For a looong time now, I’ve talked shite about wanting to be a writer and wanting to publish a novel one day. I have wanted to be a writer since the age of 4 --it was the one consistent answer I had to the question "what do you want to be when you grow up?" When I was younger, I would write stories on a weekly basis. When I got older, my claim to fame was becoming the editor-in-chief of our rinky-dink school paper for 2 years, and being a one-time contributing writer to a literary journal in college. I also have never gotten less than an A- on any paper I've written, and most of my old teachers and professors have complimented my writing abilities. I can adapt to any writing style and was a pro at academic papers. No, you haven't seen my best work in this blog (since this is obviously a very informal venue), but I know I am an excellent writer.
But as far as my aspiring writing career goes, I haven’t really done crap about it for the past few years. The last time I worked on my novel was probably 2 years ago and I only have 2 chapters to show for it. The last time I’ve written a short story and got it published was in high school for Pete’s sake! In college, I sort of let the dream dissipate since everyone and their momma majored in English and wanted to be a writer. I got discouraged and moved on, even though my heart was in writing.
Well several weeks ago, after a bout of semi-depression and falling into a “woe-is-me-what-am-I-doing-with-my-life” funk, I did a bit of research on how to get into freelance writing. You would never believe it, but with one email I sent out, I was able to score a writing gig just like that! Ok, let’s backtrack. I didn’t score a gig right away. Rather, I scored an opportunity to write for a website! I wrote a book review to be precise. They said that if they liked it, they would use it and add me as a reviewer to their roster.
Well guess what?! The guy thought I did a great job! *laaaaaa-hear angels-sing* So my review is actually up and running. You can see my name in virtual print! And the best part? I now get to review books on a regular basis and they send me the books gratis!! Check out my review here and let me know what you think! (Please be kind...I'm still trying to find my voice).
Yeah, yeah, I know it's not a big deal. But hey, it's a big deal to me since it gave me a boost of confidence. It's given me the motivation to write more and scout around for more opportunities to write. Who knows, it may lead to more bylines and give me the discipline to start work on that darn novel again.
Special thanks to Mark Flanagan for this kick-ass opportunity!
A Crazy Night in Siberia
My band Plastiq Passion had a gig this past Saturday at Siberia. When I told my friend George about our gig, he said: "Have you been there? It's like a frat house basement that no one's cleaned for years." Well, he was right. It's definitely a no frills bar, and the basement does indeed look like the basement of a frat house that no one's cleaned for years. And the bathroom almost looks exactly like the bathroom from Trainspotting --you know, the worst bathroom in Scotland where Ewan McGregor dives into to find his lost suppositories? HAhahahah. And can I add it had no working lock?! But it wasn't that bad. At least drinks were only $4 a pop!
We were slated to start at 8 pm, but no one really goes to bars that early. So hardly anyone was there, but we played it up anyway and had a lot of fun. We even scored new fans --the bartender and the bouncer/admissions guy loved us! And I quote: "You guys were good! Great music! And we don't say that a lot. We see a lot of awful bands on a daily basis. Great job." I think it was our tightest set yet!
Next up: Arlene's Grocery for our EP Release Party on October 28th!!! (Yes, Arlene's Grocery is a lounge, not an actual grocery). We're excited because we're getting more and more spots in the cooler, well-known venues around NYC. After Arlene's, we're playing Lit! Sweet!
Labels: musings/personal stories
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