Hey! Hey! Hey! It's 2013.
Welcome to the New Year.
I didn't put up a post earlier because I was not so compelled, and also because I was recovering from crossing over. Normally, it takes me a day of sleeping it off, but with a toddler who we shall call SuperGoo, well, let's just say I'm still sleepy.
Anyway, it's the New Year. And as a good citizen of Earth, I should have plans and goals. Well, gosh darn it, I do!
This is the year of my 300 Book Reading Challenge. Ridiculous, I know, but if it were feasible like a 52 Book Reading Challenge, then I wouldn't be interested. I'm one of those 'dream the impossible dream' people. A recipe for heartache, I tell you, but ooh what a rush. So far, I have finished one book - Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. I enjoyed it. It was a delightful romp with angels, demons, switched babies, and what I consider, a very cheeky premise.
I'm in the middle of Francine Prose's How to Read Like A Writer, and have just read the first seven chapters of The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives by Lola Shoneyin for The (Unnamed) Book Club. Expect an update on that soon.
Writing goals? Well, The Plan was to improve my craft while writing six short stories from January to June, and then write Good Intentions from July to December. But, then, I read Good Omens which made me dream up a totally unrelated idea that haunts me. So, the six short stories have been given the bump for Good Intentions, then I will write The Other Story from July to December. I hear you! Foolhardy. Sigh. I'm an all or nothing sort of girl.
Oh Lord, let it not be nothing.
On the Writing for Hire front, things are still kinda up in the air, but I would very much like to work only for the first six months of the year, then use the remaining months to focus on Writing for Myself. At least, that was the plan when I was doing the Six Short Stories and A Novel thing. Now...errr...
On the Weight Loss Goal, I would like to lose 10kg but 5kg would not be bad. I would like to go down two dress sizes, but one would be satisfactory. What's the plan? Well, I thought I would Zumba, Skip, Swim and do some Yoga. You know, slow and steady type of thing. However, Papa Goo got me the Insanity Workout DVD. Yay!
No. Not really.
Sigh. So we'll see.
Ah, well, Happy New Year!
Showing posts with label neil gaiman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label neil gaiman. Show all posts
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
I'm a Writer: Being Passive Aggressive
Wow!
It's been another two weeks.
I really don't know what to say. Sorry seems to be the hardest word (sing it Elton!)
Anyway, contrary to the title of this post (the first part), I have not been writing. Not really. I should have written 8 articles and cleared my schedule till the end of the year, but I've written 2.
Why? See the second part of the title.
I didn't know I was passive aggressive till I got married. On a side note, you never know how angry and how often you can get angry till you get married. To all my single ladies out there, practice deep breathing and counting to ten before you meet The One. It will come in handy.
Anyway, what does being passive aggressive have to do with life as a writer? Well, when you write for clients who pay you per article, you find out rather quickly that most people are not blessed with your kind of genius. As a matter of fact, they tend to land at the other end of the intelligence meter.
...(excuse me while I count to ten)...so let's say I'm supposed to write 8 articles, and my client is supposed to pay me for 5 articles already written, and does not do so, nor see it fit to inform me that said money will not be paid in at agreed upon time, well then, that just gets my goat.
But I am nothing, if not professional, so what do I do - I delay said client's work till they are gagging for it, and then instead of 8, I send in 1 just before they are to go to press. I don't know why but it warms the cockles of me heart to see them scramble.
Unfortunately, I am also a creature of habit, and after a while, I am unable to bring myself to deliver said client's work in time. Ever again. This pains me because I keep hearing Neil Gaiman's voice in my head saying, "Send in your work on time. Make sure it's good work. Make sure you're a pleasure to work with", or something along those lines. It's just that between myself and said client there is an almost septic yet cordial culture of disrespect.
It's not good for me, and I don't know if I should continue. The work is fairly challenging. The money is handy, but I pick up bad habits very easily, and they have turned out to be such evil communication.
Whatever shall I do?
It's been another two weeks.
I really don't know what to say. Sorry seems to be the hardest word (sing it Elton!)
Anyway, contrary to the title of this post (the first part), I have not been writing. Not really. I should have written 8 articles and cleared my schedule till the end of the year, but I've written 2.
Why? See the second part of the title.
I didn't know I was passive aggressive till I got married. On a side note, you never know how angry and how often you can get angry till you get married. To all my single ladies out there, practice deep breathing and counting to ten before you meet The One. It will come in handy.
Anyway, what does being passive aggressive have to do with life as a writer? Well, when you write for clients who pay you per article, you find out rather quickly that most people are not blessed with your kind of genius. As a matter of fact, they tend to land at the other end of the intelligence meter.
...(excuse me while I count to ten)...so let's say I'm supposed to write 8 articles, and my client is supposed to pay me for 5 articles already written, and does not do so, nor see it fit to inform me that said money will not be paid in at agreed upon time, well then, that just gets my goat.
But I am nothing, if not professional, so what do I do - I delay said client's work till they are gagging for it, and then instead of 8, I send in 1 just before they are to go to press. I don't know why but it warms the cockles of me heart to see them scramble.
Unfortunately, I am also a creature of habit, and after a while, I am unable to bring myself to deliver said client's work in time. Ever again. This pains me because I keep hearing Neil Gaiman's voice in my head saying, "Send in your work on time. Make sure it's good work. Make sure you're a pleasure to work with", or something along those lines. It's just that between myself and said client there is an almost septic yet cordial culture of disrespect.
It's not good for me, and I don't know if I should continue. The work is fairly challenging. The money is handy, but I pick up bad habits very easily, and they have turned out to be such evil communication.
Whatever shall I do?
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