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Rhonda Zatezalo

Author. Dreamer. Designer.

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On Hats & Quitting

September 27, 2020 By Rhonda Zatezalo Leave a Comment

Wear all your hats.

One of my previous jobs was located on the construction site for large commercial buildings. During the summer of 1999 the job site was the  world headquarters building of a bank, a project with a 75 million dollar budget. The place was huge. Our foreman, a fun guy with a serious work ethic received the news that some tradespeople were having trouble working through differences. He placed the hardhat on his head and said, “Not just a hardhat, also a mediators hat.” Of course, being 1999 and a rough construction site, the words were a bit less refined and probably included a cuss word, but we’ll leave the quote as is. Everyone knows the concept of wearing different hats in a job. But when does “being a hat rack” interfere with our main work?

I’ve always been a curious person and as such, I’ve worn a LOT of hats. I don’t know if I was that kid that always asked why, but I was the kid in the library, the workshop, running around outside poking my nose into every ditch or burrow. I wanted to know all the things. I’d read everything I could. At one point I could name almost every horse breed, their typical purpose, and recognize them on sight. 

Often, once my curiosity was sated I’d move on to something new. This frustrated my mom to no end. She saw it as quitting, but how could I know what life was like if I didn’t try it all out?

This sampling of life hasn’t changed much through the years. It’s led me through many different jobs and a few careers. I’ve been a horse wrangler at a boy’s camp, an oil change technician, an accounts payable clerk, a seller of candles, office clerk/coordinator for that commercial construction company, web designer, graphic designer, marketing person and writer of both non-fiction and fiction. And for hobbies, I’m a gardener, a jewelry maker, a gamer, a painter, and the person who fixes all and sundry around the house. The list is almost exhausting! I like fixing or building things. It’s one of my happy places.

If something interests me, I research it until that itch is scratched. We live in the perfect age for this. Oh, me and the Dewey Decimal System and the card catalog used to be buds, but Google’s my new BFF. The funny thing is, the more I learn, the more I can’t UNlearn.

I’m a graphic designer by trade. I went to school, even got good grades. I love graphic design and enjoy creating beautiful things that communicate ideas. However, this training makes doing something simple like updating my published articles on this website a much longer process. I need to find just the right photo, have them all look uniform, then make sure the code lets them all line up properly. I can’t stop being a designer because I now make my living writing. And I can’t not tweak the code just because I’m the end user, not the coder. 

It’s a funny thing to have worn so many identities through the years. And to have gotten to an age where they compete with each other when I try to finish something. How do I tell Designer-Me to shut up and just get the info on the page? How do I tell Coder-Me that I don’t NEED to relearn PSP and the newest WordPress to get things to align properly? And for that matter, how do I tell Writer-Me that the typo in my social media post isn’t THAT big a deal? 

(By the way, I’ve never claimed to be a typist. Never learned, and still look at the keyboard more than half the time.) #funfact? 

There are a lot of negative words to describe someone with my breadth of experience. Quitter. Dilettante. Dabbler. That first one used to really hurt me. Quitter. But the thing is, it’s GOOD to quit things that are bad for you. Smoking, realtionships, habits. That means quitting isn’t all bad. I think it’s important to remember that trying something new is good. And wisdom tells me it isn’t bad to move on to something else if the first doesn’t fit. So instead of those other labels, I’ve chosen Curiosity Junkie. Junkie has it’s own bad connotations which might trigger some people and I’m sorry for that. But it works for me. If it really bugs you let me know. I can use just “Curious.” Or maybe suggest an alternative label. My worlds are an inclusive place. I never want people to feel like they aren’t safe here. 

Now I have to go fight with my designer-self to get these articles updated. I’ve a years worth to add. What’s that saying? The cobbler’s kid always goes barefoot? 

What past jobs either hinder or help your current work or hobbies? I’d love to hear about them and how you deal with it. 

Filed Under: random, Uncategorized

Hangover? The Day After Rejection

April 4, 2018 By Rhonda Zatezalo 1 Comment

Raindrops hitting gray paved sidewalk
It’s Wednesday.  Hump Day.  Mid-week slump day.

Normally I don’t have trouble with the middle of the week. I haven’t worked 9-5 at an outside office since 2013. For five years I’ve been running my own business, and while I don’t often cut myself slack, hump day is a bit easier when the commute is just downstairs.

Today’s different though. It’s April 4th, spring has sprung, but there’s snow on the ground—again— and there wasn’t when I filled the bird feeders yesterday. In fact yesterday it was a cool drizzle that felt like spring. Tease.

Yesterday. That’s a big part of why today is off. I feel hungover, but didn’t drink. Maybe I should have. I had a lot of hope riding on a short story I’d submitted. Yesterday I got the rejection note. It wasn’t even a real note, just a form email saying my story didn’t “fit” the anthology, and good luck wishes for finding a home for it. (I admit, I’m a bit spoiled with the feedback I’ve gotten on other pieces, so this was anti-climactic.)

When I got the note yesterday, I was 770 words into the 1,000 I needed to write for the day. When I opened the email, I didn’t think it was results. The subject line said update. I figured they were taking longer to get through all the submissions and were politely letting us know. So. Not. Prepared. for the rejection.

It threw off my writing groove. I wandered around, felt a bit lost, created a twitter graphic, and went outside in the drizzle to fill the feeders. I listened to the birds and came back inside.

I’d like to say I came in full of determination, but I didn’t. I sat down at my desk as lost as I’d been when I left. I know rejection is part of my job as a writer, but sometimes it’s tougher than others. My husband was worried about me, wondering how to help. He was disappointed too. He loved the story and thought it would be picked up. I could tell he was unsure what I needed every time he turned his chair to check on me and then returning to his own screen without saying a word. It was part of the reason I’d wandered. I didn’t want him to worry. *I* didn’t know what I needed, so what could I tell him?

Now, here I was, back in front of the computer, manuscript open in Scrivener. Unsure what to do next, I read the last sentence I’d written. Then I just started typing. When I finally hit a break in the scene, I looked at the word count box that hovers at the edge of my screen. It said 1,436. I’d almost doubled my words in that time.

I could have kept going, but it was a good place to stop, with an opening that would be easy to pick up next time. And dinner needed to be made. (BTW- The gluten-free chicken parmesan turned out great, and I’d never made it before. Win!)

Back to today though. Today is yucky. I didn’t want to get out of bed. I don’t want to work. I’m tired and achy, and though some of that is period related, I know a lot of it is the emotional bruising of getting your hopes dashed.

Rejection in any form sucks.

I knew I’d be dealing with it a lot in the career I’d chosen. Along the way I’ve worried that I couldn’t withstand it, that I would quit. I’ve been working on this book on and off for about two and a half years.  I’ve wanted to quit, wanted to trash it, take the easy way out, but the story won’t let go. The worlds I’ve created live and they refuse to die. I will finish this book— most likely this month— and then I will revise it.

And then I’ll shop around for agents. Opening myself up for more rejection. Why?

Because at my core, I’m a writer. I prove it to myself over and over, and this post is just another form of that proof. See, as much as I am glad you’re here reading this, I can’t say I wrote it FOR you, dear reader. I wrote it with the intention of you reading it, but I wrote it for me.

It’s an act of defiance, an act of love, and an act of self-care. In all the times I’ve been lost, hurting, alone, or just low, writing has been what’s kept me sane(-ish).

I’m glad you’re here for the journey, for reading the high points and the low. For celebrating with me, and commiserating. Now I need to get back to the story, finish book one, so I can put out the call for beta readers.

Onward.

Filed Under: random, Writing Tagged With: reality, rejection, thoughts, writing

New Fiction Coming Soon!

February 26, 2018 By Rhonda Zatezalo Leave a Comment

I’ve written a lot of new fiction over the past year. Many of the pieces have yet to be published. Last year was focused on writing and exploring my craft. This year will be focused on publishing. Of course, that still means I’ll be writing—more than ever—but now you’ll have more opportunities to explore the stories I’m creating. So where can you find them? Soon there will be several ways to get your eyes on my work.

lightbulbPatreon

Yes, I’m finally launching a Patreon Page. There, for just a dollar or more per month, you’ll have access to short stories, snippets, and flash fiction. At higher donations you can get access to my art, handmade jewelry, or get involved in the creative process. I’m still working through the details of the reward tiers.  I’m planning to launch at the end of March in celebration of my 42nd birthday. There will be a special free download for everyone who pledges in the first 30 days. If you aren’t familiar with Patreon, it’s based on the concept of artists having a patron to support their work. It allows for people to support multiple creatives, and for creatives to get their work out to many patrons. It’s a wonderful platform.

Email Newsletter

In addition to Patreon, I’ll be sending out a newsletter once a month with updates to current projects, personal news, and the occasional look at upcoming projects. The newsletter will be just to keep people updated as to what’s going on, but there might be an occasional story snippet or poll on an idea. Sign up here or in the pop-up box.

twitter iconTwitter

I’ve steadily moved away from Facebook towards Twitter. I find Facebook to be a decent place to check in with friends, but I’ve found a great community of writers and readers on Twitter. You can find me there @rhondazatezalo. I tweet about current events, stories, things I love and of course, my photogenic pets.

person readingAnthologies, Magazines, etc.

I currently have a few pieces of short fiction out on submission. I’ll know if they’ve been accepted for publication it the next month or two. If they are, I’ll let you know where you can pick them up via the newsletter or the website.

And just where is Vargen in all of this?

Coming.

Book one of Vargen is currently sitting with a developmental editor. It’s not yet finished. I want to make it the best story possible. Hence the editor. Some of you know this, but for the many that don’t, a developmental editor looks at the story as a whole piece and helps eliminate plot holes or continuity errors. They also help make sure each part of the story is being told from the right character’s point of view. I’ll working to finish up the novel in the next few months. Then I’ll be querying agents and who knows where things will go from there.

Wild Portal Child is loose in the world as part of the GenCon anthology, Missing Pieces. The eBook version will be part of the reward tier for my Patrons. If you can’t wait to become a sponsor of my Patreon page, or you just want the very first published version, you can pick up a copy of Missing Pieces Vol. 8 here. This is an affiliate link, which means I’ll get a tiny compensation if you buy it through the link. Otherwise all proceeds go to the publisher.

Follow Cheyaron (and Werner) from Wild Portal Child  as they find (or lose) their way to into Book one. I have a series of short stories planned for my Patrons. I may make the stories into a collection that can be purchased on Amazon, but that’s a long ways down the road.

Oh yeah, this blog…

I’d love to say I’ll be posting regularly from now on, but yeah, life gets in the way of my best intentions. I’ll post blogs when the mood hits me, or I have things to say, or when there’s news to share. I’ll try to remember to put a link in the newsletters about new blog posts. They will be pushed to both Twitter and my author page on Facebook, so if you follow in either place, you’ll know when there’s a new blog.

I’m still publishing articles for the welding industry and you can find the latest ones on the website. As I move to more published fiction, the articles won’t be featured as prominently on the site, but they will be there.

That’s it for now. I have a lot coming down the pipeline so stay tuned, sign up for the newsletter, hit me up on Twitter, and watch for fun and prizes that will come with the Patreon launch.

Cheers!

Rhonda

 

 

Filed Under: Fiction, News, Non-fiction, Projects, random

About cats, love, loss and getting what we need

November 2, 2016 By Rhonda Zatezalo Leave a Comment

I knew I was ready to bring a new kitten into our family. Most of my travel for the year was done so I would have weeks at home to get to know the little fur ball. That weekend there was a wildlife and pet expo at the local park so Steve and I headed over. I saw a lot of cats and kittens there but none really struck me as our new family member. And while there were a lot of great rescues there, I’m a big fan of a local rescue named Independent Cat Society (ICS) and I try to support them as I can. I really wanted to adopt my new furry friend from them. So after the expo, Steve gamely agreed to go to the shelter.

Smokey
Young Smokey in red “Soft Paws”

Did I mention I was set on adopting a male, black cat? My dear Smokey had passed away almost three years prior. He was a deep sable/black cat who’d been my constant companion and friend for 19 years. He was irreplaceable, the perfect cat. Since I’ve always had a fondness for black cats, and I’ve had the best luck with male cats temperament wise, I was set on that combo. I looked and looked. ICS has lots of cats looking for homes. But there weren’t any male black kittens. Oh there were plenty of young, wonderful black cats, but I was set on a kitten this time. Though, to be honest, if I could have, I’d have come home with both a senior cat and a kitten. My dear husband keeps me sane by setting limits and I love him for it.

Have you ever heard that sometimes we get what we need, rather than what we want? I’m a firm believer that the Universe will provide all that we need, even when we think we know better. It happens in all areas of my life, including in my choice of cats. In one of the cages were four kittens, about he age I was looking for. Two were black and two were tortoiseshell, but all were females. I almost moved on but one of the little black girls meowed at me so I had to pay them more attention. Maybe I could go for a female black kitty? Oh, she was playful and fun, but she just wasn’t ‘right’. However, her sister Nutmeg was ready for a home and seemed sweet. She wasn’t what I was looking for, but she felt ‘right’.

So I had narrowed it down to two cats, Nutmeg and a male black cat named Figaro who was about a year and a half old. Both were sweet, both needed homes, and Steve said he’d love either. How to choose? The lovely folks at ICS said I didn’t have to make my choice that day, so I didn’t. They wrote down both names and told me I would have first right of refusal on either cat if anyone else was interested while the application was processing. Once we were approved, I’d have to choose.

Nutmeg face
What an adorable little freckle-face!

They called us on Wednesday to congratulate us that the application was approved. Of course, I was thrilled. Then I panicked, how to choose? Before the call I was certain, mostly, but now? When she did finally ask, I knew it had to be Nutmeg. I couldn’t bring her home until she was spayed, which meant Friday, but we were headed out of town to a writing convention (which was a blast). She said no problem, we could pick her up on Monday, October 10th. I’m full of gratitude for this little freckle faced kitten. She’s the snuggliest, most lovable little girl and just what I was looking for.

Today, November 2nd,  is the third anniversary of Smokey’s death. His loss hit me hard but Steve and I like to think he stayed around long enough to see us married and happy. He passed away in my arms at our condo and it was so hard to say goodbye, even though I had known it was coming for a long time. This morning I took Nutmeg in for her check-up and she’s doing great. She sits with me when I’m writing and tries to lay on my keyboard when I’m working, just like a certain black cat used to. And sometimes she goes streaking by so fast she’s like a trail of smoke in the corner of my eye.

smokey4
Love.

smokey3
Smokey upside down in his favorite chair…mine.

nutmeg6
Nutmeg showing how well she fits in. Hurley isn’t so sure…

nutmeg4
And more love.

Filed Under: random Tagged With: cats, gratitude, loss, love

Reading 4-22-16

April 22, 2016 By Rhonda Zatezalo Leave a Comment

As a recap, I read the first three books in the Mistborn series and I loved them. The magic system is fascinating and the characters have stayed with me.through the months. I would recommend the books to anyone who enjoys a good adventure with lovable, yet mysterious characters.

Screen Shot 2016-04-22 at 10.44.33 PM Screen Shot 2016-04-22 at 10.44.45 PM I’ve just finished Magician: Apprentice and Magician: Master by Raymond E Feist. I was told I should read these because they had portals in them “similar” to my world of Vargen. I’m happy to say that, while I enjoyed the stories and the world quite a bit, I was relieved to see that it was much different than my world. *whew!* I am looking to reading the next book set in this world. Right now I’m between books but until the Feist book arrives, I might pick up one of the Ursula K. Le Guin novels that arrived a few weeks back. 🙂

Filed Under: Books I love, random Tagged With: books, reading, reviews

Reading 1-5-16

January 5, 2016 By Rhonda Zatezalo Leave a Comment

I finished The Name of the Wind. What a ride! The characters and Rothfuss’ style have completely hooked me! I had to purchase The Wise Man’s Fear quickly to out what happened next. I love these books and the wonderful, careful word choice. I’m enthralled with the characters and I love the world.  In The Wise Man’s Fear however, I got stuck for a bit in the land of Fae. I don’t know what happened, I just didn’t want to continue. Once I took a break, I devoured the rest of the story. I’m anticipating reading the companion story of Auri in The Slow Regard of Silent Things and, of course, buying book 3, when it’s published.

Screen Shot 2016-01-05 at 6.58.38 PM

 

In the mean time, I’ve picked up some other recommended books and I am now enchanted with another world, the world of the Mistborn. The magic is fascinating and the books are well written enough that, when book one ended last night at after midnight, I picked up book two and kept going for another hour. Fun characters, fascinating magic and very easy to read. Looking forward reading the rest of the Mistborn series and maybe more by Brandon Sanderson.

Filed Under: Books I love, random Tagged With: books, reading, reviews

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with gratitude

Writing is an exercise of creation, but publishing is one of vulnerability. I am profoundly grateful to my friends, family and fans for their support and feedback. I’m also grateful to the critics–you help me stay humble and strive for better work.

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