Back to school

Alright. This is it. No more dithering, stalling, delaying or faffing about. It’s a new month, (ok, belatedly eight days into the new month. See? It’s chronic), and time to get back on the wagon. Project Two Pennies is back in full swing. For anyone confused, Two Pennies is the name of my book (see my About page for a teaser). The summer months kept me busy filling days with play-dates, Gambado, Starbucks and the beach, I’m honest with myself (and isn’t that what this blog is all about?) despite the guilt of failing to devote much quality time toward the book, part of me secretly relished the convenient excuse it provided to leave writing for another day.

I make lists. To-do lists.  You know laundry, dishes, order Waitrose (naturally), buy birthday presents (every week. No lie, EVERY WEEK. For anyone contemplating offspring, my advice is set up a party fund NOW), I actually list ’fill in calendar’ with all the things I need to do. I occupy myself with the tedium of being self-appointed house manager. I’m very good at convincing myself I’m too busy for much else of anything. No, scratch that, I’m a champion at busying myself with being too busy. I blame social media. It’s turned us into self-absorbed, needy narcissists seeking affirmation and adoration from our peers as we boast how very busy and fulfilled our lives our. It breeds narcissism. (The selfie, really? Need I say more?) Not only that, but it’s a fabulous distraction from actual writing, too. This, and MailOnline’s sidebar of shame (fess up, we all read it). Don’t get me wrong, I love it. I’m guilty as the next soliciting as many ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ over my adorable kids’ snapshots and ’Likes’ on my page (ahem). And yes, at the risk of sounding insufferably smug it is true that with kids, you’re always busy in some capacity. But here’s a clue, it’s not always so wonderfully glamorous as we like to portray.  (I know I really lifted the lid there, didn’t I?)

But anyway, I digress. Where was I? Oh yes, so as the school run resumes and I shuttle my eldest to and fro the fount of knowledge that is Reception, it’s a reminder I too need to re-acquaint myself with some semblance of brain-expanding, value-added work. Even now, I should be focused on revising the synopsis. So in the spirit of my own advice, I’ve got some work to do.