Week One

Posted by Bob Greenberger on January 14, 2006

It’s been an interesting few days.

First of all, the number of comments people have posted both here and elsewhere has floored me (and Deb). And they’re still coming as I see my old pal Priest and Johanna Draper over at ComicsWorthReading (a nifty review and commentary site) just put stuff up.

KC Carlson pointed out to me this week that there’s probably a generation of comic readers where I may have been one of the first professionals they met since I was out and about at many cons throughout the 1980s. Never really looked at it that way and he may have a point. I guess my enthusiasm for DC, the medium of comics and my general nature made an impression.

I’ve been doggedly job hunting and networking all week. Rather than sleep in and waste time, I’ve more or less gotten up around the same time so I can see Deb and Robbie off. I’ll brew the coffee, read through the Connecticut Post and USA Today before making my way to the basement. For the first five days, I’ve been e-mailing people, responding to many of the legion of well-wishers, and surfing the job sites. I’ve had a few good friends help me with polishing the resume and more help has been promised.

Old colleagues have been generous with their time, calling me to check in or providing me with whatever leads they possess. So far, it hasn’t landed me any interviews, but I do have some meetings coming up which will at least get me out of the house.

And I have picked up some short-term freelance. I’m now contributing to a project being prepared for sci-fi.com and will soon start writing a few short pieces for another publication. There’s some prose also coming up, but it’s too early to talk about. In theory this should also give me time to get back to a spec project or two. All of this will keep the hours filled while the hunt continues, which is good.

Meantime, I am also seeing to it I stay in my routines, so I continue at the gym and have picked up making dinner. I try and log off the computer between 5-5:30 and have the night for the family. Kate has noticed that I haven’t given myself enough break time just to sit and read and I have to admit, the one time I tried that this week, I enjoyed but couldn’t shake the feeling of guilt for not writing or hunting. I suspect that will adjust itself.