Tag Archives: Mental Health Matters

Writing and Mental Health with Ella Cook.

Today, I am delighted to welcome Ella Cook to my blog as she talks about the importance of writing for mental health; over to you, Ella …

It’s not too much of an exaggeration to say writing is one of the most important things in my life: it’s how I make my living (in the business world), how I met my other half, and how I stay sane.

I was only a teenager in my first year of study when the proverbial rug got yanked from under my feet as I was handed the diagnosis of bipolar. Initially, the treatments and therapy were difficult and confusing. But, as luck would have it, the degree I was studying was Communications, Authoring and Design – so lots of writing was required. And it was that writing which gave me a focus, a place to be, and feel safe amongst all the crazy going on around me.

Writing has brought me through the hardest and worst parts of my life: through stresses, family illnesses, bereavement – and, yes, covid lockdowns. While other people were struggling with the idea of restrictions, I’d disappeared off into a fictional world filled with love and magic and sparkle.

Working in Health & Social Care, where mental health and emotional wellbeing is a specialist interest topic for me, I’m very aware of how useful writing can be from a therapeutic point of view. Research shows that writing can enhance self-awareness and self-understanding, which ultimately decreases depressive symptoms, anxious thoughts and how we experience stress.

Below are a few of the key techniques:

Expressive Writing: Often used in therapeutic settings to encourage people to write about their emotions and stresses and face them in a safe environment. You could think of this as the angry letter you write – to get the feelings out – but maybe never send. Or creating a character to face the scary things in life, so you can ‘try out’ options ahead of time (I do this one a lot!)

Creative Writing: Links very strongly to expressive writing and can give people a way to explore topics that might be too complicated or too overwhelming to put into words – J.K Rowling famously commented that her Dementors were a fictional manifestation of depression (which explains why happy memories in the form of a patronus, or chocolate can beat them).

 Reflective Writing: Regularly used in professional settings to explore self-performance and learning. It’s about asking questions of yourself and seeing how you can learn from experiences. You may well have already done this in supervisions at work or when putting together a CV. It can be a great tool for improving personal and professional relationships.

Getting Started

For a lot of people, there can be a lot of worry about how/where to get started writing, what to put down on that blank page, and whether or not what you write is good or interesting enough. Some people worry about how they can possibly write anything without having built their whole (fictional) world first.

It shouldn’t be that pressured. You can start with a single scene or image. Or one character. Or pick one question. These are called writing prompts. If you go onto any social media platform or search engine and type in Writing Prompts, you’ll get plenty of inspiration. But as it’s mental health week, how about opening a document or beautiful notepad (or, in my house, finding a random bit of paper to scribble on and a not-too-blobby pen) and just spend 5-10 minutes looking at the pretty picture below, and writing down whatever pops into your mind. You might be surprised.

The book I’m currently working on started with the image of a lighthouse. Now it’s heading to 50,000 words and growing!

Thank you so much for the great post, Ella. xx

Ella Cook’s novel Summer’s Christmas is currently available in paperback, ebook, audio and is free on Kindle Unlimited.

Bringing the spirit of Christmas to a summer’s day …

Summer by name and summer by nature – that’s how people describe Evelyn’s happy, outgoing daughter. Even if her favourite time of year is actually Christmas!

But Summer has gone through more than any eight-year-old ever should, and that’s part of the reason Evelyn is leaving everything behind to return to her childhood home in the village of Broclington; just her, Summer and Summer’s best friend – a Shiba Inu dog called Tilly. Unsurprisingly, Evelyn is hesitant to let anyone else in, although local vet Jake MacPearson seems intent on winning her trust.

When Evelyn receives the news that every mother dreads, it’s Jake who comes to the rescue. With the help of the Broclington community, could he be the man to bring festive magic to August, and make all of Evelyn and Summer’s Christmases come at once?


About the Author:

Ella is one of those people who is addicted to the written word. She’s been obsessed with books since before she could walk. She decided to become a writer as soon as she realised that stringing letters together in the right order could actually be a career.

She grew up in the outskirts of London, where fairies lived at the bottom of her Grandma’s garden, so it isn’t surprising that she still looks for magic in everyday life – and often finds it.

When she’s not living in a fantasy world of her own creation, she writes bids and develops programmes for children’s services and lives in rural Warwickshire (where there are probably more fairies). She shares her house with two small parrots, one of whom likes to critique her writing from his favourite spot on her shoulder, and her husband, who is ever-loving and understanding and makes her gallons of tea in magical cups that can keep drinks warm for whole chapters.

Discover more about Ella and her work here: Ella Cook Writes.


#WritingWednesday with Sally Jenkins: Emotional Baggage Drop.

I am delighted to offer a warm publication week welcome to Sally Jenkins as she discusses emotional baggage and the benefits of letting it go. Over to you, Sally …

Emotional baggage – we all carry it, don’t we? I’m talking about the fall-out from the bad things that happen in everyone’s lives, things like relationship breakups, bereavement, redundancy and family problems. With that emotional baggage often comes physical baggage, too, such as the engagement ring that we didn’t throw back at him in the heat of the moment because why should he have it back when he’s hurt us so badly? Or maybe it’s our old workplace name badge and lanyard that used to make us feel confident and part of a team before we lost our job. Now, when we look at these objects our sense of loss and being cast aside is heightened. Our mental health suffers.

We know we should bin these objects and move on with our lives. But it’s not easy to discard something that still holds a trace of happy memories – even if those memories have mostly been soured. Emotional baggage causes stress, depression, and anger. It weighs us down and allows our past experiences to undermine our chances for a better future.

There is a solution:

The Museum of Broken Relationships.

The Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb accepts and displays such emotionally-charged objects along with their stories. Donating to the museum is not as final as throwing something away but it puts the object out of reach, thus preparing the ground for a fresh, confident new start in life.

Ten years ago, I read an article about the Museum of Broken Relationships and it became the inspiration for a series of short stories, which in turn became the novel, Little Museum of Hope. In the story, Vanessa is knocked for six by divorce and redundancy and is looking for a way forward in life. She hears about the Zagreb museum and opens her own version of it in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter in England. She names it the Little Museum of Hope and within the museum she creates the Café of the Mended Heart, which provides comfort food for those feeling emotionally fragile. Vanessa offers donors the chance to offload their stories as well as their objects and, as they say, a problem shared is a problem halved.

But the museum has only ten months to start turning a profit and Vanessa is faced with another challenge when her ex-husband, who still owns half of the marital home, reappears. Plus, her terrible baking means that she is losing money buying-in cakes for the café.

Donors to both the real-life Museum of Broken Relationships and the fictional Little Museum of Hope make the decision to stop letting their emotional baggage rule their lives. They recognise the need to stop dwelling on what might have been and focus on positivity for the future. I hope all the readers of Little Museum of Hope will take inspiration from the stories of the museum donors, cast aside their own emotional (and physical) baggage and move towards a future full of hope, positivity and love.


About Little Museum of Hope

A jar of festival mud, a photo album of family memories, a child’s teddy bear, a book of bell ringing methods, an old cassette tape, a pair of slippers …

These are the items that fill the exhibit shelves in Vanessa Jones’ museum. At first glance, they appear to have nothing in common, but that’s before you find out the stories behind them …

Because Vanessa’s Little Museum of Hope is no ordinary museum – its aim is to help people heal by donating items associated with shattered lives and failed relationships and in doing so, find a way to move on, perhaps even start again.

The museum soon becomes a sanctuary for the broken hearts in Vanessa’s city, and she’s always on hand to offer a cup of tea, a slice of cake and a listening ear.

But could the bringer of Hope need a little help moving on herself?

Discover more and purchase here: Amazon


About the author:

Sally Jenkins lives in the West Midlands of England. When not writing, she feeds her addiction to words by working part-time in her local library, running two reading groups and giving talks about her writing. Sally can also be found walking, church bell ringing and enjoying shavasana in her yoga class.

Discover more about Sally Jenkins and her work here: Website and Blog  | Twitter| Instagram Facebook | Newsletter

Thank you for stopping by, Sally. Little Museum of Hope sounds wonderful and I look forward to reading it. Enjoy the rest of your publication celebrations. xx


Mental Health in Fiction by Angela Barton.

Today, I am joined by fellow Choc Lit author Angela Barton, as she talks about mental health in fiction on the release of her novel Magnolia House in paperback. Over to you, Angela …

Behind millions of front doors where a perceived glow of perfection shines, live individuals or families struggling with private battles. Magnolia House is one such place.

Few lives go untouched by mental health problems, either their own or a loved one’s. As a writer I feel it’s important to make fictional characters multi-dimensional. Yes, they laugh, love and enjoy their lives, but not always. It would be unrealistic. Characters should face dilemmas, illness (including mental illness) and broken relationships.

My protagonist, Rowan, must confront a devastating change to her life in the opening chapters of Magnolia House, while her sister-in-law, Libby, suffers from depression that manifests in the form of an obsessive-compulsive disorder.

I think when handled with care, a character with mental illness can not only enliven a storyline but also open readers’ eyes to new experiences and perspectives. But psychology and psychiatry are complex and evolving disciplines, and as a writer introducing a character with mental health problems, I find it a responsibility and an obligation to avoid caricature and most importantly, to get the facts correct. I once read a book where a character with depression was feeling better the day after taking anti-depressive medication. This inaccuracy immediately spoilt the book for me. This type of medication can take 4-6 weeks to work effectively. Spreading misinformation does everyone a disservice.

Although common, mental illness isn’t the norm so a writer must find a way for their readers to relate to their character, despite the illness and because of it. To feel better, Libby spends money she doesn’t have and finds herself in a lot of debt, all the while hiding it from her husband. The choosing, the wrapping and the buying gives her the high she’s seeking, but immediately she’s racked with guilt and anxiety at the money she’s spent. She needs to feel better, so she enters another shop and the cycle continues. It’s behaviour as real as an eating disorder or self-harming. It’s unlikely to stop until the root cause is discovered and worked on. Libby struggles to contain her illness and appears to be fine for the sake of her loved ones, until the day comes when she has no option but to ask for help.

Stories with characters suffering with mental illness work best when they are written around a person and their relationships, not writing about the illness itself. It doesn’t take pages of obsessive thoughts to deliver the message of an altered mental state. Mental illness can be debilitating but it doesn’t define a person. That job still rests with the writer and their huge challenge of not leaving the reader behind.

Magnolia House isn’t a story full of gloom and negative behaviours. So many of my reviews mention Mason (Ace), another of my characters in the book. He makes them laugh out loud and they say that he balances the darker storyline perfectly, which is a huge relief to me that they feel that way. Of course there’s plenty of romance too when Ace’s handsome and talented brother, James, arrives home from working abroad.

If you’re struggling emotionally, there are people who can help.

  • Call NHS 111 (for when you need help but are not in immediate danger)
  • Contact your GP and ask for an emergency appointment
  • Contact the Samaritans  | call 116 123 | Website
  • Use the ‘Shout’ crisis text line – text SHOUT to 85258

Some reviews by readers of Magnolia House:

This is emotional, beautifully written, heart-breaking and heart-warming story. I love how realistic the plot is. Rowan’s personal story could happen to anyone, the reader can really relate to her. All the character’s are beautifully created and very likeable, even the secondary character’s such as Tom’s sister Libby who goes through her own issues. Magnolia House is a story that is full of hope, love and compassion, highly recommended!”★★★★★

“This book is outstanding. I finished it in 24hours, and was totally gripped by it. I was actually moved to tears in some sections due to the magical descriptions by the author that allowed me to play out the whole story in my head.”★★★★★

“Oh wow, what a rollercoaster of a book! Angela has captured so many emotions in this story. There is love, hatred, disbelief, astonishment, compulsion and then honesty.”★★★★★

“Magnolia House was a wonderful emotional read. I cried along with Rowan at the beginning but also found myself laughing at some of the situations Rowan ends up in and I loved the intrigue and mystery behind the letters Rowan received. For me this was a perfect novel full of heartbreak, romance and mystery. Angela Barton really brought Magnolia House to life and I loved it.”★★★★★

“Magnolia House is much more than a romance, the characters have depth and sensitive issues are dealt with compassion and understanding.” ★★★★★

Thank you so much for the thought provoking post, Angela. In case anyone missed it, here is my review of Magnolia House:

Magnolia House is a heartwarming and entertaining read that doesn’t shy away from exploring the highs and lows faced by the main character, Rowan. Throughout the story, there are dark and light moments that the author has balanced well. While it incorporates loss, grief and deception, it is undoubtedly also a story of carrying on, and of finding the positives when all around you seems to be falling apart.

Rowan is a strong, likeable character, who doesn’t sit back and let her problems define her. She takes steps toward building a new life drawing the reader into her world, as they gain an understanding of her hopes and fears for the future.

I loved the supporting cast of characters, especially Mason, who brings energy and enthusiasm to all he does, and Jet – Rowan’s adorable dog. James is a likeable male lead, whose role is at first subtle but develops well as the story progresses.

As you’d expect from Angela Barton, the text is descriptive, making it picturesque in its depiction as images are brought to life from the page.


Click below to find out more about Angela’s novels:

You’ve Got My Number | Arlette’s Story | Magnolia House 


Author bio:

Angela Barton was born in London and grew up in Nottingham. She has three grown up children and adorable six-year-old twin granddaughters. Angela is passionate about writing both contemporary and historical fiction and loves time spent researching for her novels. In 2018 Angela signed publishing contracts for three of her completed novels with Choc Lit’s new imprint, Ruby Fiction.

In addition to writing, Angela also relaxes by making landscapes using free motion sewing on a machine. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and a reader for their New Writers’ Scheme. Angela is also a member of Nottingham Writers’ Studio, the Society of Authors and Ellipses and Ampersands’ fiction critique group.

Discover more about Angela Barton and her novels here: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Blog | Pinterest | Amazon | Angela is also a member of Apricot Plots.