My New Assistant by Susie Day

A few months ago, surrounded by piles of poorly managed notebooks, plot scribbles on the backs of envelopes, and the inevitable jungly tangle of receipts shoved into a folder optimistically marked 'tax return', I decided: now was the moment to accept it. I had to acquire an assistant.

It's a question every author faces at a certain point in their career. I write books. But I also reply to emails, create workshops for schools, organise my events calendar, send invoices, run a website - all on top of the day job. Sometimes it's a bit much.

My assistant's name is Pan. (Short for Pantalaimon.)

He's quite stern about my use of the internet during working hours.

He guards my pens.

And my notes. Sometimes in a way that means I can't read them, presumably as an exciting memory test.

He's always so appreciative when I read my drafts aloud.

Should I ever lack plot ideas, he offers me The Mystery of the Muddy Pawprints on the Bedsheets.

He's basically just very helpful.

Sooo helpful.

The very best assistant ever.

I'm not quite sure what I did without him.

(All credit for his magical ways goes to his owner Fliss, who is equally inspiring. But who doesn't sit on the desk quite so much.)

Susie Day - books for kids about families, friendship, feelings and funny stuff
https://susieday.com/
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