"I'm sorry, sir. But your references are too old..."

Problem:  My employment history and references are too old.  Several of the places where I've worked have either folded and no longer in business.  Or my supervisors have retired.

Overview:  I've tried looking for part-time work the past several years.  But I keep running into the above problems.  With the folding of my most recent employer, I no longer have a verifiable employment history.  

People have suggested several options.   One was trying to contact my former supervisors to see if they'd be willing to give a reference.  Another option is going to Social Security and get a detailed work history to show when I was employed...

You ask what type of jobs have I looked for?  

I did look for a chemist/research tech last year.  Nothing came of that.  I also looked at a bagger/courtesy clerk at a local grocery store.  I've tried going for that job over the past five years with no luck.  I've also tried at Barnes and Noble as a bookseller.  And working at Lowes.  Or stocking at Toys R' Us.

Still, nothing. 

Now, I write because I know it'll be probably be the only way I ever make money.  I also have a desire to learn the French horn again and eventually teach.  But that requires money.  I'll just have to wait until I have enough of it saved up before I can continue with that...

Still, having people question your references for a menial job because they are too old is discouraging, especially in this economy.  

Editing Short Stories

I spent the evening editing a couple of short stories.  They are based a future history of Mars.  There are about five or six stories that are interrelated.  I read the first one  at a Writers Under the Arch meeting last Tuesday evening.

The second short is an actual Martian Free Companies tale called "Just Another Paycheck."  That will be read for the next WUTA Big Books Group in February 2014.

The third story, The Scorpio Affair,  I'll start reading tomorrow evening at WUTA.  It'll take me about month to complete it.  It's one of my longer short stories.

But I took some advice from last week's WUTA meeting and rewrote my first story with a new ending.  I think it makes for a better short story.  The main complaint I had from readers it took too long to set up things.  It felt more like the beginning of a novel than a short story.  So I hacked and rewrote the ending.  Polar Landing is a page shorter.  But it fits in with the rest of the tales of the Red Planet better.

I edited the fourth tale, Raid on the Hellaspontes, tonight.  It's now in the queue to be read at WUTA later this year.  The fifth story, Professionals Need Only Apply, I'll work on tomorrow.

Regards,
Blake

Closure of Qualis, Inc. - Des Moines, IA

I worked as an analytical chemist at Qualis, Inc. in Des Moines IA from October 2003 to July 2005.  Qualis Inc. manufactured personal care and animal products.  Qualis also was a private label manufacturer for places like Hy-Vee, Walmart, Albertson's, and other grocery store chains.

I worked with chemical analysis of active ingredients and physical attributes testing of shampoos and topical creams.  I did mainly HPLC work.  It wasn't the most glamorous job in the world.  But it paid bills.

What I didn't know but found out later Qualis Inc. was having problems with both the FDA and EPA.  There was also a lawsuit against the company for the death of a child due to their head lice shampoo.  That was settled out of court recently.  The company closed its doors last year.

It took me a while to find all this information out.  My former employer didn't have a website.  I didn't even have email when I worked there.  It was a very retro set-up.  I had use my web-browsing skills to find out about the FDA and EPA complaints and the lawsuit settlement.  I tried calling to see if they were still in business.  I got a recorded message saying their phone number was no longer in service.

None of this is surprising.  The company had downsized when they sold off their head-lice shampoo line to another company in 2008.  Qualis Inc. then laid off their entire second shift.  I do wonder about the guys I used to work with.  I hope they found new jobs in Des Moines.  Part of the problem with Des Moines is there's few chemistry jobs available relative to all the white collar insurance and banking jobs.

I liked Des Moines, IA.  Outside of winter, it was enjoyable.  I never got used to the snow.  I was a good analytical chemist.  I feel sorry for my former supervisor who's father had come down with Alzheimer's disease when I left to move back to St. Louis, MO in the summer of 2005.  Joe tended bar on Fridays at the Greenwood Lounge.  I'd go get a gin and tonic and write after work at the bar to start off my weekends.  I miss hanging out with him and talking sports.  Those were good times...            

Happy New Year 2014!

Happy New Year 2014!

2013 saw the writing over 150 pages in a new novel and the production of nine short stories.  Even though I haven't been able to get to Writers Under the Arch, I've been writing and regularly editing/revising older works.

The goal for 2014 is two fold.  The first is to get several manuscripts ready for a literary agent.  The second is to finish the rough draft for Straits of Magellan.

I also have other personal goals this year, too.  One is to learn a new language.  I'll start that in the autumn of 2014.  I'd like to have the rough draft of Straits of Magellan done by then so I can move onto other things.  I also have more novella/short story planned after that.  Afterward, I'll be with writing new material.

Again, best wishes for the New Year and good writing,
Blake

November Writing and my Nook died today

I spent November 2013 editing Price of Command and working on my rough draft of Straits of Magellan.  I've fleshed out the novel enough to know there will only be two books in the Kepler cycle, instead of three.  But I outlined the revision of a short story/novella of a Desmon Singh tale.  I'll work on that after I get Straits of Magellan written in late 2014.

I've also gotten into the habit of reading again.  I finished a bunch of military history books.  I'm now in the process of starting a military sci-fi novel by Jack Campbell called The Forgotten Stars:  Perilous Shield.  I've got a bunch of other sci-fi/fantasy reading to do in 2014, too. 

Alas, my Nook Color died on me today.  I was in the process of starting to put my PDF files on it.  I'd only bought and read two ebooks on it.  The damn thing won't charge.  And the battery is dead.  And the warranty has expired.  Just my luck....

Happy Holidays and good reading,
Blake

October Writing Projects

I've spent this month writing.  November is Nanobook writing month.  I'm not participating in Nanobook this year.  I'm taking a slower approach suggested by Chris Bauer.  I'm writing at least a page a day/4 times a week.  I'm now at 18,400 words/110 pages for Straits of Magellan.  If I keep up with the writing.  I should have about 55,000 words done by the end of December 2014.  That's the goal. 

I have been editing my finished work.  I got done revising Kepler Falling for about the tenth time.  I'm now working on Price of Command.  This should be the last time I revise Price of Command before I send it off to be professionally edited.  I'm trying to decided on where I should send it.  A friend of mine once suggested the editors of Romantic Times.  I could also try locally, too.  I just don't want to pay for return postage for the manuscript.  That will be expensive.  I should do that sometime this spring. 

I do have another novel to read and critique for WUTA Big Books.  I won't mess around with that until Saturday.  I'll try and get most of the manuscript read this coming week.  I'm also trying to make a dent in the backlog of books I need to finish.  There are now eight books.  I'm about half-way done with a book on The Arab-Israeli Wars by Chaim Herzog.  I'll post  a review of it on my gaming blog when I'm done with it.

Until then, good writing...
Blake

New Plans for 2013-2014

I revised my writing schedule.  Following the example of Chris Bauer, I write one page a day of new material.  I'll be doing this Monday through Thursday.  The piece I'm currently working on is Straits of Magellan.  I keep doing this for the rest of 2013 and all of 2014.  By December 30, 2014, I should have at least 50,000 word rough draft for the novel. 

The second part of my writing is editing and revising.  I've been doing this with all my works.  I got done reediting Price of Command.  I'll go back and work on Kepler Falling next week.  Last month saw me edit short stories.  I revise about 2-3 chapters a day.  Whenever I get done with a novel or short story, I move onto another piece.  I'm hoping this will improve my editing skills and get my works polished up.  I'm due for WUTA Big Books in April 2014.  I'll have Kepler Falling ready to go by then.  I'll get some real feedback on that novel. 

At the time of this posting.  I have about nine short stories, one novella, and a novel complete.  I'm looking at completing a second novel by the end of 2014.  I have plans for a three novel related series of sci-fi books.  I also have the beginnings of a prequel for Price of Command.  But that work needs to be fleshed out and broadened before I can do anything with it...

Blake