I don’t have a boss. Apart from my 6-year-old daughter, of course. And although that might sound like a wonderful situation to be in, a boss is by definition someone who tells you to get things done. So when it comes to writing a novel, which is a notoriously procrastinationary (if that was a word) process, having a boss would be great because he or she would counter your inbuilt procrastinationism (if that was a word) by telling you that you have a deadline to meet, and that deadline is August 8th, you lazy procrastinator (hey – that actually is a word!).
Fortunately, the source of my novel writing is my imagination, so it’s pretty easy for me to cook up an imaginary boss. He/she is a cross between Spider-man’s J. Jonah Jameson and my 6-year-old daughter; a terrifying combination of shouty and pouty. Due to his/her haranguing and guilt-tripping, I have actually managed to meet the deadline my imaginary boss set for me back in April, and have completed a first draft of Starley’s Rust, the sequel to my Young Adult novel Silent Symmetry, and therefore the second book in the Embodied trilogy.
Here’s a photo of the draft. The two smudges at the bottom of the screen are the words The End.
Of course my imaginary boss will soon be watching over me with an iron fist and cute ponytail as I try to meet my next deadline: publishing by the end of the year, maybe even in time for Spendmas. Which is definitely a word where my 6-year-old daughter is concerned.
Sitting at your desk isn't work 