In a learning phase

Hello to all!

I'm excited about November's National Novel Writer's Month project "A Day of Reckoning". If you read the blurb about in my last post, you know it's based on a family situation involving my niece. I'm in the beginning phase of character building, plot and subplots, chapter outlines and research! In addition to still working on "Savant". I really want to have the first draft of it finished by or before the New Year.

For those who think just picking up a pen/pencil and writing a story is all there is to it. Wellllll, as I have mentioned before (read other posts, I hate to repeat myself and cringe when I do) at least for me, it is an involved process. I want to have as much of it laid out in front of me before I get into actually writing. That's my process and works. I can get easily distracted and have many interruptions. I try to limit that by writing when the world sleeps.

The days I work, leave me drained to even think. All I want to do is get out of the stinky clothes, soak my feet/take a shower. Yeah I whine about it, but I am truly thankful for the paycheck! My employer has got my ass out of a sling several times because of the benefits provided and many thanks to them! I have mentioned I want to, need to, rather, find something I can do without having to be on my feet the whole twelve hours, whether it be standing, walking or climbing stairs. I'm sure it would be much better if I didn't have a hundred pounds of ass behind me (no I'm not talking about my Supervisor, that's at least 160- ha, ha, ha!)

I had a melt down at work last week, my annual cryfest. I let too much build up and then a minor incident happened. I accidentally poured a water sample down the drain. I had to tell my boss, dreading it. He's under pressure too and here I go making his day just a little better. I felt so bad, I simply lost my balance and had to find a place to go cry. Being tired, hurting feet and knee, hot and sweaty and what not, like the feather that lands on a teetering stack of glass, over it went. That's how those things work I suppose.

I try to not let work issues bother me. It got so bad I broke down and bought cigarettes, (yeah I did, boo-hiss) and then another pack and another pack. It's hard enough without thinking I'll be blamed for something that I possibly cannot control. This comes from the seventeen years working in the Quality Assurance department. Everything has to be near perfect, all paperwork flawless, all tests conducted in a timely manner, so on an so forth. There was a time in my life I didn't have all these issues, but then, I did not have the responsibility. I want to do my job to the best of my ability. My boss has pretty much said that if I let the job get to me, I should think about getting out. He doesn't want that to happen, but it's not fair for him to have to deal with my menopausal spurts. He did suggest to go one week without worrying like I do, and if I did not feel better, he'd kiss my ass, ack!

When I do find the right job, or rather the one I think I might like to try, then I will leave the treatment process. Believe me, I would like to just jump into a job simply to get away from the weather issues, winter is coming up and fall in this area is full of storms just like spring. Hate them! Working night shift would not be too bad if we had another person who worked that shift, it's a one person show that really needs two. I think it's a safety hazard in itself. I could go through a whole list of reasons why I think this but it just depresses me so I won't. I'm searching the papers, and keeping an eye on our job bids, but enough of whining. When the time comes, and hopefully soon, then I will make the move.

Back to writing, it's a much better subject.

I have a writing friend who I met on "Myspace", named Kim. We make comments and such, and am looking forward to attending her workshop in October during the writer's conference. I was checking out her blog and am amazed that not only her but several other of my writing buddies have a half dozen or so sites, and keep up with them on a regular basis. How they do that, I can't figure out, but more power to them! I've learned something from each one on how they present their work. I'm always for learning new things when it comes to the writing craft. As long as I learn, I can only get better.

At this writing, I am also listening to NBC broadcast discussing Gustav. I'm glad it was not as destructive as meteorologists predicted. I'm sure this is one time they are glad to be wrong. This storm is supposed to work its way up into Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, with massive amounts of rain forecasted. Not the news I wanted to hear.

I hope everyone had a nice Labor Day!