WRITING Black Friday

I have a confession to make. Until a few years ago I never knew what "Black Friday" was. I really had no clue. I mean, after Thanksgiving, what do you do? Have left overs, sit around with family. Enjoy a day off from your regular work.

Write.

I now watch the news and shake my head, and laugh at how demented people are. I mean they all go out at midnight, try to park in parking lots that are already full, or they line up at the store they are scoping out for that one item they know will be on sale. Some numbskulls actually camp out at the store's door waiting for the moment they open the doors for the sales on Black Friday.

Why?

Because the store has an objective. They want to be in the "black" when this day is done. Yep. They want to bring YOU into their store and spend MONEY. How do they do this? Well, it has to be the biggest sale ploy ever. I'm sure some day this day will be on the calendar, like a regular holiday.

And everyone falls for this.

I guess I'm different. I really don't need anything THAT BAD! I don't want to go to a store and be crushed by people trying to get that same item I want or some other thing. I was told by one woman I work with that she goes to the store (Walmart), stands and holds her hand on the item until they release it. For how many hours, I don't know. But sounds like you have to be awake for this, I'm pretty sure I'll be asleep during these ridiculous sales. Okay, I didn't ask her this, but what if someone else is there ahead of her? What if other people are standing there, in her way? What if there aren't enough of these items to go around?

I know that this is something she wants to do, and enjoys the craziness of the whole crush of people piling into the store, being demented because the store has put something on sale just for a few hours or until they are out. They are doing this to you, making you get up at midnight--or in the case of Walmart, you can stand there and wait. . . and wait. . .  and wait FOR HOURS ON YOUR FEET JUST FOR ONE THING. WHAT?

Whatever.

I'm not a shopper. I don't like shopping. I do not like to be in a store where there's hundreds of people shopping turning into maniacs, fighting over something, willing to trample you, punch you, (or punch the elderly cart lady/man), just for one or two things they've decided they can't live without. I remember the Elmo craze, the Cabbage Patch craze. Hell, I even remember the rush on the day we (I once worked retail), got in "Beanie Babies" and they only sent about twenty of each one, trying to keep the demand up. People who looked like they didn't have any money buying these things thinking to turn a profit. I remember an elderly woman saying she was buying them for her grandchildren's college fund. Okay. Maybe if you just put the money away in something called a BANK might work a little better. Thank goddess that stupid craze is over.

What I think peeves me the most is that someone has power over us, making us do these ridiculous things and it's retail stores. And yesterday was the first time they began the "Black Friday" during Thanksgiving. Well the economy is that bad, I guess.

Oh, yes I know that they have to turn a profit, of course. But I'm not going to be party to this. I wait until Christmas is over and find whatever is deeply reduced and the stores are empty (of people) because everyone is now in debt after Christmas. That's my plan. It is not rocket science, I'll admit, but it works for me.

I guess I'm the type of person who hates it when someone dictates to me what to do and when to do it. I've never liked that. I like to be in more control and I'm not bowing down to greed by corporations just becasue they decide to reduce prices just to get me into their store to spend money.
So, "Black Friday" I've now renamed "Writing Black Friday". I am wearing black, but that is optional, of course. The object is clear. If you can stay at home, enjoy those turkey left-overs, get into your writing clothes, and write you will have joined me on the first annual "WRITING BLACK FRIDAY".

I'm currently going through my edits of Vampire's Trill -- YAY!!! Happy Dance! This means as soon as I get this done (by Monday, I hope), I will send it back to my editor, my publisher will get it ready for the eBook first and when that happens I will shout it from the roof tops. I'll begin the blog-rounds with my book.

I am also trying to get a short story done for Dark Moon Horror, an e-magazine. There was an open call for vampire short stories. Well, I figured why not? That was before I got the edits, but I am off until next Tuesday. I think I can get both things done, as I'm pretty good at multi-tasking.

So, if you are pretty well fed up with the idea of the retail Black Friday, why don't you join me in Black Writing Friday? Let me know in comments that's what you plan to do, or that you agree with me. If you don't, that's fine too. I thought I would give you a better option of not going out into the madness--that is if it isn't too late.