As many of you know, I have been working four days a week this year as a librarian and have been spending Wednesdays at home, writing my first novel. In
this post I did last year, I mentioned that going from full-time to part-time had been a six month battle with the big wigs at the library I work at. Then at the end of last year, I finally got my wish. Then in
this post a couple of months ago I said how disappointed I was to learn my 'writing day' has been taken away for next year. As of January, I will return to work full-time.
Work-wise it has been a great year. I found working full-time in 2006 extremely frustrating due to the lack of variety and with not being able to spend time writing which is what I studied for my undergraduate degree and what I love. I'm the kind of person who is suited to two part-time jobs as it breaks up the week and stops my enthusiasm waning. I couldn't be a full-time writer either as the lack of people contact would be too much. I might even forget how to speak...actually, no maybe not!
At the start of the year, I was moved away from the desk I'd sat at in the library for the past two years since starting as a graduate. This desk faced the wall and was pretty much a dingy, dark hole so my boss decided that after two years, a window seat might make a nice change for me. I loved being able to look out the window while I worked (okay I was prone to daydreaming) and seeing students scurry across the university grounds.
And of course, on Wednesdays I had another room with a view - my study at home. This just looked out on the back courtyard and clothes line but that was good enough for me.
A lot of you are probably wondering what my book is about; a question I've been asked so many times that if I were charging I'd be a very rich woman. Nah, it's okay, I don't mind being asked but I'm not going to announce it on the net. You'll have to wait and see (and buy a copy). I'll give you a hint - it's about one of my great loves (and it's fiction).
Reactions have varied between smiles and "Oh wow, I can't wait to read that", to simple nods and sometimes muffled giggles and raised eyebrows. But I don't care. I happen to love my book, even if that's incredibly biased. No book is ever going to appeal to everyone. I'm sure that if it ever gets published, some people I know will pick it to bits or laugh at it - especially those over-critical, analysing types. But that's up to them. It's not meant to be taken really seriously.
Writing is not a cruisy job/hobby, even though it's perceived to be. A lot of writers struggle with writer's block although I don't thankfully. I do, however, struggle with laziness and lack of motivation. At the start of the year, I was basically averaging a chapter per writing day. As the year went on, my drive started to wane and tiredness and busyness crept in. It's always a temptation to use that day for errands. When Emma lived with me and wasn't working on Wednesdays, I had someone to keep me accountable. When her work hours increased and she later got married and moved out, I started to struggle to complete a chapter every few weeks. It's a bit like studying....you really have to be motivated and self-disciplined.
I first got the idea for this book back in Year 10 (1998) and since then it's undergone a lot of editing and reshaping in my mind. I started a first draft back then but after re-reading decided it basically sucked and I ditched it. In January 2005, when I was a jobless new graduate I started again. I was in Chapter 7 when I began my 'writing day' this year and now I've nearly finished Chapter 23. It's an epic so it's probably going to have about 40 chapters (if I'd had a dollar every time I'd been asked how many chapters its going to have, I'd be even richer).
A lot of people were astounded when they discovered that's why I went part-time this year. Some were full of encouragement, some were worried about how I'd go with a day's less money. That wasn't a problem until I was without a housemate for a month and had to pay full rent. That hurt! But God has looked out for me.
Sadly I'll be losing both my window seats next year. No longer will I be writing regularly but I'll be losing my window seat at work. The library is being renovated and I'll be turfed back onto the middle of the floor with the rest of the serfs while one of the library gurus gets my beloved seat. Oh well...
As to why I want to be a writer.......well I'll answer that question in a forthcoming post :)
