Working While Family’s on Holiday
There is no doubt that writing is a great deal easier (for me) when school keeps my family at bay.
My wife helps at the local college. When teachers were off sick, away on training, or otherwise engaged, the school used to call in qualified teachers through an agency. But agencies tend to charge large sums for their commission – especially when they know that the school is desperate.
So the college decided that it would be a great deal cheaper to have an in-house resource for those occasions when there were not enough teachers. They hit upon the brilliant idea of having a group of people who could stand-in for staff – and my wife is one of them.
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That means that usually, through the week, I can sit at home and work without the myriad interruptions that families can cause. I can sit at my desk and type all day, and continue through into the evening, while the others are catching up with homework, filing, and the multitude of social media apps that occupy teenagers nowadays.
But when it’s holiday time, suddenly my life is turned topsy-turvy. I still have to walk the dogs and work, but suddenly there are these blasted things which are taller than me now, and which mumble their way around the house. Once they are up from their bed, anyway. At least today the entire household was out of bed by 11.00. But then they can cause alternative interruptions like today, when an affable son came into my office and sat five feet away, chatting to the dog, who was also sitting on the chair with him, while watching a YouTube video dedicated to past, unsolved (I think) crimes. A chip off the old block, as you might say. And not conducive to constructive concentration while trying to work.
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The mere mention of homework was enough to send him scurrying for his Biology. And thus I can now sit and type for a little, before returning to the proofs for Dead Don’t Wait, which is the next thrilling instalment of Jack Blackjack’s hazardous existence. Poor devil – I’m beginning to grow quite sorry for him!
Meanwhile, I have to record some videos this week – a review of Anthony Riches THE SCORPION’S STRIKE from Headline, a comparison of some more blue inks, and a look at some more influential writers I admire.
Wish me luck. I’ll need it!
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