Blog zero - 5 things you never wanted to know

I suppose my blogs should all be about writing and what I've learned over my 20-ish years of doing it for a living. They should sell me as someone you absolutely must work with.

But hey, you could have someone’s eye out with a hard sell like that, so this one’s to get some human-to-human stuff about me out of the way, so blog one can be more about words.

1 - I'm a sort of quiet-but-talkative, introverted and apologetic over-sharer. I've been told I seem very calm, and I do try, but I’m probably not.

2 - I have kids*. I started working freelance partly for the love of variety and partly so I have more freedom to work around the school runs. I don’t necessarily work a 9-5, 5-day week but I can usually be pretty flexible with a bit of notice, and I’m often quite happy to work evenings or weekends instead, which can be handy for you when you get one of those ridiculous-turnaround Friday-afternoon requests.

3 - I'm a recovering language pedant. I feel like you learn the rules of writing so you can break them the right way. There’s no point being right and proper all the time if it gets in the way of what you’re trying to say. Language grows and evolves. I try to embrace that, though I’ll admit I still have a go-with-the-flow fail every now and again.

4 - I have a teetering pile of dipped-into-but-not-read books on my bedside table. And maybe a bit of a Netflix problem.

5 - I think that’s more than enough for now. If you’re still reading… wow, thanks.

*(I try not to bang on about being a parent like I’m the first person ever to be one, or like it makes me a more whole or useful person somehow. I learn from it though, like you do from any job that challenges you. I may bring it up from time to time though, just because it’s part of who I am and how I work.)