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Prologue: An Unexpected Journey
I want to write a book.
I have Long Service Leave due, and my wife has been encouraging me to give myself an LSL project rather than simply galivanting around the world. The project I’ve chosen is to write a biography of a relative who has had an incredible life.
But how does one write a book? I know I can write, but a whole book? Where do I start?
More to the point — what’s this crazy talk about having a meaningful Long Service Leave project rather than galivanting around the world? Why can’t I do both at once?
I’ve been looking at doing an intensive writing course to kickstart my book, and in researching various options in Australia and around the world I came across The Arvon Foundation, a large and prestigious organisation in England whose mission is to promote and facilitate writing and writers.
Just a few weeks ago, in very late July, I saw that they have an intensive small-group writing workshop, specifically for writers of non-fiction, during the first week of September. I showed it to my wife and she told me to go for it. Unlike the last time she told me to go overseas without her, I didn’t even pretend to be hesitant.
The days after that were a flurry of last-minute organisation. My bosses like to be given six-to-twelve months’ notice of LSL. I begged for their permission to go on LSL in 4 weeks. Once they knew why I was asking, permission was quickly given.
I booked the workshop, taking the final spot.
Being on a Victorian teacher’s salary (and Victorian teachers are among the lowest paid in Australia) and given my other significant overseas indulgences this year and the unplanned nature of this trip, money was short. Non-existent, actually. Paying for flights was impossible. So I needed to find Award seats to Europe and back with one month’s notice.
Whenever a newbie asks me for advice about how to use points to get to Europe mere weeks before they want to leave, my default response is to politely and subtly tell them they’re dreaming.
But taking my own advice wasn’t an option, and with some skill, a compromise or two (namely — the horror! — Economy class for part of the way), and a hellava lot of luck, I managed to do it. I even used Qantas points for the outward journey. Who’d have thought that Qantas points are useful after all for getting to Europe? Certainly not me!
So, questions for the next couple of weeks:
I want to write a book.
I have Long Service Leave due, and my wife has been encouraging me to give myself an LSL project rather than simply galivanting around the world. The project I’ve chosen is to write a biography of a relative who has had an incredible life.
But how does one write a book? I know I can write, but a whole book? Where do I start?
More to the point — what’s this crazy talk about having a meaningful Long Service Leave project rather than galivanting around the world? Why can’t I do both at once?
I’ve been looking at doing an intensive writing course to kickstart my book, and in researching various options in Australia and around the world I came across The Arvon Foundation, a large and prestigious organisation in England whose mission is to promote and facilitate writing and writers.
Just a few weeks ago, in very late July, I saw that they have an intensive small-group writing workshop, specifically for writers of non-fiction, during the first week of September. I showed it to my wife and she told me to go for it. Unlike the last time she told me to go overseas without her, I didn’t even pretend to be hesitant.
The days after that were a flurry of last-minute organisation. My bosses like to be given six-to-twelve months’ notice of LSL. I begged for their permission to go on LSL in 4 weeks. Once they knew why I was asking, permission was quickly given.
I booked the workshop, taking the final spot.
Being on a Victorian teacher’s salary (and Victorian teachers are among the lowest paid in Australia) and given my other significant overseas indulgences this year and the unplanned nature of this trip, money was short. Non-existent, actually. Paying for flights was impossible. So I needed to find Award seats to Europe and back with one month’s notice.
Whenever a newbie asks me for advice about how to use points to get to Europe mere weeks before they want to leave, my default response is to politely and subtly tell them they’re dreaming.
But taking my own advice wasn’t an option, and with some skill, a compromise or two (namely — the horror! — Economy class for part of the way), and a hellava lot of luck, I managed to do it. I even used Qantas points for the outward journey. Who’d have thought that Qantas points are useful after all for getting to Europe? Certainly not me!
So, questions for the next couple of weeks:
- Is a TR whose main focus is sitting down in an idyllic Yorkshire country house and doing nothing but writing, actually worth reading?
- Will my writing style at the end of this TR be better than at the beginning?
- I can write clearly; I know that. But can I write interestingly? Can I write with panache?
- Writing a whole book?? Am I actually crazy?
- And if this book ever does get published, will the AFF community be thanked in the Acknowledgements?
