My Brilliant Career

Remember this?

What hurt most about Pippa Jane consuming My Brilliant Career was the fact I had no job and really didn't know what I wanted to do when I grew up.  I'd almost finished a novel written in more of a literary fashion, but I'd lost interest in writing.  Pippa Jane could have eaten Alex Miller's Journey to the Stone Country, Karen Foxlee's, The Anatomy of Wings or Romeo and Juliet.  

     Hell, the best choice of meal was TK's purchase; Dan Brown's, The Da Vinci Code.  But no, Pippa had to eat the book that hurt me most, reminding me I was jobless, directionless and hopeless.

     Then my dear friend, Nicola sent me this.

     And the most unhappenable has happened.  I have a job working with awesome high school students, amazing colleagues and doing work I couldn't have dreamed about in a short ice-age; inspiring disenchanted readers to want to read.  
     I am no longer a teacher, but an inspirer of reading (I might also be a creator of words because I have never heard of 'inspirer' before and can't think of a synonym).
     What is more unbelievable is my discovery that writing for 12 to 15 years old students is so much more rewarding than writing for publication which now seems such a fickle ambition.  
     I am writing age-appropriate stories and anecdotes for my wonderful students and I think I've got the better deal.  I spend hours of my spare time writing and planning lessons to engage and entertain them and I love it.  And I'm learning as well.  
      I knew nothing about football until a student asked me to write something about the subject.  Have you heard of Greg Inglis?  He is not your typical footballer and is exceptionally generous with a strong sense of social justice!
     Next the crew are about to have a lesson on Author Purpose (a comprehension strategy) using a song I wrote called Read it, based on Michael Jackson's, Beat it.  
     While I was fine-tuning my creation, singing like a psychotic curlew, to get the word-to-beat ratio perfect, Seffy kept calling out to me.
     "Mum, you're supposed to be studying, not singing!"  
     Yes, I had a study deadline and I am usually very disciplined with deadlines ... except when I am writing something for my students.
     About a month ago, one previously very reluctant reader said, "Miss, you write good stories" and I almost shed a tear.
     I love my career.  Pippa Jane is not getting her teeth anywhere near my new My Brilliant Career!