State of the Writer 2018 · 5:02pm Jan 1st, 2019
In November of this year, I quit my job.
To start a different job. At a large, stable company that makes accounting software. But adding that bit of contextual information makes me sound much less like a bold rebel, so let's just stick with, "I quit." You can imagine my joining a punk rock band if that helps.
The reason this matters though, is that my old job was at a factory that produced stress. I usually worked 11 hour days, and 14 hour days were not uncommon. In the two years I was there, I had four bosses: three were sacked for incompetence, and the fourth one is about to be sacked from what my friends in the office tell me. Our work group was so dysfunctional, people made jokes about living in a Dilbert cartoon.
Then I quit! I got the hell out of there, and after I felt so much better. And to celebrate, I wrote a ponyfic. I didn't edit it, I didn't overthink it, I just wrote for the joy of writing and hit "Submit Story."
And it was pretty good. Then in the comments people asked for a sequel, so I figured "Why not?"
And that was also pretty good! Then, hey, you gotta do the writer's secret santa, right? Let's write a Fluttercord ship where Berry is the secret daughter of Dionysus:
And it was fun, you know? It's a fun story full of fun little ponies. I enjoyed writing it and I enjoyed seeing people read it. I wrote a total of six stories this year. Three of them I feel pretty meh about. They're not terrible, but they're not my best work.
The other three are the three posted above. I wrote them all in December.
Six stories a year is not a good writing year, particularly given how short many of them are. But since real life got better, my writing pace seems to have dramatically increased. And more to the point, I'm writing because I feel like writing, instead of because I feel I should. It's too easy to draw conclusions from one month, so it's always possible I'm infected by New Year's optimism and seeing what I want to see...
But, I don't think so. I think 2019 is the year I'm finally able to relax and enjoy writing again.
media1.tenor.com/images/25be3b5611d83ebbe50c43860947b602/tenor.gif
Happy New Year!
4989304
I refreshed and saw you change them, and somehow the whole day was made better.
4989304
I saw you change that comment!
This is amazing.
4989305
4989306
I'm never happy with my first drafts.
Not even for my comments.
4990575
Me too.
4989307 I can see that. (After the refresh.)
It made more than a good joke, it was an equally entertaining comic of its own while it lasted.
4989311
That is actually the reason the comic stopped updating!
I don't work there anymore. I don't have any more material.
I'd love more stories in the "Light Step Verse" or whatever the heck you would call it.
Hey. I did the exact same thing. Starting my new job tomorrow.
I seem to average about three stories a year, maybe four if you consider a long story to count for more. And I'm fine with that, as long as they're good.
I just read The Perfect Drink today, and it was good.
4989349
Woo! Grats. :D
Happy new year! 🎉🎉
I’m glad your real life is going well. (Loved the Berry story)
New year, new you. ;)
Quitting a job at a factory run by incompetents: I know that feel, bro.
You're doing better than I am, me boyo.
4989401
One word of Cadence of Cloudsdale is worth ten mortal words.
4989379
"Now look here, sonnny-jim. That stress factory brought good jobs to this town! It was a boom time, you here? There will be rainy days and there will be sunny days but the world always needs stress."
4989409
(Checks 2018 posting progress on that series)
So still zero, is what you're saying.
4989412
Cadence bby come back to me I love you.
"The Perfect Drink":
Had such a wonderful lightness to it, I'm really happy to hear that it was reflecting improved circumstances.
Mike
Happy you're happy, amigo <3
4989410
At least you didn't end up hurting yourself first, right? You or anyone else? c.c
That's awesome to hear! I mean, the declining stress is an amazing thing regardless of the writing, but this is pretty much all upside. :)
4989304
For the record, I had this video on in the background when I got to your comment, and it made the whole thing 20% cooler.
Shouldda called it The Perfect Drunk. Your Berry is great no matter where she shows up. Berry the Gods.
I'm still racking my braun trying fugure out why that one was so fruggan good. Besides the shipping, obviously.
4989349
Happy New Job's Eve!
"You can imagine my joining a punk rock band if that helps."
I am now imagining you joining an accounting software company's in-house punk rock band. :)
"Let's right a Fluttercord"
...So, because this is kind of a thing for me/us:
"Let's write a Fluttercord"?
:)
"Berry is the secret daughter of Dionysus"
Ooh, if that's even semi-literal, I missed that!
I hope that your hopes for 2019 are borne out; good luck, and Happy New Year!
4989317
Ah, heh, sorry about that, but a minor drawback compared to what you gained, it sounds like.
Quitting a shit job is always good.
Rock on, my man.
~Skeeter The Lurker
Okily-dokily:
(Seriously, congratulations on getting your soul back. I'm still working on mine.)
Sounds like you have a decent job that makes you happy by leaving you time to be creative. Congrats!
Jeez. I hope that at least that was paid accordingly.
Under those circumstances more like impossibly good
4989478
Oh my god.
Congratulations on having a job that leave you some sanity at the end of the day; that’s the best possible kind
4989562
I mean, technically there are potential meanings for which that'd be a valid construction (some of which might even be relevant, particularly given the involvement of Discord), but I was pretty sure that that wasn't what you meant. :D
4989307
Sometimes I go back days later and edit a comment that I know no one else will ever read again. It's writer's OCD.
I was inspired by your post to quit my job and end the daily rush, stress, and depression. Then I remembered I'm unemployed.
4990575 (see below)
4990578
You sir have pierced my heart with your words.
Quality over quantity.