Life...as usual

Today was a busy morning. After going through my morning work routine, Sally and I immediately started planning the coming ISWM clearbook, while I catalogued how to reproduce 4 more CRM clearbooks for Monday in my head.

The ISWM bluebook is nearing it's completion, so i'll have a chance to see something I worked on to it's conclusion. I'm still awaiting word on the brochure.

I skipped jogging today because I spent the night thinking of finding a new job, and the details for my new fanfiction (if you read my work—no, it will not be out soon)

I finally shut down at around two thirty-ish thinking about my current story, “Remember”.

The integration of my intense and main character made for a whopping chapter, so I’m finding it hard to top that. The chapter has, so far, gotten some good reviews, but to be honest I have no idea how to handle the story after I sprung out B’Elanna.

I have the outline worked out in my head, but working out some additional details while staying true to my developed arc can be a tricky thing. I’ve thought of having a beta reader to give me a little guidance. But I’m thinking that maybe I’ll just wait until I finish the whole thing and then have the draft go in beta just so it will be polished and ready for primetime.

It’s already 8 chapters, but the whole thing is just starting. Collectively, it’s at 20 or so pages, so it’s my longest work so far.

Anyway, I told my mom last night that I was going to lose my job by the end of March and then going back to take some writing lessons and write for TV and movies.

She…took it very well, much better than I anticipated. I think it’s because she’s watched me struggle finding what I want, then always seeing that I went back to writing. I have this sneaking suspicion that she knew way before I did that I should write, and that she’s just proud that I finally admitted it.

We spent most of last night watching The Truth About Cars and Dogs on Studio 23, before she went off to play Word Twister in my dads PC and Xarra called and we watched the movie together.

The Truth About Cats and Dogs is my all time romantic movie. It’s one of those romantic comedies that land just in the middle of the curve: it didn’t star Meg Ryan but it didn’t suck either. Janeane Garofalo is one of my fav actresses, and the wit in that show is light with a razor edge.

Seeing Ben Chaplin didn't hurt much either.

I told Xarra about my mom’s OK on the writing thing, which she was happy about.

I also gave her an update on my FFNET story, since she actually liked it despite her not really into reading fanfiction. (It is a triumph that I hooked her even if she's not a Star Trek fan)

…

If it seems like it’s obsessing a bit, it’s mostly because it’s hard to write.

I was using the fanfic as a test on how far I can go in writing stories with an arc.

The longest I have ever written is 10 pages, and it was a Mills and Boone-ish thing that I sold to some magazine when I was 18.

Not my best work and I have since changed, but I never moved beyond the four pagers after that.
Now here I am at 20 pages and I am still at my introduction! I thought “Good g, you wrote a really long, multi-character teaser!”

The nice thing about WIPs is that you are compelled to write for your readers.

I used to avoid WIPs (Works In Progress), but there is something about reading something that you know is ongoing in the writers head. Sometimes the writer will get an idea and will go back to change the story.

Most of the time the story gets improved, but sometimes the plot will alter so much that you get a completely new story! Now that is a gem.

I especially admire these adventure writers, because I have a hard time writing plot driven characters. Most of my stories are character driven, so I spend most of my time thinking in my characters shoes and not a lot of the action.

But I think I may get some help with that…

I got to work today, eager to check my reviews since I didn’t go online last night, when I saw Laarni’s boss at my cubicle.

He was using one of the phones in my place, and in between conversations, he said that he left me a note.

I thought it was a critic on the papers on Household Hazardous Waste that I read for him, so I was mildly panicked. Imagine my surprise when I found out it was an invite to a Comics Writing Workshop!

Laarni’s boss is a writer by trade. We get along pretty well…when he is not being one of my bosses.

It was really touching when he did that, since he knows how hard it is to just…write. To get a job as a writer. Most writing jobs out there is journalistic or technical, very few are for creative. To survive, you have to have more than talent but a lot of courage and determination.

When I told my mom my decision, she told me that it was ok if I didn’t get paid for a few months as I was trying out. That they’d support me if ever I needed some damage money.

I think that was my mom’s way of giving me her blessing.

I honestly hope that I won’t have to take my parents up on her their offer. I’m already living at home and contribute very little, since I’m still building on my finances. But I do not want to go back to them supporting me full time.

I’ve checked out my options and so far I am optimistic. I already have good credentials, and my experience here in DAI is pretty extensive.

I don’t know how the writing thing will be, but I’m looking forward to learning and challenging my abilities this coming months.