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I write teacher resources for primary
school.
My employment background has been
largely within primary education, where I was a teacher from 1988. I
became a full-time freelance writer in 2002, after the birth of my third
child.
I started my writing career, writing short
stories for the national women's magazines and feature
articles for county magazines. I had quite a bit of success
doing this and learnt a lot. One of the most important
lessons I learnt was before you write anything you should do
your market research.
When writing for the magazine market it is so important you
know who your audience is and what they want. My advice is
to anyone who wants to get published, whether it is in
writing for children, adults, your publisher, or a specific
editor - do your market research. Know who you are writing
for. I followed this advice and now I write regular features
for Writers' Forum magazine. See
www.writers-forum.com
As mentioned. I spent many years teaching full time and
although I loved working with the children, the adults got on my nerves
a bit. This says a lot about me. I hated all the bureaucracy. This is
why I prefer to stay at home and write, under the pretence I am looking
after my own children. Apart from writing and reading, I also enjoy walking,
camping, photography, going to the gym and spending time with my friends and family.
But, I do snatch every minute I can to write and I do write something
everyday, although I've no idea how many words I write on a daily basis.
Sometimes I spend the day editing a piece and other days I write
something new. Sometimes, I spend the whole day engrossed in research,
which I love. Everyday, my children yell at me to get off the computer
and moan they don't want to wait hours for dinner, because I'd nipped
upstairs for something and accidentally sat down at my PC and started
typing. I’m obsessed.
Often, I use writing as an excuse for procrastination, writing something
else because I'm avoiding the job I'm supposed to do, this may be
consciously or sub-consciously. Usually the jobs I'm avoiding are the
housework.
I work best to deadlines, as it helps me organise my
time. I write copious lists that span five sides of A4, in priority
order and work through them. Usually, they break down a big job into
smaller segments. One side of A4 may be only one project. I flit about a
bit with my projects and that is why I need a list.
When I get into a piece of writing, it is hard to drag me away. I can't
think of anything else my mind is away on an adventure with my
characters, whether it's a children’s story or a short story for a
woman’s magazine, or creating photocopiable worksheets for use in the
classroom. I don't live in the real world I live in my imagination. This
is when I am in my element. People talk to me and I can’t really hear
what they are saying. This is when my kids get away with murder and
literally start killing each other. I’m usually bought back to reality
by their screaming.
As you can see, I do not have a set writing routine. I wake up, make the
kids their lunches drop them off at school, come home turn on the
computer, spend ages checking my mail and updating websites and my blog,
and before I know it, it is time to pick up my children and make the
dinner.
My day is more interesting when I’m out and about interviewing people
for articles for my local paper, Writers' forum, or SCBWI's Word and
Pictures, but not necessarily more fun. My educational resources I don’t
consider work at all - it is much the same as when I was planning
schemes of work when I was teaching and researching a topic to present
to a class. I love writing!
What more can I say?
I am a member of the Society of Authors, the
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI)
www.britishscbwi.org,
the Network for Information Book Writers and Editors
(NIBWEB) www.nibweb.co.uk and the National Association of Writers in
Education (NAWE)
www.nawe.co.uk. I run my own web company, Sunrise Webs
www.sunrisewebs.info,
and I am web administrator for the National Association of
Writers Groups (NAWG)
www.nawg.co.uk. I write book reviews for Write Away
www.writeaway.org.uk and
I am also a member of the Pendragon Society, which studies
all things linked to King Arthur and the Arthurian romances
and I contribute regularly to their journal
www.pendragonsociety.org.
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At work in my study
A day out with my family
Having fun in Ireland
Taking a break with my friends
Camping in Wales |
