B. J. Gilmour
How I Became an Author
One of the most frequent questions I get asked is, “Did you always want to be an author?” The simple answer is ‘no.’ Growing up, I wanted to become a professional swimmer and represent my Country at the Olympics. From the age of 8 years old, I trained relentlessly, – on average for 4 hours a day, [2 hours before school and 2 hours after school]. Encouraged by my coach, ‘Mr Hubbard’ and my mother. Unfortunately, when I was 11 years old it was discovered, that swimming was damaging my hearing, I was issued with two hearing aids, and I had to stop training – ending my dream to be a professional swimmer.
The first serious ambition I nurtured in my teens was to join the police force and become a serving police officer. At the age of 17, I sat the police entrance exam, passing the exam but failing the medical due to my hearing impediment. After leaving college, I went into office work and I was introduced to the wonderful world of computers. Then when I became pregnant several years later, I started writing children’s stories, – turning an old broom cupboard into a makeshift office. I used writing to pass the time as I settled into my new role as a young mother. Friends reading my stories encouraged me to take writing seriously and although I was hesitant at first, I was set up to appear as a main story on the television program, ‘Surprise Surprise’ with the late Cilla Black {see video below].
After the Christmas special show broadcast, I signed with an agent who approached publishers, and my career as a professional writer began.
Appearing on the show ‘Surprise Surprise’ launched my career as a professional writer
My Most Important Role
The most important role in my life is being a mother. Raising my two sons, Oliver and Westley, has given me the greatest satisfaction imaginable, and although they are no longer ‘babes in the arms’ [both are now in their 30s] – they are still the center of my life.
As a parent, I have always wished to secure a prosperous future for Oliver and Westley. In 1991, I accomplished this personal aspiration by signing a publishing contract with a main UK Publishing House for the release of four hardcover books featuring The Snowmites. Unfortunately, three months before the books were to be released my career was cut short due to a traumatic brain injury which caused a coma-related disability. Life suddenly became a journey of recovery. Being made homeless during this period made life even more difficult. I say without hesitation, – my children’s love saved my life.
Love Brings New Life
The Value of Education
Encouraged by my two sons, I eventually, pursued higher education at the University of Central Lancashire, – earning a BA Hons Degree in Screenwriting for Film and Television and a Masters in Publishing. It was a challenging experience due to my disability, made possible by the university offering a range of resources and support services, including career centers, libraries, academic advisors, and counseling services. Pursuing higher education was deeply fulfilling on a personal level. In September 2024 I aim to begin a Ph.D. study exploring human consciousness through the actual death experience.
You can read more about my educational pursuit on my website; ‘Consciousness Explored.’
The Gem of The North
I was born in Birkenhead [the Wirral] in 1965 and I moved to St Annes in Lancashire in 1982 to study a Dental Nurse course at St Annes College. I now reside in Lytham, a beautiful coastal area, considered by many as ‘The Gem of The North.’
tHREE gENERATIONS OF MAGIC
Do You Believe in Santa cLAUS?
The magic of the festive season has been in the Gilmour family for three generations. It began with my grandfather James Gilmour Sr. Every year, he would don the famous red robes and push a cart down the cobble streets of Liverpool. The cart was filled with wrapped-up toys that he would hand out to underprivileged children. After my grandfather, his son, my uncle Jim Gilmour began to weave the magic, – he began a free ‘Santa Letter Service,’ replying to over 20,000 letters a year to children who wrote to Santa Claus. One year, he began a ‘dial a Santa’ where children could ring up and speak to Santa personally, but the huge volume of calls disrupted the telephone exchange, and he was politely asked not to do it again.
In 1987, I was ceremonially appointed an Elf, – Elf Pipkin – Santa’s Secretary. My role was to help reply to the children’s letters, and I must admit I felt honoured to have such an important job.
Appearing on the daytime Television as Elf Pipkin, – Santa’s Secretary.
Perhaps It Was Destiny!
My grandfather and Uncle Jim were not the only storytellers in our family, [Uncle Jim was also a writer and published a children’s book]. But my father, John Gilmour always had a magical story of his own to tell me, – there was laughter and magic, fairy tales and wizards, gnomes and unicorns, oh, and naturally stories, hundreds of stories about elves. Growing up in this environment gave me an endless sense of wonderment. So, perhaps, writing children’s stories was my destiny! Maybe, just maybe, I was born to become a storyteller!
How To Become a wRITER
The First Steps
Create Your Space
To create your ideal writing space, you’ll want to consider the following:
Writing tools
Although some writers still prefer to write by hand, to submit your work, you’ll need a computer and writing program. No publishers, either traditional or online platforms, will accept handwritten manuscripts. Look for a computer with a decent processor and plenty of memory. You should also invest in a backup hard drive or save your files to the cloud.
Desk and seating.
Look for a sturdy desk or writing table that offers enough space for your laptop or computer, as well as a writing tablet (to make notes) and any research material you may wish to peruse. An ergonomic chair or furniture that’s both comfortable and supportive is perfect for those long writing sessions. You may also want to keep a bookcase nearby to house your reference materials.
Lighting and Ambiance.
Many people prefer to work using natural light, but if you intend to write on dreary days or during the evening, you’ll need artificial light too. In any case, try to set up your writing space near a window; otherwise, ensure that you have plenty of bright light so you can ward off eye strain. for a sturdy desk or writing table that offers enough space for your laptop or computer, as well as a writing tablet (to make notes) and any research material you may wish to peruse. An ergonomic chair or furniture that’s both comfortable and supportive is perfect for those long writing sessions. You may also want to keep a bookcase nearby to house your reference materials.
As you set up your writing space, choose paint colours that make you feel creative. Add in some artwork and plants. Surround your writing space with items that inspire you. Be sure that you try to keep your area neat, calm, and organized to maintain its pleasant ambiance.
Read Read Read
The first step to becoming a writer is becoming a great reader. Read. Read everything. Read stuff you know you like and stuff you know you don’t like. Ask the used bookstore owner for a recommendation, ask a friend what the last great book he or she read was, ask a librarian what’s popular lately, and read all three. Browse the aisles of a chain store and pick up a book on a topic you haven’t read about before.
Read everything you can get your hands on because what you absorb will subconsciously become a part of your writing. The more diversely you read, the more distinctive your voice will be when you write. A writer is an amalgamation of everything he or she has read. Only after you’ve read many different genres and types of writing can you decide what it is you truly like and admire, and then (and only then) should you seek more of it. The next step is to absorb what you love. Bookmark pages that particularly speak to you. Find the inspirations of your inspirations and read their work, too. Soak up your favorite writers like porous bread to honey.
Keep A Journal
Invest in a journal and a good pen and get into the routine of writing in it. Journals are an essential part of a writer’s kit so keep them on your person so you can use them at a moment’s notice ready to jot down that flutter and unexpected inspiration. You may find yourself having a coffee in a busy café, – you start people-watching and someone catches your attention amidst the bustling crowds, – you’re intrigued; the person reminds you of one of your characters. It might be the way he/she is standing, looking flustered, or simply conversing with another. Suddenly you get an idea for your character – bring out the journal and perhaps even order another drink!
Take Time Out
Taking time out for yourself is a great way to manage your stress or even a mental health condition like anxiety. More importantly, it is a way that will help you to re-energize your emotional self; especially if you are writing a piece that you have been drawing from life experience to formulate. Never underestimate the power of your creations. You have just spent the last few hours with your characters invading your thought-process, – when you take time out and have some quiet time even if it is doing something simple like sitting in your garden – the change in scenery will allow you to close the door on your story world and become grounded again.
Blogging and Online Communities
Writing at the best of times is a solitary career. It may not feel like it is when you are immersed in your story world but once you shut down your computer you may suddenly find yourself wishing you’d accepted those invitations from your friends to socialize with them. Perhaps you have lost touch with all the latest events that are going on around you in the real world! Keep yourself connected. Join online communities and writing groups, – share your writing experiences with like-minded people, ask for advice, exchange ideas, and most importantly make friends. Blogging is also an excellent way to connect with others, friends can read up on how your writing journey is progressing and it is a means in which other writers can reach out and connect with you. Blogging is also an excellent method to promote yourself. Perhaps aim for an end date for when you will have finished your book, – add a countdown timer to your blog and get your followers excited for the big day!
Never Give Up!
It’s so easy to give up! Your inspiration is running on zero and everything imaginable has gone wrong, – the car failed its MOT, the sink blocked, the bathroom flooded. Disaster after disaster and just to add insult to injury – you’ve got writer’s block! Perhaps becoming a writer wasn’t such a good idea! You’re probably feeling you could throw your typewriter out of the window, and bin the wretched half-finished manuscript, – but wait! Don’t do anything! My advice is to just step away. Go and attend to all the things that have made this a week from hell, and just breathe.
Just because you are working from home and writing for the hours that suit your schedule doesn’t mean it’s not a real job. Yes, you might not be in an office or behind the counter of a busy shop and doing an 8-hour shift but the mental energy you are using to create even a few pages can be more exhausting than answering phones all day. You need to understand this before you start your writing endeavor. You are going to have good days and you are going to have bad days. If you tell yourself, you’re not a writer then you won’t be able to write. So, when you sit staring at that blank page and nothing is happening, – just step away and say, ‘Nope, today is not a creative day, I’ll try again tomorrow or in a few days.’
Appreciate the magnitude of what you are trying to achieve. You are creating a world that doesn’t exist and you are making that world a reality for your readers. You are creating a vision for people to imagine and become emotionally invested in. You are creating life.
"No Life is more important than another.
And nothing has been without purpose, - nothing.
We are all part of a great pattern.
That we, someday, may understand.
And one day, when we alone, have done what we are capable of doing.
We get to rise up and reunite with those we have loved the most."