More things I'm giving up

[fiat_knox]

Chicken.

Don't recall if I've posted this earlier. I will check and edit afterwards. However, chicken gives me the heaves and gut burn like crazy, and it isn't because it's not properly done.

It could be what they feed those chickens that gives me this, but either way ... enough. Burnt bird meat is off the menu, lest I suffer another 48 hours of upper abdominal distention.

Another thing I think I'm going to give up is any kind of posts from Jess Hartley, Ethan Skemp, Matt McFarland and Chuck Wendig. I know, I love them dearly. But they're all doing work, and I'm not.

I don't like this uncomfortable feeling I get when I read their posts. I feel like the kid who had his chance to shine at the party, and now has been unceremoniously dumped in the corner with nary a word about what to do. Stay, leave, get drunk, leave your clothes in a pile and walk out the door naked, we don't care what you do now.

I don't like being made to feel like just being a fan again. Because I'm a freelancer, damnit! I won't be put into the crowd, because I never came from the crowd, and frankly if I spend the rest of my life having to claw back to the top on my own work, then so be it. I have my Fourth Rewrite to complete, so I can focus on that.

Let someone else spend their money on these books, or give me some new work to do, damnit! I'm hungry, and there's all sorts of stuff boiling in my head desperate to come out of me. And I don't want just these three books to be the only writing that I ever get to do.

Comments

[innocent-man.livejournal.com]

That's a really weird reaction to being done with your present assignments. Just sayin'.

[fiat-knox.livejournal.com]

I get disheartened sometimes, when I see people suddenly being too busy where, not so long ago, they were desperate. I've seen so many of my friends wandering off and doing their own thing, and I feel somewhat left out at times.

And today is one of those times. Something I'd been looking forward to suddenly fell through, and I'm left with a full weekend all to myself. Again.

You wouldn't believe how hungry for new work I am.

[innocent-man.livejournal.com]

I remember that feeling, if distantly. When I started out it was easily six months between assignments.

Ping Ethan or Joe and tell 'em you want more work.

Yup yup

[fiat-knox.livejournal.com]

You never know how often, or how infrequently, to ping. Will it not be frequently enough and I drop off the radar, or do I ping too often and come over like a pest?

And then there's always that old adage, "Be careful what you wish for, because Lt Uhura might just lock you in a closet at phaser point."

Re: Yup yup

[innocent-man.livejournal.com]

Ethan's lousy about answering his email, and he encourages people to prod him. Joe's much better about it, so you probably don't need to ping him as much.

Re: Yup yup

[fiat-knox.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I am glad you and everyone enjoyed GenCon by the way. :) And a long belated Happy Birthday.

[sandchigger.livejournal.com]

You know what they feed chickens? Other chickens.

Digestion

[fiat-knox.livejournal.com]

That ... does not reassure me one little bit.

I really don't want to know what they put in baby feed these days.

Re: Digestion

[sandchigger.livejournal.com]

They don't make baby feed, they make baby food. It's sorta like how you're not supposed to call a crib a 'baby cage'. People look at you funny. Don't ask how I know.

[jesshartley.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry my posts have made you feel bad. That was never my intention.
I don't know about the other folks you mention, but you've already worked on more books than I did my first year.

This is my history, just so you have some perspective:

4/03 - Submit OWOD fiction idea to White Wolf, get shot down with "we'll keep you in mind" response.

5/03 - Get invited to submit proposal for Exalted novel. (Have no clue what Exalted is, but refuse to let that stop me.)

6/03 - Turn in proposal and (to my amazement) get it accepted.

6/03-10/03 - Write INT

6/04 - Get approached about W:TF novel

1/05 - Get approached for Predators

6/05 - Get approached for Skinchangers

10/05 - Get approached about Blessed Isle

3/06 - Get approached about Promethean Supplements (4)

After that, things picked up and I've gotten quite a bit more work, but as you can see, my first couple of years, jobs /trickled/ in and there were numerous times when I didn't have any offers coming in for 6 months at a time.

I just wanted to give you some perspective, as I know when talking with folks like Matt, Ethan, Chuck or I, it seems like we're drowning in work (which is true) but it takes a while to ramp up to that.

Keeping a positive attitude and continuing to keep in touch with folks who are developing new work is the best way to ensure you keep your hand in the game, as it were. Getting grumpy or resentful isn't going to do you any good, honestly.

Not grumpy or resentful ...

[fiat-knox.livejournal.com]

Just hungry.

And sometimes just a little bit impatient.

But more impatient with myself, really.

Feeling bad

[fiat-knox.livejournal.com]

Nothing like, hon. I just put aside my own schedule, only to have something fall through last minute - and I'm bereft again, and wondering what to do.

Everybody looks so busy, and it's at times like this that I find myself itching for a challenge.

Re: Feeling bad

[jesshartley.livejournal.com]

Understandable!
I'll continue to keep my ear out for projects for you!

Re: Feeling bad

[fiat-knox.livejournal.com]

Thank you. :)

I'm glad everyone enjoyed GenCon, by the way.

Chicken

[fiat-knox.livejournal.com]

I mean it about the chicken, definitely. I spent the weekend with the worst stomach cramps I have felt in years, all because I ate some chicken Friday night. It wasn't that the chicken was badly done - this wasn't one of those horrible TMI food poisoning things you hear about, because Mum and Dad ate the same food, with no ill effects - but the realisation that I really do get a bad reaction to chicken meat, like some sort of chicken protein intolerance.

Re: Chicken

[jagash.livejournal.com]

Odd,chicken _usually doesn't cause that kind of reaction in people. Has it been one incident or multiple occasions?

Re: Chicken

[fiat-knox.livejournal.com]

Multiple occasions, from at least three different sources over the past few weeks.

In different towns. From sources with reputations for high hygiene standards.