The inconvenience of deadlines and ideas

I absolutely loved my sabbatical. My employer, the University of Salford, recognised that my work was of value and allowed me a whole five months off teaching, meetings and most of my emails so that I could get on with some research and some writing. And because I am employed as a creative writing lecturer, quite a lot of that time was spent on my novel.

However, there was also a creepy thought at the back of my mind. This is all fine and good, but what next? I was part way through editing another book. So, finish the sabbatical novel (not far off, now actually) and that other book – then what?

I shouldn’t have worried. I now have this To Do list:

Finish the sabbatical novel (in time to enter it for a competition next week?)

Complete the accompanying web site

Complete the associated Power Point presentations

Complete the associated academic articles  

Finish editing that other novel

Get the sabbatical novel and the other novel out there

Research and write the biography of one of the (real) minor characters in the novel

Edit and self-publish two books that have gone out of print

Follow up that idea for a teen novel situated in ancient times on Tenerife

Write a modern day novel about the girl who … ah that’s a secret!

Edit Spooking (by 11 March for Crooked Cat)

Accept Crooked Cat’s edits so that the book can be out by16 March (cripes!)

Get some self-promotion going associated with Spooking.

Possibly all of this came about as I came out of my deep absorption in Potatoes in Spring and got back to normal life. On my To Do list was get Spooking out there. I also have to get Veiled Dreams out there. But that will now have to wait.

It’s great. I’m now bubbling with ideas again. And I have some deadlines that are there because I have had some success.  

The problem is, all of this comes as I’m busy again with teaching – bigger classes this semester – meetings and exchange students. But that is the way it is generally. Deadlines and ideas rarely come at convenient times.                      

Not only writing

I really am lucky in that I am employed because I am a writer and that sitting at my desk at work and doing my own writing is not a crime as it might be for some other people. Having said that, there are many tasks that I have to perform which aren’t directly connected with my own writing:
· Designing modules
· Writing handbooks and lesson plans for those modules
· Preparing and delivering lectures and seminars
· Seeing students about matters to do with their creative work
· Seeing students about other matters
· Attending meetings
· Admin, admin and admin …..
· Bidding for funds (another opening for rejections?)
· Marking students’ work
Then there are all the tasks I do because I am a writer but which are not actually writing:-
· Networking
· Critiquing
· Reading proofs
· Writerly research (all three levels)
· Sending out query letters
· Artists’ treats
· Being nosy
· Filling out a tax return
· Giving talks and workshops to schools and other groups
· Marketing
· Attending festivals.
All of this leaves little time for writing - maybe two hours or about 2,000 words on a good day. That’s what I actually try to stick to, weekdays at least. And I allow myself catch-up time at the weekends. That is glorious – a wonderful excuse not to do the housework. Interestingly, also, that is almost my optimum working pattern. If I try to write for longer on any one day or try to write more words, I end up slowing right down and the quality plunges. You can still do a great deal with that time / word limit. It’s not as if I hate the other tasks either. Though I could do without the admin and filling in the tax returns.