Well, I’ve decided that I’m officially a writer now. I am practising saying to people who ask, “I am a part-time teacher – and a part time writer”. All right, I know that I’m not actually earning any money for it yet, and therefore can’t count myself as a professional, but the point is that I’m doing enough of it, and taking it seriously enough, to count it as a job rather than a hobby. And who knows, when one of my four current projects is finished, it might actually make some money.
Yesterday I was in Birmingham at a Production Meeting (I have written it with capital letters because I am saying it in a Very Important Voice). I am a Writer for a Project called Balance (more important voice) about which I am not going to say too much more here because it isn’t being advertised yet; but I am writing an animation screenplay, which I have never done before, with a lovely animating lady who is very much more experienced in it than I am, and the whole thing is being sponsored and distributed by a large and worthy charity. I’m excited enough about it to go into all the ins and outs of the project, but I had better not because the manager might eat me if I do it before the proper website is up.
In other writing news, I have one book on the go currently being read by 45 teenage girls on the internet; I’m on a Writing For Children Course about which I have done nothing at all so far; and I still have my http://www.nanowrimo.org novel to finish as well. I know exactly what’s going to happen in it now. All I need is time.
And that’s why, dear readers, I have started to call myself a Writer.
Archive for January, 2007
On the Silver Screen
Wednesday, January 17th, 2007Is It That Time Already?
Tuesday, January 2nd, 2007I have just spent a merry morning (well, the bit of the morning that was left after saying goodbye to the family, plus several hours of the afternoon) organising my life into a big black folder. It seems that I begin every new year, or new term for that matter, organising my life into ever bigger and blacker folders, and it never seems to have much effect. However, this one is looking very impressive. Unfortunately, the thickest section in it is the one labelled ‘inbox’.
Tomorrow we have the ever-wonderful Inset Day at school, when teachers go in and sit fidgeting in the staffroom, discussing some new policy or other, and wishing they could spend the time re-organising their classrooms instead. I intend to sneak in early and count the tables in my classroom, as I have been kept awake at night by whether or not there are sixteen of them, and how to sit everybody so that they don’t either misbehave or do the wrong level of work. If there turn out to be not as many tables as I’ve drawn on my plan, I reckon my best option is to sellotape the worst behaved children to the ceiling.
Even scarier than Inset Day is the prospect of getting there and back on the motorcycle. If I disappear tomorrow, you will find me in a blind panic going round and round the Bar Hill roundabouts, probably in the wrong direction.
Happy Spring Term, everyone.