Friday, June 18, 2010

The big leap

A week today, I will leave work for good, after just over four years with the company. You see, I resigned at what I feel is a natural break point in my career. I am taking three months off to write my third novel - to get as much of an outline or even a rough first draft finished before I return to advertising. It's summer, it feels like the perfect time :-)

My first two novels - written when I was at university - were unpublished. But they must have been of reasonable quality because those novels won me an agent and a publisher (Random House). Then I got ill and re-drafting those novels for publication and writing in general went on the backburner. Then I got a job, and then a career. Then I got married, and had a child. You know how life moves on at speed with little energy left over for working on our deep-seated passions.

But after four years in advertising, I was ready to move on. I started chatting to recruiters whilst still employed; I started talking to people. There are interesting, exciting jobs out there for me. And then I thought, began to feel, that I was ready to move on now, yes. But ready to move on to writing again.

Just for a while. Just to get started. Just to get something out there - if only a rough draft or an outline - that I can continue to work on whilst back at work. Just for the summer.

So I handed in my notice a month ago and I will not start looking for work until the Autumn. We have savings; Mr Planet will support me; Little Planet will remain in fulltime daycare; and I will dream and write, dream and write.

I won't write about my writing here. Blog posts may (or may not) be sporadic. Weekends will be family time so hopefully I'll still have many activities to blog about.

My big leap feels so good.

And, it's just for three months.

14 comments:

Broom said...

Good Luck & Congratulations.

Su-Lin said...

This is just fabulous and such a wonderful opportunity! Congratulations and best of luck!

leslee said...

Wow, congratulations - and happy writing!!

Rhea said...

Congratulations! You go, girl! :-))

Anonymous said...

Good Luck and Best Wishes.
Nupur

Anonymous said...

Orbitbud

Wow, how wonderful ! Good luck and many congratulations.

Chinchu said...

Excellent, soak up all the time and happy writing.

Chinchu

Anonymous said...

Great move. All the BEST!

beyond said...

great:)

Achala said...

and a new blog theme to mark a beginning:) good luck, Planethalder. it's always a pleasure to read your blog, you chronicle your journey so well...all the very best to you!

Planethalder said...

Thank you all for your best wishes. I've taken a huge risk, but at least I can get it out of my system! You're only young once, as they say.

newmumontheblock said...

Wow that's big news indeed! All the best and wish you much success!

chatondeluxe said...

Wow, I admire your courage to walk the probably not so expected path. I hope you have a great productive time. I just wanted to share this website with you which is all about writing http://thecreativeidentity.com/, I did an unravelling ecourse with steph and she has a great sense of humour!

Jean said...

Only just caught up with this. Wow, that's wonderful! Many congratulations on your brave but far from foolhardy (the agent, the publisher, the likelihood of future jobs being out there for you) decision. So today must be your last day at work? All my best wishes. Have a wonderful summer of writing :-)

And I love the new blog template, symbolic of a new era in your creative life.