Young Writer To Be (That’s Me!)
I had the interview on Saturday morning, I was suave, smooth, articulate and engaging. Or so I liked to think. We laughed together, we smiled together, and yet I still insisted on telling myself I hadn’t got the position. Here’s my problem. I love to do that whole “letting myself down before they do” thing, where after your interview you convince yourself it was crap (even if you know it wasn’t), then when you don’t hear from them immediately, you convince yourself even further that there’s no way you’ve gotten the position.
But this morning, 8:30 am, the phone rings. I groggily snatch it up and mumble some kind of greeting, and hear the chirpy voice of the woman who interviewed me. I wake up damn fast after, apologising for having sounded sleepy. Then she says, “Well, how about I really wake you up, then? Congratulations, we want you as our young writer!” Needless to say, the ecstatic, weepy reaction I’d fantastised about having was more of a garbled, soggy “really? Cool!” than anything. Hey, I worked till close the night before, I’m never my best before 9 after nights like that.
So I got it! I’m getting paid to write full-time for two weeks. Can you think of anything better? This is going to be such a swell year of life, I can just tell (although I keep saying that, and I’m a firm believer in “jinxing” yourself, so I better stop. Even still, I can’t help being stupidly happy about it all!).
September 14th, 2005 at 10:57 am
That’s fantastic news - now for the hard choice: will you finish your Mills and Boon novel or your Star Wars fan fiction novel?
I think the romantic story of Bob and Shazza is a powerful one, the way they met whilst buying a ute is the making of an Aussie classic. But at the same time, ‘Furious Furry Freedom Fighters’ is an intriguing tale of the first Ewok revolutionaries fighting a Maoist struggle on Endor against the tragic mis-management of the Rebel Alliance that echoes Australia’s betrayal of East Timor over its gas reserves.
Maybe you can do both!
September 14th, 2005 at 11:42 am
Geez, I didn’t even think about what a dilemma chosing between Bob, Shazza and the Ewok was going to be.
Oh, I know! How about I combine the stories? As Shazza and Bob are driving home from the ute dealership, casting steamy glances at one another’s mullets, out of nowhere an Ewok staggers onto the road. They swerve to avoid it, but clip it on the leg. They smash into a rotting fence-post. Thankfully the ute is fine, sadly the Ewok isn’t. In his last breath of life, he thrusts a treasure map into the slightly sweaty hands of Bob. Thus the adventure begins!
Romance, Death, Adventure…it’s a recipe for success!!
September 14th, 2005 at 1:10 pm
As long as the Ewok is Maoist, I’m happy!
September 14th, 2005 at 1:18 pm
A Maoist Ewok? That’s crazy talk! After all, aren’t Maoist Ewok’s the only kind? How could you think, even for a split second, that my Ewok wouldn’t be a socialist??
September 17th, 2005 at 11:11 am
Smarty pants Angela, Super duper fantastico!
But as for your Shazza, Bob and Ewok story, I certainly hope that the Ewok comes back to life and tells Shazza and Bobby that he knows what they did last Tuesday.