Covered Up!

When the local paper asked me in November to start writing the crime blotter, I jumped at the chance for several reasons, despite the fact that blotter is drudge work and they called me b/c all the employees, who have clout as opposed to stringers (freelance writers) who have none, refused to do it. Here are the reasons I accepted:

• It pays money
• It's a regular gig, until they decide otherwise
• It's work in the newsroom, which gives me exposure to them
• It's work in the newsroom, which gives them exposure to me
• It could evolve into more work
• It allows me to keep my own schedule, which is important to me as I pursue other writing opportunities
• Did I mention it pays?

Finally, and most importantly of all, they called the morning after I mentioned to DH "If only I could find regular work that paid $xxx a month, it would enable us to meet our goals faster." The money they offered is exactly $xxx a month, based on one morning a week. It was just too weird a coincidence to ignore. If I refused the opportunity, no telling what type jinxes might befall me.

So I took it. Initially, they indicated it would be one morning a week. I selected Monday. The second week, the managing editor called and asked if I would be coming in on Friday, as well. Hmm. Sure, I said. (The pay is based on how many mornings I work.) So by the second week I had doubled my pay. Yes, I doubled my work, too, but that's ok by me. The work is easy.

The third week they asked if I would do crime blotter for another paper they own. Hmm. Sure, I said, and added that to the mix. Started coming in three mornings a week. Likewise an increase in the pay.

DH and I had anticipated that my visibility in the newsroom might make me a likely candidate for more work as it arose, as opposed to the other free-lancers who are home in their bunny slippers working at their own computers.

The paper, like papers all over the country, is struggling for survival, and has had a hiring freeze on for some time. The freelance budget is flush to cover the overload.

So now it's the 8th week and I have been asked to carry the work left behind when the education reporter left to go work for the Raleigh News & Observer. Hmm. Sure, I said.

In the past, I have worked at 1 or 2 articles in a week, at home in my bunny slippers, sometimes having weeks with no articles to work on at all. This week I have 10 articles and am writing in calendars, making notes to myself, leaving voice mails to myself, and generally working hard. It's great.

We had thought it would happen but did not in a zillion years, realize it would be so soon.

So now I am at the newsroom twice or three times a week for sure, dropping in when I need to, and working from home in my bunny slippers otherwise. I can walk the dog when I want to, get my nails done, and generally meet the routine of the family, except when School Board meets or other stuff intrudes. So far DH has been extremely supportive, pitching in when I have to be out. This is good. It's not a hobby, after all, it's work, and there isn't a question of my covering everything while he is at work. It sort of grates on my nerves that I am appreciative at all. I should just take it for granted. I am going to try.

The education stuff is different. It's news. All the other articles I've written over the past five years have been Lifestyle stuff: light, airy. I talk of this and that. I wax rhapsodic. Sometimes I gab on.

In news, I have to be terse. I can't say, "The board decided that they would implement..." Nooo, I have to say, "The board will implement..." There are a zillion things like that, and I have to come up to speed on them. I can't say, 7%, but seven per cent. The first news article I did, Monday night, ran about 400 words, and it took me TWO HOURS. Really. Two hours. It's insane! I fretted over each and every word. Finally I turned it in at 10pm and stood behind the editor as he cut and cut and cut. I asked him if he minded my staying to watch. No, he said, but you can go on home if you want. It was late, after all. Thanks, I said, but if I go home now, I won't be any smarter when I go to sleep. I need to see what to do next time.

I did learn from the zillion edits he made, and when he finished, it was a much better article. Nothing fancy. No Pulitzers on the way. But I tried to learn from it all.

So yesterday, I sent another article. They ran it today. Same editor. Hmm. He modified my title a bit and removed one sentence. I am relieved -- quite an improvement over the zillion edits the night before.

So, one baby step at a time, I'll go on. Sigh. Nine more articles to go, for now. Bully Busters, a wedding festival on Saturday, reading scores, a food page, middle school inauguration observations, a young woman returns from Kenya with stars in her eyes, it's diverse and I am busy.

Guess I need to go write.