Writers at Work at Work: Melissa
Posted by David Duhr in 
Back in July, our Writers at Work at Work series hit a bit of a… well, let’s call it a work stoppage. I’ll assume it’s because you’re way too busy writing at work (and at home) to answer any questions about your writing lifestyle. But! This series has reopened for business, because earlier this week we heard from another courageous writer at work at work. Below is a Q&A with this brave and funny writer/worker bee, who is probably high right now.
You may recall that this series was inspired by a conversation I had with a friend who writes his novel while on the clock. I asked for volunteers to share their experiences of writing at work, and so far we’ve heard from: Raymundo, Jake, Dana and Ivan Glonstein. Today we’re talking to:
Melissa
Do you want us to use a pseudonym for you?
Yes! For reasons that will become obvious. read more
Writers at Work at Work: Ivan Glonstein
Libraries are popular writing havens for many of us. In theory, at least, they’re quiet and they’re calm, and no matter where you sit down, whether it’s at an open table or squatting in some forgotten stacks, you’re surrounded by books and, more importantly for some of us, the smell of books.
But is a library a good writing environment if it’s also your workplace?
In our latest “Writers at Work at Work,” “Ivan Glonstein” tells us that it is–with a few caveats. Including guilt and shame.
This series sprang from a conversation I had with a friend who told me that he works on his novel when his boss isn’t buzzing around. I asked for some brave volunteers to share their experiences with us of writing at work; so far we’ve heard from Raymundo, Jake, and Dana. Today we’re talking to:
“Ivan Glonstein”
Do you want us to use a pseudonym for you?
This first question already stumped me. In a sense, I want to say fuck no, I don’t care. I don’t care. But, everything has changed in the last half a year. I’m the sole breadwinner for a family of three, my wife and my daughter. Before, I could say, “Writing is so important to me that I’m willing to risk my job.” But now I suppose I shouldn’t be [redacted]. I should be “Ivan Glonstein.” read more
Writers at Work at Work: Dana
Happy July 3rd, WriteByNighters! We hope most of you are blessed with the day off and can get your Fourth of July celebrations started the right way.
Speaking of days off, our latest Writer at Work at Work, Dana, never again has to go work at her electric co-op, which we imagine is a big relief, seeing as how her office was “a mash-up of kindergarten and federal custody.”
Once again, this series sprang from a conversation I had with a friend who told me that he works on his novel when his boss isn’t buzzing around. I asked for some brave volunteers to share their experiences with us of writing at work, and the responses have been flooding in. Though we’re still taking more! If you’re interested in sharing with us, drop me a line and I’ll get you started. So far we’ve heard from Raymundo and Jake; today we’ll hear from:
Dana
Please describe your work setting: do you have privacy in which to write, or are you out in the open? An inspiring view of nature, or cubicle walls? Computer or longhand?
My writing at work happened several years ago when I was working for an electric cooperative. I had a dull cubicle that I didn’t personalize or decorate because I was not allowed to. read more
Writers at Work at Work: Jake Gallant
We’re getting a lot of great feedback on our Writers at Work at Work series, particularly in light of Raymundo’s interesting experiences stealing time from an unnamed state agency to write short stories and book reviews in his corner office.
This series sprang from a conversation I had with a friend who told me that he works on his novel when his boss isn’t buzzing around. I asked for some brave volunteers to share their experiences with us of writing at work, and the responses have been flooding in. Though we’re still taking more! If you’re interested in sharing with us, drop me a line and I’ll get you started.
Today we want to introduce you to Jake Gallant, an eighteen-year-old who works around modern technology but spends his down time lost in his narrative of Victorian England. read more
Writers at Work at Work: Raymundo
Last week we asked for brave volunteers to tell us their stories about writing at work on company time—be it at a becubicled office, a busy restaurant or bar, a factory (a la Ben Hamper), what have you—for a new series called “Writers at Work at Work.” I expected a small handful of responses, but instead, I’m scrambling to keep up with all of the wonderful worker-writers willing to share with us.
If you care to be one of them, drop me a line and I’ll get you started.
Our first writer at work at work has asked that we call him “Raymundo.” Raymundo recently left a state agency in the South where for 13 years he worked in IT; “an unhealthy situation,” he tells us, where his “growing contempt for that workplace was vented in creative writing.”
Imagine how much great writing there would be if more frustrated workers used creative writing at work as an outlet.
Raymundo was kind enough to answer some questions about his experiences writing at work, which he told me ended up being a therapeutic exercise. I’m glad of that, because his responses, while often amusing, definitely hint at lots of workplace dissatisfaction, a feeling shared by many millions of workers. read more
On Writing at Work
Recently a friend in Milwaukee told me that he busts his hump at the office Monday through Thursday so that on Friday he has lots of spare time to work on his novel; if he plays his cards right he hits his work quota Friday morning and then has until quitting time to write. He delays his reporting so that his bosses don’t know he’s stealing Fridays from the company. (Yes, bosses! He answers to two people. Yuck. Office Space, anyone?)
Well, this piqued my interest. Here at WriteByNight we’ve recorded videos on finding time to write, and even created a Time Management questionnaire designed to help you target available writing time. Get up extra early before work, we say. Write on your lunch break. After work, write for an hour before turning on the TV!
But in none of these have we suggested writing on the clock. read more