Staying a writer is the new challenge

I am applying to write features on a freelance basis for a magazine based in Munich targetted the USA consumers.

Its my first piece of working writing in American English!!!

Its not the replacing ‘s’ with ‘z’ but how they drop words out of their sentences that on this side of the Atlantic include.

Pay tuition – pay tuition fees.
Write me – write to me.

You get the idea?

So I have an an American English test to complete…..ahhhh

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Live picture of Australia from Space (via @CartoonDuJour)

What a wonderful day Saturday was!!! Proud to be Irish!!

Live picture of Australia from Space

via @CartoonDuJour

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Is non-fiction more about the pitch than the writing? (via writingluisa)

Luisa – very interesting. I am putting together non fiction proposal based on my blog – and it looks like a marketing persons dream – get preso right, demographics, budget and then WOW -pitch perfect.

I wrote a few weeks ago about trying to decide between fiction and non-fiction – at least for the course I’m studying. I said I didn’t believe I was a novelist, and readers congratulated me on my honesty. Well, now I’m not so sure. A good writer – I keep telling myself – can write well about anything, can make the banal beautiful. The problem is, with non-fiction, I’m not sure it works like that. I’m scrabbling around looking for ideas, and none … Read More

via writingluisa

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Redundancy positive #18 Penguin Short Story Competition (via 200 Positives about Redundancy)

anynews yet?

Have I mentioned I have started my MA in Writing?  I think so, well I entered a short story competition recently – 2000 words of tension and drama!  2000 words which only took one evening to write, but took 4 weeks to re-read, edit, change, stick in a drawer for a week and then re-read; re-edit.  Ask a MA colleague to proof-read.  And finally get my husband to read. This is where it all takes a strange turn.  Part of my course was to try other 'g … Read More

via 200 Positives about Redundancy

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How to Get More Traffic (via WordPress.com News)

perfect!

As soon as a blogger publishes their first post, their first question is: Where's all my traffic? Everyone assumes they're the only one seeking attention, when in truth nearly everyone is. It takes time to build an audience and no one gets much traffic without putting in the effort. Here at WordPress.com we want you to get more traffic, and we build features and services to help. It's been awhile since we've told you about them, so here are our t … Read More

via WordPress.com News

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New Theme: Blogum (via WordPress.com News)

read this

New Theme: Blogum Today we are introducing a clean and minimalist theme, Blogum. Designed by WPShower, Blogum has a grid-based layout and is designed in a modern style. This very clean style allows your reader to precisely focus on your content. Blogum has a widget area in the right sidebar. It also includes a full-width template to hide the sidebar. You are able to c … Read More

via WordPress.com News

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Without deadlines (via writingluisa)

we have sinus infections here too – ugly. Inhale menthol x

I’ve had an ear and sinus infection which just didn’t seem to want to shift and a busy few days at work so the last thing I wanted to do when I came home exhausted from the office was sit down and write. Fortunately it’s the first week of the summer break from my course so there have been no urgent deadlines to meet. When you’re in the habit of writing every day, though, giving it up is hard to do. Facing down an empty evening, during which I can … Read More

via writingluisa

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New Italy blog (via writingluisa)

love this Luisa – more please 🙂

Sick of washed out summers and August in the office? Want to live la dolce vita a little? Then visit http://www.insearchofmyitalianside.wordpress.com to subscribe to a taste of the Mediterranean life. I'll still be blogging about writing here at http://www.writingluisa.wordpress.com but my new blog will focus on all things Italian and tie in with the book on Italy I'm researching right now. I'd love to hear your thoughts, and to find out what you'd like to rea … Read More

via writingluisa

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Can you call into the office ….er someone from HR will be there too.

Can you call into the office ….er someone from HR will be there too..

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Can you call into the office ….er someone from HR will be there too.

Did you ever hear those dreaded words?  Well a few weeks ago my boss called and just before we ended the call she said those fateful words.  I immediately felt like I was 7 and had been caught with my hand in the sweet jar – in this infantile voice (or so it sounded like to me) I said ‘Have I done something wrong?’. 

‘I don’t want to discuss it over the phone’ she said.  That was the death knell!  I knew then I was getting the heave-ho!  I came off the phone with my mouth wide open  – Himself knew there was something up.  Last time I had been so silent like this was when I found out I was pregnant when my son was 11 months old!

Later that day – under duress – my ‘contractor boss’ and my ‘client boss’ agreed to meet me in a local hotel.  I had planned before hand to give them the maximum humiliation possible.  So I picked an open plan area next to the main door.  I had an ample supply of tissues to hand.  I would publicly embarrase them to make them pay for treating me like shite!

It was the time old story of re-structuring and I knew EVERYTHING about my role and they were new and knew zero.  So I like the eejit I was rapidly becoming had helped them with everything even though slowly I began to see my power  being taken away.  I had planned to raise this a few times – but got sidelined by them.

So now as I sat in the hotel foyer I was ready with  my uncomfortable questions.

I saw them squrim and avoid eye contact with me.  They examined their finger nails and lastly the fllor tiles as I fired a barrage of questions at them.  I asked them was this how to treat a sales manager?  How long did they know this was happening?  Did they lie to me six months ago when they said my job was safe as houses (Ireland in 2011?  disaster!)?  They knew my husband had a heart attack in October?  They tried to interject that it was difficult for them too. 

You know there are times in life when it is a distinct advantage to be from the North of Ireland and my God this was one of them! 

‘Difficult for you? Do you want to sit in my chair and see what its like over here? People close by even lokked embarrased.

I felt stressed and ready to either punch someone in the face or drink at least a  bottle or red wine – I sensibly chose the latter.

That was one of two terrible days – the next terrible one was when I had to go into the office and meet with HR.

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