Long Time, No Blog

At least really blog. With the kind of content I like to write about. But I've been a bit distracted as of late.

The most recent distraction was, probably like most people, the holidays. #2 is my Nano work in progress. Which despite my not updating my NanoWriMo profile I have kept up with a bit. Mid-week I crossed the 20k word threshhold, which was my initial goal for the month. Even though it's scattered as hell and would probably get me a one way ticket to the nearest Asylum (which, I think, is St. Elizabeth's) I've got 3 complete chapters. Or at least complete enough that I have a better idea of where things are going than I did four weeks ago.

But my main distraction, both this past week and really all this month, is career related. Finding that right career path is dificult for everyone, but you throw in the desire to actively pursue interests like writing into the mix and it gets more difficult. Do you get a job that makes you write during the day, possibly making you sick of writing by the time you get home, or do you pursue something completely different? I once heard Samuel Delany say that every writer in the beginning of his career should work as a ditch digger. It doesn't demand anything of you mentally, so you have time during the day to think about writing and then time at night to actually do the writing. Trouble is, I'm getting to that point that I'm looking towards big life things like marriage, kids, a house....all that normal crap everyone wants. I've spent most of my working life in different jobs at arts organizations, and I've tried teaching college. Arts jobs just aren't doing it for me anymore, and while I loved teaching I grew tired of hearing that I'd have to slave away as a part-time adjunct for 5-10 years before getting anything full time.

So I started looking at libraries. It's working with books, helping people find information and literature, but not in the same corporate way that it would be if I worked for a publishing house. Whether or not it's the right choice, I don't know for sure. But it seems a better path than the one I'm on now. I applied to graduate school late last month, and somewhat to my surprise I was accepted to my first choice of schools. Now I'm facing that big life change. I'm excited about learning something new and taking some steps in another direction, but nervous that the steps are the wrong ones. Only time, I suppose, will tell.

But in the meantime, I have a novel to keep cranking away at and book reviews to churn out and life to live. I hope to keep reporting on all of the above as I go through it.

Excelsior.