I've been in television advertising nearly twelve years and I've never known a year like this one. I've already had more shoot days than I get in the average year and it's barely April. On the plus side, it means good money (as and when I start to see any of it) but on the down side, my writing is taking a beating. I'm either too busy, too tired or too braindead to write.
I suspect that my day job is soaring thanks to a combination of the tail end of the recession and the uncertainty of the imminent football world cup. While many industries are gearing for peak business during the mad month of the world cup, mine is expecting a virtual shutdown - or maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part.
I'm praying for a quiet winter so I can get some serious down time (aka writing time). There are just so many stories in my head all waiting to be told, and if I don't get to write them all, my head might just explode ...
Showing posts with label day job. Show all posts
Showing posts with label day job. Show all posts
Monday, April 12, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Missing In Action
I'll be away from home and from the internet for the next two weeks as I'll be travelling to Mozambique, then Durban and then the Drakensberg for a film shoot for our local airline, South African Airways. I've never been to Mozambique so I really should be a lot more excited than I am, but sadly I'm too tired right now to work up any enthusiasm.
This commercial is the biggest I've ever worked on and we've already been working 12-15 hour shifts these least two weeks. Twice I've only arrived home at midnight. The obvious sacrifice has been time with my children and I'm feeling quite heartbroken that I will be completely absent from their lives for two whole weeks. The second biggest sacrifice has been my writing. I haven't written a single word in weeks (unless work emails count!). Amazing how my energy and happiness levels drop when I don't get time to write. I definitely smile more if I start the day with 1,000 words!
As and when I get access to the internet I'll check in on all my Blogland friends, but if you don't hear from me, please don't take it amiss. I'll be missing all of you far more than you'll be missing me.
Oh, and Happy Valentine's everyone. If ever there was an excuse to curl up in bed with a romance novel, a glass (or bottle?) of red wine and some dark chocolate, next Sunday will be it! (And if you have a handy man around, make sure you get a good back massage thrown in too).
This commercial is the biggest I've ever worked on and we've already been working 12-15 hour shifts these least two weeks. Twice I've only arrived home at midnight. The obvious sacrifice has been time with my children and I'm feeling quite heartbroken that I will be completely absent from their lives for two whole weeks. The second biggest sacrifice has been my writing. I haven't written a single word in weeks (unless work emails count!). Amazing how my energy and happiness levels drop when I don't get time to write. I definitely smile more if I start the day with 1,000 words!
As and when I get access to the internet I'll check in on all my Blogland friends, but if you don't hear from me, please don't take it amiss. I'll be missing all of you far more than you'll be missing me.
Oh, and Happy Valentine's everyone. If ever there was an excuse to curl up in bed with a romance novel, a glass (or bottle?) of red wine and some dark chocolate, next Sunday will be it! (And if you have a handy man around, make sure you get a good back massage thrown in too).
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Work is kicking my butt at the moment
This is only the second time in my career in advertising that I've had a shoot this close to Christmas. On Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th December we'll be filming a TV ad for LG South Africa, so this blog is likely to stay quiet until then.
In advance, congratulations to the winner and runners-up in the Harlequin Presents 2009 contest, whoever they may be, and both commiserations and congratulations to everyone else who entered. You took a big step and got your work before an editor, and that's what counts. Here's hoping you all get requests from this contest!
In advance, congratulations to the winner and runners-up in the Harlequin Presents 2009 contest, whoever they may be, and both commiserations and congratulations to everyone else who entered. You took a big step and got your work before an editor, and that's what counts. Here's hoping you all get requests from this contest!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
RNA submission packed and ready to go
The Playboy Duke's Reluctant Bride is now printed, packaged and sealed into its padded envelope, ready to be sent first thing in the morning. It's such a relief to have it done as I feel like I've edited this manuscript to death. Now I've just got to hope that the South African post office doesn't stuff up and mangle or lose the parcel. There are just 18 days left to the deadline, so I really don't want to find out a week or more from now that it's gone astray!
The timing is just right as I had a job confirm at the office today, so after more than a month sitting around, the day job will be swinging back into action and I need to give it at least a little attention. (Also, I really need the commission!). This is a two day shoot for BP and wouldn't you know it, the shoot overlaps with my planned holiday to Greece. Lucky I haven't confirmed those flights yet!
The timing is just right as I had a job confirm at the office today, so after more than a month sitting around, the day job will be swinging back into action and I need to give it at least a little attention. (Also, I really need the commission!). This is a two day shoot for BP and wouldn't you know it, the shoot overlaps with my planned holiday to Greece. Lucky I haven't confirmed those flights yet!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Quick update
We had a public holiday in South Africa today and I spent it as I wish I could spend every day. In the morning I met with my local writing group for breakfast and a writing session, I spent the afternoon with my daughters and the evening after the girls fell asleep editing an earlier chapter.
Unfortunately it was just one day. Tomorrow it's back to the grind stone and the day job is becoming a little more demanding of my time as I have a shoot at the end of next week. At least this one is local.
The progress has been slow but I'm finally within sight of the end. Chapters Eleven and Thirteen still need tweaking and in the meantime I'm sending the completed chapters out to my online crit group. That RNA deadline is looming and I plan to beat it.
Unfortunately it was just one day. Tomorrow it's back to the grind stone and the day job is becoming a little more demanding of my time as I have a shoot at the end of next week. At least this one is local.
The progress has been slow but I'm finally within sight of the end. Chapters Eleven and Thirteen still need tweaking and in the meantime I'm sending the completed chapters out to my online crit group. That RNA deadline is looming and I plan to beat it.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Have you ever?!
I've done long shoots before. I've done some very long shoots before. But this one takes the cake.
Six shots in 13 hours is not good going, especially when the shots are not that complicated. (A usual 14 hour day is good for at least 10 or 12 setups.) I like this wine farm, but not enough to do a 24 hour day and still have to drive an hour to get back to my bed, and certainly not enough to watch my profit share being haemorraged away on overtime.
Thanks for letting me rant.
Six shots in 13 hours is not good going, especially when the shots are not that complicated. (A usual 14 hour day is good for at least 10 or 12 setups.) I like this wine farm, but not enough to do a 24 hour day and still have to drive an hour to get back to my bed, and certainly not enough to watch my profit share being haemorraged away on overtime.
Thanks for letting me rant.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Smiling again
Today is the first day since I arrived in Cape Town that I haven't worked a full day. I managed to sit out for an hour or so this evening on my balcony overlooking the marina and watch the sunset as I hammered away at the keyboard. And the words just flowed!
1,256 words in just a little over an hour. I sincerely hope that means the drought is over and my creative juices are flowing again. I feel pumped enough to keep going but unfortunately I'm expected to do dinner out with the clients tonight.
Please keep all fingers and toes crossed that the words keep flowing all week. I just might crack the end of this first draft if I can keep it up until then. And I'm sending an even bigger prayer skywards that this ad shoot runs without a glitch so that I can turn my attention to James and Ally's Happy Ever After.
1,256 words in just a little over an hour. I sincerely hope that means the drought is over and my creative juices are flowing again. I feel pumped enough to keep going but unfortunately I'm expected to do dinner out with the clients tonight.
Please keep all fingers and toes crossed that the words keep flowing all week. I just might crack the end of this first draft if I can keep it up until then. And I'm sending an even bigger prayer skywards that this ad shoot runs without a glitch so that I can turn my attention to James and Ally's Happy Ever After.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Computer News
The powers-that-be at my day job have decided that I'm not worth a new computer, so I've been given a seond hand Macbook to use. Having never used a Mac before, my productivity has dropped dramatically.
As this is entirely a work computer, I've decided to keep it at the office and not to use it for my personal stuff, so my word counts are also going to drop until I can afford a new computer of my own. And the new one is going to stay my own. No more being carted to and from the office every day. No more being lugged onto film sets to get scratched and bumped and jolted around and powered by dodgy generators. And it's going to be hot pink.
(Rachael - thanks for the idea!)
At least I'm back in business and in touch with the outside world. The writing will follow soon enough because I firmly believe that where there's a will, there's a way.
Happy writing to all of you out there and may your technology never fail you.
As this is entirely a work computer, I've decided to keep it at the office and not to use it for my personal stuff, so my word counts are also going to drop until I can afford a new computer of my own. And the new one is going to stay my own. No more being carted to and from the office every day. No more being lugged onto film sets to get scratched and bumped and jolted around and powered by dodgy generators. And it's going to be hot pink.
(Rachael - thanks for the idea!)
At least I'm back in business and in touch with the outside world. The writing will follow soon enough because I firmly believe that where there's a will, there's a way.
Happy writing to all of you out there and may your technology never fail you.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Checking in
The bad news is ... a cold front has descended on Cape Town and it was seriously cold on set today (out in the open air in a park).
The good news is ... I don't have time to pine for my girls as I'm too busy to think. After a couple of 15 hour working days I'm so tired I fall into bed. At least I don't lie awake missing them.
The tragic news is ... my laptop hard drive crashed on the weekend. I'm working on a borrowed machine at the moment but everything takes twice as long, as I'm not used to how this one works and keep hitting all the wrong buttons. No idea what I'm going to do for a replacement when I get home to Johannesburg, but I guess I'll leave that to the big boss to decide. The company can either buy me a new one, or save a few pennies and pay me to sit and stare at the walls all day.
The really awesome news is ... my baby is actually talking to me on the phone. It's not intelligible talk, but she responds when I call to say goodnight. And her older sister is getting almost chatty on the phone - though she still has a tendency to nod in answer to my questions.
The good news is ... I don't have time to pine for my girls as I'm too busy to think. After a couple of 15 hour working days I'm so tired I fall into bed. At least I don't lie awake missing them.
The tragic news is ... my laptop hard drive crashed on the weekend. I'm working on a borrowed machine at the moment but everything takes twice as long, as I'm not used to how this one works and keep hitting all the wrong buttons. No idea what I'm going to do for a replacement when I get home to Johannesburg, but I guess I'll leave that to the big boss to decide. The company can either buy me a new one, or save a few pennies and pay me to sit and stare at the walls all day.
The really awesome news is ... my baby is actually talking to me on the phone. It's not intelligible talk, but she responds when I call to say goodnight. And her older sister is getting almost chatty on the phone - though she still has a tendency to nod in answer to my questions.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Adios
I'm off to Cape Town in the wee hours of Friday morning for an international commercial shoot next week. I'll try to check in on various blogs and update this one, but no promises.
If this is anything like the last away job I did, I'll be working 16 hour days and falling into bed too exhausted every night to think of blogging. And there's that little matter that I only have about 8,000 words to go on my first draft, so that is definitely going to be my first priority when I'm off the clock.
I am really going to miss my little girls over the coming week. They're sleeping at my mother's tonight so I haven't even left yet and already the thought of them is bringing tears to my eyes. I'll just have to close my eyes and imagine that wonderful place where I'm a published writer and able to quit the day job (or alternately, go back to freelancing and choose when and where to work). Eyes closing now ...
If this is anything like the last away job I did, I'll be working 16 hour days and falling into bed too exhausted every night to think of blogging. And there's that little matter that I only have about 8,000 words to go on my first draft, so that is definitely going to be my first priority when I'm off the clock.
I am really going to miss my little girls over the coming week. They're sleeping at my mother's tonight so I haven't even left yet and already the thought of them is bringing tears to my eyes. I'll just have to close my eyes and imagine that wonderful place where I'm a published writer and able to quit the day job (or alternately, go back to freelancing and choose when and where to work). Eyes closing now ...
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