Wednesday 27 July 2016

A New Beginning...

As you can see from the lack of blog posts of late, I have been very busy... and writing, blogging, and basically having an online presence have proved difficult. To be honest, the fact that my iPad is old and no longer lets me use many Apps has made it harder.

Time for a new direction...
But, after going back to work as a Teacher this year for a few hours, I decided to apply for a new job and was lucky enough to get it! I am slightly apprehensive on this new post. I enjoy teaching a lot, but time will tell if the "call of the pen" returns.

For a while, I honestly thought writing would keep me happy for many years. But, I have found that writing is a lonely experience on the whole and even though I have developed a thicker skin I do care what readers think way too much. Many writers say to ignore ratings, etc, and this is true to an extent but the bottom line is that all low ratings mean is that no one is reading your books. Which makes me wonder what the point of it all is?

I wrote my books because I needed to use my brain and do something with my creative mind. Now, I want to work with people again and use my mind elsewhere. It's time to get back to the real world and stop living in a virtual place where the smallest things can get to you.

I admit that I have made some amazing friends online and learnt SO much via social media. This is something I intend to pass on to the students I teach. This world is ours for the taking... you have to fight for your convictions, live to your full potential, and never give up against adversity.

A new journey begins...
The world is slightly broken and via books and stories we can heal or come to terms with what is going on around us. People should read for fun, to learn, for escapism, or just to pass the time. Television stifles the mind in many ways - you are not allowed to create your own character or location from the vivid description on the pages - you are just shown! As much as I love the visual in SciFi, I know some books do it better! I have been reading Harry Potter to my youngest and then watching the film and she kept saying the book got it wrong - I was quick to correct her!

Education though is what makes us stronger... and, even though this is strange for a writer, I enjoy working with numbers! Mathematics has changed the world we live in today. Sometimes, not in a good way. But, advances in medicine, transport, technology, and accountability would be nowhere without numbers.

So back I go... to the land where children question the why, what, and when of everything. even if you occasionally get the odd "I can't be bothered!"

Like my coach used to say... "No pain, No Gain!" If the world was easy, life would be boring!

Keep in touch via Twitter & comment on this blog. I have not vanished... just taking a new direction.
Vanessa :)