proper meal or watch anything more demanding than an episode of Who Do You Think You Are? narrated in a soothing voice. Even now, I’m not fully better. Just well enough to feel guilty for not writing. Not rested, not energised, but restless.
And this is where it gets tricky. As a writer, especially one working from home, every day is a juggle. You learn to make peace with interruptions. You expect them. But when they pile up? They become mountains. And lately, I’ve been climbing them in wellies that leak.
Clutching at Time
Let’s talk about my car. The loyal, slightly temperamental machine that usually gets me from one village to another with minimal fuss. Except this week, it decided it was done with me. First the clutch gave up. Then the battery followed like a sulking sidekick.
Two repair jobs. Two sets of phone calls. Two giant chunks of time I didn’t have to spare. I wasn’t writing during those hours. I wasn’t editing. I wasn’t even scribbling ideas in a notebook while waiting. I was dealing with real life. Necessary, but entirely un-magical.
And that’s where the tension lives, isn’t it? Between the magical and the mundane. The castle outside my window and the bill on the kitchen table. The glittering idea for a story and the dog needing to be let out again. These things don’t cancel each other out, but some days, they do clash rather spectacularly.
Space Ranger Fred Deserves More
I think about Fred a lot. Probably more than most people think about fictional space rangers. He’s not just a character. He’s a universe. And right now, he needs so much from me. Not just the next book, which I absolutely must finish soon. But everything else too.
Fred needs promotion. He needs visibility. He needs a proper website revamp and a little video series I’ve been meaning to start. He needs a pitch for the video game. A few emails sent. A few hundred replies followed up on. He needs merchandise ideas refined. A newsletter written. A teacher’s pack reviewed.
He’s a full-time job before I even open the manuscript. And while I love him, and I truly do, it’s hard to balance all the parts of Fred when I’m also just trying to keep the rest of life from toppling over.
When the Castle Beckons
This brings me back to the castle. Or more accurately, the idea of it. It’s not a real castle, of course. It’s in my mind. A projection. A vision. It’s the story I could be writing. It’s the metaphor for everything I want to build.
I stare at that window a lot. Especially on rainy days like this. I imagine the characters walking up that winding path. I imagine a child looking out from one of those turret windows, daydreaming just like me. I imagine dragons and spells and secret staircases. And suddenly, I’ve wasted thirty minutes and written nothing.
But is it wasted? That’s the question. Because maybe that castle view, that mental meandering, is part of the process. Maybe distraction is not the enemy. Maybe it’s the spark.
A Day in the Life of a Distracted Author
Let me tell you what my day has looked like so far:
- Woke up feeling 63% human. Made tea. Drank it. Immediately wanted a nap.
- Replied to an email about an author event I may or may not be doing.
- Looked at my to-do list. Laughed nervously.
- Took the dog out.
- Thought about Fred. Got excited. Got overwhelmed.
- Remembered the car bill. Got less excited.
- Tried to write. Got two sentences in. Distracted by a notification.
- Checked the weather. It’s still crap.
- Stared out the window at the imaginary castle. Felt inspired and slightly silly.
- Made another cup of tea. Didn’t drink it. Cold now.
This is not unusual. This is what it’s like. Some days are full of flow. Others are full of stopping and starting, a dance of trying and almost succeeding.
Writing in the Cracks
Over the years, I’ve learned that writing doesn’t always happen in long, uninterrupted stretches. Sometimes it happens in the five minutes between calls. In the notes app on your phone while you’re waiting for a mechanic. In the quiet bit before sleep, when the story sneaks in.
Today is one of those days where I have to write in the cracks. Between flu symptoms and car trouble and the overwhelming feeling that I should be doing more. More writing. More marketing. More moving forward.
But here’s the thing. Even if the progress is small, it still counts. A paragraph written is better than none. A blog post half-done is still something. And if today all I manage is to tell you that I feel scattered and tired and vaguely hopeful, then maybe that’s enough.
Embracing the Chaos
There is a certain kind of magic in mess. A kind of beauty in the chaos of a creative life. We don’t always see it when we’re in it, but it’s there. The distractions, the delays, the dramas. They feed the stories. They remind us that we’re living.
When I was lying in bed feeling sorry for myself with tissues all around me, I started thinking about a new Space Ranger Fred villain. A flu-bot who tries to infect a space station with interstellar sneezes. Silly. But fun. You see, that’s how it starts.
And that’s how Fred came to be in the first place. In a moment between moments. Pulled from the fog of everyday life, scribbled on a scrap of paper, and brought to life one line at a time. So maybe distraction isn’t the problem. Maybe it’s the secret ingredient.
Friday Thoughts from the Castle Window
So, here I am. On a Friday afternoon. Looking out at a rainy sky and an imaginary castle. Wondering how on earth to juggle everything and still be a good writer.
Maybe I’m not meant to juggle it all today. Maybe I’m meant to sip that cold tea, enjoy the quiet for a second, and let my imagination wander. Not everything needs fixing right away. Not every story needs writing today. Some things just need thinking about.
The car will get fixed. The cold will pass. Fred’s next adventure will land when it’s ready. And that castle? Well, it’s always going to be there, just beyond the glass. Waiting.
Thanks for reading my ramble. It wasn’t what I planned to write today. But it’s what came out. And maybe, just maybe, that’s the kind of writing that matters most.
About the Author Matt Newnham is a children’s book author, dream-chaser, and the unstoppable imagination behind Space Ranger Fred. With a head full of stories and a heart set on inspiring young minds, Matt blends adventure, laughter, and sneaky STEM learning into everything he writes. When he’s not bringing Fred and friends to life on the page or screen, he’s probably scribbling down another wild idea, dodging coffee spills, or convincing himself that cardboard boxes really can become spaceships and that the ability to tie your own shoelaces is really a superpower.
For books, updates, animated magic, and the latest from the world of Space Ranger Fred, visit www.spacerangerfred.com or www.mattnewnhamauthor.com
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