It started at 5am. One of those moments when your eyes open and you just know sleep is done for the night. Or the morning. Or whatever you want to call that foggy space between dreaming and groaning at your to-do list. For me, it was Monday. A slow one. At least, it pretended to be.
And like many Mondays, it began with coffee. My first cup went down fast, not particularly enjoyed but absolutely necessary. The kind of coffee you gulp rather than sip. It was still dark outside, where has summer gone?. The house was quiet. But my brain had already started drafting this blog post. Typical.
A Trip to the Garage Before Breakfast
The first real task was getting my car to the garage. The clutch had been playing up for far too long and this morning it finally went in for the full works. Clutch replacement. Not the most relaxing way to kick off the week, but it had to be done. While most people were still snoozing, I was handing over keys and explaining rattles and gear issues like I was auditioning for a part in “Mechanics for Beginners.”
There’s something weirdly final about dropping off your car for major work. Like it symbolises handing over your freedom for the day. No car, no quick escapes. Just you, your walking shoes, and the hope that the mechanic doesn’t call with more bad news. (They phoned with good news!)
Eggs and Illustrator Emails
Back home, I tackled breakfast like a champion. Two boiled eggs. Beautiful, golden-yolked eggs from The Macs Farm in Ditchling. If you’ve never had their farm eggs, you’re missing out. They’re the sort that actually make you pause and appreciate the taste. Proper eggs. No need for sauce or salt. Just good eggs and a quiet moment to remind yourself the world hasn’t ended yet.
With yolk still cooling on the plate, I fired off emails to Richie Williams, the brilliant illustrator behind Space Ranger Fred. He’s building a shiny new website for the Fred universe, and we’re pulling together everything from colour palettes to character poses. It’s one of those moments where you realise how much goes on behind the scenes of a children’s book character. Fred isn’t just a name in a book anymore. He’s a brand. A world. A rocketship with its own galaxy.
Social Media Mayhem and the Solar System
After that, I turned my attention to social media. I uploaded a rather wild Instagram reel on @spacerangerfred titled, “You’re Drawing the Solar System Wrong!” It was fun, a bit mad, but packed with facts. Exactly the kind of science-meets-silliness content Fred thrives on. The reel is taking off, so clearly, chaos works. Kids love it. Teachers love it. And let’s be honest, I love it too.
It’s these strange little sparks of creativity that keep the Space Ranger Fred project alive and zooming forward. But they also take time. Time to plan, film, upload, caption, and engage. Being a children’s author today means being part author, part marketer, part social media wrangler, and full-time dreamer.
The PowerPoint Mountain
Coffee number two happened while I opened my laptop to tackle the next mission: documentation for the video game developers. Yes, Fred is heading to screens as well as shelves. But before anything gets coded, there’s work to do. I need to present my ideas clearly. PowerPoints, Word docs, concept explanations, gameplay structures. You name it, it needs to be in there.
And this isn’t just a quick slide deck. It’s the groundwork for something huge. Something that could inspire learning, laughter, and adventure for children across the globe. So it has to be right. Which means staring at bullet points for longer than is healthy. And don’t get me started on formatting.
No Walk Yet, But One Eye Test Booked
Somewhere in all of this, I realised I hadn’t taken the dog for a walk. He knows it too. Every time I pass the hallway, he stares at his lead like it holds the secrets of the universe. Which, to him, it probably does.
And then, there’s the small matter of an eye test this afternoon. Because when you stare at screens for hours plotting intergalactic shoelace escapades, your vision eventually protests. I booked it weeks ago and forgot. Until now. Add it to the list.
The Ever-Growing To-Do List
Oh yes, there’s more. My EPK needs work. Badly. You can check out the current one here. It does the job, but it could do so much better. Sharper. More engaging. Better suited for media, publishers, schools, and anyone else who wants to know what makes Fred, and me, tick.
And then there’s the Christmas story. I need to write the next Space Ranger Fred adventure in time for the holidays. Which means sleigh bells, science, and space all need to collide in a way that makes sense, entertains children, and still leaves enough room for humour. No pressure.
Who Said Being an Author Was Easy?
People often imagine authors lounging with notebooks in quaint cafes, sipping flat whites and waiting for the muse to drop by. And sometimes that happens. But not today… Thursday!
Today is real. Today is juggling. Today is boiled eggs, broken clutches, eye tests, dogs waiting patiently, and far too many documents still in “draft” mode. Today is work. Unseen. Often uncelebrated. But essential.
And despite the madness, I wouldn’t trade it. Because even in the chaos, I get to build worlds. I get to tell stories. I get to bring Space Ranger Fred to life, to see kids laugh and learn and point at the stars with curiosity.
Mondays Aren’t Always Slow
They start slow, sure. But they speed up quickly. And before you know it, the day’s nearly over and you’re wondering where the time went. But you look at the emails sent, the work begun, the ideas sparked, and you realise, actually, not bad.
Space Ranger Fred is growing. He’s got a new website coming, a Christmas adventure on the horizon, a game in development, and an Instagram reel that’s gaining traction. And somewhere in all that, I’m still writing. Still dreaming. Still moving forward.
Final Thoughts From a Coffee-Fuelled Author
It’s now nearing mid-afternoon. The sun has peeked out, well it would have if it wasn’t raining. The dog is still hopeful. And coffee number three is cooling beside me. Mondays might not always go to plan. They might pile on the pressure and demand more than you feel ready to give. But sometimes, they also show you just how much you’re capable of.
So here’s to slow Mondays with fast minds. To eggs from Ditchling, Instagram reels, website redesigns, and last-minute eye tests. To all the things that come with being a children’s author today.
It’s not easy. It’s rarely calm. But it’s absolutely worth it.
About the Author Matt Newnham is a British children’s author and creative dreamer best known for his science-packed storytelling and lovable space adventurer, Space Ranger Fred. When he isn’t writing interstellar tales or wrangling deadlines, he can be found in the Sussex countryside with a notebook in one hand and a coffee in the other. Find out more at mattnewnhamauthor.com.
