Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Week Six: Writer's Workshop


As the PR officer of the creative writing club on campus, I’m not certain my free time exists.  Apparently, in college, being a club officer is rather more like a part time job without pay than anything else.  It’s an entertaining experience, if nothing else, as I get to design flyers, logos, and devise ways to get the word out that we do exist, and people ought to join up.

One of those ways is a Friday Writer’s Workshop.  In fact, every Friday, it looks like I will be running one.  I can’t help but being highly amused by this as we do have a published writer in the club, though he isn’t an officer.  So the very unpublished by the Publishing Companies writer of this blog, now will teach a Creative Writing Workshop on Fridays.  At four.  Perhaps it’s a good time I didn’t stuff my schedule with another two classes, like they want me too.

My personal favorite so far, is the very short notice I get to put out flyers and information for the club’s novel writing month.  This is, essentially the National Novel Writing Month, moved a month sooner, due to exam time.  Or rather, due to the need to study really hard in November, for the exams the first and second week of December.

I might take part, but with an abbreviated word count on my writing.  That will likely be an option for us.  Perhaps 25,000 a month, rather than the whole 50K!  It leads to about 820 words a day being written, if we do it that way.  A less intimidating amount than 1,667 words a day.

Of course, the whole goal here is to finish the book! I’m counting it as a win if the book is finished, regardless of the length of the novel.  As for the kickoff for the Writer’s Workshop?

We get to learn the most important skill of the novel writing month: not using the delete key.  I plan on making it plain, by giving them all pictures of a key to rip in half.

Because really, who doesn’t love ripping paper in two with a gusto! I happen to love it., and have taken this Writer’s Workshop as an excuse to do so, even if it does mean I have to cut out thirty strips of paper.

Hm.  Perhaps I didn’t think that one through.  Ah well. 

One Final Byte:  Sometimes, raising your hand leads to tricky situations.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Week Five: Just a little busy


Do you ever get the feeling that you’re not doing much, and you really ought to be doing more? I had that feeling last week.  It went away quickly.  The last few weeks have apparently been my breathing time this semester.  I do wish someone had told me.

It would have been nice to know at least.

College has, if you haven’t guessed, picked up.  Between club activities, classwork, classes, maintaining some semblance of a social life, and attempting to keep my head on straight, I believe I’ve become mildly overwhelmed.

So the idea of holding a job is a bit of a no go.  One club wants me there a minimum of four hours each week, though they would really expect more like six to ten.  Another club is just beginning, and I’ve been elected an officer there.  Being an officer at a club that’s seeking to become a registered and officially sponsored student event is intense.

We’ll go with intense.

It’s a good word.

Between the three clubs that I am a member of, I have about a part time job I think.  Luckily, one doesn't have frequent meetings. Unfortunately, the other two both have frequent meetings and require a good bit more than any club I've ever been in.

The fact that all of my tests in all my classes are all the exact same week is just super special as well.  I’m still slightly confused as to when I’m supposed to find study time, and have decided that must be what weekends are for.

Now if only they would stop holding parties right outside my window studying would be easier.  It’s not a longing to attend.  Trust me, all the free food in the world could not get me to want to attend these parties.  It’s that they play music that is not conducive to thinking.

I would go to the library to study, but by then, the library is closed.

Well. I’m rather glad I didn’t sign up for another class.  I’m not certain where it would fit on my schedule.

Things will settle down however.  They always do.  In the meantime, the time I have to think deep thoughts for this blog is surprisingly scarce.    I suppose that is part of life, and despite the press of my current schedule, I am having more than just a little bit of fun.  I always did work best under pressure.

I am sorry this isn’t the deeply thought out post I had initially planned on.  I’ve got the notes jotted down somewhere for the inspiration for that one, but I’m short on time as it is.  My lazy days aren’t nearly as lazy as they really are supposed to be.

One Final Byte: I have volunteering problems. I keep saying yes.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Week Four: I Got Nothing.


On Monday, my friend and I lay outside on a blanket, ready to just hang out.  We had planned on cloud gazing, figuring that would be fun, and while there were none directly overhead, there were clouds in a circle around us, at the edges of our tree and building created horizon.

Eventually, we figured, they would move over us.  We were, however, thoroughly duped by nature itself.  The clouds all seemed to move farther out, not closer!  As a result, we spent forty five minutes with not a cloud in the sky.

In other words, we got nothing.

All conditions were right.  It should have occurred.  But there was nothing there, the entire time.  And the funny thing is?

Half a mile away, there was a spot on campus, right under the clouds.  I had seen it earlier. It wasn’t far, and we both could have hoped on our bikes and been there in minutes, but we didn’t.

We got nothing.  But we didn’t exactly try hard to get anything.  Even though we knew what we wanted was not far away at all.

I think that’s the thing that I got from it.  We put nothing into the cloud gazing, just expecting what we wanted to come to us.

Instead, our goal stayed where it was, and we spent 45 minutes, pointing out the occasional bird, or bug…or the rim of our glasses.

Life, like cloud gazing, won’t just hand you what you want.  You have to put some effort into it.  Even if it seems like it should be an easy task, you have to put something into it.

And when you do?  When you do, you get an amazing experience in return, all for what is in comparison, not much at all.

I complain about tuition rates, rather more often than I should.  But for those prices, I get an excellent education, get to know some great minds in my field, gain connections to people I may one day work for or with, and a whole lot of other things.  There are weekly concerts or comedians here for crying out loud, all free to the students.  I get internet access, a free gym membership with any number of classes to help get me in shape, and a fitness advisor, who will help me figure out exercises I can and cannot do, and let me know when I should do them and how often!

I get a lot, for that tuition.  For the effort put into gaining the money for it?  I get easily quadruple my effort’s worth.  Even if the bill does hurt to pay.

One Final Byte: Life isn’t easy, if you put nothing in.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Week Three: Tornadoes and Results


Wow!  A lot happened this week.  I’m excited to share it all with you.  Club activities haven’t started yet, but the co-op people suggesting three or four to me.  I think I’ll join at least two, if not three.  Four may be pushing it, schedule wise!  However, all, I was informed, would look excellent later on.  Besides, the Space Hardware club just sounds fun, and is need of hands-on people.  I am a hands-on person.  My bike can attest.

Speaking of my pretty little compliment receiving bucket of bolts: Why will my seat not remain nicely tightened up?  And why is rust so fast acting!  The storms this weekend didn’t help, I’m sure, but really.  Rust spots!  This weekend is going to involve a wrench, a screwdriver, WD-40, and CLR.  Any other suggestions?  I really just need to figure out how to keep the seat tight, and not moving up and down constantly.

Ah well.  It’s good bucket of bolts.  I like it!  It just needs a bath and some TLC.  Between the storms and the construction it’s had  a hard week.  I can forgive it.

Those storms by the way including a tornado that touched down seven miles north of here.  The city was on tornado warning off and on for about three hours.  A friend and I decided the wise move would be to hang out on the first floor, unlike some of our very odd floor mates, all from the area, watching out the fifth floor windows.

Lovelies, a bit of advice.  Just because a storm hasn’t lifted you off to Oz yet, doesn’t mean the next won’t!  Please follow safety procedures in foul weather.  You can prepare for just about everything life will throw at you, but arguing with the weather is like shaking your finger at a boulder.  It’s not going to change a thing,

Anyway, the sun finally showed it’s loveliness about forty-five minutes before sunset.  Our Sunday here was full of dusk and rain.  At one point it looked more like midnight than the afternoon.  Nasty weather. 

Oh! I bet you’re wondering how I did on the plays?  Well, I didn’t get a part, but I did make callbacks.  Those of us that did were informed we nine were the nine best actors that had come to auditions, period.  It was quite uplifting as I was one of three for the main female role.

Quite uplifting indeed!  However, I still didn’t get a part, sadly.  There’s a few other things I might try out for, but it looks like I’m more than likely going to just be working on the sets.  Ah set work.  You and I are friends.  Bosom buddies, it sometimes seems.

I have been thinking deep thoughts lately.  You may see some of those soon, but I fear none cropped up in time for the posting.  This is because I have been reading.  I’m sure I’m supposed to have been studying, but I got rather ahead, and thought I would pace myself.  So no deep thoughts this week, though I believe I’ll start alternating them and my ‘what I’ve been doing’ posts, starting next week.

I’m in college.  Isn’t the supposed to be where all my deep thoughts start forming?  Maybe. Maybe.

I would give you political thoughts, but I’ve decided to be very politely quiet on those.  I don’t want to lose my temper thinking about it.  Just know we need more than two parties, and to throw some serious competition in there.  I’ll be quiet now.

One Final Byte: Actually, am I ever quiet? I doubt it.