An Update...and a Decision

I've wanted to post a general update for quite a while now, because a few things have changed in the world of Entil. While they are essentially good things, they could also have a number of short and long-term effects on my current activities.

First, a quick scheduling update:

On Monday, Entil's Man-Lodge (aka, the Basement of Occasional Flooding) will be getting some serious waterproofing. Despite giving myself three weekends to clear everything out, some things had to wait (washer/dryer, etc.). As a result, I won't be doing much writing this weekend if preparations come down to the wire.

OK, so on to the rest.

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Back in May, my previous manager left the company. She was the one who supported me in my campaign for a promotion, and also the one who threw weight behind my policy suggestions. In essence, she encouraged me to go from being just an engineer to someone on more of a management track.

Shortly after she left, a new manager was assigned. He was very good, but he also needed help to understand what was happening. We knew that two major audits were coming in the near future, and someone had to be able to take charge, someone with a depth of knowledge about the department and our work to date. Also, he was interested in transforming our efforts, which had been very specifically devoted to certain "milestone" projects, to a more stream-lined ongoing "maintenance" mode. This was an opportunity to have a strong voice in how we would move forward, and I took that opportunity. In a very short time, I became, in essence, the one setting the agenda for the department.

In September, with very little warning, on the eve of our first audit, he was "temporarily" reassigned to a special project off-site. By all expectations, he will be gone until Spring 2006, if not longer. He has no contact with us at all, and because of the timing, there has been no effort to replace him. Instead, the Director asked me and a colleague, who I have been mentoring for about a year, to lead the team in our manager's absence.

The last several weeks have been very busy, but I've been able to keep my head above water. We came through the audit with flying colors, and it's not inaccurate to say that it was my work over the past year that placed us in a position where that could happen. And the Director and his bosses/colleagues are all aware of that. As time has passed, it has become increasingly obvious that more and more managerial responsibility will be coming my way (even if, technically, I cannot and would not be placed in the actual position).

From a "job security" point of view, this has been a very good thing. I've been able to get direct support for initiatives that I've been wanting in place for months, and for the most part, my colleagues have happily accepted my increasing authority. Even if it doesn't last or events overcome my ability to deal with them, I can't help but come out a winner, because I'm taking on responsibility well beyond my current position and standing up to the pressure. In other words, it's going to be one hell of a resume booster.

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So...bottom line...what does this mean?

Well, I've been keeping up with the reviews for the most part, even though more shows have made it through the gauntlet than I had been anticipating/hoping! The fact is, if I keep them short, it's not hard to do...it takes me very little time to rattle on like that (I've typed this much of this post in 10 minutes, for example). I might start skipping here and there...I want to establish a schedule for myself, and if I don't review something on time and don't have an empty slot, it'll just get skipped. That way, if work demands more time...well, you get the idea.

But there is one huge impact that I have to make a decision about, and that's finishing "Morituri". I hate the fact that it has taken me so long to get even this far into the story, because it's the last one, and I don't like leaving things incomplete. But the fact remains that there's a lot left to be written and not nearly enough time to spend writing. In fact, so much time has passed since the last scene I wrote that I felt the need to begin an outline. I was working off the outline I've had in my head for years, but details are beginning to slip, and if I'm going to get anything done, I need to pound out the gameplan.

At the same time, I don't want to give false hope. I have thought about this over the past several weeks, and I have to be honest with myself. I will not be getting more time to write. I need to decide what to do with the time I do have. Do I continue working on this fanfic, already years in the making, for a series with diminishing fan base? Or do I devote more time and effort to the novel that I've been putting off for far too long?

So.

I want to give anyone who has been waiting for the end of the story some sense of closure. That much, I can promise. Whatever else happens, I can accomplish that much. And if getting to that point sparks a creative surge that gets me moving quickly again, then who knows? But I am no longer promising that "Morituri" will be completed in the detail and depth that I had originally intended.

What I can also promise: if "Morituri" does meet a premature end, it will be because I will be working on an original work. And yes, I fully intend to share and solicit feedback. I am excited about the prospect of putting effort into that task, and so I hope I can count on a little help from my friends!

That's all for now. More on "Morituri" and the path forward soon. And for the record, Kristen Bell is incredibly hot, and thanks to Joss, I love me some Veronica Mars. I like her even better in the "Reefer Madness" outfit (and y'all now which one I'm talking about!).

Until next time...