Job Hunting

While I'm writing both creatively and freelancing, I'm also looking for a more permanent and stable paying job. 

I knew before deciding to major in English that job searching was not going to be the easiest thing in the world. But, I thought, 'hey, I went to a great school, got great grades, it won't be that bad.'

I was wrong. I've been out of school since June 21st. I've been jobless since June 21st. I've turned in over 100 applications. I was called back for one. That one…well, I completely bombed the phone interview. I was wholly unprepared for it and that particular job opportunity was part of my mass application front where I applied for anything and everything. I didn't exactly have award winning answers. It really wasn't any surprise when I didn't get it. Plus, I am so much better in person. Phone interviews suck. 

Moral of the story, English degrees are really, really unmarketable. It doesn't matter what school you went to, or your grades, it's all about luck for us. 

Thankfully, I've finally got an in on a job through a referral, so I am hoping beyond hope that this will be the one. 

I haven't seen people out in the wild in a very long time. I'm going stir crazy. I only talk to people I know over the phone or through text. Actual human interaction is strictly between my fiancé and I and a roommate we had briefly who has already moved out. 

I need to rejoin society before I lose my crackers. 

Writing and I

Currently reading this book suggested by an old teacher

Writing and I, me and writing. We have a strange relationship. I find it really hard to get started writing and even more difficult if I don't have a set deadline. The only time I've really excelled at the whole writing thing was when I was taking creative writing classes. 

When I had a paper due the next week, I could sit down and shoot out a short story in a couple days. I'd have numerous fully-formed stories floating around my head. 

Outside of class without the looming deadline breathing down my neck? I find it soooo hard just to get started. Sure, the numerous story lines are still rolling around in my head, but actually writing them down? Nope.

Even now, I should be writing in order to make a couple contest deadlines, but my writing confidence is hiding in a corner somewhere. I feel pressure to perform since all my writing friends are getting book deals, winning contests, doing author tours, and I'm here waving "hey, I published that story that one time a couple years ago." 

Pathetic. 

And I know I can do it. I know I have what it takes to write. I have all the time in the world to do it right now, too. I have no job, no school. I just have a lot of time that I spend doing everything but writing. 

I'm putting too much pressure on it. I know I am. There's no such thing as writer's block for me. It's just me not doing it.

Sorry for the third post in rant, but the frustration is weighing on me. Anyone else with writing troubles? How do you surpass them? 

It's Nano Time

As a creative writer, it's no surprise that I will be doing NanoWrimo again this year. 

I've attempted Nano every year since 2010, but I've only been successful that first year. Not that anything came of that novel. It was more of an experiment, and I am actually contemplating redoing the whole thing as a NA novel instead of YA. It doesn't work how it is now, but I truly love my characters and aging them might give them the freedom they really need to accomplish the vision I have for them. 

I think the reason for my failures the previous two years have been a combination of just not having adequate time to actually commit to writing and just a general lack of a support group. I never went to my regions write-ins, I generally didn't talk to other participants, so it always fizzled out. 

Not this year!

This year, I plan to fully immerse myself in the Nano experience. I am going to write-ins; hell, I'm even going to the kick-off party in my region this year. I'm all set with a Nano pen pal, and now I've found this Writers Unite Nano support group. 

For those here through the link-up, my name is Nichole, I am from the mitten state. I'm a recent college grad with a Bachelor in English. I am a full-time writer; I freelance, and I am compiling my writing portfolio to start applying for graduate school. 

As for my novel this year, I am expanding a short story I wrote for my creative writing class earlier this year. It's very loosely based on real-life events--more of a combination of stories I've heard or witnessed in my life. 

My Nano title and synopsis: 

Quiet Moments

Adeline and Skylar are two sisters who share a close relationship built out of necessity when their father left and their mother, Jen, turned to alcohol and a string of failed relationships. When Jen meets Paul, the girls ignore his aloof behavior because at least their mother seems happier. But Paul isn't just a little quiet and his anger soon breaks through and targets Skylar. Quiet Moments follows the sisters' relationship as one deals with abuse while the other can only stand by and watch.

Be my writing buddy on Nano: Eternal_Dreamer10

Happy Writing! 

Health and Blog Woes

Crayon art by yours truly 

I've had this blog for two or more years now and my consistency with postings is just plain embarrassing. 

The last time I was posting, I felt like I was in a good place. I was focusing on my writing, spreading the creative love so to speak, but I just ran out of juice. 

Things got really weird for me mentally and health wise. I thought I was going into some weird depression. With graduating, stroke recovery, and beginning the daunting job hunting task, I just shut down. And I've been in that shut down mode until recently. 

At the beginning of 2013, I had vowed to finally lose that extra weight I kept packing on, but couldn't seem to have any luck at it. In fact, since January, I've put on 30 pounds. In June, I thought, well this is ridiculous, I have no clothes, and my energy had disappeared. I thought everyone was looking at my new plumpness and assuming I was lazy, that I wasn't trying to do something about it. 

But I was. I tried juicing, cutting out carbs, working out every single day, cutting out sweets and fast-food.

Guess how much weight I lost???

….

….

….

Not a single damn pound. 

As a matter of fact, if I fudged my shoddy exercise routine or broke down and ate some M&Ms, I'd see it on the scale the next day. 

Something wasn't right. Not only was I not losing weight, but I couldn't sustain a basic exercise routine without feeling completely drained. I've always been a pretty active person. Maybe I haven't been in my peak physical condition for a couple years, but I can play sports, run, and seem endlessly energetic. Now, a fifteen minute walk on the treadmill kills me. 

So I went to the doctors. I had a theory based on good ole WebMd and every other google health search I did that my thyroid was possibly to blame. Either that or PCOS, because everyone around me was convinced my ovaries were the culprits. 

After blood work and a visit to the lady doctor who said she couldn't find my cervix (I didn't know cervixes could disappear, but I'm not a doctor), and a month and a half wait, I finally got my answer. 

I have hypothyroidism. My thyroid is a little slow, throwing everything out of whack. 

Now I have to take a hormone supplement. This is only day one, so I don't know how effective it is yet, but I have high hopes. And, I have to go back to a different lady doctor in order to hopefully find my cervix (my regular doctor assured me that it cannot, in fact, disappear). 

As I am now getting my health in order, I think it's time to get everything else back in order as well. Starting with this blog. I will be sharing a lot of my writing and some of my personal life, too, as I start this journey back to feeling like a normal functioning human being. 

Anybody else out there with thyroid problems? Any tips or tricks? What should I be looking forward to if these hormones work?