A Writer

It wasn't long ago that I hired another writer for an area nonprofit.

Ugh.

(If you've ever tried to hire a writer, you know this is one of the most difficult hires - for both a nonprofit and for a writer hiring another writer.)

The one I wanted, didn't want us. And after 6 months of interviews, I was ordered to hire anyone - as long as it was this one particular person.

So, I did.

On the new writer's first day, they calmly and confidently informed me that they couldn't write a word until they got the right kind of chair...

and they'd appreciate a different key board and mouse...

and if we could adjust the lighting overhead and add a low-glare desk lamp with a solid shade that would work for them...

and they preferred No.2 Ticonderoga pencils (but, thankfully, they had their own pencil sharpener), and I asked 'What's a pencil' (but they didn't laugh)...

and they'd be happy to review their writing schedule...

and they wanted to see the latest versions of the Editorial Style Guide, Messaging Guide, and all versions of the type of writing assigned...

Some of us can't write unless we have the right paper, right light, right pencil, and right chair...

Some of us can't NOT write, and we can do it on a train, in a plane, in a tree or on a knee...

​