I’m lucky enough to work at Liverpool University though, and through working on refurbishing some of the Georgian buildings, my interest was piqued on their history. Another huge bonus is the wealth of research material and knowledgeable people you come across, and these combined to get me started initially on little bits of information that could be used in recruitment material or to show off the heritage. Which was when I realised there was a massive unknown story in and around Abercromby Square. The downside of my job of course, is that it means I only have evening, weekends and holidays to research and write, which is quite a drawback, and is a good tip for anyone contemplating researching a book. It is do-able, as this blog, my research and draft chapters so far show, but it takes quite a lot off self discipline and self motivation. I’m currently listening to Man City on the radio as I type this, so multi-tasking becomes a very useful skill, and I’ve got in the habit of having a pencil, pen and book on bus and train journeys, and making sure I achieve something, however small, every day.
It’s particularly challenging at times, when there are lots of demands on your time, and lots of TV to watch and fiction to read and write too, and sadly means that World of Warcraft has been without my company for many months now. My trolls and tauren sleep safe. I’ve also started a new job working on the impact of research, which is fascinating stuff actually, and is opening my own eyes to new ways of looking at my own work, who it affects, and who might be interested. But it means less researchy time.
So that’s a little bit about me. The next few posts will be about what I’ve done so far, what’s coming up, and some of the things I’ve learned.