A Life-Changing Illness that Inspired a Story Filled with Hope

A life-changing illness that inspired a story filled with hope

My most recent novel, Take A Moment, is more than a warm and witty romance: the inspiration for it came from my own life-limiting illness. It’s my way of giving a glimpse into the experiences of people with debilitating chronic conditions – because no one can ever really know what that feels like until it happens to them. 

I entered the world of publishing feeling unable to share my health situation – not because I’d heard bad things about the industry, but because of negative experiences in my career. The stigma of my illness weighed heavily on me. I knew what it was like to be treated as ‘normal’, and now I know how it feels to have a disability. They’re two very different worlds, believe me. 

However, after my debut was published, I felt an urge to show the real me. I also felt a great deal of (probably self-imposed) pressure to network with other authors, read their books and be active on social media – and I couldn’t keep up. I decided the best thing I could do to look after myself was to be open about my situation. 

When I shared this with my agent, Kate Nash, she was extremely supportive and reassured me that I shouldn’t experience the same barriers in the publishing world – and thankfully she was right. When Take A Moment went out on submission, I made sure it included my personal story – risky, I know – and through this I found my new publishing home with Canelo. 

So, how is Take A Moment inspired by my real life experiences? 

Learning to live with chronic illness 

In 2014, my body failed me in incomprehensible ways: I experienced uncontrollable shaking and tremors, difficulty walking, loss of balance, faltering speech. My vision and hearing were distorted; I lost my ability to concentrate, couldn’t find words, could barely eat and I would fall flat on my face several times a day. That was only part of the picture. 

I was eventually diagnosed with a condition called Functional Neurological Disorder (FND). Simply put, my nervous system isn’t working properly and there’s a problem with the messaging between my brain and my body. It isn’t a degenerative condition, but it can be as physically debilitating and life limiting as MS and other neurological diseases, and it’s a condition for which there is no known cure. 

I’ve managed to reclaim my previous quality of life to a certain extent, but I’ve been left with chronic symptoms. These include pain, cognitive difficulties, fatigue, and a nervous system that’s stuck in high alert. And I still occasionally have acute flare ups of the symptoms I mentioned earlier.

Despite all this, and with incredible support from the people who love me, I’ve managed to come through this real-life nightmare fairly unscathed mentally and emotionally. And I’ve found a positive: my passion for novel writing. I actually started writing my first novel (very slowly!) as part of my rehabilitation, to get my cognitive and physical functions working again – and this reignited a long-held dream of becoming a published author.  

When I started writing Take A Moment, I wanted to raise awareness of neurological/chronic illness as well as tell a good story. I chose to write about a character with MS so that it wasn’t too close and because many of the symptoms I experience overlap. It was important to me to get across what it feels like to have your life suddenly shattered, while at the same time keeping the story light and humorous.   

My main character Alex’s experiences are drawn from my own: losing my independence and feeling suddenly vulnerable, concern about being unreliable, being treated differently, and facing professional barriers. Too often the focus is on what people with disabilities can’t do rather than what they can – and I’ve gained some incredible strengths and insights through having lived this experience. I wanted to show this through my story: that being differently abled is not the end, it can almost be a new beginning, provided the right support is in place. 

On the positive side, some people can surprise you. In the organisation where I work now, I have hugely supportive managers who let me manage my health situation my way, while also allowing me to be the ambitious person that I am. Characters like Emmanual and Matt in my story are a reflection of the wonderful people in my life who have both supported me and cheered me on.       

Music and lyrics 

Another element of personal inspiration in my novel relates to music. I’m a self-confessed karaoke lover. I’ve donned many a microphone and one of my happy places is a – ok, any – karaoke bar in Majorca. I was also briefly the lead singer in a rock band. I’m not a musician, but I love singing and during my rehabilitation, I penned the lyrics to a song that had personal meaning for me. Once I had those lyrics, I wanted to put music to them and a talented musician called Willie Glass helped me to do this. 

When the storyline for Take A Moment started to come together, I saw the perfect opportunity for the song lyrics to feature in it and for my main character, Alex, to bring them to life on the pages. Having her as a karaoke fan and being involved in a band like I am/was slotted in perfectly too. The song – also named Take a Moment – is a recognition of the struggles many people experience in life, while others live theirs as if on autopilot. It’s a message to be kind, to care and to open our eyes to what’s going on around us – and to make a difference where we can. 

I’ve since had the song professionally recorded and have released it as a charity song, all proceeds of which will go to the MS Society and FND Hope UK. 

The overlooked city of Birmingham

The final source of personal inspiration for my story is the setting. I’ve visited Birmingham numerous times in the last ten years because of a personal connection and it has stolen my heart. I think it’s overlooked in terms of its beauty and what it has to offer and I wanted to share some of that romance: a wonderful melting pot of heritage and modern architecture. I just love wandering along the canal side, sitting at the (newer) fountains at Centenary Square and frequenting the eateries in Grand Central. It’s another happy place for me, for sure. 

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Nina Kaye writes from the heart and likes to include the hard realities of life in her work, while keeping it light-hearted and enjoyable to read. She lives near Edinburgh with her husband and has a penchant for gin, karaoke and amazing beaches.

Follow her on Twitter https://twitter.com/NinaKayeAuthor

Find out more about her on her website https://www.ninakaye.co.uk/ 

TAKE A MOMENT

Meet Alex. She has a wonderful fiancé, a job she thrives in, and a best friend she’s known since childhood. Life’s not perfect, but it’s pretty fantastic. Until a shock diagnosis suddenly throws everything off course.

But Alex has never been one to back down from a fight. After losing her fiancé and her job, she packs up and moves from her Glasgow hometown to Birmingham for a fresh start. Now, in a new job in a new city, she’s learning all over again what’s important in life.

Friendship, fun and even romance lie just around the corner – but can Alex get out of her own way and learn to just take a moment, and live?

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Category: Contemporary Women Writers, How To and Tips