Wednesday 1 October 2008

Berlin calling, money matters,

Off to Berlin. With Chris, who is now officially retired, and relaxed, and not opening letters from the pensions people. Talk about retiring as the financial world collapses! Oh well. Berlin with a couple of friends for the best part of a week will inspire and all sorts. Hopefully!

Before we go, I whizz up to London and spend a very good hour or so with my agent. To bring him up to speed with progress on the novel and all the other things I'm working on. Brilliant natter... exactly right.

Helpful advice on this and that. Mostly that.

Including the good advice that I must say 'no' more often. Concentrate my time on my own writing, and those projects that are really good for my own development as a writer. Editing this fab new writing book is fine and great stuff (of which more as it is firmed up with the publisher.)

So - no more offering to read through new writers' work, or mentoring. Unless it is a proper job. Easy innit. Mentoring is important for new writers, and I hope I've paid back the help I had myself early on, back into the system. But now, someone else can do it far better I'm sure - than me.

I require money from now on peeps! A propos - the three day residency at the school has come through, for late November. Greatly looking forward to that. Year 9s, 20 of them... I hope to have all the right sparks flying!

Berlin calling. I am going to amble about unter den linden.

3 comments:

Nik Perring said...

Have fun!

Nik

C. J. Flood said...

Ah Berlin, I miss that place SO much. Tell Under den Linden hello from me.

Hope you have a lovely time with hubby. Berlin in Autumn, lucky you.

Vanessa Gebbie said...

hey Berlin is fantastic. We had such a good time. And interesting, and emotional, (I went to Sachsenhausen when everyone else went to Potsdam). We had some good meals out, although I dont go a bundle on mashed spud, and mashed spud with sausage, and mashed spud with sausage and sauerkraut.

We stayed in Mitte, in the old East, close to the river, close to the museums and fascinating sites to see. The wall and the Topography of Terror installation is good. So is the Holocaust memorial and the Jewish Museum. Unter den Linden, the river, the buildings in the new government quarter...the parks.

I think we'll be back.