It's That Time of the Year

Finals.

One word.  So many implications.

Here's a quick snapshot of me (not a real one, thank the Lord, because that would be BEYOND UNPLEASANT as you're about to find out.... ..... ..... .... .... .... .... ....... .....  *DEATH BY OVERUSE OF ELLIPSES* Grammar Nazis attack!  Sirens blare!  I've been caught!  I've been caught!!!!!  ...  Okaynevermindlet'smoveon*):

Ahem.  Me.  Today.  This morning.  I am studying in the library.  I have not bothered with makeup since Saturday.  My hair is unwashed (not going to go into details there you'reverywelcome) and in a headband (have I mentioned that the last time I wore my hair in a headband was, oh let's see, sixth grade?).  I have been running on an average of six hours of sleep per night and four or five cups of coffee distributed unevenly throughout the day.  I am still wearing the clothing that I fell asleep in last night.  The mental filter that usually disappears around 11:30 p.m. resulting in random hilarity and uncensored comments and things being far funnier than they should be is already gone (and it's only 9:30 a.m.).

My mind is completely stuck in the fantasy world of my current project (which I'd far rather be writing right now) (no, that document has totally not been open on my laptop all day being added to discretely and gradually) and I decided to teach myself how to draw last week, so my notes are filled with cartoon faces of varying levels of amateur, unintended creepiness.  AND on the few occasions that I manage to rescue my mind from a world that doesn't exist and jam it into memorizing three chapters on media law for my COMPLETELY SHORT ANSWER NEWS WRITING FINAL TOMORROW (what the heck?  Seriously.  What the heck?) it wanders into a mix of the guilty pleasures that have been helping to steal maintain my sanity (*cough* Gilmore Girls *cough* Walking Dead *cough*).

So, yeah.  I think I'm managing pretty well.

It all begins tomorrow.

*Did I mention that my sanity is presently questionable at best?

Discriberity

There is a strange and unpleasant phenomenon that I have experienced on multiple occasions.  I don't think there's a title for it.  I might be the only person to experience this (#delusionsofgrandeur).  I take it upon myself to name this beast.

Discriberity: (dis-cry-bear-ity) n. an intense inclination to do anything other than write, despite there being no logical reason not to write.
Example: Sue experienced a bout of discriberity, as she reread her plot outline, designed costumes for her characters, and taught herself to draw instead of writing the first words of her novel.
Clarification: this is different from writer's block in that in writer's block there's often a reason for avoiding writing, such as a plot problem, characters not cooperating, or some other complication that needs solving.  In discriberity, there is absolutely nothing holding the writer back.  It is, of sorts, a mental block.

I reread my plot outline.

I designed costumes for my characters.

I taught myself to draw.

I even wrote a blog post.

There's nothing left to do but write the first words of my novel.  With great reluctance, with an overwhelming sense of foreboding and discriberity, with sadness that I have to leave you with such a short blog post...

I go to my doom.

My Kind of Logic

I had four hours of free time this afternoon.

Pop quiz:
The picture (below) is the result of:
A) Working ahead in homework so that I'll have free time this weekend.
B) Starting on that 4-6 page so that finals won't kill me.
C) Outlining the 3rd rewrite of a story I abandoned two years ago.

*Hint: Go for the least rational.

Let's admit it

February is a blah month.

It's so blah, it got its own lame holiday.  Sort of like Thanksgiving is a consolation prize for November having to be November, except that Thanksgiving is a homey, warm, comfortable holiday with family and pumpkin pie (or better yet, French silk) and those little squishy white buns and you don't have to have a significant other in order to have a nice time.  Valentine's Day, on the other hand, is a sort of a consolation prize, but more of a slap in the face.  The people who are most in need of chocolate are those not in relationships.  But the primary way of getting chocolate on V Day is by being in a relationship.  A conundrum if I ever saw one.

Anyhow, my point is that February is a depressing, grey, slumpy month that doesn't even have Thanksgiving. I don't think it's humanly possible to be inspired in February.*

So I'm going to blame an entire month of mostly not writing and not doing anything but practical homework on the fact that it was February.

(Okay, yeah, it's March now and almost April, but maybe this February was blahher than usual and the aftereffects slouched into March.)

I have finally picked myself up and, doggonit, I'm going to write.

That's a promise.

Either blog posts or snippets or whole novels, I will write!  Doggonit, I will WRITE or I will WRITE about NOT WRITING!

*The exception being that I did come up with the idea for my current project in February like four years ago.  But that's mostly irrelevant.

Walking to the Caf

Walking to the Caf
(not a poem)

The frozen snow crunches beneath our boots
And dusts the dorm roofs.
The wind nips at our noses
Like an over-eager puppy.
The sky is dark, but brilliant
Like there is a light shining behind its fabric.
Above us the moon gleams
(a silver smile).
Tree branches are dark and distinct on the sky
(spilled ink).
We laugh
And catch our breath
And smile so hard our teeth turn cold.
Shivers chase us into the warmth.
The night is a cloak
At our backs.

The Magic Ends. Or at Least Pauses.

In what I think was my first post, I mentioned the not-so-small fact that an agent was currently interested in my novel and had requested pages.  While the result might not be something I'm eager to announce across the internet world, I like closure.

So.

She wrote back last night and very politely rejected my novel.

Yep.  So that's the end of that.  Honestly, if you want to know, I'm not crushed.  Or discouraged.  Or upset. Or devastated.  Mostly when I opened that email, what I felt was relief.

A) Because I'd been waiting almost two months and was itching for an answer of some kind.
B) Because this whole time I've been questioning whether I'm really ready to be published.

I'm in college.  I have a work study job and I'm in intramurals and I want to be in another play and I'm part of two or three different clubs.  Plus, I just took an extended weekend off for a trip to D.C. (March for Life HOLLA) and I'm planning on spending spring break in Montana.  And during the summer I juggle two jobs, one full time and one part time (= roughly 50 hours a week).  Oh.  Also there's this thing called a social life that I like to pretend I have.

So, while it would have been superthrillingmindblowinglyamazing if this agent had wanted to represent me, it's also okay.  I have school, and family, and friends, and my faith, and a life, and writing is sort of on the side right now.

Yeah.  That's pretty much how it stands.  And I still have some things in the air: the ABNA contest, and a few queries to agents still floating around out there, but for now, when I'm barely able to write anything (not to mention work on my story) every day, it's definitely for the best how this turned out.

I'm stoked that she requested pages at all.  I mean, that's still awesome!  And in no way am I discouraged about my writing or my novel.  I might put actively trying to get it published on the back burner for a bit, while I focus on other things, but I know I'm on the right path (SHE REQUESTED PAGES!!!) and I know that I'll eventually find the right place for my novel.

*dramatic music*

How I Write

This, my lovely audiences, is how a typical 1-2 hours of writing goes for me.

*boots up laptop*
*goes and makes a hazelnut latte*
*comes back and opens up the appropriate Word document as well as an internet browser*
*Checks email, Facebook, Figment, (occasionally Pinterest), blogger, replies to email, pokes someone back on Facebook, gleefully counts the additional page views on my blog*
*closes unnecessary webpages (everything but email)*
*writes for ten minutes straight*
*feels very accomplished*
*checks email again*
*checks to see if someone has poked me back on Facebook*
*writes for five minutes*
*opens a different document and rereads something I wrote a month ago*
*get an idea from that*
*open a new document and spends fifteen minutes writing a story snippet with no point, purpose, or future that no one will ever read*
*remembers a few lyrics of a song I heard on the radio last night, googles them, finds the correct song, adds it to my Spotify list, and listen to it on repeat a few times*
*writes for five minutes*
*thinks of a great idea for a blog post*
*logs into blogger and starts writing the blog post*
*thinks of a witty Twitter post*
*gets on Twitter, remembers that I despise Twitter, decides against adding to its overall stupidity*
*writes for five minutes*
*makes breakfast for younger brothers (when I'm at home)*
*finishes blog post*
*reluctantly Tweets about it (but only because I need the page views!)*
*writes for another ten minutes*

A Friend of Mine

Lovelies, I would like to introduce you to someone special.  He's a little nervous to show his face.  Look, there, he's hiding around the corner, peeping out to gauge you and your interest in him.  I told him not to be shy, but I'm not sure how much that helped, because I'm fairly anxious that you'll like him as well.  I've been acquainted with him for a little over a year, I believe, and quite enchanted by him.

Are we ready?  Is it time for the reveal?  Alright.  Come on out.

Figment.

What is it? you may ask.  Well, pretty much my favorite place on the internet.  It's a little like a writing forum, where you can post stories or poetry or even scripts and receive recognition and feedback for them.  The best part is that even after you post a story, you keep all of the rights to it, and the website makes it impossible for the story to be copied by a different user, so there's no worries for plagiarism.  There are frequent contests to enter and loads of book give-aways and opportunities to have your work read and critiqued by published authors.

I personally love it because it's an ideal place to put my shorter works.  I'm never motivated enough to submit my smaller works to newspapers or contests (honestly, because it feels like being slapped in the face over and over and over*), so it's nice to have a place where other people can actually read them and give me feedback for.  Also, it is an excellent place to release my inner editor while simultaneously helping other writers polish their stories.  It's an excellent community, too.  The other users offer helpful advice and are always up for a swap "I read your story, you read mine" type of thing.

*That sounded a little bitter.  (CURSE YOU MAGAZINES!)  I'm not bitter.  A few years ago I tried submitting to magazines and it was a huge pain, first off to find ones that accepted submissions, that accepted my sorts of submissions, and didn't require that I mail in an actual copy with stamps and fussy stuff.  Then, I had to write a cover letter, an acceptable email, and touch up my story.  Then I had to wait 2-6 months.  And at last I would receive the automated email that said, "Thankyouverymuch, but no."  Tada!  Slap in the face.  So: reluctant to go through that again?  Yes.  Bitter?  Nevah!

Check it out!

(click on the large symbol above)

And also, *twirls hair causally* you can always take a look at the stuff I've put there.  *scuffs shoe*  You know.  If you have the time or something.

And if you are interested... by any chance... here are: links!  LINKSLINKSLINKS!!!  ALL OF THE LINKS!

Interview!!

Hello faithful audiences!  I have had the marvelous opportunity to interview a fellow blogger who has navigated (and survived) trying to juggle writing and homework at the same time.  Talk about talent.  I'd ask to hear some applause, but since I can't hear it anyhow, let's get right to the good stuff.



First tell us a little about yourself.  What are important things to know about you personally?
My name is Elizabeth Hausladen, although you can often find me posting under the name "Elenatintil" (yes, that's from Tolkien's Elvish). I'm 23 years old, and I am a professional costumer and writer. I love history, art, and basically anything geeky. Doctor Who, X-Men, you name it!

What do you enjoy reading?
My two big loves are historical fiction and science fiction. Whenever I find a good historical fiction novel I rush to the computer and blog about it - such finds are rare and worthy of immediate sharing! For science fiction I am a huge fan of Orson Scott Card, who is a prolific writer of many generes, but most well-known for "Ender's Game." I also greatly enjoy anything by Regina Doman.

What do you enjoy writing about?
I like to write what I read... the setting is always science fiction, fantasy, or historical (and often a combination!), and I'm big on creating well-fleshed out characters with compelling plotlines.

Want to tell us a little about your work in progress (if you have one at the moment)?
I have two at the moment, although the time travel is on the back burner while I work on getting the first draft of the other novel ready for my publisher. This second project is slotted to be book three of the "Ruah Chronicles" series being put out by Chesterton Press hopefully next year. My installment is set in Paris, and deals with nuns, mermaids and the last unicorn! That's all I'm really allowed to say at the moment, but it's a story I'm very excited about and can't wait to share with others!

What are your top tips for juggling important life commitments (homework/jobs) with writing?
Carve out writing time with ferocious sword hacking. Because writing is so mentally demanding, it is nearly always what you end up putting off in favor of less intense tasks. It is absolutely essential to designate 'writing time' and then stick to it. For me it varies with the seasons. Last spring I wrote first thing in the morning. During the winter I really like to go out to coffee shops and away from the distractions and responsibilities of home (I work from home so it's a double guilt-trip).

What is the best writing advice you have ever received?
Wow, that's hard, I've received so much good writing advice in my life. I think the most powerful experience I had was when Regina critiqued the first chapter of my novel multiple times, and kept pushing me to tighten it up. My characters kept doing things that really didn't tie into the plot, which made for a long and rambling first chapter. Regina pushed me to rethink every sentence I had in there and make sure it was vital.

Any warnings to give?/What are the biggest mistakes that a young(ish) writer could make?
Don't try to publish too early. Hone your craft first. Read writing books, read writing blogs (particularly from editors, agents and experienced writers!), go to talks and seminars and classes, and then just read as much good stuff as you can. Rewrite your book, and then rewrite it again. Find people to read it who will be honest and harsh with you - not your mom. Don't self-publish because you don't want to do the work of going through a big publisher. The publishers know a lot of stuff that you don't, and it's dangerous to assume that your book is 'as good as what they're publishing' unless you have a professional in the field affirming that. 

Anything you would do differently (in your writing life) if you could time travel?
I would not have tried to get an English Literature and Writing degree. While some of the fiction writing stuff was relevant, it was still a tiny fraction of what we actually studied in the major. Most of it was analyzing poetry, which doesn't have much to do with writing a novel. If you want to have a career as a writer (and not just write a literary novel that the critics will love), have life experience. (Or get a major pertaining to the genres you want to write in, history, psychology, science, etc) While I did have a good time in college for my first year, by the time I got to year two I realized that I was in the wrong major, and I wish I had realized that earlier... although honestly it all worked out, so I'm glad that God, not me, was in charge of making those decisions.

Last words of wisdom?
Write! Write every day! Write your novel, write a blog post, write an e-mail, write fan fiction... but keep on writing. It's a muscle that will get stronger if you use it, and weaker if you abuse it.


Awesome stuff, right?  Be sure to check out Elizabeth's blog: http://elenatintil.blogspot.com/

Obligatory Boring First Post (and also, November is over!)

Sing ye choirs of angels.

December is here.  December and hot chocolate and Christmas and Christmas break and, oh, let's just smash it all together and make a list of why December 1st is a good thing.

Finals are almost here and thus almost over.  Christmas break is close!  Reuniting with friends and family around the corner!  Icicles.  Snow.  Sledding.  Cold air freezing your lungs.  Candy canes.  Baking Christmas cookies.  Getting to drive again!  Driving with the windows down, the heat cranked up, and the radio blasting.  Going on walks through a frozen, sleeping marsh.  Wrapping presents, tape sticking to your fingers.    Advent candles.  Christmas shopping.  Ice skating and watching the sunset paint the sky in a clash of pastel and neon.  Curling up with a book on the couch (A COUCH!).  Waking up at 5:55, making a hazelnut latte, and writing the morning out of the night, the darkness away from the light.  Coziness.  Cards in the mail.  Coats and scarves and boots.  Coffee.

I could really, really, really go on for a long time, but I shall resist.  Just basically, December is here and despite being welcomed by 60 degree weather and incredible humidity here in Kansas, it is distinctly different from yesterday, which was November.  Really, we all should pity November, a month whose only bright spot is the turkey and cranberry sauce at nearly the end of it.  Thanksgiving always feels like a sort of "We've almost survived November!  Just a few days left!  You can do it!" or a pity party, because there's absolutely nothing else about November that we can find to appreciate.

Of course, November also is National Novel Writing Month and was fairly significant for me this year, because (for the third year running) I completed my 50,000 words and especially because (for the first time ever) I was happy with my completed project (begun: four years ago.  Rewritten: seven times.  Finished: three times.).  Happy enough to wait two weeks (yeah... I finished my 50k word count pretty early), edit like crazy, and send it in to an agent.

Oh yeah.

AndthentwodayslatersherequestedmymanuscriptandI'msortofsuperexcitedBUTIKNOWITDOESN'TMEANANYTHING.... yet.

So, yeah, I'm happy that it's December.