Mystery: November 12, 2014 Issue [#6657] |
Mystery
This week: Learning the trade Edited by: Gaby More Newsletters By This Editor
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Hi, everyone! I'm Gaby and I'm your editor for this issue of the Mystery Newsletter. |
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Learning the Trade
Many of us started a new job or a career where we didn't have a clue how to do things. I'm in a situation such as that one right now. I went from dental assisting to being a flight attendant to running a slaughter house and a butcher shop. Other than customer service, my knowledge of this type of work is zero! That made me think about what happens when we write about other professions we aren't familiar with.
If I'm honest, I feared dentists and those uncomfortable chairs for a long time. My parents nudged me in that direction and that line of work because it's a good trade to know. Only after I started working as a dental asisstant did I realize that there wasn't anything to be afraid of. I, not only, learned so many things about dentistry, but also understood the fear of the unknown better. Even now, I always look at the persons teeth before I look into their eyes.
When I got bored with it, I looked for a new career. Being a flight attendant seemed so far out of reach but I played with the idea when I was little and when the opportunity presented itself I applied and got the job. Customer service, check! Getting up before traffic lights start working, check! Being gone from home four to six days in a row. Really? Traveling with a crew and spending time with them on a regular basis. Who knew? It felt as if I had two lives - one at home with my real family and friends and then on the road, with the people who are like family. Definitely a different lifestyle.
And now,... Now, I run a butcher shop and a slaughter house. Needless to say, it's a giant career change. I like it though. Still, it got me thinking. Writing about characters and their professions can be quite challenging. If you don't experience it yourself, it may not be exactly what you though it is. Research is required, but even the best research may not be enough to cover all the bases and to make it believable.
For example, I know that meat doesn't just pop up in the store prepackaged and that the animal has to be slaughtered. However, I wouldn't have the heart to do it. Hubby, on the other hand, doesn't have any qualms about it. Someone brought a bull in for slaughter and hubby called me to let him... Two seconds before they shot him. No!
Everyone is different and every profession has something that brings out a persons character to the surface. We write what we know, but what about trying something completely different just to learn the details of it? What do you do that separates you from the rest of us? What have you done, work wise, that is/was unique?
'Til next time!
~Gaby |
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