From Head Teacher to Writer

Hello there,

I trust you are still enjoying the hot weather. I love it and hope it lasts. We deserve a good summer. The only problem is that it stops me from what I am supposed to be doing – writing! I try to write outside when it is hot, but the sun makes it difficult. I can’t see the screen properly, and it hurts my eyes. Yes, I could work in the shade, but that defeats the object of being outside in the sun! Excuses, I know, but it’s true.

This week’s blog is about how and why I started to write, but before I explain, I need to ask if any of you agreed with my last blog about the benefits of exercise. Some of you will exercise because you enjoy it and realise the advantages. Others won’t for all kinds of reasons. Let me know your pros and cons about exercising.

Moving quickly to explain how I got into writing fiction novels, you may remember reading about me on my website. I stated I had been teaching for almost forty years. I was the headteacher of a senior special school that was closing but re-opening on another site as a brand new school with state-of-the-art facilities.

I pondered long and hard whether to move to the new school. In the end, after numerous discussions with my wife and a lot of heart searching I decided to retire. The first year of retirement wasn’t easy. I loved everything about leading the school and working alongside the staff, governors and children, and I missed it. Eventually, something clicked. This was my time to enjoy life to the full and that is exactly what I have been doing, writing, playing golf and taking long walks with my wife.

Twenty years earlier, I put pen to paper to write a novel based on my experiences of school life. At that time, having worked in four different schools, I encountered many interesting characters (teachers and support staff) with all kinds of deep-seated school/personal problems and issues and the seeds were planted. Promotion to deputy headteacher and headteacher, however,  got in the way of writing until I retired, but I always knew I would return to the book I started all those years ago. 

I found my original script in a drawer, re-vamped it, and with the help of my daughter and son-in-law, self-published my first novel in August 2022, called ‘An Educated Decision’, Book 1, Part 1, the first book of a trilogy called the ‘Tom Stevens Series’.

Since then, the following books have been published/soon to be published:-

‘An Educated Decision’, Book 1, Part 2

‘An Educated Guess’, Book 2, Part 1

-Both available on Amazon

‘An Educated Guess’, Book 2, Part 2 ( finished but will not be published until September 2023)

‘An Educated Vision’, Book 3, Parts 1 & 2 will be ready in 2024 (I have started Book 3, Part 1)

Free ebook called ‘Rich Boy, Poor Choices’ is available to download. This novel is about the early life of one of the main characters in the above books, Barclay Hughes.

My books are steamy, contemporary love stories involving conflict, passion and deceit. The characters are fictitious as are the stories but the ideas and plots are loosely based on my experiences of working in different school establishments.

Take a look at my website for more information about the books.

Until next time, happy reading.

Mansel