I'm in.

891 words posted. That's almost 1,000, which is almost 10,000. Novel here I come.

Also, I can officially write "Freelance Writer" on my resume. I write things like, "Warning: this e-card may induce excessive giggling and infinite smiles." Yeah, cheesy e-cards is where the money is. I'm rich with creative fulfillment.

Once a Bum Always a Bum

Time to bring it back to the blog.

Tom's freelancing, trading words for dollars. Stacey's facing the tough crowds of MFA workshops. Kyra's working in New York, and Liam's off being poetic somewhere. Shana and Katie Bartel have dropped off TAO's map, (my guess is they've gotten into alpaca farming). Kim is terrorizing freshmen finance majors. And I want some people to write with, goddamnit. We need this blog more than ever! The internet is the answer.

So, let's get it on. Newcomers, if you're there, welcome. I'm just gonna put this out there: anyone who's interested, post something by this Friday (October 10). Post whatever. Just not too long (let's not get ahead of ourselves)-- a poem, a few pages of prose, you know. If Google Docs isn't working for you, say somethin. I can't fix it, but I know a guy.

Please?

Love,
Katie

Throwing up on Chapter 5

Dear Blog,

Where have you been?

My new career as a freelance writer has been coming along swimmingly. Not only have I come to terms with my awkward love of puns, but I've also put it into action by deciding to name my company (can one person be a company?) Basic Human Writes. This has also caused me to own my first domain name (basichumanwrites.com). Currently, it is a generic "This domain has been registered" page. But one day, it will be a real website. If any of you also wants to own a domain, I happen to know for a fact that reproductivewrites.com is still available.

I also have a phone interview with my first-ever prospective client tomorrow. This is not nearly as glamorous as it sounds, and frankly makes me want to vomit. Perhaps this was a bad idea.

I can't wait to see what happens when I get past Chapter 5 in my "I want to be a freelance writer" book. Hopefully less nausea.

The Best 12 Inches in the Midwest

Hey guys,

Just wanted to check in with you all and see how you're doing. I'm definitely still on college-time since I see September as a time of new starts. I don't know if that's completely accurate for everyone on this blog, but there are a couple of us who are starting a school year or a new job in a new city, or like me, are just beginning the hunt for a real job.

In the meantime though, before I find this "job," I'm going to fill my time with settling back in to St. Louis, doing cultural things (last night, I went to the Great Forest Park Balloon Glow and had sweet steak-on-a-stick, hence the title), scrapbooking South America (half-joking), and actually doing some writing. Man, I hope I didn't just jinx myself.

I also read this article today I thought yall might be interested in, considering what close ties most of us still have with universities and the academic life. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/magazine/21writingprof-t.html?pagewanted=1
Speaking of, Shana, why didn't Harvard hire me? Nerds.

That's all I got for now. Hope to hear from you all soon!

Just Below the Border

Hola,
I´ve been in South America since August 9 and am now onto my third country: Ecuador, which is turning out to be something of an enigma for me. Loved Chile and Peru, but can´t quite figure this place out.
Anyway, I just wanted to check in. Congratulations on the NYC jobs-slash-school, guys! And you were freaking out, pshaw. I have no clue what I´m doing when I get back stateside, considering I thought I basically had a job in the Harvard English department, but they failed to ever finalize the offer...or call me back...after months...not a good sign. But I´d like to keep this thing going and read some writing, please.
And if you´re bored in these new endeavors, feel free to take a look at the little blog I´ve had while I´ve been down here: katemoulton.blogspot.com. I only have a few entries but at least one if hefty and can do the procrastination job.
Hope all is well!

paz,
Katie M

So now I have a job ....

.... as en editorial assistant for the Public Relations Society of America (random). In New York. Stacy, want to meet up?

Forget "new" career. I need ANY career.

Here's my litany of excuses. i need to get out of my house. I am still looking for a job - desperately, anything, hopefully in New York (I'm not sure why I'm so drawn there, I just am). However, right now I'm in a suburb of Boston ... without a car, because i was rear-ended on the highway. It's impossible to write while home - I know that sounds like a lame excuse, but due to how my house is set up, my mom is constantly peering over my shoulder ("what's that?").

I need a job.

But, the problem is very similar to the whole blank-screen (page) problem: when you have nothing, nothing seems to come. So, ironically, when I have the time to write, I'm too anxious and claustrophobic and preoccupied to put together a single sentence. Seriously, I'm even jotting down ideas in bullet points.

And I know this is an excuse. I know that I could carve out sometime, somehow, to write. But in order for me to really get anything out, I need to feel like I can really focus, like I have room to breathe. Therefore, I need my own space ... but, in order to get said space, i need a job. See a pattern?

I'm going to go back to monster.com and feel sorry for myself. Tom, good work with the freelancing - that's something I would love to do (am going to do, to put it in a more optimistic frame) someday.

...Thanks for listening to my whining. Sorry.

PS. I just spell-checked this, and there were no spelling errors found. That's never happened to me. Unless I did something like spell "but," "bust" ... which has happened. In the title of papers, even. Just wanted to end my post on a positive note.