(Just Like) Starting Over
So there's been a lot of big changes happening lately. And as much as I like looking back on this thing and as cathartic and honestly therapeutic as that can get, this week, I wanted to look forward and kind of tease/update what was coming up and around the bend. It's been awhile since we caught up so here it all is:
The day job recently kicked off into full swing, that's exactly why I never got the chance to sit down and write a blog post last week. The school year has begun once again and with it the rollercoaster of college-level energy and chaos that is simultaneously rewarding, maddening, but certainly never entirely predictable or boring. Before the week's worth of 10-11 hour days giving way to a relatively more traditional work schedule it's a perfect storm of returning students, last minute registration changes, awarding the academic year's scholarships, and program planning for the entire semester. I'm through it but I'd be lying if I said I didn't already have some internal countdown to the end of the semester in December. Just three months to go, I suppose.
The side hustle of writing has been some of the most fun I've had writing professionally ever. I've been writing for CBR nearly five months now and after proving myself working the news desk for a couple months, my editors have basically given me free reign to pitch and write whatever think pieces and columns I want so long as they're timely and relevant to what's going on in the entertainment industry at a given time. Remember all those Marvel and Star Wars write-ups I did this past spring on here? That unintentionally crossed their attention and helped with all that; just a happy accident. I was even offered an editor position myself but to balance that out with the job and actually trying to maintain a social life, I respectfully declined. I'm not saying I'll never take a gig like that and I purposefully left that door open in the future just in case but it just didn't feel right right now.
I had stopped writing for Image Comics right before I started with CBR, it was the push I needed to ultimately expand my horizons in a way. And it looks like I'll be writing for them again though I don't think I can elaborate more on that, NDAs being what they are. But damn, did I miss writing for them and, while I don't know how long this ride is going to last, it feels good to be riding this wave to shore. I have my own projects that are in various stages of development and I've been talking to different publishers too; the big takeaway was that I shouldn't keep all my prospects in a single outlet. I actually was invited by a public university to write a chapter for an intro world history course which I totally did but that's one of those things that's propriety to the university in question; ask me off the record about it. Still, great change of pace and nice little writing challenge.
The podcast is probably the weirdest thing that I do, right? Our listenership has stayed pretty steady lately though we are getting more and more people asking to come on the show which has been great. I've been trying to diversify it from comic book guests for awhile to middling success but I did manage to interview Andrew WK which was FUCKING AWESOME so there's that. But we're actually losing one of our cohosts and, if you've been listening to the show, it isn't really a surprise as to whom that is. I should point out it's completely amicable so far as I know and we'll transition down to a two-piece over the course of September before, I suppose, I convert my living room into a makeshift recording space on Wednesday evenings which is actually not that ambitious a task and I've definitely done the home studio thing before. Still, it feels like the end of an era and definitely bittersweet. Maybe we'll end up hanging it up altogether but this thing has really opened some interesting doors and I want to keep it going to see where it ends up next; I'm genuinely curious.
There's been a lot of goings on with me and my family lately both professional and personal though I always keep the latter close to the chest. But, you know, I've certainly been through my own stuff lately and seeing my sister get engaged last week (She's gone public with it, so I figure I can too) has kind of made me realize it's okay to actually stop and appreciate good news instead of just taking it in stride like I do bad news; it's important to savor the victories that life throws our way even if we don't recognize it at first. Been going to a lot more concerts too and plan to go to a lot more in the future, even got to meet a few musicians I really admire too. There's a groundswell of momentum that's been steadily gaining over the past couple months and I'm excited to see where it takes me. In the meantime, as ever, I'll always be on the move but never a hard man to reach.
The day job recently kicked off into full swing, that's exactly why I never got the chance to sit down and write a blog post last week. The school year has begun once again and with it the rollercoaster of college-level energy and chaos that is simultaneously rewarding, maddening, but certainly never entirely predictable or boring. Before the week's worth of 10-11 hour days giving way to a relatively more traditional work schedule it's a perfect storm of returning students, last minute registration changes, awarding the academic year's scholarships, and program planning for the entire semester. I'm through it but I'd be lying if I said I didn't already have some internal countdown to the end of the semester in December. Just three months to go, I suppose.
The side hustle of writing has been some of the most fun I've had writing professionally ever. I've been writing for CBR nearly five months now and after proving myself working the news desk for a couple months, my editors have basically given me free reign to pitch and write whatever think pieces and columns I want so long as they're timely and relevant to what's going on in the entertainment industry at a given time. Remember all those Marvel and Star Wars write-ups I did this past spring on here? That unintentionally crossed their attention and helped with all that; just a happy accident. I was even offered an editor position myself but to balance that out with the job and actually trying to maintain a social life, I respectfully declined. I'm not saying I'll never take a gig like that and I purposefully left that door open in the future just in case but it just didn't feel right right now.
I had stopped writing for Image Comics right before I started with CBR, it was the push I needed to ultimately expand my horizons in a way. And it looks like I'll be writing for them again though I don't think I can elaborate more on that, NDAs being what they are. But damn, did I miss writing for them and, while I don't know how long this ride is going to last, it feels good to be riding this wave to shore. I have my own projects that are in various stages of development and I've been talking to different publishers too; the big takeaway was that I shouldn't keep all my prospects in a single outlet. I actually was invited by a public university to write a chapter for an intro world history course which I totally did but that's one of those things that's propriety to the university in question; ask me off the record about it. Still, great change of pace and nice little writing challenge.
The podcast is probably the weirdest thing that I do, right? Our listenership has stayed pretty steady lately though we are getting more and more people asking to come on the show which has been great. I've been trying to diversify it from comic book guests for awhile to middling success but I did manage to interview Andrew WK which was FUCKING AWESOME so there's that. But we're actually losing one of our cohosts and, if you've been listening to the show, it isn't really a surprise as to whom that is. I should point out it's completely amicable so far as I know and we'll transition down to a two-piece over the course of September before, I suppose, I convert my living room into a makeshift recording space on Wednesday evenings which is actually not that ambitious a task and I've definitely done the home studio thing before. Still, it feels like the end of an era and definitely bittersweet. Maybe we'll end up hanging it up altogether but this thing has really opened some interesting doors and I want to keep it going to see where it ends up next; I'm genuinely curious.
There's been a lot of goings on with me and my family lately both professional and personal though I always keep the latter close to the chest. But, you know, I've certainly been through my own stuff lately and seeing my sister get engaged last week (She's gone public with it, so I figure I can too) has kind of made me realize it's okay to actually stop and appreciate good news instead of just taking it in stride like I do bad news; it's important to savor the victories that life throws our way even if we don't recognize it at first. Been going to a lot more concerts too and plan to go to a lot more in the future, even got to meet a few musicians I really admire too. There's a groundswell of momentum that's been steadily gaining over the past couple months and I'm excited to see where it takes me. In the meantime, as ever, I'll always be on the move but never a hard man to reach.
