hubba hubba

{{{Lilty}}}

Bitch advice needed: I've been in major career redirection mode over the past 24-48 hours. Those of you who read Great Write Way know that I've had a bit of an epiphany that I'm not so much a romance writer as a writer of epic historical fiction that happens to have a love story as an A-plot or important B-plot. I think it's the right choice, because my muse is turning cartwheels and telling me about all the wonderful things I can write now that I don't have to worry as much about genre rules, page count, and the like. But the odds are it'll take me longer to make my first sale, and therefore longer to achieve my dream of being a full-time author, which impacts the day job choices I'm trying to make.

Until yesterday my ideal was to get a work-from-home position, and I was looking at fairly menial, clerical work--something that would still allow me to care for Annabel and have lots of spare time and energy to write. Now I'm thinking a little more long-haul. Not the rest of my life, necessarily, but the next 5-10 years. I'm more open to full-time than I was before, though I'd still happily take a 60-80% FTE gig if I could find one. And I want something a little more career-focused, albeit still the kind of job where I could leave at 5:00 p.m. most days, since the job will be very much #3 behind family and writing. I'm thinking academia, since 90% of my work experience is there, and looking at all the admin specialist, program manager, and asst to dean positions at UW. Or anything event planning or writing/editing-related, if I can find ones that aren't in development. I'm never going back to development--I've learned my lesson.

Make sense? It feels right, except for the part where it feels wrong to have changed my writing and career goals out of the blue on the strength of an "aha!" moment.

Wow, juliana! That cut suits you so well!!!

Burlington, August 20th. Where are you from, Steph?

I'm from Cincinnati -- my whole family is -- but my bro and his fiancee moved to Montpelier 4 years ago. They're getting married August 6 (or maybe 7), at a Bed & Breakfast somewhere between Burlington and Montpelier.

MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! Juliana stole all the pretty!!!

Make sense? It feels right, except for the part where it feels wrong to have changed my writing and career goals out of the blue on the strength of an "aha!" moment.

Susan, that sounds very right to me. And your 'aha' moment had me nodding my head madly.

It makes a lot of sense to me, Susan. Congratulations on the "aha!" moment, I hope it leads you towards happiness and satisfaction. I don't know what would be a better basis for determining your goals than yor own insights.

Juliana! So pretty!

OK, then Steph. Different wedding. That would have been freaky-deeky though, huh?

OK, then Steph. Different wedding. That would have been freaky-deeky though, huh?

It really would! If you go through (or near) Waterbury, stop at the Alchemist Pub & Brewery for kick-ass food and what I hear is kick-ass beer. That's my bro's restaurant, though he won't actually be there then, because he'll be back in Cincy for a second reception for the people who couldn't make it to Vermont.

I don't know what would be a better basis for determining your goals than yor own insights.

Well, except that it feels like Major Life Choices shouldn't be "ahas!" They should involve pro/con lists, deep thought, prayer and meditation if one is so inclined, and generally take days or weeks to accomplish. Not just having all your annoyance with the constraints your chosen genre places on your writing come to a head at writers group one night, thinking, "Maybe instead of trying to change the genre, I should just change genres," and having everything else follow from there.

I don't know, Susan. The 'aha' sounds much more comforting, and I've found that when you have it, you have it for a reason. It's all the pro/con lists, all the meditation, all the angst compressed into one easy to swallow moment!