I'm pretty sure I've mentioned once or twice that my senior year of high school I took advance composition. As a writer, aspiring to be published, one would assume that I loved this class above all others and put every bit of effort into it. That would be not so accurate.
I did love the class, but it was a lot of work and at the time I thought I had better things to do with my last hour of the school day.
I failed the class, but I didn't need it to graduate so oh well. Not really. I failed a few classes in high school, for instance algebra, physics, geometry, all mostly for a lack of attendance. I thought living was more import than learning and when it comes to those classes, for the most part, I have no regrets. Failing advance comp was the only time I really felt bad about failing.
The teacher was an odd guy, not your usual teacher, but a great teacher. He wanted to make sure we could write a solid essay before we took off for college, he wanted to make sure we read good literature that wasn't the main stream stuff we we're use to and he pushed us to be creative. I think I've mentioned a play that I wrote for his class.
Anyway, he actually wanted us to learn something. Even though I failed, I still learned a lot. I even keep the journal that we had to write in every week filled with the positive comments that he wrote about my work, about my writing. And I kick myself for not finishing that class.
What brought all of this to mind was when he walked into the shoe store today and even though I should have taken it as the chance to apologize for giving up, and told him that I regretted not finishing and that he was still a really good teacher that taught me something regardless of my grade. That's not what I did though, I hid. I hid because I didn't want him to see me selling shoes. It's been nearly seven years since I graduated and I had nothing to say but I sell shoes. And I couldn't face it.
I felt like a huge let down to everyone, including myself. And I know I'm the one to blame for what my life is. I need to work harder so if there's ever a next time I will have something worth saying.
Showing posts with label teachers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teachers. Show all posts
Friday, January 11, 2008
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
A Trip Down Memory Lane
I finally got around to reading a book that’s been on my list since last year. The author of the book actually shops at the same comic book store I do, or did rather when I could afford comic books. The book, The Forest King: Woodlark’s Shadow, is written by Dan Mishkin and illustrated by Tom Mandrake. For anyone who reads comic books they might remember Mishkin as the creator of DC’s Blue Devil.
It’s a children’s book and it definitely seems like they are planning to make a series out of them. It was pretty short and I got through it fast. Of course, it’s always a change to read children’s novels. They’re paced differently and more simplistic. I always have to remind myself of that when reading.
It was a children’s book and it got me thinking about books I loved as a child, books that still stick in my mind and children’s books that I read now.
I read so much when I was younger. My whole summers were spent reading. And sometimes the books were so obscure I doubt that I’d ever be able to find them again. I would love to list every book in my head that I remember from my childhood. If it’s something I still remember it must have made quite an impression on me.
When I was young I remember reading a lot of Berenstain Bears and of course Dr. Seuss books. I also remember reading a lot of Baby-Sitter's Club books. I didn’t find them interesting at first but my sister had them and it was another book for me to read. I remember my grandparents buying me a few Baby Sitter’s Little Sister books when they bought Baby-Sitter's Club for my sister.
I’d say the year that I really became completely engrossed in reading was 5th grade. I had a teacher, my favorite elementary school teacher, Mrs. Tracy, who really loved to encourage reading. We had lots of reading activities. She would read to us. We’d have book reports and silent reading. I loved it. And I remember she really appreciated how I read so much. She would bring in books from her personal collection that she thought I would like. It’s the first time I can really remember someone doing something thoughtful for me, something that required a person to actually know a little bit about me and take an interest in me. I had never really gotten attention like that before and it meant a lot to me. Maybe that’s one of the reasons I really came to love reading.
Enough of me being sentimental and giving out way too much personal information. That was the year that I read a lot of the stuff that would come to be some of my favorite books. Maniac Magee and Number the Stars were two books that I really liked. I felt like they both had good messages at least for me. Both books to me were about acceptance, which is an issue I struggled with as a child, as I’m sure most people do.
I also loved Louis Sachar books. Sideways Stories from Wayside School and all the books from Wayside School that followed. To me they were some of the most original stories I had heard. I was also a big fan of Holes. And when I was in middle school Louis Sachar came to our school. He signed my books but sadly I have no idea what happened to them. Probably lost with everything else that found its way into the house I inhabited in my youth.
One of the books my teacher gave me was Little Women. And I loved that book. Mostly I related to it a lot because I was definitely one of the more economically challenged kids at school and it was obvious to everyone. The most memorable parts of the book for me were that the girls weren’t rich but they were happy and I felt like my sister was the only one I had growing up. It took me a lot longer to realize it then it ever should have but I know now.
My sister also gave me the Diary of Anne Frank to read in fifth grade. She had read it and gave it to me. I don’t think I really understood everything about it at the time. Maybe I was a little too young to have my attention held by such a long piece of non-fiction. But my sister gave it to me when she heard we were studying World War 2 and the events leading up to it. She thought it would help me.
And yes even in my childhood, I was a big fan of science fiction and fantasy books. One of my favorite authors was John Bellairs. My teacher read us one of his books, The Revenge of the Wizard’s Ghost, and I was hooked. I started reading everything I could find by him. A few years ago I really started thinking about those books. I ended up getting a bunch of them off eBay and rereading them. I eventually ended up doing that with the Wayside books as well as Shel Silverstein poetry books, like Where the Sidewalk Ends and A Light in the Attic, which are other books I found that year.
I wish I had the time or the patience to name every book I can remember reading as a kid. Sometimes I feel depressed knowing that I can’t remember more about certain books. I wish I had kept better track of stuff from when I was younger but I didn’t.
Maybe one day I’ll be reading a book to my kids and all of a sudden get an epiphany that I once read that book a long time ago.
It’s a children’s book and it definitely seems like they are planning to make a series out of them. It was pretty short and I got through it fast. Of course, it’s always a change to read children’s novels. They’re paced differently and more simplistic. I always have to remind myself of that when reading.
It was a children’s book and it got me thinking about books I loved as a child, books that still stick in my mind and children’s books that I read now.
I read so much when I was younger. My whole summers were spent reading. And sometimes the books were so obscure I doubt that I’d ever be able to find them again. I would love to list every book in my head that I remember from my childhood. If it’s something I still remember it must have made quite an impression on me.
When I was young I remember reading a lot of Berenstain Bears and of course Dr. Seuss books. I also remember reading a lot of Baby-Sitter's Club books. I didn’t find them interesting at first but my sister had them and it was another book for me to read. I remember my grandparents buying me a few Baby Sitter’s Little Sister books when they bought Baby-Sitter's Club for my sister.
I’d say the year that I really became completely engrossed in reading was 5th grade. I had a teacher, my favorite elementary school teacher, Mrs. Tracy, who really loved to encourage reading. We had lots of reading activities. She would read to us. We’d have book reports and silent reading. I loved it. And I remember she really appreciated how I read so much. She would bring in books from her personal collection that she thought I would like. It’s the first time I can really remember someone doing something thoughtful for me, something that required a person to actually know a little bit about me and take an interest in me. I had never really gotten attention like that before and it meant a lot to me. Maybe that’s one of the reasons I really came to love reading.
Enough of me being sentimental and giving out way too much personal information. That was the year that I read a lot of the stuff that would come to be some of my favorite books. Maniac Magee and Number the Stars were two books that I really liked. I felt like they both had good messages at least for me. Both books to me were about acceptance, which is an issue I struggled with as a child, as I’m sure most people do.
I also loved Louis Sachar books. Sideways Stories from Wayside School and all the books from Wayside School that followed. To me they were some of the most original stories I had heard. I was also a big fan of Holes. And when I was in middle school Louis Sachar came to our school. He signed my books but sadly I have no idea what happened to them. Probably lost with everything else that found its way into the house I inhabited in my youth.
One of the books my teacher gave me was Little Women. And I loved that book. Mostly I related to it a lot because I was definitely one of the more economically challenged kids at school and it was obvious to everyone. The most memorable parts of the book for me were that the girls weren’t rich but they were happy and I felt like my sister was the only one I had growing up. It took me a lot longer to realize it then it ever should have but I know now.
My sister also gave me the Diary of Anne Frank to read in fifth grade. She had read it and gave it to me. I don’t think I really understood everything about it at the time. Maybe I was a little too young to have my attention held by such a long piece of non-fiction. But my sister gave it to me when she heard we were studying World War 2 and the events leading up to it. She thought it would help me.
And yes even in my childhood, I was a big fan of science fiction and fantasy books. One of my favorite authors was John Bellairs. My teacher read us one of his books, The Revenge of the Wizard’s Ghost, and I was hooked. I started reading everything I could find by him. A few years ago I really started thinking about those books. I ended up getting a bunch of them off eBay and rereading them. I eventually ended up doing that with the Wayside books as well as Shel Silverstein poetry books, like Where the Sidewalk Ends and A Light in the Attic, which are other books I found that year.
I wish I had the time or the patience to name every book I can remember reading as a kid. Sometimes I feel depressed knowing that I can’t remember more about certain books. I wish I had kept better track of stuff from when I was younger but I didn’t.
Maybe one day I’ll be reading a book to my kids and all of a sudden get an epiphany that I once read that book a long time ago.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Not as far back in the day but still...
As promised the bits and pieces of what I can remember about the lost work of the second half of my life so far.
In 10th grade I wrote that poem with the awesomest opening line, 'she's in love with herself' but that's all I remember about that except the rest of it sucked.
In 11th grade I wrote this crazy story about a penguin. I remember it was inspired by my friend who had a stuffed penguin and one time a bunch of us got annoyed with her carrying it around all the time so we thought we'd do funny things like throw it down the stairs, or microwave it since we assumed penguins didn't like heat, then we put the stuffed penguin in the freezer to make it feel better. (We were in high school that's all I can really say.) Anyway, the next Monday in class we had to write a story and then let the person next to us read it, which happened to be my penguin loving friend. So I rewrote the events of the weekend but the penguin jumped off a cliff trying to fly rather than being thrown down the stairs, he was dropped in a volcano, and then returned to his natural habitat. Awful story, I know, but hilarious to me and my friend. Our teacher thought we were idiots, I'm sure. Not that I would want it back to do anything with it. I think it would just be funny to have around. Or maybe not.
In 12th grade I took advance composition, which required a lot of writing. Other than a journal, that I still have, I don’t remember many of the assignments except for one that took up almost a whole marking period. It’s also the only class I regret failing but I was in a different place back then. My priorities were messed up.
Anyway, we had to write plays that we were going to enter into a competition but I never completely finished mine.
My story was an anti-feel good teen show, where everything works out in the end. So in case you couldn’t follow that not everything worked out in the end of mine. Well not for everyone anyway.
When I got the assignment I remember being really mad at my “best friend” for liking and pursuing a guy who was an absolute jerk to me and some of my other friends.
To vent my frustration I wrote a play where two friends are torn apart by one liking, and later dating, a complete ass. The other friend dates a rebellious guy but later dumps him when she finds out he was and still is childhood friends with the same ass.
Then the “best friend” gets dumped by the jerk after he gets her pregnant and she begs the other friend for help. Sadly, the other friend doesn’t forgive and forget so easily and she turns her back.
In the end everyone is alone and miserable. I think I called it “This Isn’t Dawson’s Creek, Get Over It”. Obviously, I was filled with a lot of teenage angst and rebellion or something.
I had to write an outline and three different drafts. I’m not entirely sure what happened to any of it because as I’ve said my priorities were in crazy directions when it came to this class and my life at this point.
As for work after my school years, a while a back I started writing Double Take. I had this really long wordy version that was nearly twenty pages long. My computer crashed before I saved it and I lost most of it. It was on the old school laptop that has filled in for me on numerous occasions. And I didn’t know about temporary back up files at the time. Then later it was wiped completely clean in hopes to make it better. So that’s lost in oblivion as well.
And there was once a much longer, more dialogue filled, 6 issue, actionless, complete piece of crap version of the infamous comic book that I still cling to. I saved it on a floppy disk that ended much the same way as my flash drive. “This disk has not been formatted”. At the time I had no idea you could potentially retrieve the stuff. So I started over, changed character names, story lines and so much stuff to make a definitely better version. At least I think so. The world may never know. I do still have the notebook that I wrote the original version in, so it’s not completely lost but it was changed a bit when I typed it in originally.
In 10th grade I wrote that poem with the awesomest opening line, 'she's in love with herself' but that's all I remember about that except the rest of it sucked.
In 11th grade I wrote this crazy story about a penguin. I remember it was inspired by my friend who had a stuffed penguin and one time a bunch of us got annoyed with her carrying it around all the time so we thought we'd do funny things like throw it down the stairs, or microwave it since we assumed penguins didn't like heat, then we put the stuffed penguin in the freezer to make it feel better. (We were in high school that's all I can really say.) Anyway, the next Monday in class we had to write a story and then let the person next to us read it, which happened to be my penguin loving friend. So I rewrote the events of the weekend but the penguin jumped off a cliff trying to fly rather than being thrown down the stairs, he was dropped in a volcano, and then returned to his natural habitat. Awful story, I know, but hilarious to me and my friend. Our teacher thought we were idiots, I'm sure. Not that I would want it back to do anything with it. I think it would just be funny to have around. Or maybe not.
In 12th grade I took advance composition, which required a lot of writing. Other than a journal, that I still have, I don’t remember many of the assignments except for one that took up almost a whole marking period. It’s also the only class I regret failing but I was in a different place back then. My priorities were messed up.
Anyway, we had to write plays that we were going to enter into a competition but I never completely finished mine.
My story was an anti-feel good teen show, where everything works out in the end. So in case you couldn’t follow that not everything worked out in the end of mine. Well not for everyone anyway.
When I got the assignment I remember being really mad at my “best friend” for liking and pursuing a guy who was an absolute jerk to me and some of my other friends.
To vent my frustration I wrote a play where two friends are torn apart by one liking, and later dating, a complete ass. The other friend dates a rebellious guy but later dumps him when she finds out he was and still is childhood friends with the same ass.
Then the “best friend” gets dumped by the jerk after he gets her pregnant and she begs the other friend for help. Sadly, the other friend doesn’t forgive and forget so easily and she turns her back.
In the end everyone is alone and miserable. I think I called it “This Isn’t Dawson’s Creek, Get Over It”. Obviously, I was filled with a lot of teenage angst and rebellion or something.
I had to write an outline and three different drafts. I’m not entirely sure what happened to any of it because as I’ve said my priorities were in crazy directions when it came to this class and my life at this point.
As for work after my school years, a while a back I started writing Double Take. I had this really long wordy version that was nearly twenty pages long. My computer crashed before I saved it and I lost most of it. It was on the old school laptop that has filled in for me on numerous occasions. And I didn’t know about temporary back up files at the time. Then later it was wiped completely clean in hopes to make it better. So that’s lost in oblivion as well.
And there was once a much longer, more dialogue filled, 6 issue, actionless, complete piece of crap version of the infamous comic book that I still cling to. I saved it on a floppy disk that ended much the same way as my flash drive. “This disk has not been formatted”. At the time I had no idea you could potentially retrieve the stuff. So I started over, changed character names, story lines and so much stuff to make a definitely better version. At least I think so. The world may never know. I do still have the notebook that I wrote the original version in, so it’s not completely lost but it was changed a bit when I typed it in originally.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
We'll find time eventually
In yesterdays post I mentioned the occasional meeting of a writer's group. We haven't met in over a month. Finding time to meet has been near impossible now that the school year has started. I guess that's a hazard when two of the writers are teachers and the other is an editor of a college newspaper. There's lots going on.
It also got to the point where a few people would show up but only one person, me, would bring work. At that point I just felt selfish like it was the Ashley's editing group. So we decided to only meet if at least three people could make it, because there's not much point if only one person is reading your work, and at least two people were bringing work. We haven't actually had a meeting since this rule. There was one attempted meeting but it was cancelled at the very last second.
We have been looking for new members, figuring it would give us better odds of having three people available at the same time and two of those people having work. But finding new people has worked out about as well as when I originally tried to start the group. Although, we did get a response from one person and hopefully she'll be able to make one of the meetings eventually.
Right now, I'm waiting on responses to see if anyone can meet next Monday.
That's the status of the writing group for now. I have to head to work. I'm back to the night shift but only once a week. Now that I've had the whole day off to do things the way I used to, I'm starting to seriously want my old schedule back. It just seemed to work so much better for me. I think mostly because I am not a morning person.
It also got to the point where a few people would show up but only one person, me, would bring work. At that point I just felt selfish like it was the Ashley's editing group. So we decided to only meet if at least three people could make it, because there's not much point if only one person is reading your work, and at least two people were bringing work. We haven't actually had a meeting since this rule. There was one attempted meeting but it was cancelled at the very last second.
We have been looking for new members, figuring it would give us better odds of having three people available at the same time and two of those people having work. But finding new people has worked out about as well as when I originally tried to start the group. Although, we did get a response from one person and hopefully she'll be able to make one of the meetings eventually.
Right now, I'm waiting on responses to see if anyone can meet next Monday.
That's the status of the writing group for now. I have to head to work. I'm back to the night shift but only once a week. Now that I've had the whole day off to do things the way I used to, I'm starting to seriously want my old schedule back. It just seemed to work so much better for me. I think mostly because I am not a morning person.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
The troubles of a writing group, if you can even call it that.
The other day I met with the writing group I thought would be no more. We probably wouldn’t have met but my ad that had gone unanswered all summer got one more reply. And one of the teachers was able to make it back for at least this week so we decided to give it a try.
I felt bad for the new guy because, the teacher will call her E, (I don’t want to use her real name since I didn’t ask if I could. Not that I think she would mind but that’s not for me to decide. And yes I use Jenni’s name without permission but her name is all over our Behind the Naugahyde website so what difference does it make? Sorry Jenni please don’t hate and/or sue me.), had been so busy traveling to Maryland for an interview last week that she didn’t have any writing for the group to read and I couldn’t get to any of my writing because it was all floating around in the chaos of back-up file land. So we were going to be focusing completely on new guy's work.
Of course, E and I got there kind of late and we hadn’t bothered to tell the new guy, D, what we looked like so when we got there he was actually sitting with another writing group that had another member named E (well E’s real name). What a coincidence? We told him he was welcome to stay with the cool writing group that had a sufficient supply of members who would be around for a while, would actually bring work and be on time but for some reason he chose to go with us.
I hadn’t been able to get his story that he had sent for me to read in advance because it was in my e-mail and we all know I was having some serious computer problems. So I felt bad that the pressure was on me to read on the spot, come up with comments and do all of this in a timely fashion while I fought off the paranoia that D and E were staring at me.
Once I started reading D’s story I was grateful and annoyed. He’s an amazing writer. He had a fantastic literary story that read like poetry. It was so descriptive and filled with brilliant metaphors. He had an excellent vocabulary. The story definitely needed a lot of thinking which I had little time to do. I of course could think of nothing to say other than “wow!” so I marked a few typos to make it look like I was being helpful.
Thankfully he had questions and that gave me a little footing for some input but still I was annoyed with myself for not having more time to really think it through and grateful that I hadn’t brought the third half of my cheesy, clichéd and poorly written vampire story.
We ended the meeting and he said if we had another meeting he would come back. I feel like E and our other writer/teacher, B, are skilled enough in writing to work with D but I think my presence will drag the group down if we manage to survive.
I almost thought that maybe I was just being over dramatic and maybe D’s work was great but not that great, until we were in the parking lot and E said she thought that his work was quite impressive as well.
So we managed to squeeze out one more meeting. I have no idea if there will be another. Fortunately for her but unfortunate for our writing group, E got a teaching job out of state and is moving away. B will be busy at least for the start of the school year plus he lost all of his work due to computer problems so it may be a while before he recovers from that. And D might find a group that’s more in his league.
Just saw: Underdog
Listening to: Nickelback-All the Right Reasons
I felt bad for the new guy because, the teacher will call her E, (I don’t want to use her real name since I didn’t ask if I could. Not that I think she would mind but that’s not for me to decide. And yes I use Jenni’s name without permission but her name is all over our Behind the Naugahyde website so what difference does it make? Sorry Jenni please don’t hate and/or sue me.), had been so busy traveling to Maryland for an interview last week that she didn’t have any writing for the group to read and I couldn’t get to any of my writing because it was all floating around in the chaos of back-up file land. So we were going to be focusing completely on new guy's work.
Of course, E and I got there kind of late and we hadn’t bothered to tell the new guy, D, what we looked like so when we got there he was actually sitting with another writing group that had another member named E (well E’s real name). What a coincidence? We told him he was welcome to stay with the cool writing group that had a sufficient supply of members who would be around for a while, would actually bring work and be on time but for some reason he chose to go with us.
I hadn’t been able to get his story that he had sent for me to read in advance because it was in my e-mail and we all know I was having some serious computer problems. So I felt bad that the pressure was on me to read on the spot, come up with comments and do all of this in a timely fashion while I fought off the paranoia that D and E were staring at me.
Once I started reading D’s story I was grateful and annoyed. He’s an amazing writer. He had a fantastic literary story that read like poetry. It was so descriptive and filled with brilliant metaphors. He had an excellent vocabulary. The story definitely needed a lot of thinking which I had little time to do. I of course could think of nothing to say other than “wow!” so I marked a few typos to make it look like I was being helpful.
Thankfully he had questions and that gave me a little footing for some input but still I was annoyed with myself for not having more time to really think it through and grateful that I hadn’t brought the third half of my cheesy, clichéd and poorly written vampire story.
We ended the meeting and he said if we had another meeting he would come back. I feel like E and our other writer/teacher, B, are skilled enough in writing to work with D but I think my presence will drag the group down if we manage to survive.
I almost thought that maybe I was just being over dramatic and maybe D’s work was great but not that great, until we were in the parking lot and E said she thought that his work was quite impressive as well.
So we managed to squeeze out one more meeting. I have no idea if there will be another. Fortunately for her but unfortunate for our writing group, E got a teaching job out of state and is moving away. B will be busy at least for the start of the school year plus he lost all of his work due to computer problems so it may be a while before he recovers from that. And D might find a group that’s more in his league.
Just saw: Underdog
Listening to: Nickelback-All the Right Reasons
Monday, July 30, 2007
I've got a secret
Well I didn't want to mention it because I was afraid I would jinx it. Everyone knows how that happens. But don't get too excited it's not about publishing or agents. I'll keep dreaming.
The last few weeks I've been meeting with a writing group. I'm one of three people. One of the writers is an old acquaintance from high school. The other was/is a teacher at my old high school, although I didn't realize it until the other group member pointed it out.
Every week I worried that one or both wouldn't show up. Leaving me alone again or in awkward conversation with someone I didn't know. But it worked for a few weeks so I've been pretty lucky.
And I just want to say that my meeting with this group does not mean that I have given up on a writing group with my southeast pals. Writing is my life and the more I get of it the more I'm thriving. Plus it's always wonderful to have more opinions. Not to mention that I hold back a little with the work I bring to this group because one of the writers seems a bit more conservative (not in a political sense) so I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable. It's not like I'm writing erotica but some of the content of Human Decency might be a little harsh.
Besides the only reason I dared to mention the writing group today is because I'm not certain it will be around much longer. Both members are teachers, one that will be on vacation for the next three weeks and soon after that school will be starting so I imagine time will be limited. And the member who I went to high school with is also a teacher. She's going to Maryland next week to interview for a job that I hope she gets. Not because I don't want her around but she's been looking for a job and Michigan is pretty much out of them. So I'm fairly sure that it won't be long before the group is no more. We've been trying to get a few more people. There have been potentials and still are but so far not much has come of it. With as hard as it was to get it started in the first place I'm not holding my breath.
Anyway, I've gotten a few stories reviewed by my group so far. The first one is my story about companion animal abandonment. The second was a story that I just recently submitted to a somewhat prestigious magazine and to be honest I probably wouldn't have done it had I not had advice and proofreading from others. The third was a dark comedy of sorts about a somewhat unfortunate girl that my group wanted to make even more unfortunate.
I've gotten positive but constructive feedback. And I've gotten a lot of tips on grammar. I worry more about the story than the technical aspects so it's been a super bonus having two teachers read over my work. I've also greatly enjoyed reading their work. Second to writing, reading is a big chunk of my life and I love to read works in progress.
So I'm bummed that it may come to an end but glad that I had it for the short time I did. And I'm optimistic that I'll maybe have a writing group with others, no pressure though. I know everyone's busy having lives and careers.
**Oh and I just want to sincerely apologize to the person that was directed to my blog today while searching for "allergic reaction to paper and ink". In my last entry I did not mean that it was weird to have this type of allergic reaction but more that it seemed unusual to be allergic to the combination of the two. If this is a serious allergic reaction, I am so sorry for my idiocy.**
*BTW: On the subject of weird searches, in the last two days I've gotten two searches about whining. I've never had any searches about whining before but apparently the past few days have brought on people who wonder "why do people whine?" and "do I whine?"
Wouldn't it be awesome if it turned out it was two people fighting and one said the other whined. So why they were trying to calm down one went searching for why people whine and the other didn't think they were a whiner so they went searching to find out if they did. Oh the possibilities there.*
The last few weeks I've been meeting with a writing group. I'm one of three people. One of the writers is an old acquaintance from high school. The other was/is a teacher at my old high school, although I didn't realize it until the other group member pointed it out.
Every week I worried that one or both wouldn't show up. Leaving me alone again or in awkward conversation with someone I didn't know. But it worked for a few weeks so I've been pretty lucky.
And I just want to say that my meeting with this group does not mean that I have given up on a writing group with my southeast pals. Writing is my life and the more I get of it the more I'm thriving. Plus it's always wonderful to have more opinions. Not to mention that I hold back a little with the work I bring to this group because one of the writers seems a bit more conservative (not in a political sense) so I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable. It's not like I'm writing erotica but some of the content of Human Decency might be a little harsh.
Besides the only reason I dared to mention the writing group today is because I'm not certain it will be around much longer. Both members are teachers, one that will be on vacation for the next three weeks and soon after that school will be starting so I imagine time will be limited. And the member who I went to high school with is also a teacher. She's going to Maryland next week to interview for a job that I hope she gets. Not because I don't want her around but she's been looking for a job and Michigan is pretty much out of them. So I'm fairly sure that it won't be long before the group is no more. We've been trying to get a few more people. There have been potentials and still are but so far not much has come of it. With as hard as it was to get it started in the first place I'm not holding my breath.
Anyway, I've gotten a few stories reviewed by my group so far. The first one is my story about companion animal abandonment. The second was a story that I just recently submitted to a somewhat prestigious magazine and to be honest I probably wouldn't have done it had I not had advice and proofreading from others. The third was a dark comedy of sorts about a somewhat unfortunate girl that my group wanted to make even more unfortunate.
I've gotten positive but constructive feedback. And I've gotten a lot of tips on grammar. I worry more about the story than the technical aspects so it's been a super bonus having two teachers read over my work. I've also greatly enjoyed reading their work. Second to writing, reading is a big chunk of my life and I love to read works in progress.
So I'm bummed that it may come to an end but glad that I had it for the short time I did. And I'm optimistic that I'll maybe have a writing group with others, no pressure though. I know everyone's busy having lives and careers.
**Oh and I just want to sincerely apologize to the person that was directed to my blog today while searching for "allergic reaction to paper and ink". In my last entry I did not mean that it was weird to have this type of allergic reaction but more that it seemed unusual to be allergic to the combination of the two. If this is a serious allergic reaction, I am so sorry for my idiocy.**
*BTW: On the subject of weird searches, in the last two days I've gotten two searches about whining. I've never had any searches about whining before but apparently the past few days have brought on people who wonder "why do people whine?" and "do I whine?"
Wouldn't it be awesome if it turned out it was two people fighting and one said the other whined. So why they were trying to calm down one went searching for why people whine and the other didn't think they were a whiner so they went searching to find out if they did. Oh the possibilities there.*
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Who doesn't love a mix tape, really?
I finished Love is a Mix Tape today. And it's not just a book about mix tapes. It's about music, mostly, 90's rock. It's a also a memoir about how music brought two people together and how it helped the author through the loss of his wife.
Each chapter starts with a song list for an actual mix tape that the author was given or made. And then the chapter goes on to tell what the significance of the mix tape was in his life.
I think a lot of people relate to how a song defines a time in your life. How you think the song was made just for you because it describes exactly what you're going through and you're convinced that it can't possibly mean as much to someone else, even the person who wrote it, as it does to you.
I know mix tapes are completely out dated. It's been MP3 play list for a while and in between it was mix CDs but it's still the same idea. I remember a few months ago Jenni thought she might be in a mix CD battle with a fellow teacher. And for the wedding I'm in next month, the gift for the guest is a mix CD of all the couples songs that are being played at the wedding.
When I was young I used to make mix tapes by recording songs off the radio because we didn't really have money to buy actual tapes. When I finally got my first job CDs were it and I would make mix tapes from CDs. Tapes for dancing to, driving to, being mad at your parents, liking someone, being dumped. Then my friend and I actually bought a CD burner. Not a computer but a machine that did nothing but burn CDs.
I used to make mix tapes for when I would write. I like to set the mood for what I'm writing by playing music that I think a character would listen to or music that I could see on the soundtrack if the story were a movie or the music that inspired the story. I no longer have a functioning tape recorder so now I just program my CD player. Maybe one day I'll get an MP3 player but after reading that book I really want to go back to making mix tapes.
Music can tell you a lot about a person, including how their feeling. I think a new writing exercise I should do is make a play list for each character to help develop their personality.
I have this poster above my desk with a little kid wondering what Batman dresses up for on Halloween and who's on Batman's pajamas. I wonder what's on Batman's mix tape?
They should make soundtracks for books not just movies. Wouldn't we all like to know what some of our favorite characters are listening to?
Each chapter starts with a song list for an actual mix tape that the author was given or made. And then the chapter goes on to tell what the significance of the mix tape was in his life.
I think a lot of people relate to how a song defines a time in your life. How you think the song was made just for you because it describes exactly what you're going through and you're convinced that it can't possibly mean as much to someone else, even the person who wrote it, as it does to you.
I know mix tapes are completely out dated. It's been MP3 play list for a while and in between it was mix CDs but it's still the same idea. I remember a few months ago Jenni thought she might be in a mix CD battle with a fellow teacher. And for the wedding I'm in next month, the gift for the guest is a mix CD of all the couples songs that are being played at the wedding.
When I was young I used to make mix tapes by recording songs off the radio because we didn't really have money to buy actual tapes. When I finally got my first job CDs were it and I would make mix tapes from CDs. Tapes for dancing to, driving to, being mad at your parents, liking someone, being dumped. Then my friend and I actually bought a CD burner. Not a computer but a machine that did nothing but burn CDs.
I used to make mix tapes for when I would write. I like to set the mood for what I'm writing by playing music that I think a character would listen to or music that I could see on the soundtrack if the story were a movie or the music that inspired the story. I no longer have a functioning tape recorder so now I just program my CD player. Maybe one day I'll get an MP3 player but after reading that book I really want to go back to making mix tapes.
Music can tell you a lot about a person, including how their feeling. I think a new writing exercise I should do is make a play list for each character to help develop their personality.
I have this poster above my desk with a little kid wondering what Batman dresses up for on Halloween and who's on Batman's pajamas. I wonder what's on Batman's mix tape?
They should make soundtracks for books not just movies. Wouldn't we all like to know what some of our favorite characters are listening to?
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Only one great line
Tonight I finished my part of chapter 9 of Behind the Naugahyde. It's weird because the idea for Behind the Naugahyde really came from how much Jenni and I wrote about our jobs in e-mails and on live journal. We started thinking we could write a novel.
I just told Jenni this recently, but when we started and even now, I felt this horrible pressure about writing my part. Jenni would always have an amazing way of dramatically retelling stories. There were so many times when the muscles in my face would hurt from laughing so hard. I, on the other hand, wasn't so clever at writing them. I knew Jenni's part would be fabulous and mine would not be. For what we've gotten done, that is true.
Sometimes it scares me that I feel so much pressure about writing. This isn't the first time I've felt pressure to make something good. Of course all authors want to write great things so I'm sure I'm not alone.
The first time I remember having this incredible pressure to write something was in my tenth grade American Lit class. We had to write a poem for some reason, I don't really remember. It was one of those on the spot assignments that I absolutely hate. Anyway, I wrote the first line "She's in love with herself". My teacher came by and just started raving about what a great line that was. "It's a beautiful opening line. It's so powerful. I instantly want to know more about her." That' probably not what she said word for word but it was similar to that. Of course the first line was the only line I had and then I just became run over with this pressure to write lines that were equally great. I sat there forever trying to figure out what else to say about her that would be powerful, something that wouldn't disappoint the people that wanted to know more, like my teacher. Well time was up so I scribbled down a few meaningless lines about how she thinks she's all that, I can't even remember them now. I turned it in completely heartbroken that I had only one good line and that I my never have a series of great lines that make an unforgettable work of art.
I don't know what I ever did with that piece of paper. I'm sure I threw it out because it was awful and I didn't need the constant reminder that I cracked under pressure. Also I think I'm a bit of a coward and don't want to have it sitting around. I might be tempted to try to see what I would have come up with if I wasn't under the pressure of the time restraint. Of course I would always be under pressure with that line because my teacher had put that comment out there and because I want every line of everything I write to be one of those great lines.
I just told Jenni this recently, but when we started and even now, I felt this horrible pressure about writing my part. Jenni would always have an amazing way of dramatically retelling stories. There were so many times when the muscles in my face would hurt from laughing so hard. I, on the other hand, wasn't so clever at writing them. I knew Jenni's part would be fabulous and mine would not be. For what we've gotten done, that is true.
Sometimes it scares me that I feel so much pressure about writing. This isn't the first time I've felt pressure to make something good. Of course all authors want to write great things so I'm sure I'm not alone.
The first time I remember having this incredible pressure to write something was in my tenth grade American Lit class. We had to write a poem for some reason, I don't really remember. It was one of those on the spot assignments that I absolutely hate. Anyway, I wrote the first line "She's in love with herself". My teacher came by and just started raving about what a great line that was. "It's a beautiful opening line. It's so powerful. I instantly want to know more about her." That' probably not what she said word for word but it was similar to that. Of course the first line was the only line I had and then I just became run over with this pressure to write lines that were equally great. I sat there forever trying to figure out what else to say about her that would be powerful, something that wouldn't disappoint the people that wanted to know more, like my teacher. Well time was up so I scribbled down a few meaningless lines about how she thinks she's all that, I can't even remember them now. I turned it in completely heartbroken that I had only one good line and that I my never have a series of great lines that make an unforgettable work of art.
I don't know what I ever did with that piece of paper. I'm sure I threw it out because it was awful and I didn't need the constant reminder that I cracked under pressure. Also I think I'm a bit of a coward and don't want to have it sitting around. I might be tempted to try to see what I would have come up with if I wasn't under the pressure of the time restraint. Of course I would always be under pressure with that line because my teacher had put that comment out there and because I want every line of everything I write to be one of those great lines.
Monday, December 18, 2006
In their shoes
Today's post I wanted to give a tribute to teachers. Teachers that don't just go by the book. They actually want to teach you about something. Teachers that go out of there way to do something that you'll never forget.
I know a teacher like this. I've never attended a class of hers but she has taught me quite a few things. And I have to say that she told me about an amazing project that she came up with for her students ( I don't want to give too many details since it's not mine to tell) and I truly believe that it will teach the students something about themselves and others.
When I heard the idea for this project it occurred to me that I should steal this project and use it for my writing. It's a great way to come up with characters. So once again that teacher has taught me something and I'm not even one of her students.
In honor of great teachers ( and I hope I don't give away too much of a project that's not mine) the next time you see a pair of shoes I want you to think about who's shoes they were, are or will be and imagine walking in them, imagine being that person. Maybe you're a writer like me and you'll get a new character from it. Maybe you're a high school freshman that will learn something about a person you would never have given a second thought about.
And if you learn anything from it your life has now been touched by an amazing teacher who dared to think outside the textbook.
Thanks Ms. Alto!
I know a teacher like this. I've never attended a class of hers but she has taught me quite a few things. And I have to say that she told me about an amazing project that she came up with for her students ( I don't want to give too many details since it's not mine to tell) and I truly believe that it will teach the students something about themselves and others.
When I heard the idea for this project it occurred to me that I should steal this project and use it for my writing. It's a great way to come up with characters. So once again that teacher has taught me something and I'm not even one of her students.
In honor of great teachers ( and I hope I don't give away too much of a project that's not mine) the next time you see a pair of shoes I want you to think about who's shoes they were, are or will be and imagine walking in them, imagine being that person. Maybe you're a writer like me and you'll get a new character from it. Maybe you're a high school freshman that will learn something about a person you would never have given a second thought about.
And if you learn anything from it your life has now been touched by an amazing teacher who dared to think outside the textbook.
Thanks Ms. Alto!
Sunday, December 10, 2006
A new goal
Well as my word totals show, NaNoFiMo is going as well as NaNoWriMo and by well I mean not well at all. I'm thinking that I need to just sit down and write an entire section at a time, since each section is a short story that my main character is writing and her thoughts about writing it. I know I can write a whole short story in a day because that use to be the result of my procrastination during my creative writing classes. The writing 1,000 words a day system isn't working for me. My former creative writing teachers tried to encourage me to set similar daily goals for myself but they just never worked for me. Probably because I have no self discipline but I'm just going to say it's because I like to break the rules and be different.
And you can now find me at www.comicspace.com/ashley .Although I haven't really put much more than my name on their yet. I usually add to these things a little at a time.
Thanks to Ragnell for the name suggestion!
NaNoFiMo: 6760 + 29438 = 36198
And you can now find me at www.comicspace.com/ashley .Although I haven't really put much more than my name on their yet. I usually add to these things a little at a time.
Thanks to Ragnell for the name suggestion!
NaNoFiMo: 6760 + 29438 = 36198
Monday, July 31, 2006
Sweaty Palms are not so bad!
Normally the horrible heat and the not-so-happy moments in my life would be really keeping me down. I've been trying to keep a positive attitude and tonight I just started complaining about how things suck.
Then I checked my e-mail. It was not a rejection notice my friends, it said "accepted". My work has been selected to appear in the September issue of Writer's Post Journal.
I submitted my job interview gone bad story, Sweaty Palms, for the September issue that had a theme of jobs/work/opportunities.
The magazine can only be purchased on-line but it is a real magazine, not an e-zine. The issue will be out in September and I'll post a link then.
I actually wrote the story as a short-short for a creative writing class assignment. And it's written in second person. Crazy, I know. I was inspired by my job interview for the job I have now. It was in September so it was still hot and I remember my palms were sweating like mad when I had to shake my bosses' hand. Then in the interview he made a comment about what not to wear and I was wearing it. I really didn't think I would get the job. I did but I thought about what else could have gone wrong and then kept elaborating until I had this story. When my creative writing teacher didn't put a bunch of horrible comments on it I thought it might be worth sending out.
I'm so excited!
Then I checked my e-mail. It was not a rejection notice my friends, it said "accepted". My work has been selected to appear in the September issue of Writer's Post Journal.
I submitted my job interview gone bad story, Sweaty Palms, for the September issue that had a theme of jobs/work/opportunities.
The magazine can only be purchased on-line but it is a real magazine, not an e-zine. The issue will be out in September and I'll post a link then.
I actually wrote the story as a short-short for a creative writing class assignment. And it's written in second person. Crazy, I know. I was inspired by my job interview for the job I have now. It was in September so it was still hot and I remember my palms were sweating like mad when I had to shake my bosses' hand. Then in the interview he made a comment about what not to wear and I was wearing it. I really didn't think I would get the job. I did but I thought about what else could have gone wrong and then kept elaborating until I had this story. When my creative writing teacher didn't put a bunch of horrible comments on it I thought it might be worth sending out.
I'm so excited!
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Entry fee?
A while back in one of my writing classes we were given these cards to write random ideas on. Then we all drew and we had to write a story using the two cards we picked. I had chosen bubble gum and door-to-door salesperson. So I wrote my crazy story. My teacher put a note on it, saying that it was funny and I should submit it to a short-short contest.
Personally, I wouldn't normally submit a story of this nature. I'm sure it's a decent story (my professor never really held back when work wasn't good) but it's the kind of thing that you might find in a middle-aged, housewife kind of magazine. I'm fine with having a story published just about anywhere, so that doesn't bother me. The thing is that the magazines I can find that would fall into that category are all 'agented only' submissions. Did my professor realize this and that's what inspired the contest comment rather than a submit comment? I'm not sure but the biggest question is whether the story is worthy of a $10 entry fee?
Personally, I wouldn't normally submit a story of this nature. I'm sure it's a decent story (my professor never really held back when work wasn't good) but it's the kind of thing that you might find in a middle-aged, housewife kind of magazine. I'm fine with having a story published just about anywhere, so that doesn't bother me. The thing is that the magazines I can find that would fall into that category are all 'agented only' submissions. Did my professor realize this and that's what inspired the contest comment rather than a submit comment? I'm not sure but the biggest question is whether the story is worthy of a $10 entry fee?
Monday, February 20, 2006
Clue me in
Still don't have much time to squeeze in writing. Although I am considering dropping one of my classes because the teacher is nuts. I do all the reading and take extensive notes during her crazy lectures yet I get low test scores. Why? Because the questions on the test are not covered in the reading or the lectures. Of course I probably won't drop because it's a waste of money and it's just one more class I need to take to get my degree.
I'm trying to get my 5-7 pages that I alone need to have for my professor by tomorrow. This is part of my procrastination prevention plan that he has developed. Guess what? Haven't started. Nothing less is to be expected of me. I do think I'm going to write the vampire story I thought up a long while ago. I think I even promised to post it on this very blog if it didn't get published. For now I would just like to finish or start rather.
To "give me ideas" I started reading 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King. Ever since finishing his Gunslinger series this summer I have been meaning to start reading all the books connected to it. Those were most of the Stephen King books that I hadn't read. I know, it's horrible, I should be reading small, up and coming writers or those who didn't "sell out" but the reason all the well known authors are commonly read is because their stuff is good. Mostly.
I've been doing extensive research on marketing due to the fact that some companies ask for a marketing plan for your book. I'm confused. Do they mean I have to go to stores and ask them to carry the book or do they want me to suggest places I think would sell it? Does anything I'm asking about have to do with marketing? Is there anyone out there with a clue?
I'm trying to get my 5-7 pages that I alone need to have for my professor by tomorrow. This is part of my procrastination prevention plan that he has developed. Guess what? Haven't started. Nothing less is to be expected of me. I do think I'm going to write the vampire story I thought up a long while ago. I think I even promised to post it on this very blog if it didn't get published. For now I would just like to finish or start rather.
To "give me ideas" I started reading 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King. Ever since finishing his Gunslinger series this summer I have been meaning to start reading all the books connected to it. Those were most of the Stephen King books that I hadn't read. I know, it's horrible, I should be reading small, up and coming writers or those who didn't "sell out" but the reason all the well known authors are commonly read is because their stuff is good. Mostly.
I've been doing extensive research on marketing due to the fact that some companies ask for a marketing plan for your book. I'm confused. Do they mean I have to go to stores and ask them to carry the book or do they want me to suggest places I think would sell it? Does anything I'm asking about have to do with marketing? Is there anyone out there with a clue?
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Bye bye structure. Hello creativity
I wrote this all earlier and then my internet service decided not to work. So this is copy is probably missing some of the enthusiasm the first one did.
Today was the first day of classes for me this semester. I had Creative Writing II. I was worried that it would be exactly the same as CW I but I figured I would try it for the first week. If it didn't work out I could still get my money back.
This class is so different. I didn't like how CW I was just a bunch of rules about how to be creative which defeats the purpose of being creative. Also you got graded on whether or not the teacher liked your work so you were writing for them. Not to mention I had to write poetry.
In this class there is no structure. There are no due dates for your assignments. There is little to no text reading. There is no topic you have to write on or point of view or tense or must be realistic or sci-fi guidelines. You can do poetry or prose for each of the four assignments. He doesn't grade, collect or even check to see if in class assignments are done. The main focus of the class is to write and get feedback from everybody. That's it. You bring in your work and everyone discusses it.
It's different for sure. Of course I usually do well in classes because I follow the assignment guidelines exactly and always turn things in on time. So I'll actually have to do more in this class. That is a good thing. The only other thing is that this class is pretty much like a writing group except instead of being free I have to pay tuition. Hmm....
BTW: I finally learned how to put links in my post without writing out the whole long and ugly web address. I also learned how to add things to my sidebar. I put links to my live journal which is my life outside of writing. The other links are to Pandora's Gate archives, which has some of my work published. The next thing I hope to add is other blogs to my side bar. I'll work on it.
Today was the first day of classes for me this semester. I had Creative Writing II. I was worried that it would be exactly the same as CW I but I figured I would try it for the first week. If it didn't work out I could still get my money back.
This class is so different. I didn't like how CW I was just a bunch of rules about how to be creative which defeats the purpose of being creative. Also you got graded on whether or not the teacher liked your work so you were writing for them. Not to mention I had to write poetry.
In this class there is no structure. There are no due dates for your assignments. There is little to no text reading. There is no topic you have to write on or point of view or tense or must be realistic or sci-fi guidelines. You can do poetry or prose for each of the four assignments. He doesn't grade, collect or even check to see if in class assignments are done. The main focus of the class is to write and get feedback from everybody. That's it. You bring in your work and everyone discusses it.
It's different for sure. Of course I usually do well in classes because I follow the assignment guidelines exactly and always turn things in on time. So I'll actually have to do more in this class. That is a good thing. The only other thing is that this class is pretty much like a writing group except instead of being free I have to pay tuition. Hmm....
BTW: I finally learned how to put links in my post without writing out the whole long and ugly web address. I also learned how to add things to my sidebar. I put links to my live journal which is my life outside of writing. The other links are to Pandora's Gate archives, which has some of my work published. The next thing I hope to add is other blogs to my side bar. I'll work on it.
Friday, December 09, 2005
Shaffierean Sonnet #1
As mentioned in the previous post, today in my creative writing class we tackled rhyme and meter poetry. I am not a fan of poetry and had a rough time with the free verse and prose poems we had done through out the semester. So to focus on syllables and iambic pentameter, not to mention rhyming lines in a pattern, well lets just say I was more than excited. Our professor did not have us use this type of poetry through out the year unless we wanted to, because she did not want to limit our creativity. Today however, she wanted us to give it a try.
During class, particularly when discussing the difference between prose poetry and short-shorts, it was determined that poetry tends to have less of a tale to tell or someplace it's going, but rather expresses emotions and ideas. So when we set forth today we looked into some of the most famous rhyme and meter poetry of all time, Shakespearean sonnets.
For those of you unfamiliar with them they are often about seasons, time, love, emotion. Basically everything you would expect from poetry. Our teacher said we could really do any form but sonnets would probably be easiest. Well I figured William had really set the bar high for serious sonnets so I was going to go all out crazy. The professor tried to inspire us with two words, 'strange exhilaration'. This made me think of flying, which lead to superhero's, which lead to my sonnet. You're probably thinking, "she's teasing us by writing all this and now we'll never get to see it". You're wrong! Since I have absolutely no idea who would publish this, I will publish it here, for my faithful fan(s). Don't worry for those of you who don't get it I will explain at the end. Hopefully you like it, when I read it aloud in class people actually laughed! Here it is the first of my many sonnets.
He lands in the street, dropping from the sky.
Swears to protect, always ready to fight.
He is and is not a regular guy.
Crime fighting the job, they call him Dark Knight.
The Penguin, the Joker, and Ras al Ghul,
He is strong enough to stop them. Pow! Wham!
They use their power and evil to rule,
But he is just too fast for them. Bang! Bam!
Jumping from roof to roof over Gotham,
No resting when catching the enemy.
Sending some to jail and others to Arkham,
And he will return when they are set free.
They try to get by him but no one can.
He stands over watching, he is Batman.
For reference:(Batman is often referred to as the Dark Knight. The Penguin, the Joker and Ras al Ghul are all Batman villains. In the old comics and 60's T.V. series, in fight scenes they would use sound bubbles with words such as "Bam!" when hitting and such. Gotham City is Batman's hometown. Arkham is the insane asylum where the bad guys go.)
I would also like to express how excited I am that I figured out how to make line breaks. It took me nearly two hours of frustration as my sonnet kept coming out in a paragraph, but I figured out it was a format setting.
During class, particularly when discussing the difference between prose poetry and short-shorts, it was determined that poetry tends to have less of a tale to tell or someplace it's going, but rather expresses emotions and ideas. So when we set forth today we looked into some of the most famous rhyme and meter poetry of all time, Shakespearean sonnets.
For those of you unfamiliar with them they are often about seasons, time, love, emotion. Basically everything you would expect from poetry. Our teacher said we could really do any form but sonnets would probably be easiest. Well I figured William had really set the bar high for serious sonnets so I was going to go all out crazy. The professor tried to inspire us with two words, 'strange exhilaration'. This made me think of flying, which lead to superhero's, which lead to my sonnet. You're probably thinking, "she's teasing us by writing all this and now we'll never get to see it". You're wrong! Since I have absolutely no idea who would publish this, I will publish it here, for my faithful fan(s). Don't worry for those of you who don't get it I will explain at the end. Hopefully you like it, when I read it aloud in class people actually laughed! Here it is the first of my many sonnets.
He lands in the street, dropping from the sky.
Swears to protect, always ready to fight.
He is and is not a regular guy.
Crime fighting the job, they call him Dark Knight.
The Penguin, the Joker, and Ras al Ghul,
He is strong enough to stop them. Pow! Wham!
They use their power and evil to rule,
But he is just too fast for them. Bang! Bam!
Jumping from roof to roof over Gotham,
No resting when catching the enemy.
Sending some to jail and others to Arkham,
And he will return when they are set free.
They try to get by him but no one can.
He stands over watching, he is Batman.
For reference:(Batman is often referred to as the Dark Knight. The Penguin, the Joker and Ras al Ghul are all Batman villains. In the old comics and 60's T.V. series, in fight scenes they would use sound bubbles with words such as "Bam!" when hitting and such. Gotham City is Batman's hometown. Arkham is the insane asylum where the bad guys go.)
I would also like to express how excited I am that I figured out how to make line breaks. It took me nearly two hours of frustration as my sonnet kept coming out in a paragraph, but I figured out it was a format setting.
Monday, November 14, 2005
Reviewing peers
My novel progress has unfortunately slowed. I am no longer on track because I should be half way done by tomorrow. I am not. I'm close but not quite. I have been working on a few other things so I've been a little sidetracked.
The first thing that I've been working on is my class reviews. I have to read nine short stories that are written by my peers and review them. It is tough. I see things that I would change but I don't know how to word it. I don't want to offend anyone. I have a tough time reviewing famous literature. It's ten times more tough when you have to present it to the writer personally. This is something I know shouldn't bother me but I just don't like doing it.
Another thing I have been working on is entries for a writing contest. It's an LCC contest and whoever wins go to a state competition. There is no entry fee. You do have to get a teacher to sign off on the entry and submit it for you. The deadline is next Friday but since I won't see my creative writing professor next week due to the holiday I have to have them ready before Thursday. I'm submitting two of the stories I have been sending out to companies, but I want to give them a good revision. After all they didn't get picked up by anyone so maybe they could use some extra work.
I try getting to my novel when I can but it's been a busy week. Hopefully, I can make it.
The first thing that I've been working on is my class reviews. I have to read nine short stories that are written by my peers and review them. It is tough. I see things that I would change but I don't know how to word it. I don't want to offend anyone. I have a tough time reviewing famous literature. It's ten times more tough when you have to present it to the writer personally. This is something I know shouldn't bother me but I just don't like doing it.
Another thing I have been working on is entries for a writing contest. It's an LCC contest and whoever wins go to a state competition. There is no entry fee. You do have to get a teacher to sign off on the entry and submit it for you. The deadline is next Friday but since I won't see my creative writing professor next week due to the holiday I have to have them ready before Thursday. I'm submitting two of the stories I have been sending out to companies, but I want to give them a good revision. After all they didn't get picked up by anyone so maybe they could use some extra work.
I try getting to my novel when I can but it's been a busy week. Hopefully, I can make it.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Idling
I have two articles for the Lookout I am trying to work out. It's hard to go to club meetings when you have to work. That's why you tell your editor these things but they don't listen.
The novel is going well I have been working on it every day. Yeah I know! I definitely think the rough draft will be done before December.
The comic is still kind of idling. I wish I had more to say about it but I don't . Although I do plan to send my new idea out to a few smaller companies and see what I can come up with. I would also like to get the new writers market guide for 2006 and send out some more submissions. I'm going to do some more rewrites to the stories I haven't managed to get published and send out a few new ones.
Class is still going well and since my teacher has been sick we are way behind schedule, which isn't bad because it will cut time out of poetry.
The novel is going well I have been working on it every day. Yeah I know! I definitely think the rough draft will be done before December.
The comic is still kind of idling. I wish I had more to say about it but I don't . Although I do plan to send my new idea out to a few smaller companies and see what I can come up with. I would also like to get the new writers market guide for 2006 and send out some more submissions. I'm going to do some more rewrites to the stories I haven't managed to get published and send out a few new ones.
Class is still going well and since my teacher has been sick we are way behind schedule, which isn't bad because it will cut time out of poetry.
Monday, October 17, 2005
Still going
The novel is still going strong, I have only missed one day since I started. I think it could actually be finished ahead of schedule.
I didn't write for the paper last week, and I stopped my reviews. So now I feel like I'm not doing anything.
Class is still going well but I still question the content sometimes. I turned in a story and the main character got picked on at school for wetting their pants. My teacher actually wrote that she didn't feel it was solid motivation for middle school bullies. What school did she go to? I'm still struggling with the poetry but fortunately the due date got postponed a week.
The comic book seems to be idling right now. I'm still just waiting for things that are out of my hands. That is the toughest part.
I have come up with a new comic idea. I'm going to write up a proposal and send it out to a few small companies. So hopefully that has a somewhat good outcome.
I didn't write for the paper last week, and I stopped my reviews. So now I feel like I'm not doing anything.
Class is still going well but I still question the content sometimes. I turned in a story and the main character got picked on at school for wetting their pants. My teacher actually wrote that she didn't feel it was solid motivation for middle school bullies. What school did she go to? I'm still struggling with the poetry but fortunately the due date got postponed a week.
The comic book seems to be idling right now. I'm still just waiting for things that are out of my hands. That is the toughest part.
I have come up with a new comic idea. I'm going to write up a proposal and send it out to a few small companies. So hopefully that has a somewhat good outcome.
Thursday, June 30, 2005
The Meaning
Another week of writing reviews and class papers went by and I made it through. The reviews were actually easy. The paper for class was tough. I did well at the beginning of class but I seem to be doing worse and worse. Maybe analyzing other's work isn't my thing. I think it's really hard when you have to give the interpretation of a story but it has to be the one your teacher thinks is right. Different stories have different meanings to everyone. And the teacher tells us to think freely but it seems hard to believe that you could be unbiased when your the authority on the subject and the little people disagree with you. So I have a hard time writing the essays and mostly because I stress over finding the meaning of the story for my teacher rather than what it means to me.
The reviews however seem to come easier every week. Whether people like them who knows. Comics are more my thing anyway.
My inquiry into the superhuman story was not a reject, I did get guidelines for a submission. It's for an on going series and you don't need experience. Fortunately they check submissions every 2 to 4 weeks, so if I don't get something done right away, all hope is not lost.
In the good news section, I would like to say that my 3rd issue is almost done and I will have help publishing it which will give me plenty of time to do more fun stuff like write.
The reviews however seem to come easier every week. Whether people like them who knows. Comics are more my thing anyway.
My inquiry into the superhuman story was not a reject, I did get guidelines for a submission. It's for an on going series and you don't need experience. Fortunately they check submissions every 2 to 4 weeks, so if I don't get something done right away, all hope is not lost.
In the good news section, I would like to say that my 3rd issue is almost done and I will have help publishing it which will give me plenty of time to do more fun stuff like write.
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