Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Too much math

I play the online game Kingdom of Loathing, and today I ran afoul of the Dwarven Factory Complex Puzzle. I've spent the last hour figuring out the code for which rune stands for which word--I got that part without too much trouble--and then struggling with converting the digit runes to real numbers and then from base-7 digits to base-10. *weeps hysterically* I can't do it. I simply can't do it.

Finally I gave up, because my eyes were glazing over and I was wasting time I could be using to type up today's handwritten NaNo pages. I don't like giving up on this sort of thing, but I know when I'm beaten. I'll try again after NaNo when I have more free time. So anyway, after I gave up I checked my email, and my editor at Ancient Tomes needs me to fill in a W-9 before she can figure my royalties for Jack of All Trades. I printed off the form and started to fill it out.

*weeps hysterically some more* I think the Dwarven Factory Complex Puzzle is actually easier than figuring out if I am an Individual/Sole Proprietor or an Exempt Payee. The Dwarven Factory Complex Puzzle fried my brain, but the IRS's W-9 form has fried my soul.

11 comments:

BT said...

Not sure what the tax system is like over there but I have a business number - that is my name is a business, so when I gain publication or work through my writing, it all goes against that number for tax purposes.

The last form I filled out I was listed as an individual/sole proprietor.

Hope that helps.

Fox Lee said...

*shudders* Makes earning money seem like an awfully big hassle : P ss

Jamie Eyberg said...

I have run many of my own businesses and I actually (sadly) enjoy the paperwork aspect of it, everything but seeing how much tax I paid (or owe). Ask a good accountant if you have any questions, or the IRS even.

K.C. Shaw said...

BT--I had to fill out an Australian tax form when I sold a story to ASIM this year, and it was just as confusing as an American tax form. It's a government thing, I guess. I finally figured out I'm an individual/sole proprietor, though, thanks.

Natalie--Yeah, why can't publishers just slip us cash under the table? :)

Jamie--I actually kind of like doing my own taxes, so I know how you feel. There's something very tidy about numbers, even if I'm not very good at them. I'm getting into confusing waters here, though; if I was making more than token amounts for my writing, I'd probably have to hire an accountant.

Aaron Polson said...

Ugh. Taxes.

I had to fill out a W9 for a job in which I don't get paid (a dual credit course...the $$ goes to the school district). What was that all about?

Cate Gardner said...

Taxes. *Shudder*.

Paula RC said...

Oh hmmm.... Not sure I would be any good at taxes ;-(

K.C. Shaw said...

Aaron--That seems unfair. Just hope you don't end up having to pay taxes on the nonexistent income.

Cate--Yeah, I don't even want to think about filing my return this coming April.

Jarmara--It's kind of fun until you get into the uncommon minutiae like W9 forms.

Richard said...

Hey, I'm good at base conversion. Throw your puzzles over the fence and let your remote problem solver feed you answers. It's almost as much fun as playing the game yourself!

BTW, I just bought Dragon Age: Origins, and I don't think I'll be doing anything else for a while. I suggest staying away for the rest of the month if you're doing Nano.

Danielle Birch said...

I have a friend who is big on online gaming but I've never been into it myself.

K.C. Shaw said...

Lertulo--maybe when you come in for Thanksgiving I can get you to solve the puzzle for me. It seems right up your alley.

Danielle--I used to play Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies. Talk about time-eaters! Now Kingdom of Loathing is the only online game I play. Well, that and Wordtwist and Desktop Tower Defense, and of course the Exile trilogy that I have on CD-ROM and play about once a year. If I stopped playing video games, I'd probably get a lot more writing done. Or I'd explode.