Random thoughts and other musings. Really.

by gr » Wed Oct 01, 2008 00:35:15

jennifer love hewitt. never really liked her, but she can be very cute/hot. a few more bad roles and she's in my league finally?

by **Didn't I?** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 00:48:31

EndlessSummer wrote:
WilliamC wrote:Can you be a successful writer without a full college education?

I'm an advertising copywriter, and one of the things I like about this career is that the ability to get a job has shockingly little to do with where you went to school. Getting an interview is probably 98% dependent on your portfolio of work. I'd interview a candidate with a great book and a GED over someone with an average book and a degree from Harvard.

I'm an advertising copywriter too. I went to grad school for this and I can say without a doubt that you don't need a college education - if you can write. But a college/ad school degree will help you get the right eyes looking at your work. Of course, this might not be the kind of writing you had in mind.

by **WilliamC** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 02:07:26

Good to see your responses regarding college and writing for a living. I've said for the last few years that I would end up going back to school but it still hasn't happened. I would like to do that at some point.

I enjoy writing in general and have done it for the county paper before but I really kind of just gave up on it now that I have a somewhat decent job(really any job at PSU is good regarding the benefits and pay). There is also a lot of opportunity for advancement.

I could write on the side for now but I see myself as more of a journalist and I would love to start doing that at some point in the near future, at least part time. I definitely would need seasoning but even right out of high school while writing sports columns I wasn't too bad.

I've always enjoyed writing short stories(I really don't know why but it has always been just enjoying for me). It's always been just something I like to do in my down time. Haven't done that for a while either. Kind of all just got away from me at some point. Probably around the time that I turned 21.

by **Phight On!** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 05:49:22

I posted this in Ace's thread but I don't know if everybody checks in on that so I'll post it again here:

Does anybody know why off-shore casinos/sportsbooks don't (or can't) just sell something like vouchers on eBay with matching BIN prices, so that gamblers can fund their accounts via Paypal?

Now that I thought about it a little more, to save the sportsbook money, instead of having $500 or $1000 Buy-it-now priced vouchers, you can have each voucher priced at $.01 with $500 or $1000 (or whatever amount you buy) shipping rates.

It's such a pain in the ass to fund offshore accounts except for maybe Bodog which does something sort of similar. This seems so simple. Why haven't they tried it?

by **The Dude** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 07:33:19

Seems like the Firefox update made it as fast as Chrome

by **VoxOrion** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 07:45:49

WilliamC wrote:Good to see your responses regarding college and writing for a living. I've said for the last few years that I would end up going back to school but it still hasn't happened. I would like to do that at some point.

I enjoy writing in general and have done it for the county paper before but I really kind of just gave up on it now that I have a somewhat decent job(really any job at PSU is good regarding the benefits and pay). There is also a lot of opportunity for advancement.

I could write on the side for now but I see myself as more of a journalist and I would love to start doing that at some point point in the near future, at least part time. I definitely would need seasoning but even right out of high school while righting sports columns I wasn't too bad.

I've always enjoyed writing short stories(I really don't know why but it has always been just enjoying for me). It's always been just something I like to do in my down time. Haven't done that for a while either. Kind of all just got away from me at some point. Probably around the time that I turned 21.

The one thing I would say is that you'd probably become a better writer more quickly with some time in college. Not necessarily a degree, but there's something to be said for learning/relearning the classics as an adult and working with some peers in creating writing etc.

The best book on writing I think I've ever read is Stephen King's "On Writing", he not only doesn't advocate a degree (though he has one) but he argues that it's a lot easier to get published than people seem to think, the barrier isn't publishers as much as it's people who won't, you know, actually sit down and write a book.

by **TenuredVulture** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 09:13:54

The thing about college that will make you a better writer is that you will be exposed to things that you're unlikely to discover on your own. While you could pick up say Milton's Paradise Lost and read it on your own, there's a great deal of value in going through the work systematically with someone who really knows the work well and has passion for it.

On a related topic--Moby Dick probably turns a lot of people off to Melville, who wrote really fine and compelling short stories. Lots of people like Billy Budd, but I'm partial to Bartleby. And, Cripin Glover was perfectly cast in the tv/film adaptation.

by **TenuredVulture** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 09:15:23

VoxOrion wrote:
WilliamC wrote:Good to see your responses regarding college and writing for a living. I've said for the last few years that I would end up going back to school but it still hasn't happened. I would like to do that at some point.

I enjoy writing in general and have done it for the county paper before but I really kind of just gave up on it now that I have a somewhat decent job(really any job at PSU is good regarding the benefits and pay). There is also a lot of opportunity for advancement.

I could write on the side for now but I see myself as more of a journalist and I would love to start doing that at some point point in the near future, at least part time. I definitely would need seasoning but even right out of high school while righting sports columns I wasn't too bad.

I've always enjoyed writing short stories(I really don't know why but it has always been just enjoying for me). It's always been just something I like to do in my down time. Haven't done that for a while either. Kind of all just got away from me at some point. Probably around the time that I turned 21.

The one thing I would say is that you'd probably become a better writer more quickly with some time in college. Not necessarily a degree, but there's something to be said for learning/relearning the classics as an adult and working with some peers in creating writing etc.

The best book on writing I think I've ever read is Stephen King's "On Writing", he not only doesn't advocate a degree (though he has one) but he argues that it's a lot easier to get published than people seem to think, the barrier isn't publishers as much as it's people who won't, you know, actually sit down and write a book.

Charlaine Harris (creator of Sookie Stackhouse) says pretty much the same thing. If you want to be a writer, write. She also thinks writing is too hard to do for free--you should write for money.

by **VoxOrion** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 11:19:18

TenuredVulture wrote:
VoxOrion wrote:
WilliamC wrote:Good to see your responses regarding college and writing for a living. I've said for the last few years that I would end up going back to school but it still hasn't happened. I would like to do that at some point.

I enjoy writing in general and have done it for the county paper before but I really kind of just gave up on it now that I have a somewhat decent job(really any job at PSU is good regarding the benefits and pay). There is also a lot of opportunity for advancement.

I could write on the side for now but I see myself as more of a journalist and I would love to start doing that at some point point in the near future, at least part time. I definitely would need seasoning but even right out of high school while righting sports columns I wasn't too bad.

I've always enjoyed writing short stories(I really don't know why but it has always been just enjoying for me). It's always been just something I like to do in my down time. Haven't done that for a while either. Kind of all just got away from me at some point. Probably around the time that I turned 21.

The one thing I would say is that you'd probably become a better writer more quickly with some time in college. Not necessarily a degree, but there's something to be said for learning/relearning the classics as an adult and working with some peers in creating writing etc.

The best book on writing I think I've ever read is Stephen King's "On Writing", he not only doesn't advocate a degree (though he has one) but he argues that it's a lot easier to get published than people seem to think, the barrier isn't publishers as much as it's people who won't, you know, actually sit down and write a book.

Charlaine Harris (creator of Sookie Stackhouse) says pretty much the same thing. If you want to be a writer, write. She also thinks writing is too hard to do for free--you should write for money.

Is it that or the underlying deadline associated with it? I know I can't get anything done with a self-imposed deadline - but when I have to get something done (i.e. people are counting on me), I get creative real quick. In the biggest case I'm referring to only reputation was on the line, no cash.

by **Bakestar** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 11:26:02

VoxOrion wrote:
Is it that or the underlying deadline associated with it? I know I can't get anything done with a self-imposed deadline - but when I have to get something done (i.e. people are counting on me), I get creative real quick. In the biggest case I'm referring to only reputation was on the line, no cash.

WOODY

WHEELIES

:cry:

by **Woody** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 11:27:05

Dude, still writing. It's gonna be EPIC.

by **jerseyhoya** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 11:45:12

I'm so fucking amped right now it's ridiculous.

by **Barry Jive** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 12:23:43

i have mixed feelings. i'm being torn apart from all sides by the excellence of Dear Science,, the completely tense adrenaline of the game coming up, the paralyzing fear of the game coming up, the mild curiosity of how my 2:00 haircut will look, the vague self-consciousness that this girl wrote "Kevin <3's Terry" on my hand last night, and also i have to pee.

by **jerseyhoya** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 12:25:05

I need to go eat lunch now because I'm about to become too nervous to eat.

by **Houshphandzadeh** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 12:43:19

barry gets haircut appointments

by **Barry Jive** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 12:57:09

it's at a barber shop and i'm getting a shave and the whole deal

they don't accept walk-ins for some godforsaken reason

by **TenuredVulture** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 13:00:08

VoxOrion wrote:
TenuredVulture wrote:
VoxOrion wrote:
WilliamC wrote:Good to see your responses regarding college and writing for a living. I've said for the last few years that I would end up going back to school but it still hasn't happened. I would like to do that at some point.

I enjoy writing in general and have done it for the county paper before but I really kind of just gave up on it now that I have a somewhat decent job(really any job at PSU is good regarding the benefits and pay). There is also a lot of opportunity for advancement.

I could write on the side for now but I see myself as more of a journalist and I would love to start doing that at some point point in the near future, at least part time. I definitely would need seasoning but even right out of high school while righting sports columns I wasn't too bad.

I've always enjoyed writing short stories(I really don't know why but it has always been just enjoying for me). It's always been just something I like to do in my down time. Haven't done that for a while either. Kind of all just got away from me at some point. Probably around the time that I turned 21.

The one thing I would say is that you'd probably become a better writer more quickly with some time in college. Not necessarily a degree, but there's something to be said for learning/relearning the classics as an adult and working with some peers in creating writing etc.

The best book on writing I think I've ever read is Stephen King's "On Writing", he not only doesn't advocate a degree (though he has one) but he argues that it's a lot easier to get published than people seem to think, the barrier isn't publishers as much as it's people who won't, you know, actually sit down and write a book.

Charlaine Harris (creator of Sookie Stackhouse) says pretty much the same thing. If you want to be a writer, write. She also thinks writing is too hard to do for free--you should write for money.

Is it that or the underlying deadline associated with it? I know I can't get anything done with a self-imposed deadline - but when I have to get something done (i.e. people are counting on me), I get creative real quick. In the biggest case I'm referring to only reputation was on the line, no cash.

I don't know exactly, but I would guess that everyone writes faster when they've got a real deadline or a contractual obligation. I think any free lancer has to have strong self-discipline.

by **TenuredVulture** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 20:50:40

OMG did that last paper suck. The only comment I could come up with was "This is illogical and poorly written". I wanted to write, "Were you drunk when you wrote this?" except that I have written papers drunk, and they were never that bad.

by **Houshphandzadeh** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 20:53:22

Make a Sarah Palin joke.

Archived

Random thoughts and other musings. Really.