I might've aired a little too much about how to handle the interruption of my writing and promotion because of my full-time
I started out airing about losing the freedoms non-authors had, like being able to spend a lunch hour in a restaurant. Instead, I spent my hour break each day "reading," which I believe all authors need to do to succeed. If the weather was cool (as it is the majority of the time in middle Tennessee), I'd sit in my car and read. If it was too hot or too cold, I'd drive to a hospital not a mile from where I worked and read in the hospital lobby.
Little did I know how good I had it back then when I could take a lunch hour to read. Last fall my job began to change. New owners, new structure, new business decisions made to stay profitable. My job became busier with every new week. I could no longer take the time to do much more at lunch than eat at my desk. I worked late in the evenings, from home, and came in on Saturdays. By the time January rolled around I published a post on another blogspot called, My Life As It's Been Since Last December and included the picture below.
And that's exactly where I was, but I needed the job, I had to keep the job. My only hope was that things would return to normalcy.
What I did not anticipate was that I wouldn't have a choice in the matter. Last month, one-month prior to my 9th year anniversary, my position was eliminated and the work distributed to others. I'm just now coming out of my shock stage, but again, I work in HR. I know these things happen.
So, I have the time to write while I look for a paying job, but here I am contemplating again. How nice if I found a four-day-a-week job instead of five. One in the writer/author world instead of human resources. A job close to home. Hopeful, but not likely.
In all my musings over balancing a paying day job with a non-paying start-up author job, I dreamed a little about letting the day job go; thus, the title for this post: Be Careful What You Wish For.
http://www.lindathorne.com
19 comments:
Linda,
I know exactly how you feel. The same thing happened to me several years ago when my full-time position was eliminated company-wide. I was in shock! How could this happen? And, more importantly, what was I supposed to do now?
As it turned out, it was a blessing - not financially, but in other ways.
I finally had the time I needed to devote to my writing and to find a publisher. I have since written five novels in my Malone mystery series. And, on a personal note, I was able to spend quality time with my father before he went to be with the Lord. For that, I am very grateful!
I wish you the best! Everything will work out.
Yes, this is probably a blessing in disguise. Think about the money you will save by not going to work: transportation costs, clothes, buying food or snacks at work. At least until you find another job that suits you, if that's what you need/want to do.
Paticia, your story is certainly encouraging. Five books in your time off from work is a real success story. I'm so glad it all worked out for you.
Marilyn, I'm not sure any of us can compete with your close-to-40 books success. I for one won't be trying. You are right about the gas and clothes. The gas in my car is at 3/4ths of a tank and I haven't bought any since I left the job and that's been over a month!
I'll let everyone know how this pans out for me as time goes by.
Thanks for your interest.
There are always pluses and minuses no matter which road you take. When I had a day job, I was always busy, but somehow still managed to write. Now that I'm retired, I can't seem to get everything done and don't seem to have enough time to write.
A heart felt post, Linda. But remember your success and achievment at being a traditionally published author. I wish you well with your future and hope you find a new job that fits in with everything else you want to achieve, and I hope that includes continuing to write.
Mollie x
I also used to take part of my lunch time to think about my current WIP. Every evening, when I got home from work, I went straight to my computer and started typing the scene I'd been thinking about all day. When I retired, I felt like I could breathe again. Yes, it's going to be tough for a while until you get another job. But now, life has given you choices. Thank you for sharing your story.
Thank all of you for the encouragement. One thing is for sure, this is another fork-in-the-road for me. I've had a lot of them and mostly landed on my feet. It's real scary and yet kind of an adventure in a way.
Linda, you will prevail! I find the balancing act just as hard in retirement as it was in my day job. Just balancing different balls. YOu are indeed on an adventure and it will help your writing.
You have your health. You'll find another job, maybe a better one. Life is what happens to us while we're making other plans.
I'm fond of a saying, "When a door closes, another one opens,". No time is it truer than it is for you. something else will come along. It usually does, and perhaps, it shall be something you were seeking for all this time. Such as writing full time?
I'm cheering for you, Linda.
BTW: The actual full quote is: "When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us." Alexander Graham Bell
Maggie, your comment is much like Morgan's. Time balancing still goes on even if you don't have a job to go to. I'm finding that out now.
Gloria, I like your quote about life is what happens while we're making other plans. So true.
And yours too, S.J. Another door has to open even if I kick it down! :) P.S. I didn't know about the added "closed door" part by Alexander Graham Bell. I promise not to be staring at any closed doors. I've seen too many people waste their time doing that.
Thank you all for stopping by.
Hi Linda, indeed a heartfelt post. I'd consider it a blessing in disguise to give you the time you crave to write. Way bettter than having an illness making you leave your job, which is what happened to me in 2000 for 4 months. I was able to go back but it was a kick in the butt!
That must have been so frustrating, Linda--you were working so hard, putting in so much extra time, and then you got laid off. That's incredibly unfair. And suddenly losing your paycheck must be frightening. I hope you can find another job soon, one that will meet your needs and leave you more time to write.
Ronnie, unless I have you mixed up with someone else, I think I've heard your story before. Yes, you are right, an illness would be much worse. It looks like you sprung back just fine (Hope I used "sprung" correctly - I normally have to research words like that).
Thank you B.K. I can't cry "unfair" though after reading what happened to one of your characters in The Last Blue Glass. Don't want to give the story away, but one "loyal" character really got a raw deal. The person did something about it in return, but still...
Linda, I'm SO sorry this has happened to you but I know you'll find something soon and there's a good chance it will turn out to be a good thing for you. Before I left the corporate world and opened a bookstore, I had two companies shut down entirely (and lost all my pension from one) so I know how you're feeling. Keep your chin up and keep us posted ;-)
Lelia, So few companies have pensions anymore. That must've been a hard thing to think you had one and then just lose it. Wow. Actually, the employer where I worked prior to this one, shut their doors. I had not been with them long enough to be vested in their pension.
Linda, I will be keeping you in my prayers. As some of the other people have mentioned, I believe this may turn out to be a blessing. You had mentioned even in NOLA that you were becoming swamped at work, so I'm glad that you don't have that concern anymore. I hope you're able to find something else that gives you a little more time for your writing and for yourself. Blessings, Amy.
I also used to read and write during my lunch time and when my kids went to soccer and such thinking all the time 'wouldn't it be nice'. Well now I am sort of retired, to young to retire permanently but qualifying for it with my job. I took it and thought 'now I will have time to write' but alas I look for the tried and true. I have taken on jobs similar to the ones I have done before and more than one at a time (contract work). That is also not counting the fact that I thought now I get all the work done at home that I have been ignoring for so long. Let's just say I had more time to write when I was working full time. I have just after nine months started to get a balance going and feel like I can breathe and yes write again. My advice, if you don't have to hurry through this part of your life, take your time, look for what you want not what will do and write because the writer in you needs it.
Thank you Annay. I'm finding out that a lot of writers have been through this sort of adjustment. I'm still trying to get settled into being out of work. Yes, the writing is not as easy as I thought it would be with available time. I keep finding something to disrupt me and worrying over expenses. I'll do what you suggest and try to get a "schedule" going. I'm glad for you that you finally got back to some steady writing. I'm learning a lot from the experiences of others.
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