Personal Thursdays: Why I Love My Jobs

If it weren’t for my jobs, I don’t know what I would do. I work as a library assistant, freelance editor, and writer.

Library Assistant: This is where I found the time to write. I work full-time for a small academic library. My work load is rather light, and I’m quite efficient in getting it done in a timely manner. If I’m not at the circulation desk, I’m in my office or proctoring a test in our Educational Testing Center. It’s a quiet job, and when I don’t have other work to do, I can do whatever. It’s where I started my first novel. I haven’t looked back since. Honestly, even if I made enough money to support myself as a writer, I would like to keep this job.

Freelance Editor: The bad thing about my library assistant job is I am worried that we’ll lose funding and I’ll be out of work. When budget cuts were iffy, I mentioned it to my friend Lisa, and she found out the small publisher she worked for was looking for someone to freelance with them in proofreading, editing, and critiquing. I emailed the senior editor, received my editing test, passed, and became a freelance editor. This job is invaluable because I’ve learned so much about what makes a good manuscript. When you really have to focus on one, you learn fast. I was always rather talented when it came to grammar/spelling. I’m slowly learning the other, and I have a lot of your blogs and writing advice to thank in that department. I’ve been told that I’m versatile as an editor and always keep the author’s vision in mind while trying to do the best I can to improve the manuscript. As soon as I finish one project, they send me another one. So it’s giving me extra money and skills I can use later on. Plus, I get to find some really great manuscripts out there. The only downside is that it cuts into my own writing time. Some days I spend hours working on a manuscript too. Although it’s part-time, it’s often more like a full-time job. The same wonderful Lisa who told me about the one editing job created her own editorial services, so I'm a freelance editor with Hazard Editing as well.

Writer: Don’t tell the other two, but I think I love my writer job the most. Shh! When I’m not writing, I’m thinking about writing and new ideas. I blog. I follow other people’s blogs. I twitter and Facebook. I follow other authors. I soak in everything they have to offer me as a forever learning writer. I try to promote myself and others. I write. I create worlds and people I’d like to meet. I like to entertain people. I like to entertain myself. I get down about rejection, excited about acceptances. I stress over how to phrase a sentence or if something is missing in a story but I can’t tell what. I freak out a bit over query letters, but I’m working on that. I learn, learn, and learn some more. I am a writer. It’s a full-time job, even though the pay checks so far are pretty lousy but appreciated. *grins*

So what do I do other than these jobs? I read and review. I play with my cats. I spend time with my family. I watch TV. Of course, I do that stuff a lot less than I used to, but that’s okay. I love my jobs.