Babs & Aggie - the Good, the Bad and the Vegan
Aggie is not doing well. Her business is failing, her beloved pet is dead and the local bully is ruling the roost… Enter her 900-year-old friend, Babs, to ruffle some feathers.
Aggie has reached that “certain age” - in her case, a thousand years or so, give or take a decade.
After centuries of bringing kings to their knees, running a small-town cafe isn’t how she imagined her life would pan out. Now, thanks to the machinations of the false vegan from across the road, she risks losing even that. And just when she thinks things can’t get any worse, along comes her old friend, Babs, in her House-on-chicken-legs, ready to ruffle some feathers with her unique blend of borscht, tough love and alcohol.
But everybody has a secret - the grocer who hides his loneliness behind a cheery smile, the neighbour crippled by debt and grief, and the young woman who jumps at her shadow - and before Aggie can help anyone else, she has demons of her own to lay to rest. Can she confront her past to save her future? What is the ‘Vegan’ really hiding? Will Babs ever let her have the last word?
Raucous, rowdy, and heart-wrenching and heart-warming in equal measures, Babs and Aggie is a magical tale of love, loss and the comfort of a friendship forged through food, laughter and a LOT of slivovica.
About the Author:
Hazel Hitchins is a writer (though she prefers the term “Story Monkey”) who spends her days having conversations with her imaginary friends, some of which she writes down. She lives in Wales with her normal family, normal(ish) cat, and entirely abnormal laundry pile.
More About Hazel Hitchins:
How long does it take you to write a book? How long does each stage of the process usually take?
Honestly, it depends on my laundry pile. Joking aside, it probably takes about a year from the germ of an idea to having a complete, edited manuscript ready.
I tend to start by having a (sometimes very) rough plot in mind and spend a few months writing patches of the novel throughout the book until my characters have decided what’s actually going to happen. Then I set about “sewing” those patches together.
*
What is your favourite type of character to write?
I love writing characters with a sense of mischief. That’s why Babs and Aggie are such great characters to write - they say and do the things many of us only wish we could.
There’s another character I loved writing about though. House. House is Babs’ anthropomorphic home - think of a wooden hut crossed with a spaniel puppy. He was originally meant to be a background character but he stole every scene he was in and put himself at the heart of the story - not bad for a character that can’t speak.
*
Do you mine your own life for ideas, settings and/or characters?
I think every writer draws inspiration from their own lives to some extent, even if it’s only to describe the weather.
With Babs and Aggie, while none of the characters are based on actual people, many of their interactions - supportive and ridiculous alike - are inspired by the conversations I have with my closest friends. I feel very lucky to have a couple of Babs and Aggies in my life.
*
What is something you wish you had known earlier on in your writing career?
I wish I’d known how many people genuinely want to see you succeed.
It’s very easy to see other writers as the “competition” but, to coin one of my favourite phrases, “a rising tide lifts all boats”. If someone enjoys my book, they are more likely to seek out authors writing in a similar style, so look for other writers who support each other.
*
What do you do when you find yourself in a bit of a writing rut? Is there any strategy you find works for you to help the words start flowing again?
Usually, I find if I’m in a rut, it has very little to do with the story and everything to do with what’s going on in my life. There are times when everything feels busy and crowded and that makes writing feel hard. I find the best thing to do in this situation is to either remove myself from the day-to-day for a bit - for example, by going for a walk - or by doing a mundane task (dare I say, such as housework?). The point is to do something that keeps your body busy but lets your mind block out all the noise and gives it the space to breathe.
*
What is your favourite writing resource?
My friends. I have two particularly close friends who I love to bounce ideas around with.
I’m also part of a writing group and we meet weekly for hivemind sessions to discuss work. It’s great for finding ideas you might not have come up with on your own.
*
What authors or books inspire you the most?
I love gentle humour. The first person I remember reading as an adult was an author called Deric Longden. He wrote about everyday life with such warmth that the mundane seemed magical. For years, whenever a friend was going through a rough patch, I’d send them a copy of his book, The Cat Who Came in From The Cold.
I also love Terry Pratchett. His books are my equivalent of comfort food.
I was also inspired by the British comedian, Victoria Wood. Again, she was always able to look at life and all its ridiculousness with a warmth and affection that was infectious.
*
What's next for your writing?
I’m delighted to say that you haven’t heard the last of Babs and Aggie. Book Two is well underway and they are already whispering ideas for book three.
I’ve also got some fabulous ideas for younger readers which I’m going to play around with. In short, watch this space.
Comments
Post a Comment