Frustrations

It's been an up and down week. Been doing loads of work on the outline for submission to the Friendly Producer Scheme. It's not quite there yet, but feeling better about it than I was. One minute I thought it was fine, the next all I could see were the things that didn't work, and was at one point near tears of frustration because I knew what was wrong, but not how to put it right. But my lovely fella came home from work early, whisked me off to the pub with my outline, listened patiently while I moaned about my frustrating day, and then read through the outline and offered some cracking advice. Confidence restored! John August has just posted about crises of confidence, and how to tell if it's lack of confidence in your own abilities, or a realisation that maybe the idea you are working on is actually crap. He's got some sage advice, as always. I think my little lapse was the former. It's something that happens to me often enough that I really should instantly recognise it!

Frustration hasn't been limited to writing this week. Discovered an independent film festival called Unheard Voices last week. They are running a series of all day workshops throughout one week, all priced at £5 or £30 for the lot. Been trying to book tickets for a couple of the workshops. The booking form on the website doesn't work. I've phoned, I've emailed, I've left voice messages but to no avail. No one has got back to me. They clearly don't want my money. I've switched my days in the office job so I can go, now I just need to get the bloody tickets. Most annoying, and I'm feeling so petulant about it I'm refusing to post the link to the website. I'm not usually this peevish but I do hate bad customer service.

On that note, an off-topic irritation: just booked a flight with one of those delightful "no-frills" airlines (are any airlines "frills" anymore?). The latest additional charge is £5 for priority boarding. So you can pay an extra fiver to have "priority A" stamped on your boarding card and be the first group called to board. But unless you have sharp elbows that you are prepared to use to shove people out of the way, it really doesn't matter what letter is stamped on your boarding card, because the airline staff only ever half-heartedly request that "all other passengers remain seated at this time". All other passengers do not, EVER, remain seated and by the time you've pushed your way through all the people standing in your way, the airline staff are calling the next priority level anyway. Last time I flew with this airline I was priority B and was one of the last people to board. But next time things will be different. I have sharp elbows and I'm not afraid to use them!

If you've persevered and read all of this ranting post, I salute you and invite you to share your own week's woes, writing related or not.