1. The two interviews I did were in relation to the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest. First was with this year’s winner (and fellow Suite101 writer) Garrison Spik. The second was with the founder of the contest, Professor Scott Rice. Both interviews were informative and really interesting. I cannot wait for my next interview!
2. Decided to drop down to a free account on Elance. It still maintains my profile and client feedback, but since I haven’t been using them much, there is no fee associated with this membership level.
3. Decided to go back to school and finish my BA in English. Have applied and will let you guys know the outcome as it happens.
4. I just got an Editor’s Choice Award on Suite for my article on Back-to-School Books for Adults.
Any questions?
As a side note, I apologize for lack of posts. Been serving Grand Jury Duty (had to previously postpone it) and I am so enthralled with the workings of the legal system. Seriously considering attending law school in future.
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August 24, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Groove Momma
Congrats on your decision to go back to school! Since you are so close to finishing, it will be well worth it.
August 24, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Debbi
Excellent news about going back for your BA!
And law school can be fascinating. And grueling. (Been there, done that.)
Not that I would discourage anyone from attending law school–I got a valuable education there and have no regrets about going. I just think TV and the movies (like “Legally Blonde,” which I enjoyed a lot) make the legal world look a bit more exciting and fun than it actually is.
Debbi
PS–Despite all that, I love the photo!
August 25, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Michelle
Congrats on going back to school! (I went back when I was 27 – a scant 5 years ago – for my B.A. in English; I liked it so much I’m now getting my M.A. in English, in Brooklyn. I always like to see other people get their degrees in English. I loved my time at Stony Brook Univ., although I understand they don’t have a creative writing department or concentration.)
August 26, 2008 at 4:41 pm
blueeyegirl
Groove Momma-
Thanks for the encouragement!
-L.
August 26, 2008 at 4:46 pm
blueeyegirl
Debbi-
I am still conflicted about the whole law school thing. I don’t even have my BA done yet! However, it’s always been a dream of mine and the only real thing that’s stood in the way was the money. While the money is still a problem, after having been a part of the Grand Jury process and seeing how the system is run (at least from the DA’s perspective) in my county, it has re-ignited my interest. I have no doubt that it won’t be as interesting or fast-paced as the entertainment biz portrays it, however if I decide to apply and follow through, I would feel as though I am living up to my potential.
We’ll see how it progresses.
If you don’t mind me asking, what area of law did you practice? And for what state? What was your education like (grueling, insightful, intimidating, etc)?
Thanks for your perspective!
-L.
August 26, 2008 at 10:50 pm
Debbi
Don’t mind at all. I actually practiced in various areas throughout my 9-year stint in law. My first year, I handled disability litigation at the Social Security Administration. Then, I worked at a law firm, handling litigation at first, later switching to land use and zoning. I developed an interest in environmental law and went to work at the U.S. EPA, where I specialized in toxics and pesticides law. After 3-1/2 years of commuting into DC (then Rosslyn VA–they relocated the office, making my commute even longer!), I decided to open my own general practice, in an office about 20 minutes from home.
Then, I decided to become a professional writer, but that’s a whole ‘nuther story.
I’m in Maryland and that’s where I’m a member of the bar. However, as a federal government attorney, I could practice in DC or any state, as long as I was an active bar member somewhere in the U.S.
As for law school, I was really hating life the first four or five weeks of it. In fact, my BS is in journalism and I use to drive to and from school on a road that went past the Washington Times building. For a while, every time I passed it, I’d think, “I should just go there right now and get a job!” But something kept me from doing it.
At some point, I realized I was only unhappy because I was stressing out unnecessarily–thinking I needed to do more than I was doing to keep up. I told myself I had a choice–quit worrying so much or go completely crazy. (I chose the former.)
After that, law school was much less burdensome. It was still a lot of work, but the topics were fascinating. And the law school learning experience, while it can be a bit harsh (I call it “intellectual boot camp”), does teach you to question your assumptions and analyze problems in creative ways.
I’m sure you’re sharp enough to know that Hollywood tends to make a number of professions look better than they are–lawyers, doctors, police and private detectives come to mind. Even so, I often run into people who, when they learn about my career change, will say, “How could you stop being a lawyer to go into writing?” As if being a lawyer was the most fantastic job one could have and I must be crazy to give it up.
I will say legal work can be enjoyable, intellectually stimulating and so on. It can also be tedious, stressful and involve long hours. Many lawyers hate their jobs, but fear change. They feel like they’ll have wasted their law school education if they do something else. And practicing law is like being in some sort of exclusive club, where everyone shares the same common interests and general mindset. But these days 1) I don’t feel like being in a club, 2) I’d rather break the rules than advise people on how to follow them and 3) if I’m going to spend long hours working on something, I’d rather it be something I can feel passionate about. For me, writing was that thing.
Sorry for the long-winded reply. Thinking about the subject of life and career choices can really get me going.
September 9, 2008 at 9:41 am
blueeyegirl
Hi Michelle-
So glad to hear you are continuing your studies. Best of luck with your MA!
-Lisa
September 9, 2008 at 9:44 am
blueeyegirl
Debbi-
I really appreciate your insight. It’s amazing to me how we end up making the choices that we do, especially when it comes to “what we want to do with our lives”.
I feel like you’ve given me the shortened version of “been-there-done-that” and that is so what I was looking for!
Much obliged,
-Lisa