Fired for writing a romance novel on the job

http://www.kcci.com/news/14918070/detail.html

Here's a story that I'm not surprised to see. Why? Si, I've done it. Working on that novel on the job. I work as an administrative assistant too so I can see the writer's side of the story. Sometimes when I'm not taking messages for my boss, fetching his breakfast, coffee, and dry cleaning, and working on the endless streams of paperwork, there is down time.

I could do the Martha Stewart thing and think up ways to keep my office sparkling clean, germ free, and with a hint of vanilla scent. But why? I work in a building that was built badly in the 60's and half the people who've worked there for any length of time have "sick building syndrome." Like me, they find ways to sneak in little personal things on company time. Yes, it's wrong and the excuse everyone does it isn't a good one. Still.

Many talk on their cell phone. Many text message. Others collect thousands of fonts and crash out their work computers or do cross stitch under the desk. Me? Si, I sneak in the occasional writing scene. I don't type it on my computer (I'd get caught). I write in a small notebook that has a label "todo" lists. That's too boring so people aren't even curious. Then at night I transfer it on to my computer at home. I'm a very fast typist so it takes no time.

SHOULD I do that? Should that woman have written her novel at work. Probably not. But that's what we do. We love to write, we love to dream. We love romance.

Feliz Navidad!

Lauren