But what does Jamie Stonebridge have to say about it? Well, I'll have Jamie tell you more.
Q: What inspired or motivated you to write stories for seniors with dementia/ Alzheimer’s/ Parkinson’s/ or stroke survivors?
A: A couple of
reasons. I think every extended family can think of a loved one who
has faced the challenges of age related memory decline. When I became
aware that this was happening and how ‘changed’ people’s
circumstances and abilities can become it planted the seed of an idea
in my mind. I’m also struck by how people, due to improvements in
health and medical care, are living physically much longer than they
did, say 30 or 40 years ago. But will our minds ‘keep up’ with
our bodies? These thoughts came together and made me think about what
could be done to help people with dementia, Alzheimer’s,
Parkinson’s or survivors of strokes.
I wanted to
develop some books that would entertain but not patronise people.
Fiction that would not use complex words that might have been
forgotten by age and would not involve complicated plots or many
characters that needed to be remembered. I also made a conscious
decision to make sure the books didn’t sound like they were written
for children. The books would need to be about an older person,
enjoying a pleasant ‘universal’ activity that makes them happy.
The hope is the reader can share in that happy feeling as they read
each book.
Q: You chose a format that
included a short chapter and an image to capture the reader’s
attention. This works well for your audience. Was it a decision you
made from the beginning or did the concept take some trial and error
to get it to its current state?
A: The format came
about by me first applying skill I had learnt as a trainer along with
some good old-fashioned trial and error. Overall, I wanted to the
books to not be very long so that they could be read in one sitting
if that was appropriate to the reader. Research by others describes
how people with dementia and related conditions enjoy the activity of
reading or experiencing a book. That can include holding a book,
touching the pages, looking at the pages and images, being read to or
sharing in the reading activity. The research also suggest that long
books can confuse or be too big a mountain to climb causing the
person to give up or feel frustration.
The trainer in me
knew of the impact of show an image and then tell the information. So
a real world photograph that relates to the chapter or ‘sets the
mood’ seemed a natural choice to start each chapter. These images
are often close up details or reflective of the experience related in
the chapter and are always positive and welcoming. The idea is that
the images provoke or encourage a feeling or awaken memory in the
reader.
The first concept
for the books was to have eight chapters, but we quickly discovered
that six chapters worked so much better. A story can move along and
conclude without losing pace in six chapters. Generally, each book
covers one day or a weekend. The season or weather, a sound or smell
prompts the main character to have an idea that they go and
experience, a ‘journey’, that then concludes. The reader
therefore gets to share in this pleasant journey and feel like they
have shared in that experience.
Each chapter
generally has the same number of pages, so the reader expectation,
the pacing of the book, follows a welcome pattern. We also decided
that each book should not contain any peril, danger, fear or negative
feelings. Overall the books are structured to speak to the reader
words that are not complex, but not childish. Their aim is to make
the reader smile and feel positive.
Another aim with
these books was to make them big enough to easily hold (6x9 inches),
with easy to see large print text, and books covers that have bright
images that reflect the story. The covers are somewhat in the style
of a James Patterson book cover. Finally, I wanted to make sure that
‘dementia’ was not mentioned on the cover or within the book so
there is no stigma attached to the reader. The Senior Fiction label
is the only allusion to the targeted style of writing.
Q: What is your goal with this senior fiction project?
A: The goal with
every book share the enjoyment that can be gained
from the simplicity of everyday events and the calming effect of a
satisfying ending. By writing with empathy and in a positive way the
hope is to produce books that bring a smile to the reader or to
re-introduce them to books when they have felt they are lost to them.
Q: Do you write for other audiences?
In the past I have
published children’s fiction under a different pen name, only to
discover it is a very crowded space with too many books and not
enough readers! I’ve also published family fiction and light
romance with some success via Trudy Joy.
I also publish
Word Search books for adults and seniors under the pen name Freedom
Bell or Freedom Puzzles. These are typically themed (Harry and Meghan
Word Search was a big hit this summer) and have a great following of
all ages including seniors.
Q: Where can readers buy your
books? They are currently on Amazon.com. Will they be available in
Canada or do your readers have to purchase through the US site?
A: At the moment
Jamie Stonebridge books are available on all Amazon site (e.g.
amazon.com and amazon.co.uk) sites apart from Canada. I don’t fully
understand the reasons why, but the publishing platform Amazon uses
currently has restricted availability from the amazon.ca site, but
Canadians can order it from the Amazon.com site. I am hoping this
situation changes in the future as I would love these books to reach
as many readers as possible.
The books have
been very well received so far, and I am hoping this continues to
grow so more people can benefit from these books. I’d love to hear
their ideas or suggestions for book themes.
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