Running, Writing, Sleeping and Retreating

It starts today! No emailing, no social media, no screens (unless it’s *directly* related to that small matter of the full manuscript of my second novel going to its first Beta readers in eight tiny days’ time – that’s ok, right?!?) after 8pm and for the entire month of September.

I keep thinking this is a bad month for me to be switching off. I have a gaggle of birthdays, not least several ending in '0', a wedding, a hen night, a Great North Run, our very own Welly Wanging event (more to come on that one) and the nest emptying again after a quite precious three months of having a noisy house once more.  

But I also have a heap of preparation to do to get ready for teaching again in October, including my exciting new venture into writing retreats, editing contracts, the inevitable stack of revisions to be made to that book following its first read outside of my study walls (did I mention it’s going to my fabulous readers in eight tiny days’ time…?) not to mention the other to-do’s of the loosely called ‘Day Job’. 

If I’m going to be able to participate as fully as I hope in the above antics, and still go to bed the same day I got up, then I have to commit to the big Switch Off for Scroll Free September; September is exactly the right month to be Scroll Free, Screen Free after dark.

So I should probably put it out there now, that if you see me hanging around on social media after dusk, you have every right to ignore me, indeed you must.

And it’s not too late to join me, click here to find out more!

One last thing before I set my Do Not Disturb on my phone for 8pm (It’s already set for 10pm except, ahem, I override it oh, probably every other night) if you have emerged from the summer with any spare pennies lying around, could I ask you to consider the Haven as a fabulously necessary but non-government funded charity to take them off your hands? 

My daughter, not what you’d call the biggest fan of running, and I are embarking on the Great North Run on Sunday 8^th and this link should explain why this is quite a big deal for me these days, for both physical and emotional reasons.

On a lighter note, I’m excited about introducing my daughter to the happy sounds and atmosphere of the wonderful supporters who line every step of the Great North Run route, not least the top quality buskers, the stirring steel bands and the home owners who buy in shed loads of oranges to hand out to needy runners as they trudge past because, well, just because they want to support the endeavour. There’s so much anger and disappointment in the country at the moment and events like these just remind me that beyond the rubbish of everyday trials and stresses, I fervently believe that human beings are really excruciatingly nice.

If you are able to sponsor me, please click here for the fundraising page for the Haven cancer charity.

Meanwhile, have a fabulous September and do let me know if you’re Scroll Free, too. 

We can be together in spirit, albeit not online.