Boasting Over - Back to Work

Actually, that's the transition I have to make, to work. Writing used to be a major part of my job. You may have come across my leaflets: What to do when Someone Dies? and my favourite, Living with an Indwelling Catheter. Alternatively, I wrote handouts - seemingly thousands of them. I realised a few years ago I was turning out 150-200k words a year just for work, then about the same in my hobby writing. Last year I wrote almost half a million words, some of them here. That's a whole book, half a new one, a children's book, twenty odd poems and a blog. The hour a day spent tapping on the computer has progressed through the MA to 5+ hours a day writing, editing, or sketching out scenes or poetry. Add a couple of hours research and reading, and I've got a work day. The problem is, because I've been thinking of it as 'hobby writing' I haven't taken proper time off, which is why I keep getting repetitive strain injuries.

I need to think of it as a job, like I did during the MA. I had strict deadlines (assignments), strict word counts, and five days a week completely alone, from 8.30am to 6pm. This novel/agent thing has suggested to me that I need someone to give me deadlines and set me challenges, and that will help me get something of a work mindset.

The Mslexia competitions for poetry collections and children's novel are very inviting, especially as I have so much ready from the MA. Looks good!