The ends of two eras.
Easier one first: this past Friday, the boss brought us all together in the L-shaped colony of cubicles that makes up our office, and gave us all some grave news: he's quitting. Trust me, there's something very odd about getting two weeks' notice from your own manager. @_@ Turns out he had a job offer from a place that will pay him more and not work him as hard, a place where he won't have to manage the collective of hard work and insanity that makes up his employees and his own bosses won't expect him to take on massive extra projects for no extra pay. I don't think any of us blamed him for a second.
It's just really weird to think about. I've been at my current job for a long damn time, and this guy's been my boss since 2006. We've got a great working relationship - he's really easy to get along with, he jokes with us all the time, but when he says "Do this", we do it, simple as that. And I know that's a rare thing in the workplace. He also listens to us and our concerns, which also seems to be a rare thing in the workplace. It really won't be the same without him. And while I'm usually an optimist, I'm kind of dreading his replacement. I've seen some of the people who've come in as new managers. Some of them are cool, some I would not want to work under at all. And I don't think for a second that my co-workers and I are going to have any input in the selection process.
So, yeah. I'm hoping for the best for him but fearing for the rest of us, and wondering a little if it's time for me to think about heading out as well. *shrug* Just a thought for now.
On to the second thing. This happened last month, and I talked about it in my writing blog, but I figured it was about time I talked about it here: I've stopped trying to get Skyborne published.
It's easier to say that now, now that I've had about a month to deal with it. But I've realized the book just wasn't working out. The plot didn't nutshell well, which made querying it very difficult, and it's probably not best to save the entire world (quite literally) in the first book. And the way of introducing this new world in bits and pieces (also quite literally), supposedly the setting for a bunch of books to follow, that wasn't really the best idea either. It's weird to talk about it like that when it's an idea I've been working with off and on since 2009, but I think it's the best decision.
...not that I've stopped working on the story. ^_^ Within the space of a week after I started thinking about doing a new story for this world and these characters, I put together a brand new plot that I absolutely loved. Then I talked about it with Rena, who pointed out some stuff I didn't like but needed to hear. Since then - two weeks ago yesterday - I've put together an entirely new plot that I love even more. It's deeper and darker and more personal than Skyborne ever was, and while it still needs work, I'm eager to get started.
So, yeah. One door closes, another opens, even if those doors aren't in the same walls.
..and if I'm straining a metaphor that hard, I clearly need some sleep...
It's just really weird to think about. I've been at my current job for a long damn time, and this guy's been my boss since 2006. We've got a great working relationship - he's really easy to get along with, he jokes with us all the time, but when he says "Do this", we do it, simple as that. And I know that's a rare thing in the workplace. He also listens to us and our concerns, which also seems to be a rare thing in the workplace. It really won't be the same without him. And while I'm usually an optimist, I'm kind of dreading his replacement. I've seen some of the people who've come in as new managers. Some of them are cool, some I would not want to work under at all. And I don't think for a second that my co-workers and I are going to have any input in the selection process.
So, yeah. I'm hoping for the best for him but fearing for the rest of us, and wondering a little if it's time for me to think about heading out as well. *shrug* Just a thought for now.
On to the second thing. This happened last month, and I talked about it in my writing blog, but I figured it was about time I talked about it here: I've stopped trying to get Skyborne published.
It's easier to say that now, now that I've had about a month to deal with it. But I've realized the book just wasn't working out. The plot didn't nutshell well, which made querying it very difficult, and it's probably not best to save the entire world (quite literally) in the first book. And the way of introducing this new world in bits and pieces (also quite literally), supposedly the setting for a bunch of books to follow, that wasn't really the best idea either. It's weird to talk about it like that when it's an idea I've been working with off and on since 2009, but I think it's the best decision.
...not that I've stopped working on the story. ^_^ Within the space of a week after I started thinking about doing a new story for this world and these characters, I put together a brand new plot that I absolutely loved. Then I talked about it with Rena, who pointed out some stuff I didn't like but needed to hear. Since then - two weeks ago yesterday - I've put together an entirely new plot that I love even more. It's deeper and darker and more personal than Skyborne ever was, and while it still needs work, I'm eager to get started.
So, yeah. One door closes, another opens, even if those doors aren't in the same walls.
..and if I'm straining a metaphor that hard, I clearly need some sleep...