final weekend

Today and tomorrow are my last days on my day job. More importantly, they are my last days on any day job for a while. I anticipate writing full-time for - who knows - maybe six months, maybe a full year, maybe longer.

It will be the first time either Allan or I have been able to write full-time. Not because we were trying without success: it was never a goal. Neither of us ever pursued a staff job with a magazine or newspaper, and freelancing full-time wasn't realistic. We both have very specific and somewhat idiosyncratic writing goals. When those goals also pull in some income, all the better. When they don't, we write anyway.

Our ongoing goal - my goal, which I instilled in Allan - was to jockey our way into better and better day-jobs, decreasing the number of hours we had to spend working for money, and increasing the time we could spend writing or researching our own interests. We met this goal beautifully. For a long time our day jobs have been 24 hours per week, squeezed into two days. It's been brilliant, and I didn't think we'd get any better.

Suddenly (and it really was sudden) I find myself earning enough from writing that I can drop the day-job entirely. It's awesome. I am knocked out by the prospect. I know Allan is envious, and I actually feel a little guilty! (Sheesh. Ridiculous.)

It won't be forever. I get bored very easily. I need constant stimulation from my writing, and if it grows too easy, too routine, I'm off in search of another challenge. At some point I'll want to pursue some research or writing on my own, and I'll head to the temp agencies looking for work.

But for now, wow.

Comments

  1. Shy27 August 2005 at 13:41

    i just stumbled across your blog. Congrats on achieving a no work status.
    i loved my brief stay in Canada. May your move go smoothly.

    ReplyDelete
  2. laura k27 August 2005 at 13:47

    Thank you, Shy. But please don't call writing "no work". It's the hardest work I do.

    Thanks for your good wishes.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Crabbi27 August 2005 at 16:04

    First of all, congrats on meeting such a challenging goal! I'm not at all surprised you're able to quit your day job (you're really, really good), but still...like you said, wow.

    And you're spot on about writing being hard work. It hurts! The bit of writing I do for school, on my blog and my own personal stuff - it's often damned painful. There's also the emotional aspect - will people think I suck, or that I'm an idiot, how do I get started, blah, blah, blah. I'm so impressed that you're doing this full-time and moving. Again, wow. I hope ou guys get to enjoy some well-deserved breaks after such an ass-kicking schedule.

    PS Wow

    ReplyDelete
  4. laura k27 August 2005 at 16:26

    *blushing*

    Wow, well gosh thanks, Crabbi.

    Although I really appreciate you saying such nice things about my writing, I think this turn of events is mostly luck.

    I insist on thinking that way. All the times my work was rejected - and all the times it will no doubt be rejected in the future - I like to think is not a reflection on my writing, but bad luck. It follows, then, that this is good luck.

    I mean, yeah, I am competent, and I work hard. But this good luck just fell in my lap.

    It actually originated with my work with ACT last summer. So maybe, just maybe, there's some karma involved. :)

    I agree with you re the emotional aspect of writing. That can create such an obstacle, making hard work even harder. It helps a lot if/when you can get that part squared away.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Potato Head27 August 2005 at 22:56

    We moved to Canada a couple of months back (Nelson, BC). I think we exchanged emails a half year or so before that. Glad to see you're still on course. Congratulations! We love it here. (One thing I have to thanks George Bush for.)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous27 August 2005 at 23:47

    It's our gain, I assure you. Thanks, George!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wrye28 August 2005 at 01:57

    Writing is painful, I do agree. Somtimes it's like catching lighting in a bottle, other times you're in a meadow on a beautiful sunny day with a glass rod and some wool, trying to start a thunderstorm. Your fingers will bleed some days, yes they will.

    And yet, somehow I've gone and (re)-started my blog. I blame/credit you, LG. Let's see how long I last this time...

    ReplyDelete
  8. allan28 August 2005 at 06:23

    Countdown To Unemployment:

    11 hours, 37 minutes!

    ReplyDelete
  9. mkk28 August 2005 at 06:40

    L-girl and Redsock,
    Enjoy your Last-Day-of-NY-Day-Job! I'm so excited for you that this day has finally arrived, after all your preparations! I imagine that living for a couple days in a nearly-empty apartment makes it seem quite real.

    Tresy, I am L-girl's sister-in-law, recently mentioned in wmtc under Sibling Dinner. My husband (L-girl's brother) and I are seriously contemplating a move from central New Jersey to BC. I am very interested that you moved to Nelson, and I have just checked my BC books to find you. We're thinking of living closer to Vancouver. How did you happen to choose Nelson? There are so many beautiful places, it's hard to decide exactly where to go.

    ReplyDelete
  10. laura k28 August 2005 at 06:46

    Whoo-hoo! Mkk, welcome to wmtc! I know you've been reading for many months, but we're happy to have you posting.

    Tresy is not a regular reader/commenter, but there are several folks here from BC. Also, a Canadian friend of mine from Haven (the one whose father was a Vietnam draft resister) is from BC, and she can give you lots of good info. You'll let me know when it's time to put you in touch.

    ReplyDelete
  11. laura k28 August 2005 at 06:48

    Tresy: welcome back! I'm so happy to hear you love your new home.

    Shortly after we corresponded, I lost your email address. (I am chronically delete-happy.) I wanted to ask you a question - I even posted a blog entry looking for you. Ah well, it was a long time ago.

    You know, we were leaving no matter who won the 2004 election, but as Redsock recently said, W was the last and very large straw.

    ReplyDelete
  12. laura k28 August 2005 at 06:50

    And yet, somehow I've gone and (re)-started my blog. I blame/credit you, LG.

    Oh great, one more blog to feel guilty about not reading enough... ;-)

    But seriously, I am honoured to inspire anyone to write. It's so therapeutic. Trying to write makes us think more clearly. (Unless you're like me, then you can't think clearly unless you write.)

    Check out that U in honoured. A thing of beauty.

    ReplyDelete

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