Barbara Childs
Our WILD anthology is edging ever closer to the finish line, and it’s been such a joy to watch this project grow from shared ideas around the table into something real. Along the way, we’ve been celebrating the talented writers who have helped shape its pages and this month we’re delighted to introduce another creative voice from the Moor Imagination community.
Through this blog series, we’ve been exploring the stories behind the stories, meeting the writers, artists and dreamers who gather each month in Okehampton to write, share and inspire one another. Their contributions to WILD capture the spirit of our landscape and our community, weaving together words that are thoughtful, surprising, and beautifully alive.
We’re also thrilled to say that we’re so close to reaching our fundraising target for printing the anthology later this year. If you’ve already donated or shared our campaign, thank you, your support means the world to us. And if you’d still like to help us get WILD into readers’ hands, there’s still time to donate or spread the word.
Thank you! Now lets meet this month’s featured writer ….
Barbara Childs
Author of Wild
Tell us a little about you – Where are you based, what do you write, and how did you find your way into the Moor Imagination community?
“I have lived in Okehampton since very late December 1999. I write snippets, that’s my word as I don’t fit into any category as far as I can tell, mainly short pieces often very loosely based on my experiences. I met Perdita at a completely different group where she was handing out fliers for a writing workshop. I went along and enjoyed it so much I have continued to take part.”
When and how did you get into writing? – Was there a moment, a story, or a spark that got you started?
“I have always enjoyed writing, from way back in infants school. My English O level homework was a treat to do on Sunday afternoons.”
Tell us about your piece in the anthology – What inspired it? What makes it special or unique to you?
“I struggle to write to order and it took me ages to decide what to write. I kept starting different pieces but got nowhere. Almost in despair ,I started to write about my inability to stick to the theme, how I couldn’t write under pressure etc etc and I realised, that without thinking, I had actually written my piece”
What’s the best — and the most challenging — thing about writing for you?
“Getting started is the most challenging. The most exciting is seeing what comes out the end of my pen that I hadn’t been expecting.”
Are there any themes, ideas or images you find yourself returning to in your writing?
“I tend to write about everyday themes. Sometimes an event will inspire me and I will just write about it from all directions until I feel ‘written out’.”
Do you have a writing routine, or are you more of a “when inspiration strikes” writer? How often do you write, and what helps get you in the flow?
“Recently, I have been doing lots of free writing. I start off by writing “All I have to do is keep my pen moving” and then I just keep writing. Once I get going it’s exciting. I tell myself that if I have time to scroll on my phone then I have time to write.”
What’s your favourite piece of writing advice, or something you’ve learned along the way?
“The only important bit of advice is just to start! I also started to use the keepnotes function on my phone and write whenever I had a moment or two, but I prefer pen and paper.”
What’s your favourite thing about being part of the Moor Imagination community? What’s it meant to you as a writer?
“The biggest thing for me is it gives me a chance to read my work out loud to someone. That has always been difficult for me. I love the wide age range. Being with younger people is great.”
Finally – is there a writer, book, or piece of writing you always come back to?
Something that comforts you, inspires you, or reminds you why you write?
“My favourite book about writing is Natalie Goldberg’s “Writing Down the Bones”
Favourite books I return to are Heidi, Tess of the Durbevilles and The Wolf Hall trilogy. I buy for every new baby I know Each Peach Pear Plum.”
A huge thank you to Barbara Childs for sharing a little of their writing life with us. Their work brings something unique and memorable to WILD, and we’re so proud to have them as part of the Moor Imagination anthology and our wider creative community.
We’re now so close to reaching our fundraising goal, and every donation or share helps us move one step nearer to seeing WILD in print. If you’d like to support this anthology and the talented local writers behind it, we’d be incredibly grateful.
✨ Donate to or share our GoFundMe here
WILD is a celebration of imagination, place, and the voices growing here in our corner of the world and we’re so excited to share the finished book with you later this year.
Until then, keep an eye out for next month’s featured writer… there are more wonderful voices still to come.
Moor Imagination 