What an exciting weekend I’ve had. Got my COVID jab which was pretty cool. And released my book. Which was even cooler. I’ve had a massive surprise though, and something completely unexpected has just blown my tiny mind. I felt incredibly awkward launching the book. Too much look at me. I sent round an email … Continue reading The biggest surprise of all
They make it sound so easy. Just pop it on Amazon. Job done. Ha! I'm not even fully there yet and I'm already stressed out beyond belief and have this pit of churning nerves instead of a stomach. Here are five things that I've learned as I approached P-Day (Publication Day in case the acronym … Continue reading Five things I’ve learned on the final countdown
So, I did it! And you know what, despite the fact I had to follow nine amazing writers, and the fact that I was exhausted from teaching for five hours and then driving for over four, it wasn't as nearly as scary as I expected it to be. I chose to read the introduction to … Continue reading Listen to my words…
Today is the first day of my part-time teaching hours. Which officially means it's the first day of my working as a writer. It's requiring quite a shift in mentality, from writing being something I do in a spare hour between this and that, to being an actual job that I sit down and do … Continue reading And so it begins…
Yesterday I worked my last full-time day as a teacher. From September, I'll be part-time. I love teaching. There's so much I love about it: sharing my love of reading and writing; working with amazing colleagues and often even more amazing students; planning schemes of work designed to educate and illuminate and entertain; and building … Continue reading One step in the future
First off, I admit that this analogy probably applies to anything that you've ever had to wait for, but as I'm currently waiting to hear back from a couple of agents, it's an analogy that is sitting strong with me right now. As you all know, the idea of Schrödinger's Cat is that there is a … Continue reading The Schrödinger’s Cat of Being a Writer
I've written before about the struggle between confidence and wanting to burn what I've done and run screaming through the streets - it's odd that a career choice that is actually quite insular is driven so much by external validation. As a writer just starting out, it can be really hard to find the kind … Continue reading What a difference some external validation makes!
Welcome to 2018 everyone. How exciting! A new year! I always love New Year for the possibilities that it brings. Is there any other time of year that holds so much possibility and hope for the future? Last year was pretty good for me in terms of my writing. Sometimes when you're in the middle … Continue reading Happy New Year – Let’s make 2018 the Year of the Writer
I've been giving some thought recently to the crippling self-doubt that seems to afflict many writers (and although I'm still in the almost- camp, I can definitely relate to that almost paralysing fear that what you've written is maybe, possibly, almost certainly utter rubbish) and wondering how I can benchmark my career as a writer. … Continue reading My writing bucketlist… or how will I know if I’ve made it?
Next time I'm at the UEA, we've got a drinks reception with agents and editors and so in preparation for that, we've had to put together a biography to submit to them and other agents and editors who are unable to make it. Exciting stuff! Our biography has to be condensed down though to around … Continue reading Biography Smiography
Don't get me wrong. The process of workshopping is infinitely valuable and I am utterly and totally appreciative of all the effort others are putting into reading and reviewing my work. But emotionally? I am not cut out of this level of focus and analysis! I admit - I am not a person who takes … Continue reading Workshopping: My Personal Hell
Everyone has an opinion Which is nice. Mostly. Of course, when I say everyone, I mean, everyone. Even those random people who cross the road instead of even walking past a bookshop let alone contemplate going in. The metaphorically childless people who not only don't have a child, they don't even like children. Especially criminal … Continue reading Why being an almost-writer is like being a new mother
freyawolfe.com 