Authors Electric

 Do you remember a time when we believed that all the new-fangled modern devices would save us time? We seem to be busier than ever – especially as writers. We have become slaves to our phones, with algorithms that suck us into rabbit holes. It’s research we protest – who are we kidding? If we’ve actually reached the dizzy heights of publishing a book, we have to promote it, find ways to market it and of course sell it – these days being an author demands we wear so many other hats – publicist, bookseller, inspirational speaker. This is the stage I am at. My first book, my memoir, was out in January. “You can’t be a one hit wonder!” said my brother at the time – Cue Chesney Hawkes singing “The One and Only” – if you are of a certain vintage you will understand. But when do I find time to write? What better plan that to take a retreat and carve out some dedicated writing time. No dishes to wash, no meals to plan, no distractions. I’ve taken a retreat in November befo...

Another distraction - view from my window as I type When I’m not writing my own books or not-very-successfully trying to promote them, my chief occupation is being an editor, proofreader and appraiser of other people’s work, and I must admit I love these things almost as much as I love doing my own writing. The processes are very different, however, and seem to use entirely different bits of my brain. It would be lovely to be able to do my own work in the mornings, for example, and work on other people’s books in the afternoons. I know some editors who do this, but for me it simply doesn’t work. It was the same with lecturing and research, in the days when I did those things. In UK universities, lecturers are expected to fit their original research into the gaps between all their various teaching commitments and administrative functions. There are exceptions in a few places, I believe, and perhaps for some who’ve achieved the dizzy heights of academic stardom, but on the who...