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The Many Careers of ME
By Nancy Lindquist | July 29, 2007
Okay, I’ve not held every job known to man. I’ve never been a hooker, a drug dealer, or a line chef, but I’ve held a lot of jobs over the years. My interests are mutable and fluid. That’s a nice way of saying I can’t stick to shit.
My father is, of course, horrified. He cannot believe that I can’ pick one thing and perfect it. I can’t and I never understood that there was any benefit to this, until I became a writer.
Research is a huge part of writing. You can’t fudge what it’s like to be a _____ without some understanding of the thing. You can gain that knowledge through reading, studying, or doing. I do. I can tell you how a law office runs, because I spent years working as a computer training in a law office. Several, in fact. I can give you an accurate description of working as a flight attendant, because I’ve flown millions of miles. Literally.
I don’t have to be a flight attendant. I’ve seen first class and the way those people are treated is not always pretty. Because I’ve seen a variety of things and places, it’s helped with my research.
So running around, trying it all, is beneficial. Daddy will be so proud.
