Mr. Invisible

Right now I'm watching A Certain Magical Index, Tenchi Muyo, and the two series that are being simulcasted from Japan: Aoi Sekai no Chushin de and Blast of Tempest.

I watch all kinds. I mainly watch action, fantasy, supernatural, and some comedy though. What are you into?

I've been on break but I return to school on Monday I am planning on seeing the Hobbit and Les Mis sometime. I've heard mixed reviews from friends about Les Mis but I think it looks good. I've kinda been spending my break gaming and watching anime (not very eventful to most people, but it's what I find relaxing). What are you studying?

Hey there, and happy New Year! My life has been going ok, mainly super busy with school and focusing on my career. How are you?

Hey! Life's been really good, but also extraordinarily busy. Didn't have much forum time lately. And yeah, I'm on that. Try again if you like.

Depressed and discouraged but that's pretty good by my standards

You are welcome and I'm glad! Thanks! Have wonderful Christmas Mr. I!

merry christmas invisible

Thanks! I know I will.

Thank you very much Mr. I! I'm gonna "party" tonight with the debates on. LOL

Hi, i'm good thanks, hope all is well with you!

Hey! Thanks for the welcome back. How have things been around here?

I'm good how are you?

No problem. Sorry to get all preachy! Hope I wasn't giving unwanted advice.

I would consider it if I were you. In the long run, it is better for you to get paid work you can put on a resume, even if it means limiting yourself a bit, than it is for you to just splash stuff everywhere for free. In the latter case, you're basically betting on becoming internet famous. I've tried it both ways, and there's a reason I quit doing the latter.

My first gig was at a magazine that wound up tanking due to financial mismanagement. My second gig was PR for a company that was so bad I would up whistle-blowing on them and getting fired. I was paid far less than what I was worth at both.

But those two terrible gigs paved the way for better ones that I enjoy doing, or at least can tolerate, and that I get paid more for. I now make a pretty decent living doing nothing but what I love. Maybe I'm still not doing it in exactly the way I'd like to be, but within 5 years, I probably will be. It's worth it.

Well, if writing is what you want to do, I understand the temptation to do it for free. But here's the thing: don't. If you're good, and this is what you want to do, then other people need to realize you're worth paying. Insist upon it. You may not get your dream jobs right out of the gate, but the alternative is winding up in a cycle of pro bono work for "just a little longer" for the rest of your life.

It doesn't take that long to build a resume once you get that first gig - the first gig is the hard part. I've been hired on an exceptional basis at all of the jobs I've done in the past year. I hadn't been on the paper long enough to be seriously considered for editor, compared to my challenger. They hired me anyway. I didn't have a BA, which they wanted for caption editors. They hired me anyway. I hadn't completed upper level English courses yet, which they wanted for an English tutor. They hired me anyway.

If you're good and you can prove it, never work for free.

A lot of things, but all of them revolve in some way around writing. My full-time work is as a caption editor. I'm the editor of my college newspaper, which is, pay-wise, part time. I was an English tutor at a center for the past year, but I've quit in favor of freelancing.

Good stuff. Are you studying IR or something?

Did you get your article published in the end?

Meh. You know how it goes for me... I start to get something put together, it starts to look like I have a future, and it just gets kicked out from under me again. So I am adapting again.

I'm trying to get plans solidified to visit family at some point. Hopefully, soon. Other than that, nah. Kind of tied down now.

Yay you! Fun to look forward to summer and freedom from books for a while, huh? Well, school books anyway, if you are going to be researching anyway. Good deal! Hope you enjoy your summer.

Not too much. Just hanging out. You? School out?

Oooo, I haven't! I feel a Google journey coming on...