The Flood

Well the children are back at school after half term and as well as major flooding in the village where I live and the surrounding areas, there is a torrent of words flowing from my fingers as I unblock the dam of being at home over half term with the children and deciding not to work.

This is so different to when I had a 'normal' job.  During holidays there would have been some grey fuzz in the back of my mind about emails that might need to be responded to, or meetings I'd have to attend, but now my passion has become my profession I have discovered there is no 'off switch' when it comes to writing and I must learn a whole new way to work.

I have three clients I'm writing for this week and whilst I am only just starting to create their content today, over the past seven days my brain has been constantly collecting and curating words that I might use for them.  I have been spinning sentences and moulding word-forms on top of jabbing song-titles for this blog into my head like pins into a cushion.  It has caused me to grind my teeth at night which has led to an appointment with the dentist for a gum-shield - amazingly unattractive but hopefully I will get a more peaceful night's sleep and not wear my great big teeth down to tiny little stubs as I figure out a way to ride these waves of words.

It is thrilling and rewarding to be able to do something I really love for a living and the plump, indulged child in me wants to be able to spirit myself away to a writing shed like Roald Dahl, returning only for an occasional gin & tonic whilst all of the day to day stuff gets taken care of by someone else.  And then I remember that I really like having a family and being married and that I would like it to stay that way, and that I am not Roald Dahl.  

So how to make it work?  I cannot write to the exclusion of everything else and I am yet to find a way to successfully manage to take a clear step back without feeling like everything I want to write will drown me in my sleep.  I don't want to tame the passion but I need to be on the crest of the waves and not caught in the currents if I am to truly enjoy the experience.  

Having checked the calendar, there are but five weeks until school breaks up for Easter, so as the flood waters (hopefully) subside from our countryside, I'll be breaking out my boogie board and figuring out what to do when things get gnarly - surf's up!

Soundtrack: The Flood - Take That