Due by Friday: a 20-page paper and a novella. Next Tuesday: a final exam. Before the start of next semester, my goal is to have the first draft of HS done.
Here's where I currently stand:
No translations done for this Tuesday's class yet.
3,300 words (9 1/2 pages double-spaced) done on the paper--I find it really interesting--I'm looking at the twist endings on three fairly modern retellings of fairy tales. Makes me want to write about more than just the endings, so right now the hardest part is concentrating on a portion of the story and not the whole thing.
13,377 words done on the novella. I believe the range is between 20,000 and 60,000. I feel like I may be closer to the latter by the time I'm done, there's a whole middle chunk of the story which I still need to write.
15, 700 words on the novel, HS. That's 30 pages single-spaced. Not bad, but I think the trickiest part will come when this semester is over and I try to finish this draft by January 12, when school starts up again. I should figure out the last major scenes and calculate how many pages I "ought" to write each day. Even if I don't follow that at all, sometimes the page or word count just helps me focus.
So, in order to work on the novella and novel, the analytical paper comes first. Do it and get it out of the way. I'm off.
Happy writing.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
As of today...
...I am officially unemployed.
I don't know if 1. I am just much worse at multi-tasking than I thought, 2. it's just work + school that's a bad combination for me, or 3. this specific job. I know people, many people in this Graduate English program who work and go to school. They work in offices or have a TA-ship at the university. As far as I know, none of them are managers, so maybe that's it, but I feel a bit bad that I couldn't keep working and still get all my school-work done.
I feel like if others can accomplish both, so should I, and then I think, don't be stupid, you shouldn't compare yourself to others, ever. (Because I talk to myself like that.) I knew even before they officially offered me the management position at the beginning of this past summer that I wouldn't be able to split my time well enough to devote all the attention I should to work, school and something resembling a social life (or even just some me-time). They didn't really listen. So I kept managing, but it got to the point where it seemed to me there's no way I can manage a store and a half (technically I was managing two stores, then one, then I was sort of an assistant manager as school began, but the main manager looked to me as a superior and I was still handling the major issues, or so it felt), and still complete all the project I needed to in order to graduate in the spring.
So here I am. My first day of not going to work.
My wallet will be wonting, but I think my writing will appreciate it. And I'm at a point in my life, where I can be out of work and still survive (housing situation is stable and I have some funds saved, plus a lovely scholarship that I am very grateful for). But I plan to only do so until I graduate, then get another job.
This one was supposed to be a regular part-time job for the two years of my Master's program, but it became so much more than I expected it to. (Just goes to show you how unambitious I can be.)
Of course, that said, I haven't typed a word yet today for either story I'm working on. But I'm almost done with 50+ lines of Old English translation (I won't say I'm good at it, but I like it), and I've been trying to get through my reading for my evening Tuesday class.
That one is slow-going, but I still have all of this evening, so I'm off to do that.
"Harry's Skin" and "Jinx Infinity" are calling to me and I am in a state of suspended excitement, my fingertips mentally poised over the keyboard.
I don't know if 1. I am just much worse at multi-tasking than I thought, 2. it's just work + school that's a bad combination for me, or 3. this specific job. I know people, many people in this Graduate English program who work and go to school. They work in offices or have a TA-ship at the university. As far as I know, none of them are managers, so maybe that's it, but I feel a bit bad that I couldn't keep working and still get all my school-work done.
I feel like if others can accomplish both, so should I, and then I think, don't be stupid, you shouldn't compare yourself to others, ever. (Because I talk to myself like that.) I knew even before they officially offered me the management position at the beginning of this past summer that I wouldn't be able to split my time well enough to devote all the attention I should to work, school and something resembling a social life (or even just some me-time). They didn't really listen. So I kept managing, but it got to the point where it seemed to me there's no way I can manage a store and a half (technically I was managing two stores, then one, then I was sort of an assistant manager as school began, but the main manager looked to me as a superior and I was still handling the major issues, or so it felt), and still complete all the project I needed to in order to graduate in the spring.
So here I am. My first day of not going to work.
My wallet will be wonting, but I think my writing will appreciate it. And I'm at a point in my life, where I can be out of work and still survive (housing situation is stable and I have some funds saved, plus a lovely scholarship that I am very grateful for). But I plan to only do so until I graduate, then get another job.
This one was supposed to be a regular part-time job for the two years of my Master's program, but it became so much more than I expected it to. (Just goes to show you how unambitious I can be.)
Of course, that said, I haven't typed a word yet today for either story I'm working on. But I'm almost done with 50+ lines of Old English translation (I won't say I'm good at it, but I like it), and I've been trying to get through my reading for my evening Tuesday class.
That one is slow-going, but I still have all of this evening, so I'm off to do that.
"Harry's Skin" and "Jinx Infinity" are calling to me and I am in a state of suspended excitement, my fingertips mentally poised over the keyboard.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Old English Midterm on Tuesday
Even finding out I didn't need the course, I was excited to take it. (I felt like a dork even among my fellow dorks for wanting to take it and being a little excited over its availablity.) But now I have the midterm on Tuesday. Oy.
I've been doing the work over this semester so far, and I've been studying this weekend, butI am not looking forward to cramming two paragraphs of translation and a handful of grammar questions into an hour and fifteen minutes.
But I'll keep working on it. I feel like I've remembered more than I thought I would.
Unrelated to Old Enligh: I've recently discovered the Shrinking Violets blog, for introverts. There was a link on another blog to their Introvert Bill of Rights. As a student, I especially liked the addendum that introverts don't have to raise their hands in class. I pay attention, but I tend to be more comfortable just taking notes, taking in what others say, and jotting down my opinions and questions. I don't like to share those right away. I usually say that my problem lies in the fact that I like to be precise when I share things aloud in class, but I take so long to get what I want to say right in my head, that by the time I'm ready to say it out loud, we've moved on to a different question or topic. So I like that right, but I enjoy a lot of the others as well.
Their most recent post is about the internet being another form of chatter, "Unplugged."
I once spent over an entire month unable to turn on the computer. I would check my email on my dad's computer because I had to, but I couldn't bring myself to turn on my own and spend time at the websites I enjoyed. Not because I didn't enjoy them, but...I don't know. I still haven't worked out quite what was stopping me. But this particular post struck me as interesting. Robin, one of the authors of the site, says, "And I share this with you because I wonder sometimes, if we don’t actively seek what we as introverts crave--quiet time and lots of it for exploring our inner landscape--out body is forced to do it for us." she adds that there is a "stillness and quiet" found in unplugging. I got a few pages written in that time--not much, but I'd been completely stuck before--but eventually that dread (is that even the right word? I've been a bit off in my choice of words lately--adverse or averse?) left me and I was ready and eager to get back online, connect with friends and write.
Anyway, this is a fun blog, especially if you consider yourself an introvert. I'm off to continue studying.
Happy Writing.
I've been doing the work over this semester so far, and I've been studying this weekend, butI am not looking forward to cramming two paragraphs of translation and a handful of grammar questions into an hour and fifteen minutes.
But I'll keep working on it. I feel like I've remembered more than I thought I would.
Unrelated to Old Enligh: I've recently discovered the Shrinking Violets blog, for introverts. There was a link on another blog to their Introvert Bill of Rights. As a student, I especially liked the addendum that introverts don't have to raise their hands in class. I pay attention, but I tend to be more comfortable just taking notes, taking in what others say, and jotting down my opinions and questions. I don't like to share those right away. I usually say that my problem lies in the fact that I like to be precise when I share things aloud in class, but I take so long to get what I want to say right in my head, that by the time I'm ready to say it out loud, we've moved on to a different question or topic. So I like that right, but I enjoy a lot of the others as well.
Their most recent post is about the internet being another form of chatter, "Unplugged."
I once spent over an entire month unable to turn on the computer. I would check my email on my dad's computer because I had to, but I couldn't bring myself to turn on my own and spend time at the websites I enjoyed. Not because I didn't enjoy them, but...I don't know. I still haven't worked out quite what was stopping me. But this particular post struck me as interesting. Robin, one of the authors of the site, says, "And I share this with you because I wonder sometimes, if we don’t actively seek what we as introverts crave--quiet time and lots of it for exploring our inner landscape--out body is forced to do it for us." she adds that there is a "stillness and quiet" found in unplugging. I got a few pages written in that time--not much, but I'd been completely stuck before--but eventually that dread (is that even the right word? I've been a bit off in my choice of words lately--adverse or averse?) left me and I was ready and eager to get back online, connect with friends and write.
Anyway, this is a fun blog, especially if you consider yourself an introvert. I'm off to continue studying.
Happy Writing.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
An update, finally
Sorry I've been away so long, life took up a lot of time. Even this should be a short one, because I have to leave for class in an hour and I still have to get my things ready.
So final count of that week off I swiped way back when: approximately 14,000. Actually just a little under. And it's not all staying because I sort of rewrote part of one scene to see which way was better, but the second version is shorter, so it's not a painful loss of word count.
I wish I had a little more time to write, frankly. And I had a mini-epiphany last night. I keep telling myself I need to make time, but I think it finally sank in last night. I -need- to force myself to come home from work and school and just write for at least an hour. And yes, I'm exhausted when I get home from work, and yes, I'm tired when I get home from class after 9;30 pm, but if I don't start something at those times, I'll try to rely on the weekends, which never works out because those are my homework and running around days, unless I have to work and then it feels like work eats up the entire Saturday (it doesn't, but again, I get home exhausted) and both homework and running around are relegated to Sunday.
It's a bit strange. I have the committment to write a novel-length book--I've done it twice before--but I find the committment to making the time horribly difficult.
Just gotta keep chugging along, though.
In other news, work is kicking my butt, especially since I'm still only part-time and only come in two or three days a week. Also kicking my butt, but in a more pleasant way, is school. At university right now, we're having a symposium on folktales and fairytales: translation, colonialism and cinema. There's a panel discussion at 1:30 today, but I have class right at that time, so I can't go, but there are three other events I wanna get to today.
The symposium has been really fun, even with leaving my house early and getting home rather late everyday.
Speaking of, I have class and a symposium to get ready for. I'll try not to be gone so long next time.
Happy writing!
So final count of that week off I swiped way back when: approximately 14,000. Actually just a little under. And it's not all staying because I sort of rewrote part of one scene to see which way was better, but the second version is shorter, so it's not a painful loss of word count.
I wish I had a little more time to write, frankly. And I had a mini-epiphany last night. I keep telling myself I need to make time, but I think it finally sank in last night. I -need- to force myself to come home from work and school and just write for at least an hour. And yes, I'm exhausted when I get home from work, and yes, I'm tired when I get home from class after 9;30 pm, but if I don't start something at those times, I'll try to rely on the weekends, which never works out because those are my homework and running around days, unless I have to work and then it feels like work eats up the entire Saturday (it doesn't, but again, I get home exhausted) and both homework and running around are relegated to Sunday.
It's a bit strange. I have the committment to write a novel-length book--I've done it twice before--but I find the committment to making the time horribly difficult.
Just gotta keep chugging along, though.
In other news, work is kicking my butt, especially since I'm still only part-time and only come in two or three days a week. Also kicking my butt, but in a more pleasant way, is school. At university right now, we're having a symposium on folktales and fairytales: translation, colonialism and cinema. There's a panel discussion at 1:30 today, but I have class right at that time, so I can't go, but there are three other events I wanna get to today.
The symposium has been really fun, even with leaving my house early and getting home rather late everyday.
Speaking of, I have class and a symposium to get ready for. I'll try not to be gone so long next time.
Happy writing!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Day Four, and it's already noon
Bad writer.
I didn't get started as early as I should have, but I ate breakfast and had to finish something for work, so it's not -just- because I was lazy.
So, let's see. I started yesterday around 12,314 and endded at 13,557. A little over 1,000, but again, I'd like to do better. I had my writer's group yesterday and I sort of want to go over those early pages. They asked some good questions, but I don't know if there's anything that will have a major effect on what I'm writing now. I'd rather not go back and revise--this week is about new pages.
On a related note, one person asked, in a curious way, whether I might be hiding from my story. I think I almost understand what she means by it. I don't think I'm hiding from my story, but I've never written a story with a mystery bent, so I am playing with which facts to reveal when. And I want the protagonist to discover things like magic and werewolves are real as teh story progresses, not start him off knowing everything. That's no fun.
So off I go, to avoid computer games and editing, to try and write many more new pages. Hopefully. Theorectically. We'll see how it goes.
I didn't get started as early as I should have, but I ate breakfast and had to finish something for work, so it's not -just- because I was lazy.
So, let's see. I started yesterday around 12,314 and endded at 13,557. A little over 1,000, but again, I'd like to do better. I had my writer's group yesterday and I sort of want to go over those early pages. They asked some good questions, but I don't know if there's anything that will have a major effect on what I'm writing now. I'd rather not go back and revise--this week is about new pages.
On a related note, one person asked, in a curious way, whether I might be hiding from my story. I think I almost understand what she means by it. I don't think I'm hiding from my story, but I've never written a story with a mystery bent, so I am playing with which facts to reveal when. And I want the protagonist to discover things like magic and werewolves are real as teh story progresses, not start him off knowing everything. That's no fun.
So off I go, to avoid computer games and editing, to try and write many more new pages. Hopefully. Theorectically. We'll see how it goes.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Day 3 and my love of sleep
I've been having trouble sleeping lately, waking up earlier than I need to and taking forever to fall asleep in the first place. Usually my night is punctuated with waking up at leat a few times in the early morning.
But back to writing.
I ended yesterday at 12, 314. So that was about 1,000 words? I now have too many numbers to remember which one I actually started at yesterday. In either case, I'm hoping to make better progress today. 1,000 is okay, but I was a little stuck and decided to play computer games instead of working through the issue. They're addictive. And not so mindless, so I couldn't play and think of my writing problem. And then I tried to go to sleep and see mahjong tiles in my head.
I'm going to try and get through the day without playing any of those games and hopefully I get more done.
And I was just reminded that I don't even have five consecutive days, because Friday I go up to campus to buy my u-pass and some of my books (I'll be fine as long as the total isn't over 500--that's what I get for transferring a bunch of funds into my savings account). I also need to order some textbooks online. Upside for one or two classes--I already have some of the required reading from previous classes.
Okay, time to write. Wish me luck.
But back to writing.
I ended yesterday at 12, 314. So that was about 1,000 words? I now have too many numbers to remember which one I actually started at yesterday. In either case, I'm hoping to make better progress today. 1,000 is okay, but I was a little stuck and decided to play computer games instead of working through the issue. They're addictive. And not so mindless, so I couldn't play and think of my writing problem. And then I tried to go to sleep and see mahjong tiles in my head.
I'm going to try and get through the day without playing any of those games and hopefully I get more done.
And I was just reminded that I don't even have five consecutive days, because Friday I go up to campus to buy my u-pass and some of my books (I'll be fine as long as the total isn't over 500--that's what I get for transferring a bunch of funds into my savings account). I also need to order some textbooks online. Upside for one or two classes--I already have some of the required reading from previous classes.
Okay, time to write. Wish me luck.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Day 2 of my week off work
Well, week off of my regularly scheduled work.
I was supposed to have a meeting yesterday, but it was canceled, so I started writing yesterday--granted, since this is my vacation time I decided to take it a little easy that first day--but now I'm really going to buckle down. Writing is the purpose of this week anyway.
So, yesterday I started somewhere around 9,500 words on HS, the story I want to finish as much as possible. I eneded yesterday at 10,431.
I'll come back and edit this post of the end of the day and we'll see how much further I've gotten.
I was supposed to have a meeting yesterday, but it was canceled, so I started writing yesterday--granted, since this is my vacation time I decided to take it a little easy that first day--but now I'm really going to buckle down. Writing is the purpose of this week anyway.
So, yesterday I started somewhere around 9,500 words on HS, the story I want to finish as much as possible. I eneded yesterday at 10,431.
I'll come back and edit this post of the end of the day and we'll see how much further I've gotten.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Writing Progress
So I actually have to force myself to take a week off of work in order to get some significant writing, but I was honestly concerned I wouldn't be able to. Work's been busy, so I was going to give up on that week-long desire, but my wonderful and understanding employees encouraged me to take some time off, so I am forcing myself to take most of next week off. In the meantime, I've been trying to do some writing every day.
I haven't succeeded in doing so every day, but I am making headway. I guess there's just something about a song based on the Lady of Shalott and Kermit the frog singing "Creep" and "Hurt" that scream urban fantasy with werewolves and demi-gods to my imagination.
So anyway. ~waves~
Okay, I'm off to see if I can't finish these two scenes, if not this chapter.
I haven't succeeded in doing so every day, but I am making headway. I guess there's just something about a song based on the Lady of Shalott and Kermit the frog singing "Creep" and "Hurt" that scream urban fantasy with werewolves and demi-gods to my imagination.
So anyway. ~waves~
Okay, I'm off to see if I can't finish these two scenes, if not this chapter.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Post 4th of July post
We barbequed yesterday. Well, I didn't per se--I spent my day on the computer, chatting with a couple of friends on AIM and editing. A few weeks ago I was on chapter 8, stuck there for the longest time, then I got through to chapter 11. This weekend (i.e. yesterday so far) I finish editing chapter 11 and ended my day somewhere just shy of the middle of chapter 13.
Today I hope to complete the edits.
I will have to go back anyway, though. There are a number of places where I left notes to myself in bold to double-check where character X disappeared to or see if I mentioned issue Y in an earlier chapter. As I'm editing I doing a little chapter by chapter summary for myself (not a chapter by chapter synopsis, yet), so some of those will be answered when that's complete.
Just one more way to give me a wide view of the story, instead of getting bogged down in the details of a chapter, scene, or paragraph.
In another news, for those looking for a distraction: Cabinet of Wonders is a website/blog that's really interesting. I found it some time ago and keep stumbling across it through various avenues, learning new tidbits. The most recent post has some beautiful pictures of the clock tower at the Piazza San Marco in Venice. Full of gorgeous pictures. Enjoy them. I'm of to get some more work done.
Today I hope to complete the edits.
I will have to go back anyway, though. There are a number of places where I left notes to myself in bold to double-check where character X disappeared to or see if I mentioned issue Y in an earlier chapter. As I'm editing I doing a little chapter by chapter summary for myself (not a chapter by chapter synopsis, yet), so some of those will be answered when that's complete.
Just one more way to give me a wide view of the story, instead of getting bogged down in the details of a chapter, scene, or paragraph.
In another news, for those looking for a distraction: Cabinet of Wonders is a website/blog that's really interesting. I found it some time ago and keep stumbling across it through various avenues, learning new tidbits. The most recent post has some beautiful pictures of the clock tower at the Piazza San Marco in Venice. Full of gorgeous pictures. Enjoy them. I'm of to get some more work done.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
You'd think this would be the feature...
But I feel like I don't have more to add to that "preview" from the day before.
In brief, I enjoyed these two books, "Night Life" and "Unshapely Things." Both had interesting takes on the contemporary world where werewolves and the fae walk the streets.
Night Life: The idea of the riots and the fact that the protagonist, Luna, is a copy who really has to restrain herself to hide her secret adds a nice layer to everything going on (as if, not only do I have to deal with this case and this and this, but no one can know this other thing, either).
Unshapely Things: Again, I like the main character. To deal with a world that's more than mundane, most protagonists in this genre, it seems to me (I could be wrong, so let's not hold me to certainty), have some form of power. In this book, he used to, but now it's about squat, and the people around him are right at the point where they don't really want to hear him feeling sorry for himself anymore. It creates a different dynamic between characters that I haven't seen so much.
All in all, two very enjoyable books, and apparently Del Franco's third book won't be out until late 2008 or early 2009, so I'll really have to draw out my enjoyment of book 2 when I get it.
In other news: I was sick yesterday. I'm still a little sick, throat a bit scratchy and nose a tad stuffed up. But I never had a proper fever (which woul leave me completely brainless and would be even more unpleasant in this humid heat) and I'm not as bad off as I was yesterday, so I'm off to work today. On the upside, if I can get through the next three days, we get Friday and Saturday off for the holiday.
In the past week or so, I got through another three chapters of editing, so I'm hoping to finish this round by the weekend. I've been mostly MIA this summer so far, so I'm trying to reconnect with friends I ususally only talk to via the internet. It's very good motivation to turn on the computer. Ah, but work beckons, as does the rest of my morning cup of coffee.
In brief, I enjoyed these two books, "Night Life" and "Unshapely Things." Both had interesting takes on the contemporary world where werewolves and the fae walk the streets.
Night Life: The idea of the riots and the fact that the protagonist, Luna, is a copy who really has to restrain herself to hide her secret adds a nice layer to everything going on (as if, not only do I have to deal with this case and this and this, but no one can know this other thing, either).
Unshapely Things: Again, I like the main character. To deal with a world that's more than mundane, most protagonists in this genre, it seems to me (I could be wrong, so let's not hold me to certainty), have some form of power. In this book, he used to, but now it's about squat, and the people around him are right at the point where they don't really want to hear him feeling sorry for himself anymore. It creates a different dynamic between characters that I haven't seen so much.
All in all, two very enjoyable books, and apparently Del Franco's third book won't be out until late 2008 or early 2009, so I'll really have to draw out my enjoyment of book 2 when I get it.
In other news: I was sick yesterday. I'm still a little sick, throat a bit scratchy and nose a tad stuffed up. But I never had a proper fever (which woul leave me completely brainless and would be even more unpleasant in this humid heat) and I'm not as bad off as I was yesterday, so I'm off to work today. On the upside, if I can get through the next three days, we get Friday and Saturday off for the holiday.
In the past week or so, I got through another three chapters of editing, so I'm hoping to finish this round by the weekend. I've been mostly MIA this summer so far, so I'm trying to reconnect with friends I ususally only talk to via the internet. It's very good motivation to turn on the computer. Ah, but work beckons, as does the rest of my morning cup of coffee.
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