Rye wordsmith

Diane Nicholls is a freelance lexicographer based in Rye, Sussex.

What dark forces drove you to the home-working lifestyle?

A desire for flexibility, variety and control over my own time, combined with a conviction that full-time employed work wouldn't suit me.

How long have you been based there and how long do you plan to stay working from home?

I’ve been freelance and working from home for about 15 years. I’ll continue until I retire/drop dead/win the lottery/lose my marbles.

Have you modified your home at all for your work or is your working area just basically a spare room/attic/shed moonlighting as an office/studio?

It’s the spare room. No real modifications.

Does your work eat into your leisure time or do you have a secret formula that protects your personal time?

All the time. There’s no secret formula.

Do partners/children/friends/pets respect your working boundaries? How do you make sure they don’t interrupt your working day?

My partner’s pretty good most of the time. Friends have had to be educated but still some just don't get it. The dog’s mostly good.

How long does it take you to reach your office in the morning and what mode of transport do you use?

One minute. My feet.

What motivates you to start and stay working each day (or night)?

The need to meet deadlines, impress clients so they give me more work, and earn a living. Sometimes, fascination with the task in hand.

Do you ever find work takes a back seat to valuable conflicting interests like going back to bed, watering the plants or staring out the window?

There are days when I just can't focus on work and will do almost anything to avoid it.

Do you ever feel slightly cut off from the rest of the world or is that an advantage in your line of work?

I definitely feel cut off from the rest of the world, but it suits me 90 per cent of the time.

What do you miss about the more conventional home/work divide? What do you most/least enjoy about working from home?

I've always been freelance – I had an office job for a year 20 years ago, but that's it. I most enjoy the fact that I can have a dog, I don't have to have a work wardrobe or even dress for work at all and there are no meetings, no office politics and don't have to smile when I don't feel like it or listen to other people talking nonsense and I don’t have to book my holidays – everything, really.

I least enjoy the financial and professional insecurity.

On what terms would you contemplate a return to the other side?

I haven't been to the other side for 20 years. I wouldn't go back for anything.