I tried very hard to make a living career out of a combination of writing, teaching and school visits - GOAL! - and one year managed to earn £27,000 which felt like quite a lot, but (as my husband pointed out) wasn't really...
And then just over two years ago, I was offered a job. A day job. A four days a week job. And even though I loved every bit of my writing life (apart from the money aspect) I was very happy to accept.
The job was an interesting one, doing something I love (journalism) and I reckoned I'd be able to carry on writing books and doing some promotional....Sorry, but it's just so hot....Gareth Southgate is a hero, isn't he? Nice. Resilient. A proper role model....
So how's it gone? Well, since I took the job I have had two books out. Stranger, which came out in April was mostly written when I took the job, but then went though a tortuous editing process. True Sisters is out in August, it's a short book for Barrington Stoke, and I mostly wrote it in bursts of energy, closeted away in a friendly cafe and... - Oh my God! Penalties!
Before that I wrote The Liar's Handbook, which came out in 2017. Another short book - containing quite a bit about football actually - and HOW DID HE MISS? written during our holiday in Portugal summer of 2016.I wrote 2,000 words average a day. Yes, I know. Yes, it still felt like a holiday. Just about.
I've also been working on the musical - we did a workshop production in Preston earlier this year (or was it last year? Possibly. Probably. I have no idea) And I've managed to carry on doing some school visits and events. I'm going to be at YALC and Edinburgh. CROATIA WIN! We're playing Croatia! Wow! Hang on, I must message my son who's in Split....At least I think he's in Split....
At work, I write and edit, go to meetings, make decisions, talk to people, answer the phone and deal with constant interruptions. I'm doing one thing and then someone comes to talk to me, and then the phone rings...It's hard to keep one thought - yes, I'm coming! I know! We should have left ten minutes ago....
So, two years into juggling a day job and book writing, I'd say it's just about working. All the balls are in the air. I love all of it, even the bits I moan about. I am very lucky indeed to have this job and still maintain a creative life.
It's just that my concentration isn't - All right! I'm coming! Posting the blog right now!
2 comments:
A masterful depiction of what it's like, Keren! Keep going and all power to your pen!
Love it! And well done, Croatia, too.
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