About a month ago I decided that I needed other writers to help slaughter my stories into shape. I wasn't sure who else I could find besides friends and family, but then I found an online workshop for popular fiction called Critters. The premise of the site is simple. Stories that the members submit are put into a queue (i.e. in line). Every week about eighteen stories are taken from the bottom of the queue and can be read and critiqued by other members. To stay a member, you need to critique at least one story a week. Besides being able to read and dismember some decent fiction, the stories you submit get the same treatment from however many other members decide to critique your work.

All in all it's a fair arrangement and you learn a hell of alot (and if you want to read my story, send me a guestbook note).

Besides worrying about why the critiques weren't coming in for my latest story, I took care of some student loan stuff yesterday. I owe about 20,000 American. It's not outrageous, but I'm unemployed still so there's not much I can do. I talked with a few representatives and asked them to extend my grace period, so I don't have to start making payments. They're willing to give me another few years, but I need to officially register with the state Unemployment department. Basically that means I'd have to not only actively look for jobs, but go through interviews and bring proof to stay on Unemployment.

So why can't my lazy ass find even a temp job and get some money? Simple: I have no car. I'm also just starting to establish a line of credit, so even buying a car is difficult. It's a Catch-22 in a way: you need a consistent set of paychecks to prove that you are financially able to buy a car, yet you need a car in Los Angeles to get, say, an office job downtown (which I won't ride 3 hours to and from by bus unless I absolutely have to).

So unless I can buy a car at an impound auction, I need a co-signer that can put their own credit down; I don't relish the thought of relying on my Gran for anything. That said, my Mom's boyfriend, Scott, and I are going to try the auctions sometime next week and hope we get lucky for the 3-4k market. I have about 2k in the bank, so at least I have a down payment. If that fails, it'll have to be a used car dealership with an inspection certified sticker.

Maybe I'll get lucky and find a data entry or human resources job someplace nearby where I can take the bus. So far it's not looking good, but positions open up all the time so I have to keep trying.

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