In this day and age, economics become the bottom line. Is that an unpopular viewpoint? Maybe it’s those shit colored glasses again, but I’m in the “entertainment” industry. And the first thing that’s gone out of MY finances is my “entertainment”. I haven’t been to the theater since “Curious George”. I haven’t been out to a restaurant with my husband. I used to take the kids to “The Discovery Museum” but now it’s too pricey. We used to take a trip to Ruth Lake or the Van Duzen River for the day but we can’t afford the gas now.
For me, I’m lucky. I’m having success in my career and so far, it’s been worth every penny I’ve shelled out. (Bookmarks, business cards, paper for the printer and internet access all costs. It’s called “overhead” in the big bad world I think.) The dream has always been to make enough so that the Redneck can retire early and ENJOY some of his life. I don’t need to make a million.
There are days I feel like Toilet Paper Boy up there. Grrrrrr. When a character gives me grief or when I can’t get a second of quiet to pound out a few pages. Those are the times I want to bite something. There is other considerations too.
In less than two years, I will probably be working full time as a secretary. (The job I do now as a temp–about six weeks a year). Whatever great strides I make toward my goal are NOW. NO pressure or anything.
What’s the point of this? Well, in a world that is going to start streamlining it’s “entertainment”, I have to wonder if I’ll “make the cut”. But frankly, I’d still keep writing even if I didn’t see checks. Maybe I’d just write installments on a blog for everyone, I don’t know.
Even as I write this, I realize one place I HAVEN’T cut costs is my ebook buying. I can’t bring myself to pay $7.99 for a paperback at Safeway, but I don’t seem to mind spending $5 online. LOL. I love my books. All of them-electronic and paperback. I’ve come to love the characters, escape in their angst instead of my own and for a moment, my own life is a little less bleak.
Eh. What the hell.
Here’s a video that says it better.
4 Comments
June 14, 2008 at 8:58 am
Geez. I think we need to get together and do some shots. Maybe that would get us out of this “what’s it all about?” funk.
June 14, 2008 at 9:58 am
LOL!!! Yeah, that would help. Definitely.
June 14, 2008 at 10:27 am
Hmmmm. If life wasn’t the way it is for you now, I wonder if your books would be as good as they are. Or, if you’d write them as fast as you do.
Love the song by Martina McBride. The perfect end for your blog post!
June 14, 2008 at 10:57 am
Very good point Andi. I was just saying that I give my characters most of my angst. It makes them so much more to me.