Saturday Brain Dump

Basically because I’m procrastinating, plus I couldn’t believe I came here today to find nothing on my site but reposted tweets, I needed some constructive filler.

I’m a big believer in Brian K. Vaughn’s view on writer’s block (“Writer’s block” is just another word for video games. If you want to be a writer, get writing, you lazy bastards.), but as a corollary, I believe that sometimes writer’s block is a way of telling you that there’s too much on your mind and that you need a core dump.

1
I’m not making excuses, but this has been a busy fall, between getting my academic feet wet again for the first time in a decade, family issues, and the physical/emotional perils of the writing life. I’m getting by, but at this point I feel like all I’m good for is waiting for the clock to run out on the rest of the year. It’s not necessarily a bad feeling, either.

2
I’ve been spending time deleting things, starting with crap I’m accumulating online, and finally perusing the crap taking up space on my hard drive. I freed up a few GB of space just this morning by deleting whole albums I don’t listen to anymore. There was just no reason for Neko Case’s entire catalog to be sitting on my hard drive for a year.

3
Still waiting to hear re: a bunch of October story submissions. Got one rejection back the other day and just haven’t had the time to figure out where to re-submit it.

4
Most of my reposted tweets lately have to do with this bastard of a story I’m writing. The story before it came out so easily, and with this one, I’m pulling teeth. Lesson learned: sometimes (some folks will say most times), you just have to construct a story.

5
I’m a long ways off from my goal of drafting a story a week. But my writing/editing output has never been more regular. I’d like to see more finished product for 2009.

That’s all for now, I think. Time to find something else to procrastinate over write.

“Feels like the first time”

Despite the Tweet, I made the Sign of the Cross and sent out my first story in months. The summer was just so crazy, what with cramming for the GRE and having to quickly formulate and reformulate my grad school aspirations about twelve or so times. I had to cram in the editing time I could. I think I’ve lost count of just how many stories I have in the trunk to revise–three or four. Well, at least I got one down.

I seriously forgot how hard it is to just let a piece go. I had to make myself do it! Just like that first swim in the summertime when you’re a kid, and you’re dreading how cold that water is, no matter how many times you’ve already jumped into the damn pool. Finally, your only options are to walk away or just say “Fuck it…”

Kmart Magical Realism

This term, literally, popped into my head the other day. I Googled this and found that Lisa Zeidner, from Washington Post Book World, had used it in a blurb for story collection The Jew of Home Depot by Max Apple.

I know nothing about Apple or Zeidner, but the term intrigues seems to fit the stuff I’m working on.

Eh, or not…

Admishuns FAIL!

fail-owned-pwned-pictures
see more pwn and owned pictures

This sort of shenanigans is why grad school is going to get put off for another year. And when I say, “put off,” I really mean, “put back on my original time-table.” So, the plan is to brush up on some math courses (mostly paid for on the company’s dime) and, if things look good, I should be in. Should be. It’s a gamble–I was never, ever promised a spot in the program of my choice. But as far as gambles go, I think I’ve got a better-than-even shot.

The upside is, of course, I’ve got another year free to write!

June Scorecard

Um, there is no June Scorecard. I’d spent the month studying for the GRE and finally underwent the ordeal yesterday.

I guess I need to update the Trading Card in the menu bar–I know what program I want to go for next.

Anyway, the program I want to apply for** at the local Big Red school on the Hill doesn’t state their minimum GRE requirements. My scores can only be described in one word: Meh. But I know from my Intarweb research of other programs that my scores are more than good enough.

On the other hand, I’m still waiting to see my latest story go live. Why don’t you keep an eye out and read what’s already there while you’re waiting. You won’t regret it!

**There’s a story here, but I’m not gonna tell it until certain things become definite.

Chapter XXXV

The best birthday presents a writer can get, and I got them both today: a new 600-page leather journal from the wife and a contract for the story I mentioned a little while back.

And it’s not even 9:00 AM yet.

I’m waiting on some non-writerly news as well, though it could impact my writing. You’ll know when I (and my wife, and several of my friends) know.

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Edited to add: Sent the contract back and I gots the money!