Writer's Block: Career Paths

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"If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?"

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If I had to start over and absolutely couldn't be a writer or librarian, then I'd pick archaeologist. One way or another I want to dig into history, whether it's metaphorically or literally. My three areas of choice are Mediterranean, Near East, or the American Southwest, with a further preference of ancient in all cases. Knowing me, I'd specifically be looking for archives.

When I was college-hunting I applied to Arizona State University because of their archaeology program. Then I found out that they'd eliminated that as a separate program (they blended it into Sociology or some such thing) just a semester or so beforehand, so I ended up choosing my alma mater, Roanoke College, instead.

This answer was reinforced by the fact that I spent much of yesterday watching three back to back episodes of Michael Wood's 1985 documentary In Search of the Trojan War (which I also watched back to back in 1985), plus a more recent interview with him where he updated the research done on Troy over the past quarter-century.

Writing Sprinkles

Not the normal stuff.

PROGRESS REPORT FOR 12/18/11

New Words: A total of 1300 -- a 450 word net gain from some tweaking and editing I did for the Hohokam section of Arizona, and 850 on a new fantasy short story called "...That Has Such Non-People In 't". I was partway through the story before realizing it was my first short story in two years. Writing it actually had nothing to do with my recent entry about my lack of short story production; Laurie came up with the tale's premise and I ran with it.

Total Words: 49150 on Arizona, and the story's 850 words are the first.

Book Year: The last bit of the Hohokam section is vague; it refers both to the building of Casa Grande in the 14th century and the fact that the great house is still standing in the present day.

Reason(s) For Stopping: Just doing edits / Hadn't decided where to go next with the story.

Mammalian Assistance: Vegas guarded his box pile; Friday and Hayes briefly alternated guarding the Writing Room floor.

Exercise: Walking Tucker around the neighborhood.

Stimulants: A dollop of Dr. Pepper.

Today's Opening Passage: There really isn't one from Arizona. Here's the tentative opening of "Non-People":

Never mind me thinking you crazy if you’d told me a year ago that the world actually did contain such creatures as vampires, werewolves, and at least one android. You would’ve sent me off the edge by telling me that someday I’d be parlaying with them in a (dramatically) poorly-lit warehouse, an ambassador asking for their help to save humanity.

Darling Du Jour: Nothing springs out at me yet.

Non-Research / Review Books In Progress: Baxter; Cather; Immersion and Other Short Novels by Gregory Benford; In Other Worlds by Margaret Atwood.