Not so sure with the job at the moment… when I took it I suspected that there was a bloated monster bully lurking within that building, and sadly I was right – there she blows! While on the whole its not me she has her sights on, the very fact she is there, and I used to know her and how she operates, makes me feel a bit dispirited. Her gaze is like a lighthouse – pretty soon she will spot me in her deadlights, and then make my life subtly hell, as that is what she strives to do. Marvellous, I think, just what I need right now.
So am I debating… while I have no qualms about sticking this out – life’s too short, isn’t it? At least that’s my thinking…
The sort of songs I am listening to at the moment seem to reflect the way I am feeling – lots of Carpenters classics, and melodic harmonies - slightly bluesy whimsical songs, lyrics that ponder the future. I feel like I am in one of those rare moments in time when life can be viewed from two diametrically opposing angles – it can either look all crap, or all with a brink of promise. It doesn’t help that my moods swing violently between each viewpoint every day – one minute depressed, the next quietly optimistic. It’s all very strange…
I viewed a cottage at the weekend – oh it almost ticked all the boxes! It is in my favourite location ‘of all time’, very Agatha Christie, two bedrooms a decent size, a small courtyard garden (that was really a walled box with a pot plant) and within walking distance of a train station. The downsides are it has no bath, parking would be away down the road, and the front door opens straight into the front room. It is also opposite a pub – a very nice pub, so fairly handy, but could be noisy come spilling out time. It is a whole £150 cheaper than the flat… not saving a great deal there though, eh? I am going to arrange to see it again with J at the weekend – see it through his eyes, I might be cottage-biased and think all is lovely when it has rising damp and holes in the roof.
Showing posts with label job. Show all posts
Showing posts with label job. Show all posts
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
Friday, 11 July 2008
Jayne (potentially) Two-Jobs
This is going to be a post filled with woe and fret, I’m afraid. You’ll have to either fortify yourself with a nice cup of tea before continuing or choose to duck out altogether and come back tomorrow when there will hopefully be a nice non-fret post up instead.
How can I have ended up in this pickle? Desperation, that is what happened, yer Honour. It was painfully obvious that I needed a job, so I chose two – one (Job A) that appealed, and another (Job B) that I knew would be easy for me. Job B has all the advantage of a mighty corporate machine, and first interview, second interview went bam bam – in just one week all was done, and I had a job offer. Job A, bless their cottons, are not a giant corporate machine, and are taking ages to make up their minds, as in a way it’s a much more important decision for them, being a smaller company. And so here I sit and wait their final decision… yet all the while aware that Job B expects me to start in their employ rather soon. Ye Gods.
I haven’t actually signed a contract with Job B, or agreed that I was starting... yet there is this wave of assumption that reaches me even in my little town. But why would they doubt? Oh this is so stupid. What if I cannot do Job A? Should I just accept Job B? What if this is all academic and Job A doesn’t want me anyway? Job A said they’d let me know yesterday or today… and so surely before six they will end this torture?
And incidentally, Job B was the one that I thought could potentially help the novel perhaps in the long run… but thinking about it seriously, it really is a punt on a punt, and not totally convinced that it is only by working there could I get their interest… If it was all about the novel then I should get a job in a PR/ Marketing firm, or in a literacy agency, or work for a publisher’s, and even then does that guarantee an ‘in’? More than likely the last thing a busy person will want is someone they have brought in to do a job and solve a problem sidling up with ‘The Novel’ in their should-be-busy hands.
*pause for more fretting and checking mobile signal.*
I can't concentrate on anything else, so it's youtube for me until 6pm. And then I think I will cry! (Am crossing fingers for tears of happiness).
How can I have ended up in this pickle? Desperation, that is what happened, yer Honour. It was painfully obvious that I needed a job, so I chose two – one (Job A) that appealed, and another (Job B) that I knew would be easy for me. Job B has all the advantage of a mighty corporate machine, and first interview, second interview went bam bam – in just one week all was done, and I had a job offer. Job A, bless their cottons, are not a giant corporate machine, and are taking ages to make up their minds, as in a way it’s a much more important decision for them, being a smaller company. And so here I sit and wait their final decision… yet all the while aware that Job B expects me to start in their employ rather soon. Ye Gods.
I haven’t actually signed a contract with Job B, or agreed that I was starting... yet there is this wave of assumption that reaches me even in my little town. But why would they doubt? Oh this is so stupid. What if I cannot do Job A? Should I just accept Job B? What if this is all academic and Job A doesn’t want me anyway? Job A said they’d let me know yesterday or today… and so surely before six they will end this torture?
And incidentally, Job B was the one that I thought could potentially help the novel perhaps in the long run… but thinking about it seriously, it really is a punt on a punt, and not totally convinced that it is only by working there could I get their interest… If it was all about the novel then I should get a job in a PR/ Marketing firm, or in a literacy agency, or work for a publisher’s, and even then does that guarantee an ‘in’? More than likely the last thing a busy person will want is someone they have brought in to do a job and solve a problem sidling up with ‘The Novel’ in their should-be-busy hands.
*pause for more fretting and checking mobile signal.*
I can't concentrate on anything else, so it's youtube for me until 6pm. And then I think I will cry! (Am crossing fingers for tears of happiness).
Saturday, 5 July 2008
On the Up
Some good things… I went for two jobs, and to my surprise find myself in the happy situation of being in demand! That is rather nice and somewhat unexpected, and leaves me with the decision about which to pursue. Both have pros, both have cons… one is more money (which should be the clincher) but the other… I have a feeling that if all goes well with the book, then the other will be a real help. And my instinct, bless it, does seem to sometimes run the show without me, so perhaps I should let it be. Either way, perhaps I am not doomed to live by the bins in a cardboard box, although for a while there it was tough going.
It’s still not going to be a picnic, as whichever I choose, the first wage will not be in until end of August, so still there are a few hurdles to fly over – paying for travel, rent, bills, food – all this is still a source of worry. But I can probably extend my overdraft if I can show the bank evidence of a job offer, so this might get me through the summer. Cross fingers!
As for the novel – it is shaping up quite nicely, if I say so myself. I took myself to Borders and spent nearly a full day researching current book titles, and making note of the stories that are similar to mine, seeing who publishes such titles. It is a tricky thing as of course I think my book is completely unique and there is nothing else like it, but I need to work out where I think my novel fits into the grand scheme of published work, so people cleverer than I can work out how to sell it. At least, I think that is the idea.
I have also started my agent research – I made a list of what I want from an agent, and then have been looking through books such as Writer’s Market UK to find out what agents might be suitable. There are so many things to think about – (and this is all from the ‘ideal world’ perspective, i.e. they all like me) do I want a large agency that might have a huge list of clients and therefore not much time for me? Do I want a smaller agency that might have time for me but perhaps not the same pulling power? I can’t go for any that charge a ‘reading fee’, and I think I would like an agent based in London. I am also thinking that it might be useful in future to have an agent that represents children’s as well as adult’s fiction – so pipes up my intuition again – I hope it’s not just indigestion. But the good thing is I have at least two full weeks to really consider all of this, as it would be madness to have gone through this ‘sink or swim’ year with the novel and not carefully plan to get this bit as right as I can!
And you know what… researching for agents is fun. This is probably because none have had the chance to reject me yet, so all have potential to be fabulous. Yee-hah!
It’s still not going to be a picnic, as whichever I choose, the first wage will not be in until end of August, so still there are a few hurdles to fly over – paying for travel, rent, bills, food – all this is still a source of worry. But I can probably extend my overdraft if I can show the bank evidence of a job offer, so this might get me through the summer. Cross fingers!
As for the novel – it is shaping up quite nicely, if I say so myself. I took myself to Borders and spent nearly a full day researching current book titles, and making note of the stories that are similar to mine, seeing who publishes such titles. It is a tricky thing as of course I think my book is completely unique and there is nothing else like it, but I need to work out where I think my novel fits into the grand scheme of published work, so people cleverer than I can work out how to sell it. At least, I think that is the idea.
I have also started my agent research – I made a list of what I want from an agent, and then have been looking through books such as Writer’s Market UK to find out what agents might be suitable. There are so many things to think about – (and this is all from the ‘ideal world’ perspective, i.e. they all like me) do I want a large agency that might have a huge list of clients and therefore not much time for me? Do I want a smaller agency that might have time for me but perhaps not the same pulling power? I can’t go for any that charge a ‘reading fee’, and I think I would like an agent based in London. I am also thinking that it might be useful in future to have an agent that represents children’s as well as adult’s fiction – so pipes up my intuition again – I hope it’s not just indigestion. But the good thing is I have at least two full weeks to really consider all of this, as it would be madness to have gone through this ‘sink or swim’ year with the novel and not carefully plan to get this bit as right as I can!
And you know what… researching for agents is fun. This is probably because none have had the chance to reject me yet, so all have potential to be fabulous. Yee-hah!
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