**The following is a story about a job interview that changed my writing career. If you like True T.Lo Stories, new entries are posted every Saturday!
Years ago, I wanted to quit being a writer because although some people believed I was talented, an equal amount of people thought I sucked.
At the time I was working a pleasant temp job in the healthcare field, but I felt that I needed to go back into entertainment and get my feet wet in different parts of the industry. Since I had such a strong writing background, I thought I would make a great literary manager, agent, or creative exec.
An entertainment networking group I was a member of passed my resume off to a very successful Hollywood literary manager. She liked my resume and called me in for an interview.
During the interview, she told me about her clients, and I was super excited to work for her. Although she had a no-nonsense personality during our interview, there was something about her that I really admired. I hoped that she would pick me to be her next assistant.
Then it came to my turn to answer some questions, and that's when it went downhill.
"So tell me what you want to do," she asked.
"I'd like to be a literary manager," I replied.
She looked at me, and it was as if her eyes were seeing through me. She didn't buy it.
"So tell me what you really want to do," she asked. Again her eyes bore through me.
Now, I should note that I really thought I should give up being a writer and use my skills in another capacity, but apparently the only person who believed that was a good idea was myself.
After a few seconds, she was getting fed up with my delusions, and she let me know this.
"Will you cut the bullshit that you don't want to be a writer?" she asked. I was taken aback.
At this point in the interview, I didn't know what had happened. She then asked me something that shocked me even more than the "cut the bullshit" line.
"So tell me about your writing," she asked.
Omg! I wondered. Was this a trap? Did a successful literary manager actually want to know about my writing, or was she testing me to see if I really wanted to be a literary manager?
Like an idiot, I concluded that she was testing me, and I responded in the worst way possible.
"I don't have anything going on," I said.
This of course was a complete lie. I always have lots of projects going on, and I wake up early to write, I write during my lunch breaks, and I write at night. I live and breathe writing...
However, back then, I didn't have the confidence to say that. I just downplayed my passion whenever I spoke to people, and I'd answer questions untruthfully, not because I was a liar but because I cared too much about answering questions the way I thought I should answer. That was the stupidity of my youth.
Our interview ended, and I knew that I had blown it. It was my fault after all for not being myself.
Of course, I didn't get the job, but as time passed, I greatly appreciated my one hour with this manager. I was a complete stranger, but she had read me in minutes and she was ballsy enough to tell me to stop lying to myself about what I wanted out of life.
So anyway, thanks, unnamed manager. Although you probably don't remember me, I'll forever remember you... in a good way!!
THE END.
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