How a Mug Helped Me Write a Novel
My mug. Sitting there on the table next to me. It’s a mug. The one I use every day. Loads of times a day.
It has a quote on it:
I’m a writer. Everything you say or do may be used in my story.
My son bought me the mug. At the time, I was in the middle of writing my first novel.
I reckoned calling myself a writer was a big lie.
I’m no writer, I’d say. Who the hell am I kidding? Put the bloody novel away. It’s going to be crap. Leave it.
I’d reached that “middle bump” part. Where the whole project stalled. I didn’t know where to take it next. I never write with a plan. But I kicked myself for that. The novel had no ending and I had no clue what it was going to be.
I write by the seat of my pants. Meaning I had to write to find out what the ending would be. But the words wouldn’t come.
My son knew what I was working on. He’d seen me doing my hand and wrist exercises because of the RSI I’d picked up from typing so much. He also knew I liked mugs. And that I always had a coffee on the go when I was writing.
One day, he arrived with something for me.
—Here you go, Dad. Something for you.
—Oh, ta, mate.
—It’s only a little thing.
I opened it. The mug. With its message.
—Little thing? Mate, thank you. That’s huge.
I don’t think he knew what I meant. How could he? But I made us a brew. Mine in my new mug.
That first line stayed with me.
I’m a writer.
I’d been struggling to call myself that. But my son had seen me working on the novel and bought me a mug that said it.
Such a simple thing.
I’ve got about ten mugs. The one he bought me? Front and centre. I use it every day.
A funny thing happens. When I’m writing, whatever I’m writing, if I stall? A glance at my mug and I feel better straight away.
I steamed ahead with the novel. Not because a mug could sort out the plot or find me an ending. I still had to do that.
But my son had noticed the effort I was putting in. And when I was sitting there wondering who the hell I was kidding, I had his present beside me.
It helped me get the words down.
Still does.
Right, my writer’s mug is empty. I’m going to fill it back up and carry on working.