Monday, March 9, 2020

My Unfortunate Process

A big thanks to all the supporters who read my last post and hopefully got around to reading the article as well! My editor reached out to me recently and informed me that, seeing as they only used a little bit of what I wrote in the article, they want to use the rest of piece in their blog, so that's pretty awesome (: I'll post a link to that when/if it happens. 

I've started to work on my book a little more, so I'm feeling pretty good about that. The only problem is that it's almost impossible for me to work on it while I'm at home. It's pretty much the same logic as not being able to do homework at home - just too many distractions. I like to go to the coffee shop on UNT campus to get my writing done. It's good because it gets me out of the house, it has a nice ambiance for getting work done, and the coffee is good. However, it does mean I have to spend money, so that sucks. There is a "business center" in my apartment complex that I could go to. I've gone there before, but the environment there isn't as good for me. It's really cold and quiet. Plus it's just too close to home, and it's nice to get out. 

I'm thinking of posting a little "sneak peek" of one of my chapters on here to get some feedback. I'm scared to do that, though, because A.) I don't want anyone to steal it, and B.) I like the thrill of having people wait until it actually comes out officially. I have looked into the process of copyrighting my work, but it's pretty complicated and expensive. It seems as though I would need to finish the entirety of the book before I can copyright any of it. So it makes me nervous to put any of it online (even the title!), but we shall see. 

Again, thanks for the views! 

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

After a Long Hiatus

I know I keep saying I'm going to post more often. I really don't have an excuse to offer, but I do offer my apologies to those who actually enjoy reading my vivacious blurbs.

So, here's an update on what has happened in the past few months. I didn't get the job at Gearbox, and I deleted the post addressed to them, so sorry if you didn't get to read it, but it wasn't meant for you anyway. I'm not super surprised I didn't get the job, but I'm disappointed because I did go out of my way to try and get it. I actually went up to their office to try and see if I could talk to someone on the writing staff. Apparently, the receptionists are taught to tell people they don't know anything about anything, and to only contact the Gearbox staff through their website (ugh), so that's what I did. I emailed them and got no response, and I also gave them the link to this blog in my application, which is why I wrote a colorful and eager post dedicated to grabbing their attention. They didn't respond to that either. Oh well.

I am now working as an editorial intern for a publication called BNP Media. They publish this magazine called Roofing Contractor, which is what I've been working on. It's not my dream job, but the staff is amazing and very friendly, and it's a good start should I decide to go into the publishing line of work. It's definitely a different experience for me. The writing is more journalistic than anything, and I have a creative writing background, so my journalism training is practically nonexistent. But it was kind of thrilling to go to events and write about/report on them. All in all, it's just more to add to the resume, right?

Unfortunately, it is an unpaid internship, so I also work at a resale store called Plato's Closet. Again, not my dream job, but it pays the bills and I like the people I work with. Since I'm the only sales associate with a degree (I think), my bosses want to start giving me more responsibilities so I can make more money, so that's cool.

"How's your book going?"

Thanks for asking! It's terrible. I actually hate the people who make writing look so easy. Granted, I see these people by proxy of movies or TV shows, so I probably shouldn't take it personally. But geez, when I see a character who can write a 400 page book in one summer and get it published by the end of the year, I feel pretty inadequate.

"Well, isn't that motivation for you?"

You'd think, but I (like every other artist out there) am my own worst critic, and I spend most of my time editing my work than I do actually writing. I've been expanding/editing my first 3 chapters for the past 2 months rather than just moving on to the 4th chapter. And now it's hard for me to read other books, because I just find myself comparing my crappy book to the other author's.

I probably should blog more. Just because it's good way to write without all the pressure of a book, and it's a good outlet for venting about my struggles. I won't promise anything though, because we've seen how that has turned out in the past.

In other news, I got to cover this panel at the International Roofing Expo (IRE) for my internship. The topic was how to get more women in the roofing industry. Roofing Contractor Magazine has included some of what I wrote in their article covering the IRE. They even gave me a credit line for my contribution, so read to the end! This is the first time anything I've written has been published, so it's very exciting. You can also find a picture of me with a stormtrooper.
Find the article HERE
And thank you for reading