Garden shed is haven for writer Lynn

Nov 14 2012 by Nicola Findlay, East Kilbride News

A writer who found ­inspiration in a modest garden shed is reaping the rewards after coming up trumps in a national ­writing competition.

Lynn Blair, 41, a mum-of-four from Whitehills, entered a ­Scottish Book Trust competition – after some encouragement from husband Eddie.

Now Lynn’s story about her garden shed will feature in the book My Favourite Place along with celebrity contributors such as Michael Palin and Alexander McCall Smith.

Lynn was one of 22 entries to be picked and she is over the moon.

She told the News: “I have been busy being a mum for the last 10-years so my writing has been put on the back burner. But this competition came up and my husband told me about it.

“To be honest, the postcard with the entry details lay on my desk for long enough but my husband finally persuaded me to enter two weeks before the closing date.”

And when looking for inspiration about her favourite place Lynn drew inspiration from the shed her husband built her as a haven for her writing.

Lynn went on: “The shed is where I go to get peace and quiet to write before the kids get up in the morning and after they go to bed.

“Although I was happy with what I wrote, I wasn’t sure if a piece about a garden shed was what the judges were looking for.

“I wanted to celebrate places people make for themselves rather than the big iconic places like Edinburgh Castle, which people tend to focus on a lot.”

Now Lynn’s is planning to spend as much time as possible concentrating on her writing, focusing on children’s stories.

Although she already has had worked published in a parenting magazine and a book about motherhood.

And Lynn was delighted to attend a glittering ceremony in Edinburgh’s Arts Centre.

To celebrate the first Book Week Scotland later this month more than 150,000 free copies of My Favourite Place will be gifted to people throughout the country.

The books will be distributed in local bookshops, public libraries, National Trust and Historic Scotland properties, workplaces, ferry terminals, train stations and more than 60 Specsavers stores.