Monday, December 9, 2013

Keeping the Boredom at Bay


I would love to write full time. Like, actual physical writing, without an additional stupid day job that keeps me away from my computer.

Here is the thing though, I am writing all day long, every spare minute I have. I just have nowhere to get the ideas out during the day. Thankfully I have a mundane, boring day job (silver lining) that doesn't really require much thought.

Retail hell, as I like to call it, is very useful for mapping out new story ideas.

One of my coworkers complained that she hated being on register because she couldn't just stand there and do nothing between customers. I, on the other hand, love when there are no customers. No one can question why I am just standing in one spot staring off into space. Occasionally I will flip through a magazine to make myself look less creepy, but I am hardly ever reading it, I am in fact writing a spanking novel in my head.

It often makes me wonder what other people in boring jobs think about all day. 

It makes me more tolerant when the guy behind the deli counter has to ask me three times how much cheese I wanted sliced within the span of 2 minutes. I almost want to say- "I write smutty romance novels while I'm at work, what are you doing?"

I doubt he is writing a romance novel in his head, but maybe he is writing a book. Or maybe he's thinking about the cute little thing loitering in the produce section that he keeps glancing over at. It doesn't really matter what he's thinking about, but I can almost guarantee it is not "Boy! I really love slicing cheese all day long! Can it really get better than this?"

Or maybe he does like slicing cheese. What do I know?

I'm not just writing stories in my head at work, I do it while I'm driving, during commercials, and standing in line. It's something I have done for as long as I can remember and it keeps me sane. It keeps me from getting too bored with the mundane.

It makes me wonder what normal people think about all day. I asked my husband and he said he also makes stories up in his head. But he's married to me, so I don't think he counts as normal.

Just think the next time your friendly cashier is ringing you up, she may have put her sex scene on pause so she could scan your coupons. Does she seem a little flustered?

Makes you wonder, right?

4 comments:

  1. OMG, I'm going to struggle to keep a straight face the next time a cashier looks distracted while serving me. I'll be thinking they're up to all sorts in their head :D

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  2. "Occasionally I will flip through a magazine to make myself look less creepy, but I am hardly ever reading it, I am in fact writing a spanking novel in my head."

    LOL! I can SO relate to this. I think about my stories when I walk, when I take a shower, when I drive, when I have to wait. I've been worried that when I zone out while I'm walking I won't see that neighbors have waved to me so I won't wave back and they'll think I'm rude.

    Even before I wrote, I would make up imaginary scenarios in my head.

    What DO "normal" people think about?

    Loved this post!

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  3. I love Cara's comment on trying not to look so creepy. I wonder if my pupils are dilated as I'm mapping out my next spanking scene as I wait in line at the grocery store...talk about looking creepy. :)

    I too think about my stories all the time, every spare minute. I think I'd be bored otherwise, you're right. I am going to look at the deli counter guy differently after this though...I thought it was just me.

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  4. Totally totally totally.
    And I actually read one of the Harry Potter books online (that was before kindles, I think someone had typed it in!) while at work. The entire novel!

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