A Lesson from Alan Rickman

I’ve been reading Madly Deeply, the highly entertaining diaries of the late Alan Rickman, who was one of my favourite actors.

Aside from the fact that he seems to have rarely met a director he liked, what is noticeable is how often he and his friends attended plays or watched films together. We’re talking at least 2-3 times a week. And he details his impressions of these performances including reviews of individual actors all the way to the suitability of the lighting and music (he appears to have highly respected the professionalism of those who work behind the scenes).

This is a man studying his craft not only through his own work experience but by constantly reflecting on how others do it.

As a knowledge manager, I was constantly reading about and networking with other knowledge managers, so I understand where he was coming from.

So when I became a writer, I was overjoyed to realise that, far from the job keeping me too busy to read, it actually required me to read.

And I love to read. I don’t know how you could be a writer and not be an avid reader.

I was worried when I quit my last job to start writing, I wouldn’t be able to fill my day. I knew I wasn’t going to have the stamina to write for eight hours a day. And you can only do so much housework. But I find myself in the wonderful position of rising each workday, doing a few domestic tasks, and then spending the rest of my morning reading about other writers, the writing and publishing process, or just reading murder mysteries before I begin my writing afternoons. 

It’s the best kind of homework.