http://www.alexnye.com en-gb alexnye.com 2012-5-12T00:00:00Z alexnye.com http://www.alexnye.com/page3.htm#118140 One of the hardest things about being a writer is that once you become published there is a tendency for it to become a career rather than a passion. I have to admit that I sometimes struggle with this because what motivated me to write in the first place as a child and also as a young woman in my twenties and thirties was for the sheer unadulterated pleasure that writing gives me. When its at its best it takes you to that special place a sort of warm fuzzy inner space where everything begins to make perfect sense. And no Im not on drugs The visits there are becoming rarer partly because the pressure is on. Weve all got to keep producing more and more and get heavily into promoting ourselves. Of course selfpromotion is an inevitable part of being an author but we live in such a selfpromoting age that sometimes just sometimes it gets a bit wearing and turns off the inspiration switch. I think Im probably a natural recluse when it comes to being a writer. For instance in between w... 2012-5-12 17:57:22 http://www.alexnye.com/page3.htm#117864 Working hard by day as an English teacher with Barnardos and writing when I can. Earlier this week my publisher sent a really helpful email attachment listing all of the things I could sign up to as an author to help to make my books more visible on the internet. There is twitter facebook google alerts amazon central goodreads.com etc... etc... So I duly set aside this weekend to try and achieve some of above. I had been assured by all concerned that it really only takes a few minutes of your time on earth to complete or sign up to any of these things. Well... several hours and three nervous breakdowns later after which I had to apologise to my family and neighbours for the bad language Im still not sure how you connect them all up to each other and IM SO TIRED and confused.... When I tried to insert a widget into my website this weekend if youll pardon the expression it deleted all my pics and turned my entire website into Latin. Now... you tell me. I havent got a clue how tha... 2012-5-7 19:58:12 http://www.alexnye.com/page3.htm#115993 6th April 2012 Have begun a new job working for Barnardos at Watlin Lodge in Falkirk as an English teacher. Really love this job... I work in a small team of social workers and teachers. I get to teach English onetoone or in very small groups to troubled teenagers and young people who have a very raw deal in life. My job is to reengage them with learning books stories etc. Its so much more relaxed than a mainstream school and does wonders for the young people who go there. Its situated in a beautiful old house surrounded by trees with a haunted stable block right on the Antonine Wall... The young people get to eat a healthy lunch in the kitchen with the adults and my main inspiration is that I want to get them telling their own stories recognizing that they have a story to tell and give them ownership of that story. Im very excited about it.... as you can tell. Have finished writing DARKER ENDS and am aware that this job is likely to influence the books I write next. 2012-4-6 20:26:48 http://www.alexnye.com/page3.htm#106637 11th November 2011 Having a really great time teaching at St. Mungos High School at the moment three days a week teaching English which is just perfect as it leaves me time for author visits and writing. The kids at this school are amazingly polite considerate kind thoughtful... and Ive realised how much I love teaching English. I want the kids to do well in their standard grades and Higher because they need it in life and also because its so much easier to grasp than they think. Its just a question of confidence. Wednesday was very eventful. On the way to school my car starting making loud clanking or clonking noises and the steering column is that the technical term felt weird. This was exactly how I described to man on end of phone at Direct Line who was not overly impressed at my lack of knowledge. I like my car it gets me from A to B but I mainly just hoover the inside of it dust the dashboard and hope for the best. This is the second time in recent months th... 2011-11-11 14:55:33 http://www.alexnye.com/page3.htm#105606 2011-10-28 18:24:53