Why Trying to be Perfect is the #1 Mistake People Make When Hosting
From October 27-29, in collaboration with the Stratford Chefs School, we are pleased to present the Appetite for Words Festival. As a twist on a traditional literary festival, the Appetite for Words Festival will provide guests with the opportunity to use all five senses–most importantly, taste–as the words from presenting authors’ books come to life!
With the festival rapidly approaching, we caught up with author Laura Calder, who will be launching her new book, The Inviting Life, at the Appetite for Words Festival on Sunday, October 29, at 11:30 am. We chat about her writing process, any future projects, and the #1 mistake people make when hosting guests in their homes.
To hear more from Laura, click here to purchase tickets to her exclusive literary lunch and book launch during Appetite for Words. The ticket price includes a great lunch from Revival House, a complimentary copy of The Inviting Life, a gift from Bradshaws, and a small floral arrangement from Stratford Blooms.
Why do you feel it’s important to meet readers?
I like to hear about other people’s lives, and find out what inspires them and what their struggles are. Ultimately my goal is to help people improve their everyday lives, so it’s important to keep in touch with a variety of perspectives and to understand people’s needs and cravings.
What aspect of the writing process do you find the most challenging?
I love writing but I suppose the effort in it is in grappling with ideas and feelings and trying to solidify those thoughts and figure out how to share them. Sometimes it can take a while for things to gel, but that’s just part of the process. It’s so satisfying when things start coming together and you finally get a clear understanding of where your own head is.
In your opinion, what is the #1 mistake that people tend to make when hosting guests in their home?
I think trying to be perfect occasionally gets in the way of some people because it makes everything tense and stiff and then, no matter how great your food is or how glorious your house, it’s no fun.
What aspect of your book launch at the Appetite for Words Festival are you most looking forward to?
I have done so much thinking about hosting and homemaking and why they’re important and how they affect us and the world we live in that I really know where I stand on the topic. Now I’m curious to hear other people’s thoughts and see which points from the book resonate the most with people.
Are you currently working on any new projects?
I always have many things on the go to feed my creativity. Sometimes there’s a period of dabbling—a bit of focus over here, a bit of focus over there—but eventually I realize which pursuit really is firing me up and that’s when I throw myself at one thing 100%. I’d say I’m in the dabbling stages right now because I’m toying with more than one idea. I can’t wait to see which one wins my heart next!
Will you be attending Laura’s book launch at Appetite for Words?
