Up until October 2012, I was a teacher. I’d worked in challenging schools in East London and Plymouth for over ten years, and I loved what I did. It was exhausting, and sometimes frustrating, but I loved working with young people and helping them carve out their futures.
But everything changed when I knew I was about to become a mum. I couldn’t get my head round combining the two roles – I knew I wouldn’t be able to be the teacher or the mum I wanted to be if I tried to do both. And anyway, bubbling under the surface for the last few years of my teaching career had been a novel that was desperate to come out into the open.
So in those blurry first few months of motherhood, I wrote whenever I could. And by Easter I’d written the first draft of a novel and a resignation letter for my teaching job.
That first novel, ‘Lili Badger’, a young adult coming of age story, is currently with an agent and doing the rounds of publishing houses. I’m super proud of it and obviously hope someone snaps it up! But it’s more important than that too – it’s shown me that I can write, something I used to do all the time when I was a child but have never had the guts to pursue since the self doubt of puberty set in.
I’m currently working on my second novel, and loving the fact that I’m getting to be at home to watch my little boy grow up. So much of what I’m doing at the moment is new, and alongside the certainty of my role as a mother there’s the anticipation and nervousness accompanying my attempt to build a career as a writer.
This blog will chart that journey of (re)discovery, of my growth as a writer and as a parent as well as all the fun and creative stuff I’m enjoying filling my days with now that I have the time and space to be me. Oh, and there are sure to be some musings on education and the world along the way, because I’m not ready to give that part of myself up quite yet.
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I just read the idea of Lili Badger and I can say that its a a nice plot, story! Its so nice to have stumbled upon your blog! I think that I am following you in a way now as I am reading a lot of your posts in Linkys. I am looking forward to read some more =) #pocolo
That is so exciting about your novel! That’s a great achievement, well done! Thanks for stopping by my blog, I’m glad I’ve found yours, and looking forward to reading more!
Thank you – I am proud of having managed to finish it, but I’ll be even more excited if (when!) it gets published… Great to find your blog too 🙂
I’m so impressed that you wrote a book after having your first baby – I found coping with a newborn was pretty much all I could manage (first time round anyway – it’s been different with no.3)! Well done and good luck with finding a publisher. Nice to have found your blog (thanks for commenting on mine). x
I think it was just the sheer determination that came from needing to find an option to going back to teaching… Here’s hoping the search for a publisher is successful soon! Lovely to find your blog too – hope the writing’s going well x
Hi, just wanted to say well done for pursuing the dream! I too am a primary school teacher and (especially now that I am mummy of two) am finding the idea of trying to balance teaching and motherhood undesirable/quite frankly impossible. I’m currently part way through a proofreading and copyediting course and have just started writing. I’m going to read through your entire blog now – you will be am inspiration I’m sure!
Ah thank you! I really admire you for being able to keep the teaching thing going as a mum – I’m still involved with schools and have lots of friends who teach and I just don’t think I could do it at the moment!! Good luck with your course and getting your writing off the ground. Looking forward to keeping up with your blog too 🙂 x