Uncomfortable truths

[rattfan]

It's a long weekend in Perth WA in honour of the State's founding, um, 185 years ago if my maths is correct. A brig called Amity was sent over to Albany from Sydney in 1826 so its crew could squat on the ground and stop the French moving in. The Swan River Colony was established three years later. Of course, there were already people here but I'm afraid the British of the time did not take account of that, in a long tradition where people have shoved other people out of the way because they wanted the land.

Anyway, that's why it's the last public holiday in this neck of the woods until the end of September, when we celebrate one of the Queen of England's birthdays. For me it means two days when I don't have to get on a bus or train. Two rather than three because I'm still parent wrangling, i.e. doing the grocery shopping for M who is still kind of wobbly on the pins.

It's occurred to me it's been a long time (since Swancon finished in late April) since I've actually seen any friends. I've missed a few gaming dates, others haven't happened and to be honest, there's not too much else I do in the social sense. Conventions are a once a year thing unless I travel, which I don't have the $ to do this year.

I've been checking online to see what's going on, i.e. wondering about returning to the folk music scene, which I left because there were feuds in it worthy of sf fandom, but the music was mostly worth hearing. The truth is; on a wintery Sunday night I'm not much inclined to go out, since I have to use public transport. I'd mostly have to do it on my own and anyway I like spending time with my animals. And chatting to folk online.

[This paragraph was really whingy so I decided to make it gone. It concerned my ask-me-questions post and my idea that I seem sort of boring because I live inside my head! Ecosopher promptly asked me a question.]

I've moved my yucca plant in the back yard from one side to the other and done some other small gardening jobs. That's about it for useful endeavours.

Comments

[ecosopher.livejournal.com]

I wanted to ask you somethingsomething, but I read your post on the tablet and never got around to getting back to you. I wanted to know about your jobs. What jobs have you had? Did you always want to write? Did you go to TAFE or uni, and if so, what did you study?

[ratfan.livejournal.com]

Thanks for responding! :-) I'm going to edit my post so it's a bit less whingy, but first:

I have an Arts degree from the then Western Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT) which is now Curtin University. I didn't have a clue what I was doing when I went from school to that place. Following that, I did a succession of temp jobs in offices, mostly using stuff I'd learned while trying to be a writer. I learned how to use computers on the job (literally). Some of the early jobs were with my computer-programming housemate and I'd have to query how to do something, then complete the task.

I got into the court work because you have to be really good with English and grammar. You're hearing speakers and then you have to transcribe them grammatically. If they let you, that is. Sometimes they is not so good with the speaking the English. A lot of it is interesting, though, which general office work never is.

So yeah, I did always want to be a writer - the degree was aimed at that - but I probably didn't get the fact that money was probably going to need to come from something else.

[ecosopher.livejournal.com]

Haha, aw, don't worry about the whinginess :D It's Sunday evening, you're allowed! (Even if there is a holiday tomorrow!)

I took on some transcribing one time while I was studying. It took me FOREVER. I ended up giving up and saying I couldn't do it. I am quite a fast typist but my accuracy sucks and it was just too hard. I admire your ability to do it!

Money. Sigh. I've been looking into writing content, but the deadlines and the competition with other writers when the jobs go up freaks me out a bit and I think would cause more stress than the money is worth. So I'm just going to try and do it the hard way--write, then pitch.

[ratfan.livejournal.com]

The funny thing with me and the audiotyping is that my accuracy is better than my speed. I'm top rated for the one and lowest for the other, to the point where I was told last week I would have to pick up the pace a bit (g). So I did. By 3000 words a day. I'm a bit annoyed because this cuts down on my wiggle room; now they know I can do it, I'm gonna have to. Even that's not going to put me too far up unless I can keep doing it.

It's a weird sort of talent, I guess. When I first started doing it I got booted from the one company because they thought I'd take too long to train (after a week, this was) and I've been working for the gulag for over 20 years.

[snakypoet]

I always think that when people ask me about what I've been up to lately, it must usually sound very boring. "Oh, I've been writing poetry." It's something of a conversation stopper; no-one knows where to go with it next. I get the impression people sometimes worry that I'm not having much fun. In fact, of course, I am enjoying myself greatly — but it's hard to explain that to non-writers.

[ratfan.livejournal.com]

I generally have quite an interesting time in my own head but it's difficult to make it sound interesting to the general public; you're dead right there. Non writer friends and family sometimes ask if I've been writing but I've learned not to go into detail because their eyes glaze over.

[snakypoet]

:)

[stephbg.livejournal.com]

I'm glad no rats were harmed in the making of this post.

[ratfan.livejournal.com]

Er. No-oo. I've been punctured a few times by William, a visiting rat, however.