Time flies when you're... um. Doing. Stuff.

[wordwhacker]

Ahh yes, the same sad tune plays over and over again: I haven't updated in months. But not to worry! You're not missing out on anything, because I haven't written anything in months, either. So, you know. That solves THAT.

My general updates, in a nutshell:

• FREAKIN' GRADUATED. Rawk.


• Wrote 49 pages for Script Frenzy. Not a win, but a few completed short plays under my belt.


• Won an essay-writing contest for a paper I wrote last term. Had another potential winner this term, but couldn't submit because of the first win. (Oh noes! I'm so sad!)


• Submitted four stories to VOX. Had all of them published. Woot!


• Won (and generaly dominated) a photo context for VOX, too. Got 50$ for my troubles. Also Woot!


• Went to an English conference and presented a paper about Batman Begins.


• Directed a Tom Stoppard short play for school. Have also participated in some local theatre-type workshops, which has been fun.


• Played Hamlet. Rocked the world. Fulfilled a life-long dream.

Now in... less than eight hours, I'll be starting work at my old job at the giant computer company. I feel a little ambivalent about having made essentially NO progress in that regard, but it's a job with great pay (yay for debt reduction!), an awesome boss and good coworkers, and it's one that I already know how to do and which gives me the shift I need to keep my theatre prospects open. Um, yeah. The choice is kind of obvious.

The destruction of my debt is only one part of my plan for the coming year-and-four-months, though. Part of the reason I'm not going straight on to grad school is that I feel a bit burnt out on the academics and need to recharge other areas of my life. Playing various instruments, singing, acting, being more physically active... and, of course, reading and writing.

To commemorate the start of my year of creative refuelling I bought a lovely leather-bound book and have been luxuriously outlining my goals in it. A few in particular are relevant to this journal, so I'm going to document them here as well:

1. Become a better writer.

I want to write more consistently, finish Blue Goo and submit it for publication, submit some shorts for publication, and generally get a better feel for the markets.
STEPS:
- start the "Artist's Way" course again
- write/edit every day (500 words or 30 minutes, whichever comes first)
- spend time researching markets once per month (duotrope, etc); compile a personal list
- complete one short story every month (minimum)
- submit any available short stories once per month
GOALS:
- Complete current Blue Goo edits by August '09
- Complete final Blue Goo edit and submit by December '09
- write 15+ short stories by August '10


2. Write more scripts.

STEPS:
- complete page count for Script Frenzy by end of June '09
- edit Script Frenzy stuff by end of November '09
- submit plays for local theatre groups late '09 and early '10
- work on outline and/or brainstorm for SW movie project once per week
- write Ep I for Script Frenzy '10
GOALS:
- Have one completed movie script by August '10
- Submit at least one theatre script by December '09


3. Read more (short fiction, novels/non-fic, academic)

STEPS:
- read before bed nightly for 30 minutes (min)
- read one short story per week (min)
- read one book per month (min)
- seek out (or otherwise solicit) interesting fanfic once per month (min)
- dedicate 2 hours per week to reading (above bedtime)
GOALS:
- Read 15+ books by August '10
- Read 60+ short stories by August '10

I have made plans as grandiose as this before, and I have not typically been successful. Something different that I'm trying this time is incorporating these goals into my existing morning/evening rituals, setting myself up in the morning and then reflecting on any problems or challenges in the evening. Part of this ritual also involves keeping a minimalist paper trail of my successes/problems so that my whole scheme won't just disappear into the Ether the way I typically let it.

I am really excited to have some time to devote to this stuff. Tomorrow is my official start date (and I should probably go the heck to bed, since I need to be up at HOLY CRAP AM for work.) I'll try to keep the minutae off of this journal, but expect more activity in general.

Comments

[banana-ellana.livejournal.com]

Yay for accomplishments, past and present!