(Previously posted as 'I've started so....')
Quick Bio:
I am 49, and have been a teacher for 24 years, finally throwing in the towel this Summer to pursue a writing career. I am wondering why I waited this long to do it, although being a writer is not at all lucrative so far and there are quite a few mouths to feed.
I have 3 children, 3 step children and 2 dogs. And a husband who said I should just give it a go, and that we will manage.
My Family:
Mr Considine - husband
H - eldest son age 21, studying and living in student digs locally
T - elder daughter, age 18, who has just left home to study up North
L - youngest daughter, age 13
F - eldest stepdaughter age 22 - working and living semi locally
LC- younger stepdaughter age 19 and J stepson age 16, both live with their mother .
J spends some weekends and holidays with us.
Day 2
Spent much of today awaiting the arrival of my tech savvy son H, who is going to launch me onto the world social media stage. This morning I was mainly faffing around, making slimming world friendly butternut squash soup for lunch, and unfriendly fairy cakes for my poor neglected youngest child L who has been deprived of butter, sugar and flour ever since I embarked on this lifestyle choice (shouts "IT'S NOT A DIET").
Last night I received my first like on Twitter. This made my day, especially as it was from (by?) Nina Stibbe. She is one of my new favourite authors, and I was so excited that I woke up L, who was equally excited (she has spent much of the Summer listening to me laughing my head off as I read out passages from her books) and together we bounced around the kitchen until we got tired and she went back to bed.
Now, I am not sure whether this is as big a deal as I feel it is, due to being a Twitter novice. I am thinking maybe it's on a par with what happened to H when he first made his own debut on social media.
My nephew was in the same year at school as Alan Carr, one of Northampton's few celebrities. H, doing the usual Facebook newbie thing of trawling through the pages of everyone he knew, spotted that said nephew had Alan Carr as a friend, and immediately sent Alan a message asking him if he could be his friend too, introducing himself as the cousin of his old friend from school. It was the day after his 13th birthday and he was star struck, over the moon thinking that he could be proper friends with Alan Carr.
Maybe I should know better at the age of 49, but I am also thinking that Nina Stibbe is my kind of friend. I want to respond to her "like" and tell her how I laugh and think of her book every time I look at my Claddagh ring. And how I first came across her when I was given her book after participating in a market research forum at Random House. And how my husband ordered all her books for me from Amazon because I loved Paradise Lodge so much. And how the main character in my first book is also called Nina (although this was a complete coincidence, and might weird her out). I am taking risks and doing new things so maybe I should be brave and respond. But keep quiet about all the other stuff. Just say something like "I like your books Nina".
If only I had an expert son to advise me. Sadly H is unable to assist me today (despite promises) due to having a "crippling hangover". He is my fair-weather son, and obviously me needing help with developing my online presence is classed as rain, hence no show). Good job I didn't follow his instructions to wait until he got here before posting my first blog. But look, here I am doing my second, still as clueless.
Am I writing too much? Not enough?
Giving away too much? Not enough?
Leaving myself wide open to bandits who will use information I have divulged in my blog to steal all of my money? Good luck with that one
Embarrassing my children ? (Always!! And usually without even trying. Oh well...).
Developing an online presence? Maybe of sorts. But how will anyone ever know about my Blog? I think it's early days and maybe while I am still practising and learning, it might be better this way.
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