Definite ramblings
The title of this blog gave me permission to just write about today, so you'll definitely read some ramblings!
The campground inspectors for the franchise where we are living and working this summer arrived late yesterday, performed their inspection during the night, did their laundry this morning, and were off to the next campground by noon. Since we arrived here in March, our bosses have been gearing up for inspection, coaching us along to meet all the inspection guidelines so the campground would excel.
Totally deflated is how I felt when I heard they were pulling out this morning. I expected a major inspection, possibly taking days, with them going over every aspect of the campground with a fine-tooth comb. But they didn't. The good news is the campground passed with flying colors, and is now a candidate for the highest award honored each year at the corporate convention.
But the speed of the inspection left me disappointed, deflated, and disrespectful of the process. How could it have been a true inspection in such a short time period? Yes, I know the inspectors are pros, have done this for ages, have a checklist. But from now on, when I see campgrounds rated by these awards, I can't give them as much credit for actually earning the award as I would if the inspection had seemed more in depth.
As I'm writing this, I realize I can tie this neatly to writing. Sure, I could pound out a 50,000 word novel in a week. But is it ready to go to the publisher at that point? Of course not. Shouldn't I delve deeper into my characters to make them more three-dimensional; check for mistakes in grammar, punctuation, verb tenses, and storyline consistencies? And then rewrite as needed. Before that manuscript is ready to mail, I should examine it thoroughly in all aspects - and it will certainly take longer than a few hours.
The campground inspectors for the franchise where we are living and working this summer arrived late yesterday, performed their inspection during the night, did their laundry this morning, and were off to the next campground by noon. Since we arrived here in March, our bosses have been gearing up for inspection, coaching us along to meet all the inspection guidelines so the campground would excel.
Totally deflated is how I felt when I heard they were pulling out this morning. I expected a major inspection, possibly taking days, with them going over every aspect of the campground with a fine-tooth comb. But they didn't. The good news is the campground passed with flying colors, and is now a candidate for the highest award honored each year at the corporate convention.
But the speed of the inspection left me disappointed, deflated, and disrespectful of the process. How could it have been a true inspection in such a short time period? Yes, I know the inspectors are pros, have done this for ages, have a checklist. But from now on, when I see campgrounds rated by these awards, I can't give them as much credit for actually earning the award as I would if the inspection had seemed more in depth.
As I'm writing this, I realize I can tie this neatly to writing. Sure, I could pound out a 50,000 word novel in a week. But is it ready to go to the publisher at that point? Of course not. Shouldn't I delve deeper into my characters to make them more three-dimensional; check for mistakes in grammar, punctuation, verb tenses, and storyline consistencies? And then rewrite as needed. Before that manuscript is ready to mail, I should examine it thoroughly in all aspects - and it will certainly take longer than a few hours.
posted by Tracy Ruckman at
8:00 AM
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