Last week I signed the contract for my second novel, the first of The Extractor series, and it’s a wonderful feeling. I’m only 38,000 words in, but my publisher has enough faith in my writing to take a chance—and now I have four months to finish it. Next week, my partner-in-filth, writing, business, and life in general, are off to Berlin for a quick research trip, and a week later, we’ll squirrel ourselves away in an apartment overlooking the harbour in Looe, Cornwall, with a target of 18,000 words on each of our novels, and a co-write on a short story in response to the ‘Finding Ms. Write’ Ylva call. I’ve also been looking at cover design for my debut novel ‘Never Enough’ (to be published by Bold Strokes Books on November 15th, 2016). In amongst all of those fun things, I have to secure six figures worth of funding to ensure my staff team and I have a job come April, and our members can still access our services.
Ah, the life. A far cry from where I was eighteen months ago, consumed with a job I adored (and still do today), but managing just three or four hours a week to write. Now, my lady and I sit and write almost every evening, and 38,000 words has made the trip from cerebral cortex to aluminium keyboard in two short months on my new novel. My nights used to be filled with sport and TV, and 38,000 words took me nigh on two years to put down. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not putting down my previous life. It was simply a different path.
My point? Taking and making time—how hard we all have to work at making time, no matter what whether it’s to write, or to read a bedtime story to your kid, to take time to really be with your partner, or to make dinner for your son even though you’ve worked until 8pm. Because too often it’s easier to say, “I don’t have time for that”, whatever ‘that’ is, be it visiting the folks, old friends who can’t get out of the house, or fixing that creaky door that’s been bugging you for the past six months. How easily time slips through our fingers. How our dreams and hopes can disappear if we don’t actively pursue them. Human life is precarious and short. Which is what makes it so precious. I believe in making the most of the time and talents we have, and everyone has a talent of some description. I believe in following our dreams and not wasting time with regret.
What’s your talent? And are you making the time to make the most of it?
What are your dreams? And are you chasing them with everything you have?