First Days at C

Yesterday I began an internship at C Magazine in Santa Monica. I am going to be at C two days per week and at Santa Barbara Magazine two days per week, so I’m looking at a crazy summer.

The first day was fabulous. I already knew how to do the usual things (though I constantly worry I’m going to say “Santa Barbara Magazine” when I’m at C, and vice versa). The office is larger, but the new faces are friendly.

In the last two days, I have had several projects that I have never had at SBMag, each with a different draw. In one assignment, I searched for a new book we might like to cover, and this meant I was assigned to read summaries and excerpts of novels! Not only fun, but also great research for my fiction writing, to learn what kinds of things are being published now. I spent today on Style.com, going through the fall lines of the top designers. This satisfied my fashion cravings, and also a bit of design, art, and photography – and it was an assignment!

Of course there were awkward moments. Once I misheard my editor, had to ask for clarification, and when the answer turned out to be something exceedingly simple, the look on her face seemed to me as though she was questioning her decision to take me on. And the paper towel incident – how was I to know that the rack was not that sturdy? I yanked too hard and the whole roll came off. The thing unwound, twirling in the air, landing in a pool of accumulated drips at the foot of the sink. Half the roll was soiled, and I felt guilty throwing it out. I peered about for a hidden camera for “America’s Funniest First-Day-of-Work Videos.”

The hours (9-5:30) plus the commute (30-45 min in traffic each way) are already wearing on me. It seemed as though I got home the first night and five minutes later had to crawl into bed in preparation for the next morning’s early wake-up. Some days I contemplate this life and I could see myself loving it. Other days I am not so optimistic – when will I have time for fiction? I like to think about my mentor telling me that he writes as much, if not more, when he has a full-time job as when he does not. I have always been a creature of routine. Perhaps it’s just about finding the right one.