A Good Investment -- Sarah Nicholson

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Pushing all imposter syndrome thoughts away this month I have made the decision to properly invest in my writing future.

No understanding of stock options, bonds, interest rates are needed for this endeavour although MONEY is a key part of the equation.

First I picked up a light box from the charity shop for the bargain price of £3.


Ruth Leigh uses one of these for her promotional events, lit up with the message Meet the Author or Me the Author, when the letters go awry. Can you spot the Lightbox in her latest Authors Electric blog post?

I wanted to put Writer at Work on mine but settled for I Am A Writer, both to banish the imposter blues and because there are only 2 Rs in my set of letters – the joys of buying preloved!

On the same day as I bagged my bargain, I splashed out on a luxurious writing retreat at the end of November with one of my favourite authors Cathy Rentzenbrink. I’ve done a few online courses with her but now I get the chance to meet her and share my own words. I’ll probably make a complete twit of myself – but even if I do, I know I’ll have something to write about next month!

November is not a good month for me, not only do the nights draw in but it is the anniversary of my husband’s death as well as his birthday. I usually have a wobble as the grief resurfaces, usually on odd days, not the actual key ones. A cosy retreat being embraced by warm words might bring a tear or two but will undoubtedly bring much joy and growth for me as a writer.

I’ve done other courses before, invested money and another key ingredient for investment is TIME.

In the summer I did an in person writing course with local writer Maddy Glenn who also runs the award-winning company Softwood Self-Publishing

Each session was an hour but it took me half an hour to drive each way. I am fortunate to have the time to spare in the middle of the day. I enjoyed the countryside rolling by as I thought about what I’d learned that week, or listened to an audio book.

I’ve also attended other workshops and conferences and book launches, breathing the air of other creative types.

I’ve made an investment of TIME and MONEY, I need to add in some effort and hopefully I shall reap the rewards. They may not always be financial but I am sure they will add to the richness of my life.

Comments

Helen Victoria Anderson said…
It is brilliant that you are so focused on your writing - a question of prioritisation, it seems. I hope you enjoy the retreat - sounds perfect.
4 November 2022 at 07:49
Peter Leyland said…
This is a really great post Sarah with which I can empathise. I dread the approaching dark nights as they remind me of past griefs, although this year has passed off surprisingly well. The writing retreat sounds really positive as does all the time you're putting into your writing. Softwood Self-Publishing too sounds good. I self-published one book myself and have another one in mind so may have a look at their services. Thanks for the tip. I look forward to hearing about how you got on.
4 November 2022 at 09:49
Ruth Leigh said…
Oh Sarah this is lovely! And I am so glad you bought your very own light box!!!
4 November 2022 at 13:59
Cecilia Peartree said…
I love this lightbox idea. Also the idea of investing in your writing - I think a turning-point for me was deciding to go to the Winchester Writers' event (it's a while ago so I can't remember if it was called a conference or something else) which was quite a trek from Edinburgh but which I felt sent a message to my family at least that I was going to take writing seriously.
November has been difficult for me for a while as there were two close family birthdays and also my mother and my husband both died towards the end of the month. The darkness closing in makes it seem to me like a time of low vitality.
5 November 2022 at 11:50
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