When the toad 'Work' squats on your life a little too hard by Sheena Wilkinson

Like most writers, I have a lot of different jobs to balance -- the ones that pay the bills, the ones that maybe don't pay that many bills but feel right, and of course, the endless, endless admin.

When I'm really busy, in those minutes before sleep when I'd rather be thinking about my characters and my story, my brain offers me such delights as, Did you book that flight? Did you send those poems to that organisation so the students will have them for your workshop next week? Did you renew your professional Zoom?

And, regularly about the tenth of each month, Did you write your ABBA post...?

Even when I clear my diary of workshops or live events, which I always do when a deadline looms, it's still hard to escape the admin: Did they pay me for that event last month? (Come to think of it, no, they didn't. Something else to check...)

novel progress halted by Covid at the end of July 

This weekend I have written 6999 words so far, and I plan to write as many more as I need to finish the first draft of my novel by tonight. It has to be tonight, because I'm off to Mallorca in the morning. This will be only the second 'beach' holiday I've had in my 55 years of life and after writing a first draft (almost) in three months, with a few weeks off for Covid and a busy conference in London, I feel very ready for kindle, beach and possibly not much else. 

crazy weekend!

I'm sharing this for several reasons. One, I spend a lot of time teaching students about the process of writing, and how important it is to find the time for it. Two, this is literally all I can think of to write about in a weekend that's mostly been about hurtling to the end of a very very messy first draft. Of course I could go on holiday with the draft unfinished -- but how much more I'll enjoy it if I don't. 

Back to the desk -- not that I ever left it!