May Wrap-up + June Goals #writwemotivation+ State License Exam

Well, things are finally starting to take a turn for the better.  Technically, I have a job now, but there will be no pay until after the training period is done and I pass the State License Exam for Health and Life insurance.  This is not an easy thing to do.  My first try, with studying at night before bed, I failed it.  A 47 on one partand a 53 on the other.  I need a 70 minimum to pass.  Yeah, I did not do good at all. /le sigh

Do not fear!  The company I will be working with is coaching me and allowing me a quiet place to study and take notes until I re-take the exam next Friday.  I intend on passing this time and with any luck, a minimum of an 80 instead of a 70.

If the quiz I just took on the most important of it all, the statues, rules and regulations of insurance in OK, is any indication, I’ll do fine.  I missed three out of 15 questions.  One of them was a stupid on my part.  The amount of time the State Ins. Commissioner keeps advertisements on file is 4 years, not 3.  I got the time period mixed up with another one that is very similar.  Easily done, but I should have gotten it since I had just finished going through that section and took many notes about the marketing and sales section.

This also means I will be learning more about sales and marketing, too.  I should be able to apply what I learn from insurance to build sales on my book (soon to be books).

May’s Goals:

1) Get a job or at the very least attend five interviews for a job.

Three face-to-face interviews and one phone interview done.  One was for the agency I am studying for.  I consider this one done.

2) Edit/revise five chapters of Society of Night and Lies.

It wasn’t quite five chapters before I decided to stop and send off the first half of SoNL to the beta readers.  Still, it is done.

3) Write two chapters of Black Friday 2.

I never did get around to writing anything for this one.  Total Fail.  :(

4) Exercise twice a week.

Kind of did, but not each week.  I did manage one day per week.  I call it a good start.

All in all, I did accomplish a lot in May.  A portion was dedicated to studying for the failed exam which did hinder things a bit.  Thankfully, I did manage to find some kind of work.  Just have to jump through the hoops before I can start earning again.

June Goals:

1) Set SoNL aside until feedback from critiques and betas are in on the first half of the novel

Done, and well, done.  I already have some feedback in.  There’s going to be some revisions on the opening and what is going on so you see my MC as more than some depressed alcoholic daydreaming when she’s not.

2) Focus on Black Friday 2. Get at least two chapters written.

I won’t start on this until AFTER my exam date.  My primary focus needs to be on getting some income to support my writing.  I’ve a few ideas already on how to move the story along.

3) Keep up the job search. Four interviews minimum for the month of June

I think I can call this one complete.  I am feeling good about the exam and how well I’m handling the practice quizzes.  B’s are better than F’s any day of the week.  This one will be modified to pass the exam.

4) Exercise twice a week. (I mean it this time!)

With warm weather here, this one will be easy.  There’s going to be a lot of swimming and nature walks for me and Colin.

I’ve collected the writing prompts from the Writemotivation G+ community.  I’ll be posting them sometime this weekend here and in the group.  I am curious what you all thought of the prompts from last week.  My favorite was the prompt “Hush, little one, it’s going to be fine…”  It came out so sad.  Did you feel the emotion in that one?

Pray for me as I study my tail off this week.  I need all the help I can to pass this exam.

Midweek Thoughts and #writemotivation Goals

It has been a while since I did a midweek post.  All sorts of things, including my mental well-being, got in the way of making my appointed posts.  Facebook is one of those things which got in the way with its shiny time consuming games.  I really should trim those back again.  A few more appeared out of the aether again to tempt me into spending more time away from writing and studying again.

You heard correctly, I said studying.  The studying I was supposed to do to earn my insurance license.  That exam was for today.  No, I did not pass.  I failed miserably, but they did do a break down so I know where to focus my studying for the next exam.  Underwriting got me the most and the rest was how they worded the questions and the lists answers.  I know the material, but sadly, my normal study habits were lacking a couple of things which help a lot.  The good news is I can keep trying until I pass and I WILL pass.  Eventually.

Once I pass the exam, I'll have a job.  So, tomorrow is a brain break to get myself back into the groove for the exam again.  Also, tomorrow is therapy day for my son so there's not a lot of time to give the attention to the eight chapters on Underwriting, life insurance, medical insurance, and the state regulations and such.  I will be bringing one of the chapters with me to read just to help pass the time instead of playing games on my smart phone.

I don't know if anyone else has seen the news release that Amazon is setting up a fanfic section of their Kindle release books.  When I first heard it, I thought... Why?  Why would someone want to make it possible for an unknown who loves to write fanfic (there are precious few who can actually write well enough to be worth publishing.  One of the girls in my NanO group is proof of that).  Then, I got a peek at the rules Amazon wants the would-be authors to follow. 

Now, anyone with a lick of sense will know that this is a bad idea if a big corporation is involved.  Amazon wants people to write in the worlds they have licenced.  To make matters worse, in the terms of use, they will screw over the person who has written the fanfic by taking ownership of the copyright, whether the characters are their own within that world or not.  Now, the would-be author would get royalties, but the original author gets a tidy percentage of that.

My thoughts on that?  A big resounding NO!  Capitol N Capitol O.  NO.  If that isn't screwing someone over just to get more stuff written in a particular world, I don't know what is.  The co-ml for my city's Nano group put it best in her post The Future of Fanfiction.  Rebekah couldn't have put it better.  Me?  I sound like I'm on a rant.

It's a good thing and it's a bad thing.  Either way, I am taking no part of it.  What fanfiction I write will either remain on my hard drive or published with proper credit on my forums, OR, if I am lucky enough to get permission to use their world and characters, I'll publish it on SmashWords or someplace similar.  I will not go for shady shenanigans like Amazon is trying to pull.

Enough of the semi-rant, on to the goals!

Header image and thumbnail photograph by Hugh Lee and licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. http://www.flickr.com/photos/sahlgoode/

1) Get a job or at the very least attend five interviews for a job.

Only three interviews this month, but, there's still a week to get the other two in.  But, I do have a job, sort of.  I say sort of because I need to pass the state exam for Life and Health insurance.  I'll keep retaking until I pass.

2) Edit/revise five chapters of Society of Night and Lies.

There weren't quite five chapters left before I sent the fir 11 chapters out to the beta readers.  I'm still kind of toying with chapter 11 now because a great idea has popped into my brain on how to put more tension into the plot.

3) Write two chapters of Black Friday 2.

I haven't touched this one, yet.  Too many other things took precedence.  I'll be working on this one shortly.  Might get one chapter done before the 31st.

4) Exercise twice a week.

Ummmm... not quite there, but I am working on it.  Got one day down for this week.  The rest will come soon enough.

How has your week been?

Don't forget to donate to your favorite disaster relief fund!  People in Moore, OK, and elsewhere need your help.

Weekly Update #writemotivation

I forget if this is week two or week three for the #writemotivation checks.  Which ever it may be, I am finally making.  Better late than never.  Right?

This has been one of those weeks that seemed busier than what it really was.  I had an interview Monday and got this moving to start selling insurance.  I don't plan on sticking with insurance sales.  It's something to bring money in while I look for something more stable and less stressful on my car.  There will be a lot of driving with this company.  No sitting behind a desk and making phone calls.  At least this company, American Income and Life, is legit and no pyramid scheme from what I can tell.  It also isn't like trying sell a Hyla (a vacuum system thingy) either which is a life saver.

Most I'll have to do is get a new laptop because the one I have now is getting old and I don't think anyone was to run my power cord to an outlet.  Not to mention, I'll have to clean it up and get rid of my pretty stickers and shinies on the lid.  Also, there are a few keys missing thanks to my tom cat.  Silly thing that he is.

Well, on to the checks:

1) Get a job or at the very least attend five interviews for a job.

Well, this one is coming along.  Two interviews down.  Technically, I have a job now, I'm studying for my health and life insurance license.  Not very fun.  :P

2) Edit/revise five chapters of Society of Night and Lies.

I've paused at chapter 11 to send out the willing vic... err beta readers.  Their input will help continue on with the rest and, of course, I those first pages need to be good enough to start querying.  I have done two chapters before sending out this part, so three more to go.

3) Write two chapters of Black Friday 2.

Haven't touched this one, yet.  Don't worry, I will.

4) Exercise twice a week.

Um... I have exercised once this week.  In all honesty, it was walking around three different grocery stores in one day.  It was something!

Interesting News

Those who are following me on Facebook may have seen my status update about my job interview today.  The rest of you… you now know.

As far as first interviews go, it went well.  Instead of the usual one on one, they brought in a group of us and told us all about the company (American Life Income), and their own goals before telling us what they were wanting from us.  Not a whole lot is expected of us, really, and it was a pyramid scheme like my first gut feeling said when I first saw the conference room.

It went well, and they want their people to take some initiative in getting the company out there but they provide the leads, not us writing down lists of people we may or may not know.  There’ll be training, of course, and a license to get, but nothing unexpected as far as fees.  What they do need their people to have is a laptop.  Thankfully, I have that ready and waiting even if it is four years old.

Once I have the spare cash, I’ll be getting a newer laptop and/or a tablet or netbook for work.  That is, of course, I get a second interview and they like me well enough to take the risk.  I know I can do the job and become a good leader.  It’s are they willing to take the chance.

I’m ready to take the chance, so I‘m 50% there already.  Cross your fingers.  I need all the prayers, hope, and luck I can get.