What's rattling around my head today...
Not particularly writing-related, but I would love, love, LOVE to start a school for gifted children. I think about it all the time (I will admit: more often when I'm re-reading the Harry Potter series). Honestly, though, the idea has been with me for a long time. I was never particularly happy in school, and often felt unchallenged; except, of course, in math class, where I not only felt over-challenged but completely lost. One of the hazards of having dyscalculia, I suppose.
Anyway, I'd love to start a boarding school where gifted children could go to learn at their own pace (read: faster than the slow-ass system I went through). We'd offer both traditional and non-traditional subjects, a diverse range of clubs/activities, a strong focus on both the Arts and science, and a supportive atmosphere that would encourage our students and help them deal with adolescent issues--particularly those specific to gifted children. I'd love to have a class structure similar to Oxford: very small classes, lots of discussion. Less busywork and more actual learning.
The school would be called Lantern House, after an exercise they had us do in one of the gifted education courses that I took.
The motto would be "Knowledge is Freedom," and our class rings would be plain rose gold bands with the words "Caveat Futurum" stamped on one side, with our lantern symbol on the other.
...I haven't thought about this at all...
I keep lists of my ideas for the school, and am always coming up with something new. So why don't I pursue it?
One word: funding.
In order to create the kind of environment I'd want I'd basically have to win the lotto...and then dedicate every dollar to Lantern House. Unless I run into quite a lot of money (and a really killer financial planner), Lantern House will remain a dream.
...at least for now.
Anyway, back to writing news. As always, I'm just editing, editing, editing. Thus far this week I've gotten through 3,088 words. Still have to do another 2kish to get me up to my weekly goal of 5,000, but that shouldn't be an issue. I'm actually hoping to do much more than 5k per week, and be done (if possible!) by September. I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility, so that's my current goal.
I will say, I have a fair bit of rewriting coming up, so that's going to slow me down. My total for yesterday was much lower than normal not because I was unfocused, but because I wrote an entirely new scene. I feel like it strengthened the Bryn-Mer bond, and also gave Mer a bit more depth as a character. At least, I hope it did all of that. It's entirely possible that it's weak and superfluous :p
So...on to the REAL writing news: the Blair Partnership.
I am still holding out hope that they simply haven't gotten around to calling/emailing me (I'm never the quintessential girl by the phone in relationships, but evidently I am when it comes to literary agents). I've decided I'll give them until the end of this week, then send over a little note asking if they received my submission. Hopefully it didn't get lost in the swirling miasma of cyberspace.
(It didn't get lost in the miasma of cyberspace, Amy: they're just not that into you.)
Anyway, gotta prep other submission packets (just in case! They could still call!) and look for jobs this weekend...after I rest up from fam time & sailing class.
Is it vacation yet?
Working Title: Bryn & Mer: Traditor
Word Count (edited): 3,088 (this week)
Writing Mode: Full of blahination. That's a word, right?
P.S. The title of today's blog is from the fortune I got last night at a Chinese restaurant. Now I just need to determine if I have any talent ;}~
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Friday, July 12, 2013
What Makes The Desert Beautiful Is That Somewhere It Hides A Well
A stressful end to a stressful week.
I'm at what I like to call Stress Level Alpha: a stress level so high that my eye has started twitching and last night I wasn't able to sleep. Anyone who knows me knows that me not being able to sleep is like Peter Pan not being able to fly: it just isn't right. Or perhaps I'm turning into Peter Banning at last.
They say that bad things come in threes, and as much as I don't believe in bullshit like that, it seems to ring true. First and foremost, last night I found out that two of my very good friends are moving to Hawaii...by the end of the month. This is in addition to my other friend who's bailing for Portland (Oregon) sometime around the 20th. I'll miss them terribly...and I'm worried that I'll be stuck here, all alone, in a city I've been trying to escape for twenty years.
Secondly, my family is full of drama. My sister and mother are butting heads; and I, as usual, am stuck in the middle. I think that's what started the eye-twitching. I just need to keep everyone happy a few days more...
And, finally, I still haven't heard from my first-choice agent. It's not a surprise, really, but I'd almost rather just get the rejection than suffer through this interminable waiting. If I don't hear from them by Monday I'm allowed to send them a little email reminding them of my submission. I'm tempted, honestly, to send them a clip from the Abba song "Take a Chance on Me," as it'd be a funny way to express my desperation. Besides, then every time they heard it (and as long as it was stuck in their heads) they'd be reminded of me...
I'm trying to cut back on dreaming, but when I allow myself to dream I imagine receiving a letter from The Blair Partnership at the very last minute, congratulating me on being accepted by their agency and detailing marketing plans for my book. I've somehow gotten it into my head that if I can only find representation, everything else will be okay. Or at least on the path towards okay.
At least it'd be validation.
Anyway, none of this angst is going to further my writing. I'm 839 words into Damnatio Memoriae and over halfway done editing Traditor. I think that the editing will be much faster from here on out--at least, I hope it will. I feel like I really hit my writing stride after Bryn & Mer left Dissenter headquarters, and I've nearly edited to that point. There are several scenes I need to re-write, but I still hope to be done by Christmas--if not sooner.
And as for Damnatio Memoriae, I've spent hardly any time on it (839 words? Ppft, obviously). Still, what little I've written seems strong, and is a telling introduction to the story. I already have edits to what I've written, and I'm itching to write more, so I feel fairly certain that when I actually focus on DM it should progress swiftly.
Anyway, I have half a lunch break left, and I ought to use it to get in a little more editing.
In case I don't see you, good afternoon, good evening, and good night.
Working Title: Bryn & Mer: Damnatio Memoriae
Word Count: 839
Writing Mode: On hold for editing of Traditor
I'm at what I like to call Stress Level Alpha: a stress level so high that my eye has started twitching and last night I wasn't able to sleep. Anyone who knows me knows that me not being able to sleep is like Peter Pan not being able to fly: it just isn't right. Or perhaps I'm turning into Peter Banning at last.
They say that bad things come in threes, and as much as I don't believe in bullshit like that, it seems to ring true. First and foremost, last night I found out that two of my very good friends are moving to Hawaii...by the end of the month. This is in addition to my other friend who's bailing for Portland (Oregon) sometime around the 20th. I'll miss them terribly...and I'm worried that I'll be stuck here, all alone, in a city I've been trying to escape for twenty years.
Secondly, my family is full of drama. My sister and mother are butting heads; and I, as usual, am stuck in the middle. I think that's what started the eye-twitching. I just need to keep everyone happy a few days more...
And, finally, I still haven't heard from my first-choice agent. It's not a surprise, really, but I'd almost rather just get the rejection than suffer through this interminable waiting. If I don't hear from them by Monday I'm allowed to send them a little email reminding them of my submission. I'm tempted, honestly, to send them a clip from the Abba song "Take a Chance on Me," as it'd be a funny way to express my desperation. Besides, then every time they heard it (and as long as it was stuck in their heads) they'd be reminded of me...
I'm trying to cut back on dreaming, but when I allow myself to dream I imagine receiving a letter from The Blair Partnership at the very last minute, congratulating me on being accepted by their agency and detailing marketing plans for my book. I've somehow gotten it into my head that if I can only find representation, everything else will be okay. Or at least on the path towards okay.
At least it'd be validation.
Anyway, none of this angst is going to further my writing. I'm 839 words into Damnatio Memoriae and over halfway done editing Traditor. I think that the editing will be much faster from here on out--at least, I hope it will. I feel like I really hit my writing stride after Bryn & Mer left Dissenter headquarters, and I've nearly edited to that point. There are several scenes I need to re-write, but I still hope to be done by Christmas--if not sooner.
And as for Damnatio Memoriae, I've spent hardly any time on it (839 words? Ppft, obviously). Still, what little I've written seems strong, and is a telling introduction to the story. I already have edits to what I've written, and I'm itching to write more, so I feel fairly certain that when I actually focus on DM it should progress swiftly.
Anyway, I have half a lunch break left, and I ought to use it to get in a little more editing.
In case I don't see you, good afternoon, good evening, and good night.
Working Title: Bryn & Mer: Damnatio Memoriae
Word Count: 839
Writing Mode: On hold for editing of Traditor
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