January 2008 Archives

After working on my novel outline that I was having difficulty with for several hours over the weekend, I finally submitted it, but I have just determined that it completely sucks, and as a result I am going to write a new outline and try to create a more interesting story with better characters and perhaps give myself something to work with for the rest of the semester. I now know why every time I was given the option in Creative Writing 1 to pick between 12 poems or 1 short story, I picked the poems. I am a poet! Novels aren't my thing, but I'm going to give it a shot and try to make it good. Since I have to submit a manuscript to a publisher at the end of the semester, I really don't want to create something weak and embarrassing. I have considered doing the novel as either a historical or future situation. I am more likely to pick future, since I am more comfortable with a future character changing than I am with anything changing in the modern or historical perspectives.

"The cosmos is all that is or ever was or ever will be" - Carl Sagan

My Astronomy course started yesterday and so far I'm excited. The course structure and the text book are based on Carl Sagan's "Cosmos". Before yesterday, I had heard of Sagan's work, but I've never seen "Cosmos". For the first class we watched the first episode of "Cosmos". We were supposed to review the syllabus, but due to a printing failure at the campus print shop, we won't have that until Thursday. Also, on Thursday I have to go for an "Online Lab Orientation", to learn how to use a web-based learning environment for the lab portion of the course.

I have always had an interest in astronomy, but have never had the time to learn the basics of it myself, outside of my constant obsession with NOVA. The instructor seems to be very enthusiastic about the course, but several members of the class seems like they are just in the course to fulfill a general education requirement. I am looking forward to the lab that starts on Thursday.

I am presently faced with one of the most intellectually difficult assignments I have ever had to take on. I have to create a plan for a novel. First of all, my writing process doesn't know what "plan" is. I have always written stories from start to finish, following the action of my characters in my head and putting it on paper. For a novel I feel like I am not mentally prepared. At present I have only a few ideas for even the basic concept of the novel, certainly not enough to begin thinking in term of rising and falling actions, major and minor conflicts and changes in the characters.

With all of this in mind, I am reminded that it is very simple to write a good story. Take a look at this short horror story: "The last man on earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock upon the door." It says so much, but yet is so simple to construct.

I guess if anyone needs me I will be in the study constructing my manuscript. If anyone knows of a good Whale writing diagram template for Visio, please forward it along to me.

I have posted a lot of entries on this blog since I began in August 2004. Some entries have been deep insights into the deepest points of my emotions, while others have been just examples of things I have found funny, or interesting. Recently my blog has become more of a show-and-tell of my life. I post pictures and title the entries, not much else to it. I have left a lot of holes in the information and turned my blog into more of a portfolio, that isn't what it is supposed to be.

At some point I became uncomfortable with myself and unable to let my thoughts and feelings become written word. I have been taking art classes in varying forms for the last 2 years, but yet, I haven't been that expressive. I am currently taking Creative Writing 2 and Drawing 2, two of the most expressive classes I think I could attempt. I am going to try to share some of my work this semester, as well as provide what I feel about it.

It snowed here last night, and I stopped to watch it. I opened the big curtain at the back door and looked out, turning on the flood light to watch the snow glisten as it fell. Someone closed my curtain and I became a bit angry, I don't like when people stop me from watching things that I enjoy. I could photograph, draw or write vivid descriptions about the snow, but nothing would provide the same emotion as seeing it for yourself and feeling what a snowy day feels like.

This song has been stuck in my head for the past few hours and it won't seem to leave.
--
A British tar is a soaring soul,
As free as a mountain bird,
His energetic fist should be ready to resist
A dictatorial word.

His nose should should pant,
and his lip should curl,
His cheeks should flame,
and his brow should furl,
His bosom should heave,
and his heart should glow,
And his fist be ever ready
for a knock-down blow...

His nose should pant and his lip should curl,
His cheeks should flame and his brow should furl,
His bosom should heave and his heart should glow,
And his fist be ever ready for a knock-down blow.

His eyes should flash with an inborn fire,
His brow with scorn be wrung;
He never should bow down to a domineering frown,
Or the tang of a tyrant tongue.

His foot should stamp,
and his throat should growl,
His hair should twirl,
and his face should scowl,
His eyes should flash,
and his breast protrude,
And this should be his costomary attitude.

His foot should stamp, and his throat should growl,
His hair should twirl, and his face should scowl;
His eyes should flash, and his breast protrude,
And this should be his customary attitude,
His attitude,
His attitude,
His attitude!

-A British Tar Is A Soaring Soul, H.M.S. Pinafore