When That Evil Bitch You Work For Is You
Quoting Kate Coe: "Scenes from Freelance Life: If you're well enough to stand up, you're well enough to work."
When editors sometimes e-mail me to say they haven't gotten the week's column, I remind them to white-list my e-mail so it won't go in their spam folder, and tell them that the only reason I'll miss a deadline is if I'm in a coma or dead.
But what about coherency. I mean have you ever submitted something so under the weather that later is you look at it thinking what the heck are these ramblings OR do you have great editors?
John Paulson at October 21, 2010 4:38 AM
Sometimes, if you're well enough to crawl to your car, you're well enough to work. When my wife was running her home daycare operation, the office started looking like a more relaxing, restful place than the house was, regardless of how I felt.
Old RPM Daddy at October 21, 2010 4:52 AM
I've taken a sick day from work (yes, back when I worked for pay and GOT suck days) exactly one time. I had toxic shock, nearly died, was in the ICU 2 weeks. And, in defense of that, I've never had the flu while working. People that go to work with the flu are asshat-ish.
IN the last 7 years, I've had the flu twice, and numerous nasty other things, and I've never had a sick day. Rarely even get a nap.
momof4 at October 21, 2010 5:53 AM
That's the price you pay for having four little bosses...
brian at October 21, 2010 6:18 AM
People that go to work with the flu are asshat-ish.
Where do you think I got the flu in the first place?
I R A Darth Aggie at October 21, 2010 7:13 AM
I'm a wimp. I miss a day every other decade or so.
Actually, one of them shouldn't count, because I got called in at night and had already worked close to eight hours. I went home just to change and shower, then got commode hugging sick and spent the day in bed, but was fine the next day.
I am just lucky - I don't work with a lot of people face-to-face and I appear to be fairly disease resistant. Nobody does my work when I am out, so what's the point of not going to work if I am able?
Some people do get truly sick more easily than others. Some are malingerers. I had one employee in a department of ten who had well over eighty percent of the total sick days. Color me skeptical that he was truly sick on all of the days he took.
MarkD at October 21, 2010 7:25 AM
Hence my use of the phrase "freelance life". i haven't had an office-based job in at least 10 years. When you work for yourself, you miss out on office politics, but you have a real bitch for a boss.
Kate C at October 21, 2010 7:26 AM
But what about coherency. I mean have you ever submitted something so under the weather that later is you look at it thinking what the heck are these ramblings OR do you have great editors?
I pay an editor to beat me up on every single thing I write. Her job is to tell me I'm an idiot, I'm not clear, I'm not funny, etc., so I can be smarter, clearer, and funnier when I send my stuff.
Before my column goes out, it also goes throught my copyeditor at Creators. Before any book stuff goes out, it goes through my boyfriend. I've also had a few people here read some book stuff to see how it plays with them.
Amy Alkon at October 21, 2010 7:57 AM
I work from home so I can be available for my daughter, who's been diagnosed with ADHD and Asperger's Syndrome (happily, she's very high-functioning and doing great in school). Since I have ADHD traits myself, it takes a lot of discipline to keep myself focused, especially since I have a lot on my plate. I've learned to crack the whip on myself by focusing on one thing at a time, allotting myself work writing time, fiction writing time, and so on. When I feel myself being drawn to do something else before I've completed a deadline or task, I have little mantras for myself, like "Just write something, anything! You can always revise it later" or if I want to complete a task in time to do other things I want/need to do: "Stay focused and you'll finish this sooner so you can go have your fun." When you work from home, holidays and snow days lose all meaning, so make your time count! :-)
DorianTB at October 21, 2010 8:03 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2010/10/21/when_that_evil.html#comment-1768799">comment from DorianTBWhen I'm tired but still need to keep writing, I tell myself I have to write for an hour. I often get into that flow state when I do. I was really mad yesterday night when I was exhausted but writing anyway, and I got a political call and fell out of the zone.
Amy Alkon at October 21, 2010 8:14 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2010/10/21/when_that_evil.html#comment-1768800">comment from Amy AlkonOh, and regarding submitting crap stuff -- I write over a period of days or even weeks, months, or years, so my stuff doesn't just go out immediately.
Amy Alkon at October 21, 2010 8:16 AM
Everybody I know - except the government employees - were unofficially expected to work unless they are really sick - as in couldn't get anything done anyway. Even then, many times I was expected to try and get work done from home.
The Former Banker at October 21, 2010 2:35 PM
Dorian--Adderall.
KateC at October 21, 2010 9:25 PM
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