Carolyn

Not much going on here - yes, am doing Nano but dang it, despite the fact I am currently not working, time seems to skitter away from me - spent the weekend helping my friend Cid move to her new place, and most of the rest of my free time was spent reading a school reading assignment, The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon.

This book has intrigued me for an unexpected reason - I finished reading part II this evening, but what has absolutely fascinated me, and caught my imagination, is how I can readily apply the dynamics of a revolution (colonized v. colonizer) to my current fantasy wip (the one that I haven't started yet, so probably isn't a wip quite yet). I have long planned to write Jax's world as an occupied one, but until this book (and this class, which focuses on culture and empire), I didn't have the meat so to speak that I needed to detail a believable scenario. I have it now. While reading part II especially, I found myself fictionalizing it in my mind, which of my characters would be doing what (and why, the all important WHY). I could see what roles my Oppressors should play (and WHY), and have found myself totally caught up in the possibilities for writing I am gleaning from this required reading.

Good times.

Been emailing my classmate Ethan all evening about it - study-group-via-email? - oh yeah, why not? He was going to drop out of this class, despite having a solid B and making an A on the midterm, as he was letting it get to him, how difficult it is (demanding more than difficult, really - the professor IS rather awesome), but I was so happy that he decided to stay in. There isn't much time left after all!

I've signed up for my next class, another special-topics history class. Should be a good one - European history, race, religion and politics, yo.

After that, I only have Algebra, a communications class, and to test out of the computer and English Comp II classes. Need to get my hands on a study guide of some sort for the computer competency test. Not sure when I will take those.

If I could just knock out the communications class this summer, I could conceivably graduate in December! *thunk*

And after that? My heart and brain and love of history tell me to keep going, dammit - Masters in History, oh yeah, at UTA. Double oh yeah. I have a weird vision of just going and going and going with this...I think it started when I read my professor's dissertation and I thought "oh good grief, I could do this." Um. Yeah. LOL!!! And how awesome it would be too. So we'll see...the future has lots of possibilities.

Son went to Austin tonight with friends to see Slayer. You bet I am freaked out and worried to death but trying to be chill and calm and all that. Oh man... *bites nails*

Daughter is at work, and is sad she can't afford to take any additional classes in the spring, even one. I am sad too, as I sincerely hate that I can't help her any. While I am very grateful to be on unemployment, I am horrificly distressed about it, too. If there was only something I could do at home that would bring in a guaranteed 2k a month... LOL. Yeah. I know.

Every day except today I've made myself get out of the house, go to Starbucks, and be around people. That has helped but I hate this feeling of "I am not worthy of enjoying this time off because I should not be unemployed." Okay enough of that. Those of you who have been there, know this all too well.

What else? Not much else. I hope to finish up this homework reading tomorrow morning so I can write my discussion questions and finally get back to work on writing. The rewrite is going slow, but I love all two scenes I've finished...

As for my book that is out there, I have no idea how it is doing. I don't want to know, as I did see some comments that make me groan (comparisons to the first book are many, and complaints the 2nd is not like the first - no, it isn't, because no book will ever be like that first book - I am no longer that person, THANK THE STARS).

And that is all for now. Hope all of you guys are doing well.

Specifically, on writing m/m stories which, if there as any doubt at all, Long Way Home is.

I am sitting in the library at UTA, waiting for class. I have about 45 minutes, and though being a student again at my old university deserves a post as I have tons of thinky thoughts about life as a returned student, I'll stick to this topic.
( very long-winded rambling about myself lol )

Started back to the law firm today, filling in from now until end of August or whenever after Renee will come back. If she does. Lightening strike me, but I hope she does decide to go ahead and retire as she'd talked about, as I want her job. Yup, I do.

I love the three attorneys. Ed is smart and fun and challenging to work for, Bill is a sweetheart that despite being like the second bigshot attorney in the firm is always careful to ask if I have time to help him, could I? And Davis is the young dude who does all his own work--except when I am around. All three kept me hopping doing a mixture of federal (Ed), banking (Bill and litigation (Davis). I love love love it though man they exhausted the hell out of me today! I swear I should get a pedometer to see how many steps I take in a given day.

So tonight am pretty darn zonked, but happy. I was so depressed (again) about not working (despite my unemployment and having plenty in the bank). I just like being useful and productive and doing something that is good and awesome and...yeah. I like thinking 'job well done today, C!' at the end of the day rather than 'oh man, I am a useless, horrible lazy creature.' I am simply not one who can write all day--I get 2-3k a day and that is my happy point and that only takes an hour or two at at time. More than that and my hands and brain hate me.

WRITING: oh man, writing is going so well! 2-3k a day, and this first draft WILL be done by Sunday night! YEEESSSSSS!!!! It is going to end up around 75k maybe 80k in the first draft so I figure knowing me I will add 15k to that by the time I am done. Excellent! Very happy with the progress, loving the story so much. It has been amazing to write an entire story top to toe in such a short amount of time (considering my last ms took me 3 years...).

PUBLISHING STUFF: Still waiting to hear back from editor on edits. I hope there isn't a round two. I want a publication date!

FENCON: Going end of September, and am doing the writing workshop. I have to turn in my first 5-10 pages by July 15th. I am still wavering on what to do. Fantasy? (all the Game of Thrones talk sure has me hyped up for that). I am thinking so. Still attending the WWBC group on Saturdays when I can, and working on it there, but am impatient with the process, and am just ready to write already, dammit! So yeah, probably that for FenCon.

JOB: see above, happily freelancing for now.

TRAVEL: Got my ticket to the UK bought and purchased, and lol the law firm is actually getting ME a temp in to fill in some while I am gone. A temp for the freelancer? Crazy!

SCHOOL: Am still excited about taking the non-US history course, even if it does mean I will be away from my babies twice a week! They aren't gonna like that.

HEALTH STUFF: Doing well. Am determined to lose 8 more lbs. before I go see cruentum though he doesn't care about such things--just that I am happy with myself. This is why I adore him.

What else? Can't think of a thing--it is almost 10:00 p.m., and I should go read now. Reading Vonda McIntyre's amazing DREAMSNAKE...absolutely a fav book from my childhood, no longer in print but she has it available for 4.99. I sent it to my Dad, who introduced me to the book when I was a kid (and he was THRILLED to get it), and to my sister who also loved it and to whom he also introduced it. I am much savvier and understand far far more about it than I did back then (there was a poly relationship? I totally missed that at thirteen, silly naive me), and Snake is just...I think hands-down she is my most favorite character ever.

And that is all. Why am I not in bed? I think I am just unwinding. Tomorrow I can wear jeans to work, and it will be a calmer day as Ed is gone. And I don't have to be at work until 9! I love that, 9-5.

So much I want to do today, I need a list:

1. Run to store, buy the bookshelves I looked at yesterday
2. Clean house (kitchen and living room, laundry, vacuum)
3. Put shelves together
4. Add all books into GoodReads. This could take awhile! Put books on new shelves.
5. Fill out all my stuff for Loose-Id...mail it (tomorrow)
6. Make cookies because otherwise sheswatching will be sad or something TOTAL CHEAT--I bought cookies.
7. Join in on the paperpushers timed writing madness ONGOING!
8. Read more of ARTS and take notes--omg, I would change so much re: how I wrote that! lol
9. Do my pictures for neifile7 lest she send a posse after me.
10. Make appointment for the Brat and Shelby for the vet next week
11. Take nap. Hit the treadmill TOOK NAP!!!!
12. Apply for that job I should've like four days ago.
13. Start working on revision letter for LWH. *bites nails*

I forgot to buy shoes yesterday for my dress for Saturday's bridal shower. Dammit. Tomorrow--I'll do that tomorrow... Done!

I am excited to have the house to myself today. Supposed to go to writer's group tonight but am not feeling it--ran around all day the last two days, and I want to be in my own digs to work on LWH. Just need to hole up, you know? I have a lot of work to do!

Also--I got stripey hair yesterday! Cost a wee bit more than I had intended to pay. My daughter made me start going to this hairdresser, and I LOVE what she is doing for me, but I always knew Tiff paid a certain astronomical amount to get her hair done. Her hair is twice and then some as long as mine. So I figured mine would be less...um...gasp...well. Done is done, so I paid. The maintenance on the stripey hair won't be as much but it remains to be seen if I decide it is worth it. It is very different, but I do love it! VERY DIFFERENT FOR ME! I do agree the lighter color looks better (and apparently works better with those of us who secretly have gray hair--dark colors age a person too or something, and I am trying hard not to look my age!).