I am displaying the badge for my guest post with Thomas Knight and the Twenty Nine Days of Fantasy event. It was cool to be invited to this event. A lot of other great posts here! My post is called Native Americans in Fantasy. Please stop by and read and or leave a comment and be sure to check out all the other great posts!
Have fun and we still have six more days of posts to go 
!
I have always had a hard time with growing up–when I was growing up. In some ways I did grow up, and in some ways I didn’t. I liked the part about being a bit more independent as an adult, but with that comes a lot of responsibility. That’s not the issue. Adulthood seems to come with some boredom and a lot of RULES. This idea seems to transfer over into what they read as well…at least as I view the world.
I like to read a lot of genres and no matter what it is, it must have a lot of action. I usually pass on the romance. If there is any adventure in it I like that part of it, but I’ll pass on the romance. A little romance is good, but let’s focus more on the action and adventure…that’s just me, but anyway…
When I was a teen I did experiment with a few adult books. I didn’t mind the length or the big words. I’ll pass on the sex. For horror it was a new level of scary, or for the fantasy or science fiction we get into more abstract stuff, and of course, more action. At least that’s what I expected. They delivered…to a point. It seemed to take forever to get to the action or the scary or whatever. Why was there so much fluff? Once I got to the good stuff I devoured it and then it was over or after it was over it dragged to the end.
Background and backstory is necessary to build the world, characters, etc, but once I get the idea can we get some action now? Maybe I’m still a kid in that respect, so that’s my idea of what’s ‘fun’ for adults. It’s like going to the adult party and expecting to have ‘fun’, but with no fun food or activity and just talking. UGH! I’m an introvert anyway so parties in general can be a bear.
And, the rules. This is where I came up with the idea for this blog post. In the twitter stream I ran across some ‘rules’ in science fiction and fantasy that was daisy-chained to another with more rules in science fiction and fantasy. To make this short the rules were banning what I had embraced and what I had come to know was in fantasy and scifi since I was a kid. I grew up watching Star Trek and Star Wars when it was already a little aged (in the 80′s). Seriously? Who came up with these? No FTL (faster than light), etc. No prologue allowed. Huh? That can be optional or at least I thought so. There are others, but those were the ones that stuck in my mind. Now if you put FTL and a prologue you are jumping on the bed with a sharp object. I don’t know if there are weird rules in other genres. I hope they don’t outlaw ghosts in horror or paranormal books.
Adult books have the do this, but don’t do that. If you do this, you break the rules and reap the consequences; these don’t exist so much in MG/YA books. Adults also over-analyze everything. There seems to be a limit on everything. If you don’t use big words your work is childish. Adults like to slap the cliche label on everything too; kids don’t seem to care about that as long as it’s interesting and cool. You can’t write what’s COOL and FUN. If you do, it becomes cartoonish or implausible. It can be cool but it must be in the bounds so to speak. I am not saying abandon the rules of good grammar or world building or smooth writing, but don’t choke out creativity!
I have always been more comfortable around kids and associating with them rather than adults, so I guess it carries on to my writing as well. Writing for adults can be very difficult…they are a difficult audience. Some adults are big kids at heart just like me and read books for young people, so adults do pick up my work, but it is not originally intended for adults.
Let’s talk diamonds now. Women love these. They are known to be a “lady’s best friend” like how a dog is man’s best friend. I like diamonds too, and I own a few pieces with them on it, but my jewelry box is not a King Solomon’s Mine. I would like to have the dog more than the diamonds. Most of my jewelry is Indian jewelry, but anyway back to what I was saying. I only wear diamonds on special occasions. Most of the time I’m too rough on jewelry since I do rough things. Things can get lost. If the diamond is too big or not set in very well, it can fall out. I don’t wear stud earrings because there is always one that wants to jump off my ear regardless if I check regularly or not. They cost too much for this to happen. I don’t want to cast my line at the lake and my ring come off and bloop in the lake and sink to the bottom to never be found again. Things also can get lost in the woods. If you go off road you can’t backtrack to the last trail or part of the forest you were at last. If you go off road there may or may not be a trail, and if there is a trail it was made by the animals and not by people. It’s a lost cause if it gets lost. I would feel really bad so I keep it safe at home unless I go somewhere special.
Now let’s talk about the fine dinner. Being from the backwoods and being a tomboy what is considered “nice” is probably vastly different from others. I have examples of where my husband and I like to eat. We never eat at a restaurant where we expect a $200 tab. Some people may like that, but to me that’s crazy. I probably can’t read the menu since it’s all written in French or I can’t identify what it is. If Rusty and I went to a fancy restaurant, I see a scene flashing in my head: the one in the movie Cowboy Way where Sonny and Pepper go into the fancy restaurant. Funny, but not for real life. What if the food stinks and it costs $200? Not cool. Forget paté, I would rather try some gator gumbo instead. The local steak or fish house or barbecue pit works just fine for me.
Now, we have the movie choice. On a day centered around love, most women want to go see a love story or a drama. Bor-ring! If I want to see a movie I want some excitement. I don’t want to fall asleep or get restless. Anything but a love story will do the trick. I have a different idea of what “romantic” looks like anyway. Let’s go on an adventure together—anything exciting. Don’t bore me.
Last but not least, chocolate. I LOVE chocolate. I am a die hard chocoholic. I have created this phrase in my family, “There is no such thing as too much chocolate.” I eat chocolate on chocolate. I created a dessert when we went to Ryan’s steak house: chocolate ice cream with hot fudge, M&M’s, chocolate chips. Mmm. I called it the Chocolate Slam. If there was anything else chocolate lying around it would go in it too. I can eat really dark chocolate at like 98% cacao; it’s hard to find, but it exists. I can’t eat straight Hershey’s coco powder. It’s too bitter. I can drink Hershey’s syrup right from the can though. This traditional gift I love that don’t mind getting. Even the most expensive chocolate you get a lot for your money. You can’t go wrong with chocolate or mess it up unless you leave it in the car and it melts. That’s not likely to happen in February though. It’s just a shame it doesn’t last, and that’s the only problem I have with it. But, please, don’t put it in a pink box. After I eat the chocolate it becomes a target if it is pink!
Now I will share with you some of my nontraditional Valentine’s Day stories with my significant other, Rusty. In these stories we were dating.
In February of 2005 Rusty and I had been dating for almost a year. We began dating in March of 2004. For our first date we went crappie fishing for two reasons: 1) we both liked fishing 2) neither of us had ever dated before so we picked something where we didn’t have to talk. On our first date we were so scared of each other for the obvious reasons of not knowing each other and never dating. Both of us are incredibly shy, so I’ll never know how we continued on after that. Anyway, he asked my parents about what to get me for Valentine’s Day. He was a beginner, and so was I. The only Valentine’s Day gifts I ever got in my life mostly came from my parents. Anyway, for our first Valentine’s Day I got him chocolate since guys like food, and he got me a brand new baitcaster rod and reel. It was perfect. Our first date was fishing, and a baitcaster was the only kind of fishing pole I didn’t own. It was also something that wouldn’t be gone in a week. I still have this today and use it for bass and catfish fishing.
The next year in 2006 I got another cool gift. Every year Rusty and his family would play paintball. I didn’t have my own gun so I had to borrow one. This time though he decided to surprise me and get me one with all the props: CO2 tank, mask, and hopper. Also, it wasn’t your average painball gun that everyone else had. It was a newer version of the one he had which was super cool. It had three settings: single shot, semi automatic, and fully automatic. He and I did some serious damage with two people with fully automatic guns. It was a blast and I still have this as well, but unfortunately we haven’t had a war in a few years.
The next year in 2007 was a bit more conservative, but nonetheless special. We decided to do dinner and a movie. We didn’t go to an expensive restaurant; we went to Steak N’ Shake. That is one of our favorite “special” places to eat. The other two are Longhorn’s or Ted’s Montana Grill. We don’t do Red Lobster since Rusty hates seafood, but I wished he did. If we ever go to a fish house we make sure they also have steak for him. When we go to Ted’s, we always order bison steak since we feel like you can eat regular beef anywhere else. It costs more than beef, and this is the only place in town or anywhere that sells something besides beef, and this is why it is special to us…our own thing. When we go to Steak N’ Shake, we get a steak burger apiece, some chili cheese fries, and one of their delectable milkshakes. They have all kinds, but they’re all good. We are usually overstuffed when we leave and have leftovers I take home. Now for the movie. We don’t watch love stories. I can’t stand them; they’re boring, and neither can he. We’re not watching a love story Valentine’s Day or not. We want something with action, but he let me choose the movie. What do we watch? Rambo. This is the 2007 movie where Stallone is about 70 years old, but we don’t care. It sure beats a love story or a kid’s film. There were only a couple other couples in that room, so we were in luck. While some men were bored to tears and women were crying at their love story movie, Rusty, I, and a couple other people were watching people getting shot and blown up. It was great. The best day ever!
We had other occasions that were dinner and a movie, and not necessarily on Valentine’s Day, but on our anniversary or something. We watch some kind of action packed movie and go to one of our favorite special restaurants. Sometimes we even eat at the Waffle House. I’m perfectly happy with that. A picnic dinner at the park in the woods works too. No fancy restaurant where I can’t identify or pronounce the dish is not necessary.
How about this? Some of the special gifts I have gotten have also been alive. For anyone not keen it wasn’t a puppy or a kitten even though I love them too. Sometimes I would get one of these as a total surprise. Not too many ladies would be thrilled for their guy to bring them home a snake! I love a snake as much as a puppy. It wasn’t always a snake though. One day he brought home a red footed tortoise he had found and rescued on the job site. We don’t know if she had escaped or had been thrown out. I got a picture message with a picture of her and a text that asked, “Can we keep her?” Long story short, we still have her, and her name is Tori. She’s about the size of a football and weighs about ten pounds and growing. She can eat an entire head of lettuce in one day.
This is the way we do things. We do things where the two of us can enjoy ourselves pain free. We do our other celebrations the same way. We want our special days to be enjoyable and not painful. We actually have two anniversaries, our dating anniversary which is March 28, and our wedding anniversary which is August 30. It’s perfect since it is close to fall and before hunting season starts. Guess who came up with the idea of having two anniversary dates? Here’s a hint: it wasn’t me. That must mean that I must doing something right and easy to get along with on special days since he went out of his way to create our own special day besides the norm. How often does a guy do that? Kudos to the guys who do this and to the ladies who earn it with their guy.
I was untraditional in my wedding as well. We dressed in camouflage. I didn’t wear a dress, and he didn’t wear a tux. We got married in front of a waterfall in the woods where we like to be. It was small and simple. There was no big wedding that broke the bank. Neither of us like crowds. Everyone tells us that it fit us like a glove. I wanted him and me to cherish the day and not dread it or have nightmares about it. I didn’t want any memories or pictures of him looking like a fish out of water on that day or me either.
For those that love ‘going all out’ it’s perfectly fine if that works for you. That’s just now how we roll. Tomboys like to keep things simple, and it doesn’t take much to make us happy. I hope I helped a guy out somewhere understand how tomboys tick!
Valentines Day is a nice holiday where people can come together and celebrate their love and admirations of each other. That is how I see it for the most part, but I have always celebrated it differently than most other ladies out there. I am not really that “traditional” either. I will give you examples on that in a minute. I will speak about Valentine’s Day in the eyes of a tomboy and to help the guys out in how to treat the tomboy in their life during this holiday.
Tomboys are not regular ladies even as an adult. Guys already have a tough time understanding women anyway, but we can really throw them a curveball…literally and figuratively speaking. We are easy going and not as difficult to please as you may think. We are the hunting/fishing buddy you never had in a woman’s body. We love doing the same things you like to do, but only physiologically being a woman. But take note, the only way a tomboy will put you in the dog house is if you go hunting or fishing or the game without her when she wants to go, and you ditch her at home without further discussion. Then it’s hell on Earth. We can understand a little guy time and we understand the mancave rules, but tell us first. But, for me and my husband, Rusty, I get to enter the mancave on a regular basis. I don’t have to whine and cry that my husband is never home since he is always at the hunting club. Why? Because I’m there, and life sucks when I am not there which is rare. If I stay home from hunting it’s because I am sick or I have an author event I can’t miss. He calls me an hour later after he gets there to tell me he misses me and it’s boring without me.
A little bit of background on tomboys before we start off for those ‘not in the know’. Everyone knows what we are, but they don’t know as much about how we think. We are ladies when we have to be, but most of the time we’re not. For me, being a lady can be a bit of a challenge. Contrary to what people would think, we don’t know as much about our own sex as maybe we should. What I mean is, don’t ask me what a lady means when she says something or ask me to explain them because I don’t know. I have to refer you to Rachel Thompson for that one. I don’t know if this is because of a rift between us and ‘girly-girls’ that occurs as young as elementary school. Girly-girls are what we call the pink loving, lacey, cheerleader type girl that screams at the sight of a bug, lizard, or any living thing. They freak out when they get a smudge on them anywhere. Most of the time tomboys and girly-girls don’t get along. As for why, I don’t know. I’ve never been able to figure that one out either.
There are different types of tomboys. Some of us ‘grow out of it’ and cross over to girly-girldom. Some of us don’t. Some of us can be girly and also get dirty when they want to or need to. Some of us are hardcore and try to avoid wearing a dress whenever we can and are also the ones who don’t grow out of it. For me, I fall in the hardcore group.
With that said, I have certain feelings about Valentine’s Day. Of course, just like anyone, a tomboy would like to be treated special on that day. Who wouldn’t? Who doesn’t like to be treated special? But, in my case, you don’t have to stress out or go overboard. If my significant other doesn’t come up with the roses, chocolate, and silver spoon dinner at the stroke of midnighton February 14th my life isn’t over, and he isn’t going to end up on the couch or the doghouse for the next month and a half. Our relationship isn’t over either. Maybe we could do something on a different day since everyone else is out and about on that day. We can keep it simple. As long as we do something together with the kind thought that’s fine with me. That’s what really counts, not the price tag.
I have always thought that Valentine’s Day was more of a woman’s holiday. Most of the gifts and color coordination are centered around women. The dead giveaway for me is the color pink. Ugh. I can’t stand pink. I have never liked this color, and most tomboys don’t. Pink only looks good on something in nature not on clothes and décor. I can roll with red or maybe white, but white stands a good chance of getting soiled or stained since I like to get dirty. I may be female physiologically, but in other ways not so much.
Sometimes I feel like it can get out of hand or be grossly overrated. We have our birthday, anniversary, and maybe Mother’s Day for the guys in our life to worry about already. Let’s also add Christmas. A small thought would count for me on Valentine’s Day since some of the other days gifts may get more elaborate, but it’s not required. Another thing, why does everything seem to cost so much? Apart from diamonds, nothing else seems to last. You can pay a lot of money for things that don’t last no more than a week. The roses die; I eat all the chocolate, and that expensive dinner was over when we left. Also, things can horribly awry. If the woman was unhappy with the outcome of the evening or because it wasn’t the right color or style, it’s game over in some cases. It’s the thought that counts. I’ve seen hissy-fits about this kind of stuff for myself in public, and felt bad for the guy since the wife/girlfriend was making a scene and embarrassing him in front of God and everybody. You could tell he really tried, and now he wished the ground would swallow him. I don’t get it. What did he do? You are acting like he just killed your mom, but it was because the diamond wasn’t big enough. Puh-lease! Grow up! If my husband got me something pink after he has known me for eight years I would simply say, “That’s not funny!” He would do it to tease me and I know that because we, um, talk. But, if we had known each other a couple months and he didn’t know what I liked and didn’t ask anyone, I would say very nicely, “This is really nice and thank you, but next time please don’t get me pink.” End of discussion. No scene. No hissy fit.
I’ll talk a little bit more of why I don’t really like the traditional gifts as much or like doing traditional things. Besides of the reasons of not lasting or they’re expensive, there are reasons why I don’t care much for care much for the traditional gifts. I will talk more about them in turn.
I guess we can start of with roses. Roses come in all types and colors. They’re pretty. When you buy them, the thorns are cut off at least. When you buy roses they aren’t in full bloom, they are maybe at half bloom or just buds. Roses are delicate and they fade away in a few days or at week at the most. Roses are very expensive as well. If someone wanted to give me roses for Valentine’s Day why don’t they just get me a rose bush instead? That way I can get roses every year and it doesn’t cost so much. They won’t bloom at Valentine’s Day, but I would remember it every year when it blooms where it came from. When you buy roses, they don’t smell as sweet as the full bloom roses on a bush. The stuff they spray on them to make them last diminishes the scent. My mother and other family members would always have rose bushes or I’ve been around wild running roses. A big bush can put out two dozen roses or the wild roses can put out hundreds. Maybe 95% of people don’t notice the acrylic spray, but I do. I have a very sensitive sniffer, and I can smell that stuff they put on it. What does it smell like to me? It smells like hairspray. So I smell a light rose scent drowned in hairspray, so not my idea of pleasant aroma. I also learned a little bit about floral design from my aunt who went to school to be a florist, and my mother dabbled with it for a short time. If you want to get me roses don’t shop at 1-800-FLOWERS, just go to the nursery. I would appreciate it more and it is a gift that keeps on giving. Also, I know that flowers have a color code to mean different things. This can get complicated. Why? Beats me. I don’t even pay attention to all the codes and stuff. I don’t even know what they mean. I have had women correct me on this like if I got something for my mother, and some of the stuff they say is just plain silly. I found something I liked so I wanted it. No color coordination code, please. I’ll just put my message on the card.
To be continued…
This last economic crisis has led to dramatic changes in both the workplace and in the publishing industry. However, after some personal experience, listening to the radio, and reading articles, I have seen some parallels between the traditional publishing side of the industry and today’s labor market and maybe that’s why there are 3-5 M people who have been out of work for 3+ years.
If anyone knows anything about getting published by a big commercial publisher like Random House, it is excruciatingly difficult if not nearly impossible. Trying to land a job in this tough economy has become about as easy as landing that contract with Random House–nearly impossible. After much reading and personal experience, I can draw these conclusions.
Some attitudes and biases now adopted by many HR departments everywhere match those similar to traditional publishers. Okay with no further adieu here we go.
The Slushpile
Anyone who knows anything or has tried to submit to a traditional publisher is aware that there is this thing called a ‘slushpile’. In the publishing world it is a stack of query letters on an editor’s desk. In the workplace it is a stack of resumes on a HR or hiring manager’s desk. Desperate workers like many desperate authors are sending in their resumes into the HR department hoping to move up to the next phase. In the slushpile it will stay until the HR or hiring manager gets to it, and how long it will stay no one knows…
The Submission Guidelines
Ah, these are the technical things you must do so that your query letter–or in this case–resume doesn’t go from the slushpile to the round receptacle (aka the trashcan). It tells you what kind of paper, margins, fonts, colors, etc are required. Furthermore, you must also find ways to stand out by also abiding by these guidelines. It sounds easy, but it’s not so easy especially if every other submitter is doing the exact same thing. Some places allow more creative freedom than others.
The Query/Resume
The query letter and the resume have strikingly similar characteristics with a couple subtle differences. They both have a cover letter stating who you are and why you want to publish/work here. Both of them are demonstrations of what you can do and have done. Of course, here again in the job world it is job skills as opposed to writing. In today’s sense the resume now only means what you can ‘give’ rather than what you can do. It is somehow not the same thing.
Also these means of job searching are becoming obsolete. It is also true for the publishing industry. Social media, blogging, and networking are taking their place. If you don’t have a blog or a social media presence you aren’t getting hired. If you don’t, start one now.
Beyond the Query/Resume
In the publishing sense they may ask for more material from you. Some employers may as well. Then it may go to the interview sage. These are good signs, but ‘you’re not in the door’ yet. This exists in both publishing and in the workplace. In either case it doesn’t mean your getting a contract, or in the workplace sense, hired. Things can still go wrong. Negotiating takes place. You take or leave the offer or they decide to hire you or slam the door in your face.
The ‘Risk’ Factor
Oh, this one was a dead give away for me. Traditional publishers always mention they take a risk for everyone they publish. They do, but it’s not nearly as bad as it sounds. They are big enough to absorb it, and it is probably rare they must do this. Although, print books sales are down while ebooks are going up, but that’s not really the point here. Employers have been hit pretty hard so they must be a little choosier than they used to, but there is a fine line on where it becomes ridiculous. Employers are now singing the same tune, but that’s why they have fewer available positions than they did before. You know, an employer could create a volunteer program to try out a potential candidate for a trial period (like 2-3 weeks) like an intern (without pay), but they won’t even do that. It has become just a stringent as Random House has on who they will take a chance on. Yes, they should make good decisions, that’s not the point I’m making. But, leaving the job position open for a year and not hiring anybody whatsoever is just ridiculous even after careful choosing. If you’re not planning on hiring to fill it, take the position down.
The Newbie's Fate
Don’t Let the Newbies In
At some point in time, someone yelled this in the traditional publishing world. Only but a few lucky ones may get in every now and then, but most often than not they don’t. Now this seems to exist in the workplace. In the workplace sense a ‘newbie’ can be one of two things: a college/high school graduate or a transient from one profession to another because their former profession hit rock bottom. This causes major problems ahead for the youngsters. I am still a youngster–the YA crowd. I’ve been out of college for five years. I was able to work through the worst of the recession, but after it ‘ended’ I lost it. I haven’t been able to get back in because of the next section. In publishing and in the workplace there is this “Newbie Hostility”, and I have yet to find out where it came from. Everyone everywhere at sometime has been a newbie, so why are we shutting out the newbies? Who is going to take the place of the veterans after they retire or die?
The Unattainable Experience Bar
This is the thing that ticks me off the most. It exists in both he workplace and in publishing. Sure, some positions, like in management, would require experience levels, but for every freakin’ position that exists out there including entry level? For teens and YAs it bars us out of the workforce altogether. Why? Well, in order to get experience in a field you have to work in the field. How can you get any experience in the field when you cannot enter? That is what angers me to no end since I have dealt with that a lot (I’ll tell you why). Entry level positions seem to be nonexistent. Also what experience you have in college in the field does not count. Your degree is not enough. Your experience (if you have any that counts) isn’t enough either. You must have both and even that is no guarantee. Who is to say volunteer work doesn’t count either. You’re not really working and you’re not earning any money either. This is the way it is with traditional publishing as well. If your writing does not get published in a magazine or a newspaper then it doesn’t exist. Any awards you have snagged in school for great writing or what you have written your whole life do not count. It may look good on your blog, but other than that they don’t exist or count for nothing.
On the flip side, you have 50+ year olds who have both a degree and the experience who are also shut out, so there is also bias at work here. I guess seniors are too old and stubborn and young people are too stupid and immature to work so they are too risky to hire. That’s what the actions and bias tell me…no one has said that.
This is why I get so angry at this. This problem has been before the recession in the ’90′s and since the recession it has only gotten worse. In the year 1999 I was looking for my first job as a HS grad. I was going for something as simple as cashiering or something to get my feet wet. I didn’t think I was too good for anything. But guess what? I get this experience thing thrown at me just about everywhere I applied. It took me forever to get my first job because of this experience thing. I was beginning to think I wasn’t going to work…ever. After college I want to explore greener pastures. I run into this again and FINALLY I was able to work at my last job until it was claimed by the downturn. And, guess what? I am still hit with this same thing even after 13 years. Are you kidding me?! None of my experience counts. My education doesn’t count. I am being pitched a shut out. I don’t sit and cry and give up. Instead, I create my own job. If no one will create me a job, then I’ll create me one. I don’t have to listen to the bias and experience BS any more. I’ve had it.
What Mom and Dad Taught Me No Longer Matters
My parents taught me to work hard, be dependable, be reliable, be honest, be on time, etc. These days however these no longer matter. From my own and my dad’s own grumblings and misfortunes the past few years have taught me that. The only way to get ahead is to brown nose, lie, and cheat, and that’s what counts. I don’t work that way. When my parents were growing up getting you experience came from on the job. College was not necessary unless you were going to be a doctor or a lawyer. Only the rich kids went to school. Nowadays you can’t get any on the job experience in anything except maybe a cashier, grocery store, or a burger joint. That’s usually where young people start but now you can’t even do that. Getting in somewhere and moving up has gone the way of the dodo.
Talent, brilliance, and being gifted also don’t count. Many of these people who have these are turned away by the droves in this tough economy. I know because I fit this bill. That’s the way things go in traditional publishing too. Many brilliant authors get turned away while celebrities who can’t write worth the darn can get published. It’s all about platform and not talent, but it should be both.
‘Knowing’ You Will Sell
This exists in both worlds as well. I never get this idea. How can you just ‘know’? You don’t. Some of the bias clouds the reasoning here. That is also determining who is a ‘good fit’. Some experience is at work here, and these couple things can be done to a point, but if you can weed out to two or three then it doesn’t get so easy. This is where a volunteer trial thing could work out. Without it, it’s just blind guessing. It’s like never going to space and ‘knowing’ the apple is going to fall.
You’re Expendable/We Don’t Need You
This attitude existed in publishing since the beginning of time. Now it has become the sentiment of the workplace. There are a few other variations of these statements. One should be weighed carefully though: We don’t owe you anything or owe you any favors. Sure, I agree with that. My dad taught me that’s how the world works, but when does it become abusive? There’s a fine line here. These attitudes is how people are in and out of unemployment or remain in unemployment. And, with these sorts of attitudes is a big giveaway why morale is low and people who are employed worry about their job security daily. Then it affects the employees’ health that effects output. A domino effect.
You Can’t Give Up!
A writer’s conferences everywhere they preach this about traditional publishing. Even after 150 rejections I’m still submitting. They cling to the hope that they will get that contract. This has bled over into the workplace as well. Where do you draw the line and be realistic? That depends on the person. If you have submitted to thousands of jobs and are still unemployed after three years, when do you call it quits? There are people who fit this bill. Another way of saying it is ‘you aren’t trying hard enough’. There is a such thing as trying too hard, and that’s when you start sounding desperate or needy. That doesn’t work either.
You Can’t get Hired because You Stink
This is another sentiment that the workplace has learned from publishing. Before the rise of self publishing people really thought this about themselves and that’s what the publishers and fellow authors thought too. Which, in reality, was not the case. This can bleed over into why the ax came your way, why you can’t land a job after a long time, etc. You begin to think you did this to yourself when you didn’t.
3rd Parties Can’t Help Me Either
These days agents are even having difficult times helping people publish. They really are trying but not getting anywhere. It’s also happening in the workplace. The Labor Department is trying it’s best with minimal results. The GA DOL has some of the best programs, but we were one of the worst states for job creation. Those great programs aren’t helping people find jobs where there are none.
Stiff Competition
Everyone fighting for available jobs has become as hard as fighting for limited spots on a publisher’s roster. The same ratio of people to available spot are so much alike. It’s like 10:1 or so. Give or take. They are fighting like buzzards over a dead rat. These kinds of odds don’t benefit anybody.
The New Job Seeker?!
ZERO Tolerance for Mistakes
Last I checked humans were applying for jobs, not cyborgs. Sure everyone is supposed to make a reasonable effort to make their resume as error free as possible, but just ONE typo, misplaced comma, or whatever will land you back in the street. If this is the way things are at the hiring process who is to say it’s not going to carry over to the work environment? As soon as you become a human and make an error, you’re fired. Back to the unemployment office. Yes this exists in the publishing world too.
What are You Willing To Give Up?
Going the traditional publishing route you must ask yourself this question. You have to negotiate. You can’t get everything you want and you can’t let them have everything they want. A newbie, if they get in, has little or no negotiating power. This workplace has become the same way. Used to, a newbie author had to give up A LOT to just get into print, if not nearly everything. Getting a job is the same, but you must be honest with yourself. If you take a cut in pay but are able to get insurance, I would do that. You must decide how much of a pay cut you are willing to take. Realistically you can pretty much bank on a pay cut of some sort. Well, if it get’s food on the table but you have to cut the cable and you live with that by all means go for it!
Do It Yourself
I am the kind of person when no one will work with me or after I have had enough I’ll do it myself. Many talented authors who got tired of being turned away when they publish their books did it themselves and revolutionized the publishing industry. Could people do this to the workplace? Our great grandparents were self sufficient, so maybe we need to go back to that. If no one needs me then I’ll become an entrepreneur. That is the workplace equivalent to the indie author. You can do small things, no one says you have to have a big business or own a building–work from home. You can use your personal lawn mower to cut your neighbors’ grass while they’re at work for some money. Sell baked goods and use your kitchen…use your imagination. There is a skill to put to good use. Do it! That’s what I have done and it’s more rewarding than being at the mercy of this crappy labor market.
Not all employers are bad, and that’s not what this is about, but there are some that are just like everything. I know of some good employers, but most of them are other entrepreneurs and small businesses
Hi! This is Neiko and not AK Taylor. Yeah, I said that Mrs. Author was going to announce the winner of the tribal gift, but I changed my mind. I kind of like this blogging stuff. It’s kinda fun. I stole her blog, he he. She’s a little mad, but she’ll get over it. Besides, I don’t have the time to start my own, and for people who don’t know, Hawote is not a medieval world and is quite modern. It coexists with all 3 countries of the NA continent so we know how to use computers here…
*Ahem*
Ok, ok. The winner of the tribal gift is. Drum roll on the tom tom please…
Theresa Kleeman
One of the new tribe members and others are wondering what she got:
I did want to put a rubber snake in it, but I did promise no snakes, and AK Taylor thought it may not be a good idea even though she is a snake lover too. Theresa may not find it amusing or she may be terrified of snakes. Oh well…a promise is a promise and are not broken and taken seriously in Hawote.
Okay, I’ve said my piece, and I’ll let Mrs. Author have her blog back. I have so many things to do, so I must be getting back to Hawote and the Five Lands. My life is complicated, and I have battles to fight and quests to go on, and people to defend. I’ll visit this blog when we have another one of those blog tour things with those IBC people and when my next adventure is out, or if one of those blogger people want to talk to me for an interview. I may be able to do it since I won’t be on camera. Hopefully I’ll be soon back soon. Until next time!
Hello, everybody! Welcome to Blog Tour de Force Get Loaded! Me and theIBC–#rhymesdontit—will load you with awesome books and prizes…one is a FREE kindle! Let’s load you like a gun. #sorry #marksmanjoke
I am on tour with four other awesome authors who are giving away FREE ebooks to their commentors. I am following Jackie Chanel who is giving away her trippin’ gangsta urban fiction A Hustlers Promise. Tomorrow Chelsea Fine will be giving away her steamy, but exciting YA paranormal romance Anew. Go by and visit them. But, today is MY day–,
*crunch*
Owww! Neiko just squeezed my pressure point! Correction…it’s about US. Me the author…Neiko—the main character of Neiko’s Five Land Adventure. Kind of obvious isn’t it? Her name’s in the title #duh
Intros are over.
Now I am going tell you what all the fuss is about and about the new tribe she’s forming outside of her home tribe. Neiko will tell you a little bit about her adventure in the Five Lands (which I made my debut MG/YA novel out of). No one has to worry about fighting in wars. #phew Unless they want to #toodangerous
I’ll do most of the talking since she’s a bit shy outside of a battle.
Anyway, to get a FREE copy of Neiko’s Five Land Adventure, leave a comment telling us what you find most interesting about Native Americans. Be sure you leave your EMAIL ADDRESS, so I can send it to you. Please let me know if you prefer mobi, pdf, or epub, and then it’s on its way! Read on! #theresmore
Also, the IBCis having this scavenger hunt thing. If anyone is wondering, we are not going around shooting any crows, buzzards, or possums. No animals are going to be harmed during this blog tour. Go to the IBC blog. Find the items on the site for more chances to win that KINDLE with everyone’s books on it. BTW, while you’re there, sign up for the IBC newsletter for 5 bonus entries! #competitionissteep The IBC seems to have a kindle fetish or something and they like making people fight for it. #notforthefaintofheart
Neiko, you’re up! Tell us a little about your adventure.
Well, the book by Mrs. Author over here is about my adventure in a place I thought I made up. Also, Raven comes up with a cheesy scheme to take me out. I get stuck in the Five Lands after his plan goes south and when Ramses shows up. I have to get home, and I meet all kinds of new people—most aren’t human—and visit cool places. I’ll be seeing them again soon you don’t have to memorize everyone and it won’t be the last time you’ll see me. Mrs. Author stole my log entry and put it in for her readers after the story. #dirtythief
Here are some Outsiders who have read about my adventure who have entered in the tribe. There are three veterans. Tell them I said ‘Olleh’. Ask them, “Who is their favorite character?” If you do, then you get a chance to win the tribal gift that includes a signed paperback, but other contents are a surprise. Relax, there won’t be any snakes in it. But, you must do that TODAY to make it easier for the sponsors. But, you must visit all three of the veterans! Say the bold message by their link for extra credit and extra chances for the gift. Those IBC people call it a gift basket—same thing. Oh, I have to limit that this to the US only—nothing personal. Everyone gets an ebook though. Mrs. Author will tell you who the winner is later.
Veteran Sponsor Links (required for tribal gift):
Renee Hand Children’s Book Reviewer Did you think Bloodhawk was hot?!
CC Cole How is my pal Shevata today?
Paper Mustang Neiko loves horses, especially mustangs
Okay, Mrs. Author, I’m tired of talking. Talk about the tribe now.
My name is AK Taylor, Neiko. I’ve told her my name a 100 times; she can be so stubborn!
The tribe is a special list on twitter where Neiko’s biggest fans are listed. Here what you do: 1) like the fanpage on Facebook, follow on Twitter, and follow the blog 2) @ or DM me and say you want to be part of the tribe. That’s it!
Reminders: 1) Leave a comment with your email for a free ebook. Please let me know what format (mobi, epub, or pdf) 2) visit the other authors during the tour #theyneedlovetoo 3) don’t forget about the TRIBAL GIFT and the KINDLE
Being from the backwoods makes learning new technology a challenge or we are the last ones to know. We have colorful thoughts about things we don’t understand very well. Some things can be downright funny at times. Even civilized people have similar thoughts I’ve found out.
The entire idea of social media was hilarious. When I think of the media I normally think of the paparazzi. Of course, they’re social; all they want to do is talk with a camera in your face. What could I do with a social media? It seems like it would actually be annoying to have. Besides, I’m camera shy, and I don’t have a clue how I am supposed to behave around one. In reality there isn’t really any media and cameras are optional.
Parts and types of social media had funny assimilations for me as well. Hopefully this is entertaining!
The Blog
When I heard someone talk about “Twitter”, I thought it was something you had to go to the doctor for to get rid of, or it was some sort of chick lingo for something you’re feeling when you see a cute guy. Kind of like “twitterpated” on Bambi. It sounded like something else I should avoid or keep from coming down with. I really didn’t want to catch a twitter infection if I could help it!
Parts of Twitter
The Handle: Why do you need a handle for a twitter? Can you pick it up like a pan? Does it look anything like a pan handle? What do you do with it once you got a handle on it?
The Hashtag: Okay, this seems a bit weird! Are we talking about food or drugs here? Was twitter created by drug dealers? What am I supposed to do with this, eat it or smoke it?
The Follower: Is this a form of legal stalking? In all other scenarios you should keep a watch over your shoulder for people following you, and it’s usually a bad thing!
Tweep: Is this the lingo for “creep” in this neighborhood?! Sounds awfully scary…
Twitterverse: Is there a universe here? Have we just discovered a new dimension? Is it vast here? Maybe it’s a combination of the fever and too many hashtags…
Tweet: You mean people sit around all day and go tweet, tweet like a bird? What fun is that? Maybe people have smoked too many hashtags…
The Profile: You mean they also do profiling here? Now this is beginning to sound like prison…
I had a funny thought about Facebook before I learned about what is was too, and that was about the time I went to see a doctor about my Twitter problem after I hid in the closet from the blog under my bed (kidding). I was wondering why a bunch of people were spending all day looking at some book with a bunch of faces in it. Why would I want to get on it and put my face in it and then look at everyone else’s? They also do profiling and put posts to build fences as well? Why are all my friends and family going nuts over this?! Nobody seems to like the twitter disease too much, and only a couple people have a domesticated blog.
You can also anticipate my amazement when I heard that Facebook has a wall. Say what? Mixed feelings here. What is so special about a wall? I am envisioning a large white, flat, and uninteresting thing. You just have one wall? What if I run out of room on my wall and I need three more? Next I hear people writing on each other’s walls. Okay this goes against everything I was taught as a little kid. Writing on walls is bad. The last time I did that I got in serious trouble. I suppose people are sneaking around and writing on someone’s wall, and then they get them back by writing on their wall. Also people post on walls. Well, I guess they don’t use fence posts here, so I envision a wall covered in post-it notes.
I also don’t get the poking thing. That sounds like something my dad or my husband does to annoy me. Do people do this to each other to be aggravating?
Okay, enough of the funny stuff. I have already said that stuff takes longer to get out here and we can make colorful and hilarious connections about things that we don’t know what they are. Once I got onto them I felt totally clueless about what I was doing and I was intimidated in the beginning. Once I figured out what this stuff was and how to use them they are actually fun. However, using social media does require a little bit of skill, but I am catching on
The general concept of beekeeping has fascinated me ever since I was a child. We knew people who were beekeepers in the small town where we lived. They would always give us honey, and I would get to chew on the wax. Nonprocessed honey has the best taste and can’t be compared to anything. Sue Bee honey doesn’t cut it!
I was about 8 years old and wished I could learn how to do that.
My dad always dreamed of having bees, and so did my grandfather, so I wasn’t the only one with bee fever. However, they didn’t know how to get the bees or equipment. We didn’t know anyone we could get anything or information from, so the years passed.
About five years ago, my grandfather died, and my dad had an epiphany and a regret. He and my grandfather did want to do this together and never did. Dad wanted to keep bees and learn and do the task with me. I was more than happy to. Learning something new and the reward of fresh honey just topped it off.
The next spring we began gathering equipment and bees. We didn’t get every single thing at once. We are still collecting equipment. The learning curve is huge. The bees seem to throw their own curves. Every book that’s out there doesn’t teach you every curve they can throw out you. You can spend a lifetime and not learn everything, and that is part of the fun of it.
Over the past five years we have done many activities including catching swarms, getting bees out of a house, etc. It’s hard work, but very rewarding.
Of course we now can get some yummy tasty honey and sell some to others. Pure, raw honey sells itself, definitely after someone tastes it or has tasted it.
Many people are now learning how to keep bees, and there are still some wild colonies out there. Being able to work with others and share the knowledge is just wonderful! It’s also funny to see people stare at us when they drive down the road when we are dressed in out bee suits as if we were aliens!
