Both of my in-class finals are tomorrow - one at 9:30 AM, one at 2 PM - and my 7-page take-home paper is also due at 9:30 AM tomorrow. An unfortunate confluence of work. Still, I think I can handle it all, as long as I work steadily.
After that, I'll be moving into my summer apartment and getting ready to wrap my mind around lots and lots of computer science research. Someday, I hope to get some of my own writing done, but it won't be any time soon.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Note to self:
The fact that I don't have any papers due this week does not mean I should be playing video games on the other side of campus until 1 AM. No matter how fun it is.
How is it April 30 already? Only two weeks of school left - Hell Week and Finals Week - and then I begin my summer research job doing computer programming and interactive scripting. Too bad I don't have anywhere to live until June 1...
How is it April 30 already? Only two weeks of school left - Hell Week and Finals Week - and then I begin my summer research job doing computer programming and interactive scripting. Too bad I don't have anywhere to live until June 1...
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Evil Editor
It's Evil Editor's 3rd anniversary! Join the festivities here. A terrific online resource for writers.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Oh, memories
Just tried out the "Agent for a Day" over at Nathan Bransford's blog. Wow, did it ever bring back memories of my time as an editorial intern reading submissions - especially when I would feel horrible about having to reject something that just didn't quite fit but was otherwise lovely. It also reminded me that I should probably keep revising that old query (not sure it's worth a link, it's been so heavily revised).
New game: I'm making up journals for the two main characters in Kinesthesia, largely because this will help me keep track of the weather on any given day (the perils of a novel set in Labrador in 1961!) and also because I think it's a good way to get back into the mindset of revising this novel. I have strictly forbidden myself to do ScriptFrenzy this year, though.
In general web news, glad to know that Amazon is taking steps to remedy Amazonfail. However, to be on the safe side, I think I'll do most of my future shopping at Powell's (and Amazon.co.uk, when I need those obscure never-released-in-America British TV shows).
New game: I'm making up journals for the two main characters in Kinesthesia, largely because this will help me keep track of the weather on any given day (the perils of a novel set in Labrador in 1961!) and also because I think it's a good way to get back into the mindset of revising this novel. I have strictly forbidden myself to do ScriptFrenzy this year, though.
In general web news, glad to know that Amazon is taking steps to remedy Amazonfail. However, to be on the safe side, I think I'll do most of my future shopping at Powell's (and Amazon.co.uk, when I need those obscure never-released-in-America British TV shows).
Monday, April 13, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
State of the Self
Where am I right now? Well, I have a job this summer in Grinnell, doing computer science research, which will be incredible. I've found an apartment and a roommate, and we've already begun calling our intended lodgings "The Frat". I've just returned to school after a week of spring break in London, where I geeked out over Doctor Who and awesome airplanes. I've done a bit of writing - entered a piece for Grinnell College's Aspiring Writer Award, so we'll see where that goes - but not as much as I might have liked.
Also, I'm re-setting The Novel yet again. This time, instead of changing location, it's changing time - from 2008 to 1961. It makes it so much more believable. Sort of.
In television news, I've started watching Primeval and Top Gear. A direct result of the London trip, of course. In general, life is going pretty darn well.
Also, I'm re-setting The Novel yet again. This time, instead of changing location, it's changing time - from 2008 to 1961. It makes it so much more believable. Sort of.
In television news, I've started watching Primeval and Top Gear. A direct result of the London trip, of course. In general, life is going pretty darn well.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Life update #1
A month into the new semester, and several things have happened:
1. I discovered a disturbing love of computer science. To the point that I'm considering doing a comp sci/English double major, which would require four semesters of math classes (and a fifth year of college).
2. I brutally cut a number of sections out of Kinesthesia, the '06 WriDay novel, to the point that it's now only a meager 79 pages long and missing huge chunks of plot. Now I'm in the midst of a bet with my best friend from high school, wherein we each attempt to write 30 pages of one novel during the month of Feb. It's not quite NaNoWriMo, but with the amount of work I have this semester, it's about all I can manage. Loser takes the winner out to lunch. I'm unclear on what happens if we both win.
3. I began a second job working in the Dining Hall as "Cook's Help". My inaugural shift was a 6 AM-8 AM shift, which consisted primarily of coring tomatoes, removing the moldy spots from said tomatoes, dicing bell peppers, and squeezing large tubes of guacamole into bowls. I think I'm off guacamole for a few weeks.
4. I began writing a food column for the Scarlet & Black, titled "Ice Cream is Rich in Protein". First column contained recipes for glazed carrots and pan-roasted broccoli.
5. I also switched into a French writing/speaking seminar course, so as to improve my French on the off chance that I manage to snag a Watson Fellowship. Here's hoping.
6. I'm desperately searching for a [paying] job this summer, preferably in Portland so as to avoid paying for housing. Let me know if you've got any leads that you're not following yourself.
Back to work!
1. I discovered a disturbing love of computer science. To the point that I'm considering doing a comp sci/English double major, which would require four semesters of math classes (and a fifth year of college).
2. I brutally cut a number of sections out of Kinesthesia, the '06 WriDay novel, to the point that it's now only a meager 79 pages long and missing huge chunks of plot. Now I'm in the midst of a bet with my best friend from high school, wherein we each attempt to write 30 pages of one novel during the month of Feb. It's not quite NaNoWriMo, but with the amount of work I have this semester, it's about all I can manage. Loser takes the winner out to lunch. I'm unclear on what happens if we both win.
3. I began a second job working in the Dining Hall as "Cook's Help". My inaugural shift was a 6 AM-8 AM shift, which consisted primarily of coring tomatoes, removing the moldy spots from said tomatoes, dicing bell peppers, and squeezing large tubes of guacamole into bowls. I think I'm off guacamole for a few weeks.
4. I began writing a food column for the Scarlet & Black, titled "Ice Cream is Rich in Protein". First column contained recipes for glazed carrots and pan-roasted broccoli.
5. I also switched into a French writing/speaking seminar course, so as to improve my French on the off chance that I manage to snag a Watson Fellowship. Here's hoping.
6. I'm desperately searching for a [paying] job this summer, preferably in Portland so as to avoid paying for housing. Let me know if you've got any leads that you're not following yourself.
Back to work!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
In summary
Welcome to a new year. If you're looking for fantastic books to read, I recommend In Defense of Food and The Art of Eating, both amazing. We have a new president to lead us, and xkcd to amuse us.
This year, I'll be focusing on schoolwork (for a change), trying to eat things generally recognizable as food (instead of my finals-week diet of Snickers, Pop-Tarts, and Red Bull), and shooting for a sleep schedule that involves at least six hours of sleep every night. I'll try to get a little exercise, even if that just means walking into town to buy my sticky bun, and most importantly, I'll try to get some serious writing down. I have a part-time job that I love and most of my friends are back from abroad; I'd say this is shaping up to be a brilliant semester, punctuated by a trip to London during Spring Break.
Happy belated New Year, and happy new presidency!
This year, I'll be focusing on schoolwork (for a change), trying to eat things generally recognizable as food (instead of my finals-week diet of Snickers, Pop-Tarts, and Red Bull), and shooting for a sleep schedule that involves at least six hours of sleep every night. I'll try to get a little exercise, even if that just means walking into town to buy my sticky bun, and most importantly, I'll try to get some serious writing down. I have a part-time job that I love and most of my friends are back from abroad; I'd say this is shaping up to be a brilliant semester, punctuated by a trip to London during Spring Break.
Happy belated New Year, and happy new presidency!
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Class with a capital "K"
Since I'd like to be a food writer eventually, I've been working on expanding my culinary repertoire, i.e. forcing myself to eat foods that really freak me out. Latest on my list: organ meats.
Tonight for dinner, I had deer heart stewed in a tomato-red wine sauce, crackers with brie, and a Pabst Blue Ribbon. Courtesy of Grinnell College's Ecohouse.
It was all delicious - heart is actually quite tasty, very meaty and dense - except for the PBR. Next on my list: osso buco.
Tonight for dinner, I had deer heart stewed in a tomato-red wine sauce, crackers with brie, and a Pabst Blue Ribbon. Courtesy of Grinnell College's Ecohouse.
It was all delicious - heart is actually quite tasty, very meaty and dense - except for the PBR. Next on my list: osso buco.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Status Report
I reached 25,009 words last night at 11:57 PM, meaning I wrote over 6,000 words that day. I'm shooting for 32,000 words by the end of tonight, which can be done with a lot of focus and hard work.
Things have finally started happening in my novel - well, the two main characters have been kidnapped. Otherwise they've mostly been good at arguing and then studiously ignoring each other.
Back to work!
Things have finally started happening in my novel - well, the two main characters have been kidnapped. Otherwise they've mostly been good at arguing and then studiously ignoring each other.
Back to work!
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