Reuniting with my Wings

After what feels like a very long time, hello one and all to the return of my writerly blog!

It has been some time since my last upload, so first of all, let’s address the three year hiatus...

There’s a multitude of reasons why this was the case. Alongside some technical issues, it has been a whirlwind in terms of teaching practice for me. As previously mentioned, I was beginning my teaching career and as such I needed to take a break from my blog in order to focus on my PGCE and further preparations for the teaching practice. I was also struggling to balance my writerly worlds with planning the lessons I love to teach. However, I do have some quite significant updates on my writerly life - in particular the progress of my current manuscript - but more on that later.

So, where am I at now?

Career

As of July this year, I finally completed my second (and final year) of ECT, meaning I can officially be classed as a fully qualified teacher - cue party emoji here! I’m also very much looking forward to my next educational adventure as I set forth to teach at a new school in September; I’m already working on the reading list! I have loved my current school but also looking forward to a change, especially when it comes to the set texts - see you later, Of Mice and Men! This new step in my career also offers an alternative weekly routine, meaning I can prioritise the variety of hobbies I have accrued over this year and ensuring I embrace my free time out of the classroom. It really has been an eye opener reflecting on the workload shift and utilising the summer break to help me realise what it is I want most. It is all positive vibes from here!

My Novel

I suppose the biggest writerly news and update is the current progress with my novel. I first came up with the premise all the way back in 2012, long before I had even studied my GCSEs. It’s fair to say there have been many iterations since its inception. I believe I’ve changed the main plotline at least three times since it’s first ever draft. So, with the elevated mood boost I gained over the summer break, I finally managed to sit down and focus a lot of my creativity in returning to a world and concept I have loved for over a decade.

I am extremely excited to reveal that after 14 years, I have finally finished the entire first draft! (Cue second party-themed emoji - perhaps a balloon this time?). It currently stands at just shy of 500 pages and 150,000 words.

Now, this first draft is far from being polished. For once I actually listened to the advice of so many authors and writers - the same piece of advice I give to my students too, incidentally - to get the first draft written. As the little clipboard on my desk reminds me every time I sit down to write, first drafts don’t have to be perfect, they just have to be written.

I am now at the point where I am picking up odd bits of editing here and there. However, I also do need to remind myself to leave the book for a month or so and return to it with fresh eyes. As much as I want to delve back through the text and perfect every last sentence, this novel has taught me the benefits of time. Over the years, especially as I have been developing my craft throughout my time in education, both as a student and a teacher, I have returned to this world and been able to improve not only my quality of writing, but the world building and characterisations too. This is also the first text where I have written with multiple points of view, so I need to ensure both characters have an engaging story to tell from their side. It’s rather fortuitous then that term starts again soon, meaning I have the perfect opportunity to put the novel aside and return as and when I would like to. I am very much looking forward to editing this piece and to send excerpts out to readers I trust very soon.

Other inspiring and creative muses

One thing I’ve learnt over these past few years is where inspires me the most. I especially love the writing set up at my desk, with lots of little knick-knacks and themed mementos all geared towards inspiring me on my writerly days. The woodland murals, themed posters and **spoiler** themed light from my partner a few Christmases ago especially so. However, I feel a constant connection to my university city of Lincoln.

Lincoln for me has its own aura of creativity and homeliness, one that has stayed with me long after I have graduated. It astounds me how my fresher’s year was ten years ago next year…

Sorry to all my class of 2020 for that stark reminder.

No matter how many times I go, I am always drawn to its historic streets and sense of amiability. After every trip, I return with some form of book - notebook, reading or artistic. During my most recent visits, I was drawn to the castle grounds, where I would sit with a picnic beside the two dragons nestled within its walls; Lucy and Norman. Honestly, with the gentle ruckle sound effect and the timely steam protruding from Lucy’s nostrils, I lose myself in the majesty of the moment and imagine I am a dragon rider resting beside her mounts after a long day’s training and flying. I stay there for hours, with only a train ride or change in weather permitting me to move. It really is one of my happiest places … once I’ve gotten over the burn of the aptly named Steep Hill.

You can get a sense of the vibe below - I would highly recommend Lincoln to anyone!

Two further extremely inspiring places I visited over the past three years are Rhodes, Iceland and Cornwall. All were amazing in their own way! Steeped in history and visual splendour, each place offered incredible views and insights into worlds far away and beyond my own. Take a peak at some highlights below!

Rhodes

Iceland

Cornwall

What’s next?

I’ve been glued to both the Children’s Writer’s and Artists Yearbook 2026 and its companion text Writers’ and Artists’ Guide to How to Write. I’m not usually one for annotating texts, but these two have been so vital in not only giving my confidence to pursue my craft professionally, but in providing the invaluable steps I’ll need to consider in the future. I’ve already made a note of five or six literary agents I’ve bookmarked for further down the line - after all, I need to take time to polish my manuscript so it is as perfect as I can make it. I’ve also got further notepads on hand - no surprises there - for making further editing notes, draft notes, and brainstorming ideas for book two. I know exactly what I want this world to be. I just have to treat it with the kindness and care it deserves. I’ve also go to make sure I pass this same kindness on to myself. I will admit I am pretty self-critical and will always want to get everything right first time. I need to allow myself time to work to the best of my ability.

It will be daunting to eventually send my work out there. It’s a strange paradox. I want my work to be available in bookstores, yet the notion of others reading my writing is, currently, a little terrifying. This has been my brainchild for most of my own childhood. That, in itself, is a positive, since I have been working on an idea I clearly wanted to see when I was the age I’m writing for. As another trinket I have states, I just owe it to myself, my younger self in particular, to become everything I’ve ever dreamed of being. It’s a long road ahead, but each step is one closer to the goal.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I shall ensure to keep updating you with my progress, now I have finally reunited with my own wings. It is my hope that, whether you’re going through a tough or positive time, you find yours also.

All the best,

E.J