Welcome to my Blog
Stay up to date with the day to day happenings of Colin here
My first year
Well it's here!
One year as a full-time author. This is how the fairytale started.
I had a phone conversation with Trevor Wilson of the company Authors Abroad, and asked if I could join his team of authors? I'd asked a couple of years earlier and he couldn't oblige then. Trevor handed me over to Shelley Lee and we spoke for an hour on Friday March 1st 2013. The rest is history. I gave up my job on Friday April 12th 2013, which believe me was totally scary. I then got myself registered with an accountant.
It was really strange at first. I've been working in various places over the years, and all involved some kind of clocking-in method and shift work. I've always worked a regular routine. Clock in at the start of the day and clock out at the end of the day. I've had jobs in warehouses, factories, deliveries, installation, labouring - you name it - I've done it. But to work with schools on a regular basis was amazing. I've done lots of schools in the past, but I had to take my own holidays to do them. Now, I get paid to do them...wow! I run an Able Writers workshop, which involves a presentation and building a story with the pupils. At the end of the day when requested I set up a book-signing. I finish off with a quiz I have devised and the kids love it.
I travel all over the country and stay in numerous hotels. The driving is tedious, but I'm lucky to have my wife at my side. It was hard at first, doing this new job, but I've always wanted to be a full-time author. Now I write and, run school workshops; around fifty or so a year.
A big thank you to Authors Abroad and Shelley in particular, she's been great. I'm glad I did what I did. No one knows what's ahead in life, and that's a good thing. But, if I hadn't taken this opportunity, then I'm sure I would have regretted it for the rest of my life.