On becoming a writer

From January 2024, and the last gig of my old life

Thank you, everyone who sent fellow-feeling and comfort after my last email. I am delighted to report that in the wake of my colonic I now have the bowels of a shiny, mane-tossing pony. (I am assuming shiny, mane-tossing ponies are as perfect inside as out.)

I know this is not a shiny pony but in fact a baby donkey. Still perfect, though, no?

Onward!

I’ve been away for a week, lugging a suitcase between home and Swindon and London and Swindon and home again. The suitcase-lugging was not the entire point of the trip. Part of what I was doing was my last-ever Career Before Writing gig.

As you may know, in my previous life I specialised in training thinking skills and creativity, a job which sent me all over the world. I absolutely loved it, but four years ago I decided I needed to focus on my writing life. I’ve been gradually winding down since. Last year I think I did two days of training a month.… and now, after three days with a lovely client, I’m done.

I wondered how I’d feel when it was over.

As it happens, Swindon is six hours by train from home, so I had time to think about it. And I came to a happy conclusion. I’ve done the right thing, at the right time, and it feels right. As someone who can be heart-led and overly optimistic, I have a long history of making decisions and taking steps that are, shall we say, not entirely well thought through. (A small example: I once put a shelf up with Velcro. It’s quick! It does not require tools! It looks gr….oh.)

So I’m feeling calm, and glad. There are some hard things in my life at the moment, so a sense of ease and possibility around writing is, and will continue to be, a touchstone for me.