Authors are no strangers to self-isolation
and working from home. We can offer pearls of wisdom about changing out of your
jimjams, getting fresh air, using a standing desk, how to structure your coffee
breaks and how to live without an IT department, HR or accounts department.
Some of us will be having to share our
already limited workspaces with partners exiled from their rapidly closing
offices. I’m working on some induction training to outlaw excessively loud
telephone calls and a whole loud of etiquette around use of the big desk and
dining table. Special training will be required for my new co-worker about how
to clear all the washing and ironing without breaking concentration.
 |
| My fantasy workspace - not my rather messy actual one |
I know that compromise will be
required so I’m prepared to bring in a tea rota, a water cooler for casual conversation
and dress-up Friday. However, only I can use any of my bookshop mug
collection. No one touches my pencil cases but me.
I suppose we’ll have to form a committee
and hold some pointless meetings just for the hell of it.
Please let this all be back to normal
before the office Christmas party. Avoiding an office Christmas party is one of the few benefits of freelancing.
Good luck everyone. See you all on the other side.
Tracy Darnton is the author of The
Truth About Lies. Her next novel, The Rules, is out in July. The
Rules is about a girl on the run from her prepper father and the effects of
continually preparing for disaster. She is not enjoying this period of unexpected immersive research.
5 comments:
"She is not enjoying this period of unexpected immersive research." I did love this quiet link in your book promo section, Tracy. Good luck with the title.
A very relevant post too.
Good wishes, all, with setting up those co-worker ground rules. :-)
I moved my stuff home from my freelance shared office today. It was unexpectedly very emotional as I picked up the office plants to put in the boot of the car. I got home and have been staring at the same paragraph for about 3 hours. Plus the neighbour has their radio on all day, it seems. I guess mentally I will settle down but my head's not in the game right now. Good luck all.
Good luck everyone. I'm missing my coffee shop write-ins with friends. My husband will be joining me working from home tomorrow. He has his own office upstairs and I'm downstairs so our paths won't cross much, but it's going to take a while to get used to having someone else in the house all day.
Good luck to everyone too. I am a bit under the weather so can't quite focus on work either, so am in social isolation and trying not to beat myself up for not working.Maybe we have to be kind to ourselves when our 'head's not in the game', as Moira says.
Of course, there are other aspects to the sharing of space.
Only yesterday, in a discussion about work colleagues, someone remarked....
"The lad that sat next to me as I worked on Friday talked utter nonsense and proceeded to sh*t himself mid conversation and carry on as if it didn't happen. Working from home has its drawbacks, especially with toddlers involved. ".
Post a Comment