Never Too Late to Start Afresh

In this month’s column for the Tetbury Advertiser, I was getting overexcited at the prospect of a fresh start

There will never come a September that doesn’t shout “back to school” at me. Although it’s a long time since I left school, I’ve never lost awareness of the academic year.

In the first of my St Bride’s cosy mystery series, teacher Gemma Lamb has a fresh start in September

This isn’t only because supermarkets start badgering parents to shop for the autumn term before the summer holidays even start. Nor it is because I spent thirteen years of my adult life working in a school, or because I write novels set in a boarding school (first in series is Dastardly Deeds at St Bride’s, published by Boldwood Books).

It’s because I look forward to each new term as an opportunity for new beginnings. In September, I even buy an academic year diary to replace the one I bought in January, and which is dog-eared by autumn. I relish starting over with a new diary. Its clean pages inspire me to think afresh about how I spend and manage my time. I’m filled with anticipation and excitement for what the next few months will bring.

Although it says 2025 on the cover, my new diary actually starts in September 2024 and ends in December 2025

Even though the new academic year heralds the coming of autumn, and I hate leaving spring and summer behind, I welcome it all the same. I’m glad our academic year doesn’t run in parallel with the calendar year, starting in January, as it does in Australia. It would give us one less chance for a fresh start.

If my planning goes adrift before Christmas, at least I know it won’t be long until the new calendar year comes around, and I can treat myself to yet another new diary. I’m a diary manufacturer’s dream customer.

Then another season of new beginnings will arrive with the onset of Spring and the symbolism of Easter.

It’s never too late in the year – or in life – to start over. I reinvented myself at the age of 50, leaving the day job to start my writing career.

I’d always planned to be a writer when I grew up, and if 50 doesn’t count as grown-up, I don’t know what does.

So, if you’re at a crossroads in your life, September is the perfect time to start planning for change. By the time you read this, you might even find that this year’s academic diaries are reduced for quick sale, to make way for 2025 stock. Go for it!

Only now as I write this do I realise that living by my system is like having three years rolled into one. No wonder time seems to fly by so fast these days. I’m just glad I don’t age at the same rate.

IN OTHER NEWS

September has been a busy month for me, with four events to speak at, plus another novel to finish writing – the sequel to Death at the Old Curiosity Shop, which will be published by Boldwood Books on 11th October. You can preorder it already via Amazon here and also from other retailers and from public libraries.

Speaking of public libraries, I had a wonderful time on Saturday giving a talk to readers at Yate Library, South Gloucestershire, where the libraries do a brilliant job running a series of local author talks.

I was touched by how much trouble Yate Library staff had taken to prepare for my talk

The previous Saturday, I was plenary speaker at Troubador’s Self-publishing Conference in Leicester, representing Jericho Writers, for whom I teach the twice-yearly  Simply Self Publish course, which starts up again in October (more course info here). Here I am congratulating course alumnus Rory Marsden (who writes as R Marsden) on the first four novels in his historical fantasy series. (Sign up for his newsletter here for a free prequel ebook.)

The Saturday before that, I spoke to Writers of Essex, the local chapter of the Society of Authors, about how to set up and run an independent literary festival. Next year we’ll be marking the tenth anniversary of the one I founded – Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival – so I had plenty of experience to draw on.

One more event to go before the end of the month: on Monday 30th September, I’ll be part of a cosy crime panel at Taunton Literary Festival with fellow authors Frances Evesham and Lionel Ward – more about that event, including the box office, here.

Part of a cosy crime panel with Frances Evesham and Lionel Ward

Which all helps explain why I’m sharing this post on Monday, when I should have published it last Wednesday! Now back to my writing desk…