Thursday, January 21, 2010

WIP Wednesday - That's Funny

Yesterday, Wednesday, was one of the worst days I've had in some time.

My car is in at the mechanics. I dropped it off there Wednesday morning (yesterday, Australian time) and it stayed there overnight due to them having to fly a part in from interstate. There is a strong possibility it could be there until Friday morning as I wait for the part to arrive and then be installed. And it's costing me a fair little packet for all this inconvenience - nice!

On top of that, I was informed of my need to move office spaces. I've sat in the same space for the past five or six years. It's like a home away from home (if I had to live in Hades part time). It is semi-secluded and has a nice enough view out a large window, which provides me with ample natural light to work by. Now I have to move to a slightly smaller, not secluded, windowless office space adjacent to a door that is always open and leads onto the main thoroughfare in my building - wonderful. I have two weeks to accomplish the non-negotiable move. I also have two weeks left remaining on my major project work - super nice!

I have staff members away who I need to help complete project tasks, I'm continually waiting on others to finish what they promised to finish a week or more ago, and the pay office has neglected to pay me for overtime worked last year!

Needless to say my mind was not on anything vaguely resembling writing.

And then we received an email back from one of the authors selected to be in the Dark Pages anthology who has already received their first round edits (we're working through them - everyone should have their first round edits over the next few weeks. Things will only get quicker from there). It was full of praise for my editorial team, in particular, my first pass copy editor - you all know this person as Pharo, my language and critique guru. This allowed me to smile and brightened up my day just enough to stop me from slashing my wrists.

Today is a new day. I have an opportunity to work through one or two more of the Dark Pages stories and get them back to the authors for comment. Things are slowly getting better.

Two lessons to be learned here:

1) If you find someone who's advice is excellent, has knowledge in areas of writing that is either stronger than yours or compliments your own, and who is willing to work with you over a long period of time in a combined effort to improve both yours and their ability in the craft - never let them go. Pay them if you have to.

2) The sun will always rise in the morning, and a new day is a new opportunity to write something wonderful. (I may change this way of thinking come 2012, but until proven otherwise, I'll stick with it for now).

May you write lots of wonderful words today.

11 comments:

  1. I hope things start looking up for you soon, buddy.

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  2. Hang in there, man. Life would be awesome if we didn't have to do the $&#(& that sucks. (Like Jeremy said)

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  3. Your points 1 and 2 at the end are spot on. Hope your week ends on a high note.

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  4. I hope your week improves! It sounds really awful. Geez, I don't even know what part is worst--first I think the car, and then I think about what a hassle it is to deal with payroll where I work, and then I remember the absolutely hellish time my office relocated during an insanely busy month--

    Well, anyway, I hope things improve.

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  5. Editing is for the truly brave. But when it's over, you'll be walking on air : )

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  6. The car will be back tomorrow (Friday) morning. Many, many hundreds of dollars will be leaving home :c(

    The great project rollout is happening on Sunday.

    The editing still didn't happen today - best laid plans... - I will sit down and get up to date at some point over the next few days!

    The pay issue has been resolved (hopefully) and I'll get me well deserved cash next payday - which is when I'll also get the money for the overtime I'm about to do this Sunday so I'll get taxed in an even higher bracket and end up with bugger all!

    Roll on February. May you be so much more productive writing-wise...

    Sigh

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  7. Cares are wonderful things, having to repair them sucks. I am waiting for them to make a zero maintenance car and make low monthly payments on it for the rest of my life. Hope things get better, friend.

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  8. Bah, why does it always hit at once? At least the Big Project is there to make things feel decent now and then-- how could it not, with the sheer levels of awesome involved there?

    Is it February yet?

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  9. Windowless sucks... I miss daylight.

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