I’ll be on the train, not in a Studebaker. But I am off, later today, to the Emerald City Comic Con, where Flytrap #4, “Performance Anxiety,” will debut. Hurray!
Question to ponder: I was talking with a colleague who knows someone who’s required to do a job shadow as part of a high school graduation requirement. Said someone is seriously interested in a career as a writer, and as a result wants to job shadow a writer.
Cool, but how the heck would that work? I can’t think of anyone who’d be able to get writing done with someone looking over their shoulder. And if the person doing the shadowing wasn’t looking over your shoulder as you wrote, then they’d basically just be sitting across from you, staring at the back of your laptop, which would be incredibly boring for them.
My only idea for how to job shadow a writer: Read a whole bunch of writers’ blogs about “A Day in the Life of A Writer” (many of us have written variations on that theme) and analyze them. Also, maybe interview two writers, one with a day job and one without?
What do you all think?
grrlpup
April 3, 2009 at 10:01 amIt might also be helpful to find a writer who doesn’t mind handing over some rough drafts, scratch paper, scribbled notes, and correspondence with agent, editor, and critique group, so the student can see how the work changes.
Sara
April 3, 2009 at 10:03 amOh, that’s a great idea, grrlpup. (Also a great username. :))
Jill loves pie
April 3, 2009 at 12:57 pmIt might be better to shadow an editor or someone in the publishing business. Or possibly shadow someone who is involved in writing for newspapers, magazines or some other type of publication.