One thing that I always say to my students is “You will have forty plus years in a career. Make sure it is something that you feel passionate about so that you will want to go to work every day.” I enjoy teaching and passing on my knowledge and enthusiasm. I’ve been doing it for nearly thirty years now and it is something that I love. However, it is not my passion. My passion is writing. Writing enables me to be creative and to think and consider. I fell into teaching though and as good as my school was, in those days they didn’t really explore careers education with us. I wanted for a long time to be a lawyer, but I was advised against it as I am an emotional person and I was told that I would become too involved in cases and would not be able to look at them objectively. That doesn’t stop me reading the fascinating sentencing and trial notes on the Judiciary website.

Teaching is very rewarding. You can make a huge difference in a student’s life. I am also an examiner and I find that equally, if not, more rewarding. When I examine, I always try to give the candidate the best possible mark that I can based on their work. I think, as a mother, I understand that if my children were being examined, then I would want them to be marked as fairly and consistently as possible.

Writing has always been important in my life. I have written a great deal throughout my career, but mainly it has been for the benefit of other people. It was only recently that I started to write for myself. Like any skill, it is important to improve your skills and about two years ago, I started to undertake some writing courses. With writing, it is essential that you put your work out there to be critiqued and discussed. You can only improve if you continue to evolve and writing courses are a great way to do this. I undertook writing courses in non-fiction, but I also stepped out of my comfort zone and did some creative writing courses. I started to develop a habit of writing a thousand words every day. Reading is essential for a writer. You would not enter a baking competition without first trying out recipes. In the same way, reading is training for writing. Furthermore, it improves grammatical structure and vocabulary.

I have always dreamed of being a writer and yet up until last year I never seemed to have the time to devote myself fully to writing for me. I started my blog in Summer 2018 and the response I have had has been overwhelming. There is a very supportive online writing community. Social media is equally important to being a writer. You do need to put yourself out there. It is the only way.

Last week, I was finally able to share the wonderful news that I have managed to secure a book deal with a publisher. My first book comes out in September 2020 and I am currently working on it. I can not reveal just yet what it is about, but again, it is something that I am passionate about. Something that I could easily spend all day researching. In August I shall be fifty and it is probably quite an age to release my first ,proper book.  I am overcome with all the kind comments and support I have received, and I appreciate every single person who has followed my blog over the past year. I am incredibly lucky and I suppose all this does go to show that you are never too old to follow your dreams. If I can do it at such a monumental age, then anyone can!

WHILST YOU ARE HERE

I set up this blog to showcase my writing. You will never find paid-for editorials or affiliated links on this page. I do not wish to make money from my blog and I do not wish to receive any money from the people who read my blog. If you see the hash tag #honestreview then I have bought something with my own money and I am reviewing it honestly.

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Elisabeth.