September: back-to-school vibes and self-motivation
A book a day, The Edge of Solitude events, and rediscovering a routine
Earlier this week, I went to the village book club, held every month in the back room of the pub. This month, we were discussing Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun (if you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it). Usually, there are about 10 or 12 of us – but this month, all 16 of us were there, crammed around the table, with our books and drinks out in front of us. There was that real sense of showing up for the start of the new term – for the September new-school-year feeling that I’ve never managed to shake.
For me, the back-to-school vibes are even more marked, because my wife is a teacher. So in our household, there really is a change of pace as August draws to a close, we stop spending every day together, and Loren disappears off to school for huge chunks of every weekday.
Which is the perfect opportunity for me to get back into a routine of my own.
I talked about this in my previous post – and how I’m using the new start to prioritise new things. This month, one of those things is reading, and I’m challenging myself to read a book a day during September.
So far, I’ve read Foster, by Claire Keegan, Weasels in the Attic, by Hiroko Oyamada, and This Census-Taker, by China Miéville.
But I’m also hoping to rediscover a 9-5 work routine as well. To not work all hours of the day and night, and to remember how to relax, how to have downtime.
Yesterday, I had to fill out a survey for an eye test appointment, where it asked me what my hobbies were – and I had to genuinely sit and think about it for a while. What are my hobbies? What do I do when I’m not working or doing the laundry or making the bed? In the end I put crocheting (which I haven’t done in ages), travel, and reading – which is also kind of work. I’m hoping that finishing work at 5pm (or even 5.30pm on days when I’m busy) will help me to get back to doing things for fun. Doing things because I have time to fill and opportunity to do whatever I want with it – rather than making everything an endless to-do list.
So these are my September goals (writing them here so that you can hold me accountable):
to read a book a day
to get back to the blanket I’ve been crocheting for forever
to finish work at 5pm, as often as possible
and, yes, to finish the current draft of my next novel – which I’ve been so close to for so many months, that it’s starting to feel outrageous that I haven’t finished it already
Still, there will always be work that has to happen in the evenings or at weekends – particularly when it comes to book events and panel discussions.
I have quite a few of these coming up in September and October, talking about The Edge of Solitude and travel to Antarctica. (One of the things on this month’s to do list is to publicise these events.) So if you’re in or near any of the following places, it would be lovely to see you there!
Tuesday 10th September, 7.30pm – The Old Courthouse, Shap, Cumbria
Sunday 13th October, 3pm, Berwick Lit Fest, Berwick-Upon-Tweed
But for now, I’m off to clear my inbox as much as possible, start writing an application for a residency, and then read today’s book. Wish me luck!
Klara and the Sun is magnificent! I started it in a two hour flight and was irritated I had to get off, go through passport control etc, before I could read the last two pages.
Katie, this spoke to me. I’ve had this feeling lately about what I do for fun. Not work or laundry or exercise or nagging teens…time to inject more joy in the dailiness …even on days you don’t have a poetry party 😘