Keeping up the Momentum

Since my devoted day of rest I have managed to keep up my busy pace. I have applied to at least five jobs since last week, I wrote 1042 words on my Charlie Hoot project, thought of the next Charlie Hoot story I want to write, and picked up "The Instructions" again (I'm around page 420 out of 1000 plus pages). I'm still working my two internship and volunteering at the Chicago Art Institute.

The only thing holding me back this week is a serious acting out from my sinuses. The up and down weather has really kept me under the weather. If I took a 24 hour allergy pill at 9pm the night before. How bad is it to take another one before that initial 24 hours has passed? Nonetheless, I am pushing forward with determination to at least write something each day. And despite how much I dislike cover letter I think I might finally be getting a handle on them. The pup is at least happy I have more time to play and take him for walks.

Lastly, because I thought it is worth a mention for some comedy. I joined a book club. Except we don't actually read books. Hummm. I joined about two months ago and attended a meeting last minute because I happen to have already read the book assigned. I was the only one that actually did the reading. The ladies are wonderful company and extremely busy professionals. So I applaud their efforts to try and read for the club, but I think they have finally given over to what most book clubs turn into - a social gathering. We did discuss in the last meeting of maybe donating books to charities instead of reading them or maybe reading shorter articles related to our interests. But we haven't made any decisions yet.

...And Then There Was ...

This is me the other day holding the world in my hand. Well, actually it's seven very small and different worlds I created. Yes, folks that is what a completed thesis stacks up to. Please disregard my appearance, I had little time for anything else at this point in the thesis process.

The first day post thesis I am feeling a little empty. There was no urgency to get out of bed and straight to the computer. I actually felt a little lost as I looked at my pup and asked "What are we going to do today?" Now I do confess I did have several things to accomplish today, but they weren't anything of great significance to me. It is slightly odd to have time to do things now guilt-free.

So what is my next plan of action you ask.

WELL, there is that children's book project I started oh just about a year ago. And there is a new children's book idea I dreamed up about two days ago. There is also about three books on my shelf I started and never finished. Also, there's that challenge to myself to write one if not two short shorts. I have one about half way written in my Google docs. And of course there is my goal to add more interesting writing blogs to my reader - I just need to find some I want to follow. I am open to suggestions. And finally there is that job searching thing I can pick up again.

So I have plenty to do and be done. But today I think I will just relax and go wherever my mood might take me. :)

Back on the Map

I cannot recall how many MIA messages were sent out to me over the course of the last three months. People I rarely even talk to on a regular basis have reached out to me for a confirmation on my a live status. One of my good friends was even certain I had a new person of romantic interest in my life, because as he put it "I am way off the map." I confess there is no new love interest, it is rather a love affair with writing. Similar to other relationship I had to pour lots of attention and time into this affair. And when the writing bored me or frustrated my patience I did what some lovers do and blatantly neglected the writing, as if only to show it I had a life without it too. But, alas, I always returned and after an exhausting three months I have birthed a collection of short stories.

Things I've learned:

-Revision may never be complete in a writer's mind as they continually work on a piece. I thought I'd made several stories the best they could be early on in this process. Yet, I still find myself tweaking (ever so slightly) them with each read

-I have the patience and tenacity to began and FINISH a writing project. This is important because it's always so exciting to start something new, but it's the ending that might give you trouble. Now I know without a doubt its possible to complete an entire work.

-My writing has grown and I will survive without my workshop. The intense amount of editing I've done in a short amount of time has really fine tuned my ability to hear a cadence of a story. It is such a relief to continually revisit a project and already know what I have to change or take further without having to be told by someone. It is a gratifying moment in my growth as a writer because it gives me the confidence to push on in a project and even try something new to challenge myself.

Now I just have to make sure I get the formatting right for turning in the final project. This is just as tricky as the writing itself because I can't find a clear cut explanation of what it should look like. I've read all the instructions on the school website several times but I'm still unsure about some points. Luckily, I won't be cutting it to the very last second and will have time to reformat if I've misunderstood something. I am just glad to be done so I can rest and read more as well as get back to my other projects I put on hold.

Three cheers for graduation and getting back on the MAP!

I Killed It

Another deadline killed. It was intense. A two week turn around seemed impossible and made me procrastinate more than usual. But I had no choice. It had to get done so I left myself at least two weeks before my final due date. I'm super happy I made it. Plus, I've worked on these stories so much it wasn't as bad as previous deadlines. I will confess there are two stories that still might get significant work done to them before the final due date. But that is because one is still so new and the other one is finally proving to sound better (at least to me) with the ideas I'm adding to it.

I would also like to thank Awake Cafe for writing space. It was a suggested spot from a friend I received months ago that I finally followed up on. It is at Irving Park and Clarendon on Lakeview/Uptown border. The have large tables for laying out piles of papers and computers, decent music, its bright, and good coffee. I was impressed how large my latte was and that they even gave me a little shooter of water to follow it with. (see pic). My only thumbs down is the food is slightly pricey. Otherwise I see many more trips there in the future!

Now I think I will finally pick up that book I've been staring at all week on my book shelf Short Takes, edited by Judith Kitchen and be able to move Monday in peace.

Smile.

Trucking Along

I had my second meeting with my reader last week and I feel good about my progress. My reader seemed impressed with my revisions and complimented me on my work. GREAT. Small praise like that is really validating to a graduating MFAer. This is mostly because like it or not I will soon be without my peers and supporting writing community. I remember two years ago when my program director said that there will come a time when as a writer I will not need the workshop anymore and I cringed. But he was right. I no longer enjoy reading through all the workshop comments, I am too eager to get to the revision part. This is growth and I welcome it.

But growth also comes with solitude. My MFA friends I miss you! And I say again, sorry, for never coming out and joining in all the festivities this semester. I promise I am not having fun without you. I am usually sitting on my couch trying to figure out how to type while my pup snuggles in close under my arm. So cute.

Goal: turn my thesis package around one more time before the final deadline. That means I am aiming for end of this week, next week Monday the latest. Graduation is getting real and I want to be on that ship. Plus, I am moving at the end of the month and that lends itself to a suitcase full of excuses not to be writing and I'd rather be waiting to get my feedback from my reader.

Side note: I cannot wait to turn in that final thesis package so I can read books again, or even read all the ones I started and had to put down. I may even finally get through all the ones I bought last summer and never got to. Here is to wishful thinking.

Does Someone Have A Lighter? I Need My Fire Started

I am not on target and am having trouble getting done what I need to be done. I am blaming the boy and the dog. They have been home and sick with me and I'm not getting much done. But I could be more strict with myself too. Along with the snow, someone please send me focus.

Dragging My Feet

I am breaking from writing today. I am using my blog as an excuse to keep from finishing a new story. I am naughty. About a week ago I had my first thesis review of all my stories. It went pretty well. Three of the stories were received well with likes and points of "you did this so well" shared between me and my reader. Two of the stories I think he could have done without or at least wanted a lot more from them. Which I expected they really aren't my favorite either. And the last story is FINALLY I think close to being done. Of course I thought that last time and I'm revising it again. At least this revision is concerning something new I put into the story. Overall message, my endings need to be less summary and more of a collision point of all the elements in the story resulting in a breathtaking finale. Everyone knows endings are always works in process though so no surprise there.

I need more pages though. I already knew that too. In fact, that is the story I am running from right now. I stick my tongue out at you story - "Late Start." I think I'm running from ending it because I based it more so than my other stories on a real life event. And truthfully I started another story based on another true life event of mine. Always tough to write and end those stories because you try to distance it from yourself and relive parts of it all over again. If you're lucky you even manage to find some closure about the event if the story goes well. Point being, I am cruising on my thesis work. Sort of. I have new deadlines I am making myself hit. One being to finish that new story tonight so I can begin my other revisions.

Fun side note and real life story. I broke down and got Internet again at my apartment. I canceled it a month ago thinking I was moving and after a several failed attempts to secure new living quarters, I resigned to a short lease extension and calling the Internet provider. The man on the phone asked if I wanted cable too. I told him "No I'm a writer and don't need the extra distraction." He surprisingly seemed very interested and asked if I was a "writer writer." Which I took to mean - Can I pick something of yours up at Borders. I let him down easy and told him I still working on my collection and hope to sell it to a publishing house once its finished. His excitement lessened a little, but he still said, "oh, well how is the writing life working out for you in general?" I confessed, "I eat a lot of spaghetti." He quickly said, "At least it's not Ramon noodles." HAHA oh Internet provider man, you're so funny. Good laughs.

Back to writing. If I get desperate for a break, I might go to the gym.