Capability

Fannish Skills On The Job Search – Webmastery

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(Last week it was art.  This week I turn my attention to another fan skill people can use on their job search).

Are you a webmaster for a fan group, cosplay team, convention, or other
geeky endeavor?  Do you assist webmasters?  Do you help your art friends
withy our online porfolios?  In short, are you one of the people that
may actually know how to work HTML and CSS, or at least some design
tools, and use it in your hobbies?

Then you have one hell of an advantage on your job search and career planning that you ought to be using.

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Abnormal Strength

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You're not normal.

OK, technically none of us are normal.  Normal is a statistical concept, and if you meet anyone who is actually "normal" then they're pretty abnormal.  Normal is for math and stats, averages and estimates.  It's not for people because we're usually all not normal.

In fact, if you think of it, abnormality is great.  Abnormally strong, abnormally smart, abnormally creative – those are powers, abilities, gifts we can use.  You're probably better at something than a lot of other people you know, and you feel pretty good about that.

If you're a geek, and you're reading this so you probably are, I bet you have a lot of abnormalities.

Good.  Because they're your strength.

I want you to look at what makes you different, odd, weird, statistically out there and ask yourself what is a strength or can be.  Your ability to draw well is abnormal.  Your ability to focus obsessively on cosplay is abnormal.  Your ability to memorize sports statistics better than most people is abnormal.

All of this abnormality is, in many cases, being pretty damn good at something or damn dedicated to something – or both.  It's a strength, a power.

So revel in your abnormality.  Identify it and celebrate it. Accept it and enjoy it.

Then?  Figure out how to use it in your career.  Because what sets you apart is what you can build on to make a good, productive, and satisfying career.

– Steven Savage

Go Farther: Foodify Your Fiction!

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Last week I wrote about how I wanted to see more economics in genre stories like fantasy and science fiction, to see it be more part of good worldbuilding and plotting.  Economics affects our world, so I figure why not fictional worlds?  Besides, adding economics to your world makes it richer and more believable.

So in this "Go Farther" I want to suggest something else that is often missed in genre fiction and world building.  Something near and dear to our hearts, or organs slightly lower.  Something you may even be indulging in as you read this.

Food.

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