Rebecca's Writings

Not much else is new...

2009-06-03T06:02:00.000-07:00

There isn't much of an update from when I last posted. I'm still searching for a job. I'm getting nervous, but my mom and dad both say it will happen for me.

I got my certificate for winning first prize in the Story Institute Short Story Contest. I might have it framed since it's the first thing I ever won and I'm really excited about it. And I figure it will look better in a frame than taped to the fridge.

Until next time...

At work...

2009-05-29T10:45:00.000-07:00

The good thing about being a receptionist is I'm not always busy. This gives me plenty of time to catch up on reading. Most of the books I have been reading lately have come from BookEnds, LLC, the literary agency where I interned last year. The books are fabulous. I highly suggest picking them up at Borders or wherever you shop.

The bad thing about being a receptionist is I'm not always busy. I love to have a job that keeps me motivated, stimulated, on my toes....and any other vigorous phrase that I can't think of right now. I'm hoping, for myself and everyone else out there, that finding a career will not be impossible. I am actually quite certain that once we land our ideal jobs, we will look back on our job searches with much more pride and satisfaction than we do right now.

It's hard. It's tedious. It's depressing sometimes. But it will all pay off in the end. I won't give up. Neither should anyone else.

Good News? Bad News? Any News?

2009-05-27T11:46:00.000-07:00

Finding a job is much harder than I thought. Most people I talk to tell me to accept any job I can get, but that advice sounds so darn depressing. It's true that I need to be able to support myself, but I'm not going to give up searching for a career that will make me happy. The search is slow and tedious, but there is no way I am giving up.

In addition to looking for a job, I have submitted my novel to several agencies (I figure I'll send it out to a few at a time to keep myself sane and my excel spreadsheet somewhat manageable). I got a few rejections, one interested agent and then a no, and no other responses. This is going to take a long time, just like the job hunt. But I'm willing to wait.

A bit of good news...the short story I submitted to Story Institute ("Kaylee's Quarter") won first place. My story will be published in the 2009 anthology. Very exciting for me indeed!!! I hope you had a chance to read it from my previous post.

That's it for now. Hope all is well with everyone!!!

Continuing the Job Search

2009-04-07T09:59:00.000-07:00

I spent a good 2 hours this morning researching job openings and I'm pretty sure I'm going out of my mind. It is so hard to find a job in the publishing industry, especially right out of college. It seems like the only way to get something is to know people and establish many many contacts. I'm lucky to know a few people in the publishing world, but I still feel extreme pressure and a lot of doubt whenever I go to search for a job.

Even though I understand that many people don't get jobs right after graduation, I still feel like I need to get one to feel better and more secure. It's April now, and graduation is in a little over a month. There are so many students in the same boat as me, and I only wish that we can all get what we want after we leave the safe confines of college.

Good luck to everyone, and please, if there is anyone out there who can offer me help or advice, I'm all ears.

Too Many Ideas?

2009-04-06T11:01:00.000-07:00

While I was in bed last night, I spent hours tossing and turning with ideas running through my head. Not ideas for a book or essay, but ideas for my toast that I must give at my sister's wedding this coming September. Sometimes I feel like writing has taken over my life and I am destined to never have a clear head.

For instance, over spring break, I went on some kind of writing binge. Within a week, I wrote close to 150 pages of the novel that I just completed a few weeks ago. But now my mind is consumed with a screenplay that I've been working on, the toast for my sister's wedding, papers for school, and letters and emails being sent to potential employers.

And, if those things weren't enough, I also had an idea for another book while walking to my class today. I don't want to send out the message that I hate having ideas. I just wish I had a better way of organizing them and getting some sleep at night.

Short Story Contest

2009-04-05T08:47:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I submitted two of my short stories ("Final Fortress" and "Kaylee's Quarter") to a short story contest. They were both accepted and will be considered for publication. If anyone would like to read them, here are the links:
http://www.storyinstitute.com/2009/04/05/short-story-the-final-fortress-rebecca-laskowitz/
http://www.storyinstitute.com/2009/04/05/short-story-kaylees-quarter-rebecca-laskowitz/

It would really be nice to have some of my work published. Both stories were written for a class, Writing For Publication, and the point of that class is to get some work published. Each story was written as a reaction to a film. "Final Fortress" was written the night after watching Atomic Cafe, a documentary about the atomic bomb. "Kaylee's Quarter", interestingly enough, was my reaction to Nosferatu, the first dracula movie.

Any comments are more than welcome on the stories. If you like my work and would like to see more, don't hesitate to let me know. I love having conversations about writing and getting useful tips from anyone.

And please please please, enjoy reading my stories. It is, after all, why I wrote them.

Good News!!!

2009-04-04T10:05:00.000-07:00

Good news!!! I finished my first novel. It's called The Manuscript and it's 239 pages long. Maybe you'll see it on the shelves in Borders some day :)

Just thought I'd let everyone know that I FINALLY finished something that I started and I've never felt better about it. I started it last semester in one of my classes and finished it in another class for this semester. I've had the idea for the book for a lot longer than that, and school was my excuse to actually write it.

I'm one of those people who needs a kick in the butt to get something started and finished (for my own projects), and thank GOD I finished it. Now I can go to sleep at night without constantly thinking about where my characters will go in the next chapter. Such a load off :)

Sorry about the delay...

2009-04-03T07:36:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I posted anything, and I apologize for that. Things have been rather hectic lately as I'm sure things are for most people my age who are about to graduate college.

Perhaps one of the most stressful things is having to look for a job right out of school. It is getting harder and harder by the day. Especially for a writing major. I am looking for a job as an editorial assistant because that's pretty much the only job I'm qualified for at this time. And of course, I can't really negotiate pay all that much since an editorial assistant position isn't exactly a high-paying job. If I get a job, I'll probably just be happy to be employed despite the low income.

That's where more stress comes in. Most jobs are located in New York City. If I were to get a job in NY, the cost of traveling to work may be larger than my paycheck. MEANING, I'd have to move out of my house, something I'm not sure I'm emotionally ready for.

If anyone has any advice, I would be more than willing to take it and consider it. This is a hard time, and everyone, myself especially included, can use some help.

Here I Sit at Work

2008-12-01T05:59:00.001-08:00

So, I'm sitting at my desk at work, and I am about to write a review of a full manuscript that was sent into the agency. What I noticed when reading the manuscript were all the changes I would make as a copy editor. Most of the changes would be changing the good English to bad English. Not horrible English, but enough so that what the characters say to each other sounds like actual conversation rather than out of an essay. It really depends on what medium you are writing for to determine whether it is proper or not to use correct language or slang. I think in novels when characters are speaking, it's okay to talk in contractions and slang. Don't be so formal. People (at least the ones I talk to) are not formal when they speak.

Also, on a totally separate note, I was talking to a friend, and I accidentally pointed out a redundancy in his statement. I actually copy edited his speaking. I felt like such a loser after that.

Trying to Read at Work

2008-11-03T17:30:00.000-08:00

Since my job is to basically read manuscripts sent in by potential authors and give my opinion on their works, my job is pretty simple and delightful. But I read this one book, or rather half of it (140 pages) and I had a hard time with some sections of it.

The plot was straightforward and interesting, the characters were well developed, and the author was very good with descriptions. However, I got caught up in the number of typos throughout the entire thing. There were some mistakes that the author repeated over and over and over again.

That is to be expected in manuscripts being sent to the agency. The books have not yet gone to any editors, so typos are pretty common. However, there were so many in this one manuscript that I had trouble appreciating the story itself.

It is important to go through work carefully, because in the book world, a manuscript goes through a lot of people, including the lowly interns, before making it to the bookstore. A good story is nothing if there are typos galore.

My Own Errors

2008-10-29T08:04:00.001-07:00

I am in a class called The Narrative Art. I am currently writing a novel, and I get feedback from the teacher about my work. I have noticed that I make the same mistakes in my writing over and over again. I have a problem with tenses. I always jump between past and present.

This is an issue that I must work on if I want to be any kind of writer, either creative or for a newspaper or magazine. I think everyone has at least one issue that he or she must work out when it comes to writing. Nobody is perfect. Nobody can write the perfect article or story the first time around. Copy editing plays a big part in the success of any kind of writing.

Ethics and Sensitivity in Copy Editing

2008-10-22T10:31:00.000-07:00

I read a story in class that was about incidents of groups of young people attacking others is growing in the Washington D.C. area. The article mentioned the groups were made up of teenagers and young adults. I got confused, because I always thought teenagers and young adults were the same thing. Of course, a person isn't legally an adult until he or she is 18-years-old. I think the story would have been better if it gave a specific age range.

Reading this didn't ruin my day or anything. I was really just being nitpicky for the sake of the class. But there are people who actually get offended over word usage in articles.

Last week, I did read an article that bothered me a little. A man was beaten to death in the street. The man was gay, but it wasn't known if the beating was a hate crime. I feel like the reporter just put that in there to add "color" to the article. The fact that he was gay adds a whole new side to the story. But the fact that it wasn't sure if it had anything to do with the crime made it seem unnecessary to the story. I don't think it should have been mentioned because it didn't seem relevent.

Stories at the Agency

2008-10-22T07:48:00.000-07:00

While reading some of the manuscripts that are sent to BookEnds, I made notes in my reader reports that plots of some of the stories are unclear after the first three chapters. Even if the writing is great and the characters are interesting, it is important for the story to let the reader know what is going on and give the reader a general sense of where it is going.

Copy editing has a lot to do with this process of moving a story forward. The chances of someone continuing a story, whether it is commercial fiction, nonfiction, or a news article, are slim if the reader does not know the point of the story. "Why am I reading this," is a question that must be answered near the beginning. This is not to say that important points should just be given away, especially in a mystery. But knowing what the story is going to be about is important to readers.

It is difficult to get a story past agents and editors, let alone to have the general public pick it up to read. Knowing how to hook your audience is essential to any writer's job, and especially to copy editors.

Access Hollywood

2008-10-14T21:14:00.000-07:00

I was watching Access Hollywood the other day, and it amazed me how much editing must be done during that show. There are the obvious cuts in order to move from story to story. But what I found unbelievable was the fact that in a 5 second segment of an interview with a celebrity, there were at least 3 cuts. It must be hard for a celebrity, or anyone on television, to get in a full thought without getting cut off by the editors. It makes me wonder if what we hear in our homes is what is actually being said.

BookEnds Blogging

2008-10-08T07:59:00.000-07:00

One of my tasks as an intern at BookEnds is to read the daily blog. I usually find the blogs very interesting, but one that really caught my eye was about writing courses.

While my boss feels that writing courses are helpful for people who want to go into publishing and editing, they cannot be considered the be-all-end-all for being successful. Much of what is learned in writing courses are ways of coming up with ideas. The other things that are learned are ways of structuring stories, and certain methods that should be followed. These methods, however, are not set in stone, and they certainly don't apply to all writers. They only apply to a writer if the method actually works.

I really love the fact that my boss blogs every day. A lot of the information that she puts out there is useful to me as a student as well as anyone aspiring to finally write that novel, or screen play, or create any work of art.

Reading, reading, and more reading

2008-09-30T12:20:00.001-07:00

I definitely do a lot of reading at my job, which is awesome. Reading is one of my favorite hobbies. Many manuscripts that I read are fabulous while others are not so great. This internship is really giving me an opportunity to see different writing styles and learn what agents and publishers are looking for. As a writer, hearing what the agents have to say about other people's work is useful advice for me.

I was thrilled when a full manuscript came in for a book that I told the agent I really liked. Not only do I give my opinions, but she actually takes my opionions to heart. Another internship that I had rarely kept me busy, and I sometimes felt out of place and unwanted. Working for a literary agency is definitely a great experience.

Awesome manuscript

2008-09-23T18:59:00.000-07:00

I read a manuscript sent in by an author who wants to be represented by the agency. It was definitely an awesome story. I actually took it home over the weekend in order to finish it and write up a report on Monday. The agent wanted my opinion, and she wanted it ASAP. I am pretty sure I have good taste and judgment when it comes to books. This is definitely a great internship.

Meeting With the Agents

2008-09-20T10:58:00.000-07:00

I participated in my first meeting with the agents of Bookends. We will be having a meeting every Friday morning at 9:30 to discuss any new items that came up during the week. These items include deals that the agents have made, as well as what different editors and publishers are doing. It's good to keep tabs on the people we do business with.

I was given the assigment to read a manuscript by an author hoping to get her book represented by Bookends. My exact directions were, "Read asap. If it's FABULOUS, write up a report. Otherwise reject." I'm glad I like the book so far because I would feel really bad rejecting it. I guess that is something I have to get used to though.

I have the power to say 'yes' or 'no' to authors, which is kind of scary. It is pretty cool at the same time though. I have an opinion, and it feels good that it counts.

First Day of Work

2008-09-17T07:55:00.000-07:00

So Monday was my first day working at Bookends Literary Agency. I spent most of my time reading manuscripts sent in by authors. I had to write reader reports giving my opinions on the works and saying whether or not they should be passed on to publishers. It was a little scary having so much power over someone else's work.

While copy editing isn't a huge part of this job, it is certainly still a part of it. I read a lot of stories from people who want to be published authors. Any of them that are poorly written, no matter how good the content is, does not get passed on. It is important to use proper grammar in order to get an agent, let alone get a publisher to recognize you.

I have an internship!!!

2008-09-15T21:15:00.000-07:00

My interview with Bookends Publishing Agency went very well. I will be working there Mondays and Fridays this semester. My tasks will include reading manuscripts and writing up readers reports. I will be giving my opinions on the material receieved, and decide whether or not a story is good enough to be passed on to the agents, and eventually to a publisher.

Editing is not a huge part of this job. The manuscripts that are received are supposed to already be edited a great deal. But a work that is in obvious need of serious editing may be rejected, or sent back to the author for further review.

I really look forward to learning about the process of setting up an author/agent relationship, and the steps taken toward getting a book published.

Continued Job Hunting

2008-09-08T11:32:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I was fortunate enough to get to talk to my aunt and uncle's friend who is a senior editor for Wealth Marketing Solutions. She gave me valuable information, including advice to join LinkedIn. This is apparently the best way to network and create more opportunities to find employment. She also told me to look up Gotham Writers Workshop if I was interested in taking any more classes.

Another person who works for Scholastic made me a bit nervous when I spoke to her. She is also a friend of my aunt and uncle. She let me know that editing is a very hard field to get into, and the pay is definitely not great. The only way to really make it big in the publishing world is by going through the "slush pile" and discovering something worth publishing.

On the more positive side of things, it looks like I will be having an interview with Bookends Publishing Agency sometime this week. Hopefully the interview will lead to an internship.

Job Hunting

2008-09-04T13:18:00.000-07:00

One of the first things I realized when searching for writing/editing jobs is the massive amount of copy editing positions available. Unfortunately, there are not many part time positions available--mostly full time. I was able to track down three places that looked interesting, however, and I sent out my resume to each.

The Magazine Antiques Editorial Internship - Brant Publications, New York, NY
Office Services Internship - Brant Publications, New York, NY
Internship with Magazine Publishers of America - Magazine Publishers of America, Midtown Manhattan.

I also sent out my resume and cover letter to BookEnds, LLC Literary Agency. I was told they received my application, and I expect to hear back very soon for a possible interview.

First Blog

2008-09-03T09:07:00.000-07:00

I just set up my blog. This is my first blog. It is the first day of class, and blogging is brand new to me. I'll try to be as comprehensive as possible for whoever decides to read this in the future. I will be using this blog as a tool for my experiential learning component for Copy Editing for the rest of the semester.