Every morning since June I’ve woken up delighted to remember that my job for the year is to be a writer. Thanks to funding from Creative Scotland’s Create: Inclusion fund, I can spend the majority of my working life pondering, plotting, writing and editing my first foray into the realm of psychological suspense.

This September has been a strange one. Usually, I’d be preparing a new programme of creative writing classes, booking editing work for the rest of the year, wondering how to fit in my novel-in-progress, and dreading the onset of winter-short days.

This summer has been one of festivals. Of meeting new friends and connecting with old ones; of discovering books and authors; of learning about the process and craft of writing. It’s been a whirlwind and an inspiration.

Back in the early days of lockdown, I joined thousands of others wondering exactly how I – a full-time freelance writer, editor, creative writing tutor – would stretch my already limited budget to feed myself and the 9 year old.

Hey you,

It’s the thing at the moment, isn’t it, to talk about what we’re all missing. You know: where we’ll going, what we’ll eat, and who will get that very first hug on the day lockdown is over. On the down-days, anyway. On the up-ones, we’re all lavish Facebook posts, boasting about nurturing our mental health, our children, our house-plants, our sourdough starters…Go on, admit it!