Nowadays social media means it’s wonderfully easy to find out all sorts of things about your favourite authors. You can see photos of their cats and dogs, their homes, their children… What else could readers possibly want to know I wondered? When I asked, a popular theme in the answers was what I liked to snack on! Now, of course, this information is of vital importance, not just to give readers an insight into how I work, but for me to share tips with other writers who might be struggling to find a perfect something to munch on while they work.

Writing for a living can sometimes seem an incredible luxury, but there are other times, when a deadline is looming, or you’re completely stuck with a scene, when it can be pretty hard work, and lonesome! That’s when the tea and biscuits kick in for me!

Now I know plenty of writers who swear by coffee, but when I’ve got to really focus coffee’s caffeine hit is just too much. A gentle, but pretty constant infusion of tea is what I work best with. Strong, no milk and no sugar, please. Usually a Twinings English Breakfast teabag hits the spot, but a proper teapot tea is always much appreciated.

Now for the biccies. These can cause a problem because they need to be homemade, which sort of requires me to take time off from writing to bake. Then again, with four hungry boys running around, a fair amount of baking is inevitable.

I don’t want you to think I’m forsaking cake. For celebrating AFTER a writing session, cake is very necessary, but cake crumbs, icing and a keyboard? Also, if I had a beautiful red velvet cupcake next to me, it would definitely require my full attention; I couldn’t just casually take a bite every now and again while I work!

Ideally, the biscuit should be quite plain and suitable for dunking. Absolutely no melted chocolate on top when I’m working: chocolatey fingers and typing are not a good combination – an oat and raisin cookie would be just about perfect. Energy provided from the oats and a fruit and veg point from the raisins, maybe? Leave the tin, and close the door behind you thanks! I’ve got work to do…