Tonight's Poet Corner: Introspection
We opened the bookstore to the public on Monday, and reception, so far, has been incredibly positive. I can say with utter sincerity that I really like my job, even though I was skeptical as to whether or not I'd get bored of it. The truth is, working with the public and working with books is a great combination for me, and while it's not a teaching job, it's a job that allows me to promote reading and independent bookstores to a large city in my county, which is fantastic, if you ask me.
So far, I am averaging about 25-30 hours a week working at the store. While that's still not ideal, it's a lot better than I expected, so I just have to be careful about my spending and budgeting. I'm having a blast with my coworkers despite my occasional slip-ups at the register since, well, I'm still learning. About ninety-five percent of the customers, which include a couple of local authors who have swung by and signed the books of theirs that we have on hand, are an absolute delight, though today I got ye olde 'You're too much like [insert chain here], so I'm not supporting you anymore" conundrum. Yes, I've endured some strange encounters, like one couple who didn't seem to get that they had walked into a bookstore, not a clothing store (the books didn't tip you off). And I have made some rookie mistakes. But it's all a part of learning, and as far as I'm concerned, my managers love having me around and I'm seen as a very fast learner.
So, yes, it's been fun so far. Of course, it brings me to two very important things in my life that I've sort of put off by the wayside: My writing and a potential teaching credential.
While the latter I take sole responsibility for putting off given some laziness and distraction - I seriously just wrote a note to myself as I was typing this introspection - the former you might be confused about. Yes, I do write on this blog, but as I've reiterated, the purpose of My Cardboard Balcony is more of a personal one than anything else. In short, I run this blog in order to keep writing in some form and maintain my craft while possibly improving on it (practice, practice, practice). This blog, of course, contains short stories and poetry. When I refer to "my writing," I more refer to my long-term projects such as scripts, screenplays, and novels.
Last year was very much a year of productivity for me - I managed to knock out two novels in a matter of a few months. The beginning of this year wasn't bad, either, as I worked very intensely on a mini-series called Happy Distribution that I am very proud of. However, as my handful of readers have probably noticed, I haven't mentioned my third novel-in-progress in a while. That's because I haven't worked on it in a couple of months. And any screenplays and scripts I write linger on my computer because I do not have the money, equipment, collaboration, or publicity to film and produce anything in terms of cinematic or visual media.
I get it - the past few months have been rough for me due to my transitioning into another job, so I shouldn't be too hard on myself. But guys, I haven't even written a complete song since 2012, and the last song I've worked on is incomplete since June. I want to finish The Authoritarian Auction, but I can feel my drive slipping a bit. I don't want to simply feel comfortable writing for this blog, and again, yes, I get that maintaining this blog regularly is a huge accomplishment and maybe I should be proud of myself. But I want to see my work published, and I want to see it gain some recognition. Writing alone is wonderful, and I'm happy to be writing every day of my life in some form or capacity. But as a writer, I can't help feeling ambitious and restless once in a while.
Obviously, if any of you feel like you'd like to give me feedback in any form regarding my semi-paralysis in terms of publication and media production, that's entirely your call. I think one thing I miss a lot is being surrounded by a circle of friends who are in the same boat, struggling to gain some form of exposure in their writing. I want to be able to collaborate and work with people in various forms of art and literature. I want to be in a band again. I want to make a movie. I want to publish my novels. I want to put on a show. And while obviously I can't do it all at once and I have a lot of things on my plate such as my job and money management, I can't let that all take precedent over my obvious passion.
I'm not going to say, "We'll see," my beloved few readers. I don't even want to say, "I'll work on it." Honestly, I'm a bit stranded in terms of some of my projects. And in the end, it's up to me, in some way, to remedy that situation.
I'm just not sure how yet.
Writer's Quotation of the Night:
There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story.
- Frank Herbert
So far, I am averaging about 25-30 hours a week working at the store. While that's still not ideal, it's a lot better than I expected, so I just have to be careful about my spending and budgeting. I'm having a blast with my coworkers despite my occasional slip-ups at the register since, well, I'm still learning. About ninety-five percent of the customers, which include a couple of local authors who have swung by and signed the books of theirs that we have on hand, are an absolute delight, though today I got ye olde 'You're too much like [insert chain here], so I'm not supporting you anymore" conundrum. Yes, I've endured some strange encounters, like one couple who didn't seem to get that they had walked into a bookstore, not a clothing store (the books didn't tip you off). And I have made some rookie mistakes. But it's all a part of learning, and as far as I'm concerned, my managers love having me around and I'm seen as a very fast learner.
So, yes, it's been fun so far. Of course, it brings me to two very important things in my life that I've sort of put off by the wayside: My writing and a potential teaching credential.
While the latter I take sole responsibility for putting off given some laziness and distraction - I seriously just wrote a note to myself as I was typing this introspection - the former you might be confused about. Yes, I do write on this blog, but as I've reiterated, the purpose of My Cardboard Balcony is more of a personal one than anything else. In short, I run this blog in order to keep writing in some form and maintain my craft while possibly improving on it (practice, practice, practice). This blog, of course, contains short stories and poetry. When I refer to "my writing," I more refer to my long-term projects such as scripts, screenplays, and novels.
Last year was very much a year of productivity for me - I managed to knock out two novels in a matter of a few months. The beginning of this year wasn't bad, either, as I worked very intensely on a mini-series called Happy Distribution that I am very proud of. However, as my handful of readers have probably noticed, I haven't mentioned my third novel-in-progress in a while. That's because I haven't worked on it in a couple of months. And any screenplays and scripts I write linger on my computer because I do not have the money, equipment, collaboration, or publicity to film and produce anything in terms of cinematic or visual media.
I get it - the past few months have been rough for me due to my transitioning into another job, so I shouldn't be too hard on myself. But guys, I haven't even written a complete song since 2012, and the last song I've worked on is incomplete since June. I want to finish The Authoritarian Auction, but I can feel my drive slipping a bit. I don't want to simply feel comfortable writing for this blog, and again, yes, I get that maintaining this blog regularly is a huge accomplishment and maybe I should be proud of myself. But I want to see my work published, and I want to see it gain some recognition. Writing alone is wonderful, and I'm happy to be writing every day of my life in some form or capacity. But as a writer, I can't help feeling ambitious and restless once in a while.
Obviously, if any of you feel like you'd like to give me feedback in any form regarding my semi-paralysis in terms of publication and media production, that's entirely your call. I think one thing I miss a lot is being surrounded by a circle of friends who are in the same boat, struggling to gain some form of exposure in their writing. I want to be able to collaborate and work with people in various forms of art and literature. I want to be in a band again. I want to make a movie. I want to publish my novels. I want to put on a show. And while obviously I can't do it all at once and I have a lot of things on my plate such as my job and money management, I can't let that all take precedent over my obvious passion.
I'm not going to say, "We'll see," my beloved few readers. I don't even want to say, "I'll work on it." Honestly, I'm a bit stranded in terms of some of my projects. And in the end, it's up to me, in some way, to remedy that situation.
I'm just not sure how yet.
Writer's Quotation of the Night:
There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story.
- Frank Herbert
Have a great night and a great weekend, everyone.
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