Time suddenly become more precious

Spent four days in at Napier University last week, getting a fast start on my new job as a creative writing lecturer. My contract says 2.5 days a week, and I'll be sticking to that hereafter. If I don't, I'll never get any writing of my own done and that isn't the plan. Having sliced my working week in half is helping to focus my attention, at least. I don't have time to fritter away, the hours become more precious when you've got fewer of them.

My other weekday was spent in Brighton for day 5 of the Lighthouse TV drama teamwriting workshop. We're now winnowing our material down to its essentials, finding the core story within each episode. I'm writing the series finale, puling together threads developed in the previous five episodes while also telling my own story. It's exciting, challenging and a little terrifying, all at the same time. Got plenty of work to do in the next few weeks.

What else? Grappling with the plot for a new Phantom story, need to nut out a brain bender of an audio idea, and want to develop some fresh story of the day ideas for Doctors. Nailing my first TV drama commission is a key goal for 2009, but I'm the one who has to make that happen. Yes, jobs do fall into your lap sometimes, but that's mostly when you already have experience and expertise. Emerging talents rarely get plumb writing jobs. Onwards!