👋🏼👋🏼👋🏼 Hi! If you’re new to these parts, the short version is this: I’ve worked for myself for a long time, writing 15 (!) books, largely done from home. It sent me a bit doolally, being alone that much and also working within an industry that hasn’t always treated me kindly. That’s why I started writing How to Build a Life, now delivered to thousands of readers in over 80 countries. I’d been desperate to unpick why I seemingly had a dream career but life in general felt so underwhelming. I figured out that my brain likes writing but my soul needs something else, so at the start of this year - in addition to still writing my novels - I took a job in a high school mixing teaching and pastoral work. In one million ways this makes no sense at all, apart from the fact that working out of the house with teenagers is making me really very happy. I’m almost 40, a solo parent by choice, and knowing all this means you’re all caught up. WELCOME.
Love at First Sight is out next month (come and see me on the very mini tour we’re doing!)
My boss at school pulled me into her office and said whilst I’ve got you, I’d love to talk to you about signing a permanent contract. She said, you’ve settled in really well, it feels like you’ve been here forever, and we’d love to keep you on.
I said oh! What a lovely compliment! Thank you!
I originally applied for the job because it was a contract until July. January to July, how perfect, I thought, I’ll get out and about and live a little, leave the house and try something new on for size, and all the while there will be an end date.
But… I don’t want it to end yet.
I said to my boss, okay, can I just ask some exploratory questions? I said, what are my options here? I’m happy, I’m having a lovely time and I feel like I’ve settled in well too. But of course I write as well, so for example, would you still have me if it was part time? How would it work if I was full time and wanted to lose a day? Or two days? Or if I was full-time would I be able to take a term off to write a book?
She said with a head’s up I could drop to part-time no worries, but to not be an idiot about it, i.e. give her plenty of notice. I could not take a term off, she said. That wouldn’t work. Think about it and let me know, she said, or come back with any further questions.