I currently have two typical days. Half of the week, I work for a charity.
Tracy Corbett
My day is spent helping others to resolve their problems, whether it’s getting out of debt or how to claim benefits. It’s a very rewarding job. I work with an amazing group of volunteers, who give up their time freely to help their community. I get an enormous amount of personal satisfaction from doing this work and it’s great for me to spend my day surrounded by people I care for and respect. It also taps into the side of me that needs to be sociable, to talk incessantly, and who enjoys the office-based banter. It’s also a great avenue for ‘people-watching’, something that as a writer, provides endless inspiration for character development and story ideas.
The other half of my week is spent writing. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of saying that! It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long, long time, and I’m so grateful and happy that it’s finally happened. I love writing. Apart from creating stories and officially being allowed to ‘daydream’, it taps into the ‘hermit’ side of my personality. I get to retreat into my own imaginary world, lose all sense of time and place and ‘make stuff up’. Writing provides me with a sense of calm, but equally, it gives me a sense of excitement. The opportunity to try new things and to experiment at being ‘someone else.’ I get to be adventurous, take risks, overcome the bad guys and fall in love with the good ones – something hermit-me would never have the courage to do! I also get to watch Neighbours. I admit it, it’s my weakness. Curling up on the sofa with a cuppa and having a cheeky break, while I recharge my batteries and catch up on the comings and goings on Ramsey Street, feels like such a treat.
A typical evening is spent either seeing my lovely family, socialising with friends, or watching TV with my partner. We’re both avid film and TV addicts and could easily appear on Gogglebox! He claims not to enjoy Neighbours, but regularly asks for updates, so I suspect he’s a closet fan. Evenings can sometimes involve rehearsing for a play. Just like the characters in The Summer Theatre by the Sea I belong to an amateur dramatics group. It’s something I’ve done since childhood. And as with writing, it’s another great way at pretending to be ‘someone else.’ Putting on a production is always fun, sometimes a challenge and never boring! It’s also a fab way to make life-long friends.
I enjoy both my typical days, blending the need to be sociable, with my desire to be creative. I guess you could say, I’m living the dream. My dream, anyway.
