How to Write a Book Around a Full-Time Job

Nobody has time to write a book! But if you're anything like me, you desperately wanted to for years and it never happened. This is ten minutes on how I wrote (and later sold) my novel while a full-time PhD student at Oxford. PLUTOSHINE is published TODAY by Gollancz and is available in hardback from all major bookshops (boy, that's overwhelming to write).

Also, the Guardian called it a 'rousing good read', and New Scientist said it's 'worth the admission fee for the fantastical depictions of Pluto alone', also Alastair Reynolds and Stephen Baxter said some really nice things, it's all on my website, and damn, but I'll take that and run.

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PLUTOSHINE by Lucy Kissick:

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Credits music by the ever-ethereal Silent Island, the song is called Dolphin Rush and I'm a sucker for it, used with their kind permission.

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My name is Lucy Kissick, I have a doctorate in planetary geology from the University of Oxford, I'm a nuclear scientist, and I'm a science fiction author. But more importantly I collect sea glass. I did warn you I had no life.

[gretabellagamba]

Thank you so much for this, really. It means so much ❤

[charlesayers]

Thank you for this! I absolutely needed to hear that!

[Taskade]

Anything is possible! :) It’s not always that we need to do more but rather that we need to focus on less.

[srabonide]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Remember I emailed you? It's good to see you back a year now & that a little regular. ❤️❤️❤️ Love from India 🇮🇳

[RoshnaOmer]

It's like you are directly telling me right my idea into a novel already!

[DrAnaWeidenauer]

you seem such a cool person! I am a psychiatrist and I am going to write a novel. wish me luck. because as Yoda said: do or do not. there is no try ✊🏻

[Gnjsharma]

One thing that worries me about doing a PhD whilst dreaming of writing a novel is that they are two very different methods of writing. I worry that by continuing with a PhD, I may losing my creative writing skills and become more technical and academic in my writing as I continue with postgraduate academia. Did you have this difficulty and how did you balance the two writing styles?

[richardgale]

Hi, Dr Lucy. A quick beg for (very) occasional updates post-PhDiaries – specifically, how are your experiences doing a PhD still impacting your professional methods as both a scientist and an author as you get further away from the conclusion of your PhD?

[uroojwaheed]

I have been watching your videos for some time .I often share your examples with others .I am stay at home mother and doing PhD.Can you suggest me anything? have you had any friend with the similar circumstances?

[harikumarv]

I can't wait to read through your secret precious project!
Love it more that you've made a video talking about it.
Shall definitely write you an email post reading..
Lots of love, you ..