Right? Rite? Wright!

Whoa. Wait a second.  Two blogs back to back?  One day apart?  Has the world fallen into complete chaos, disarray, and all out madness?
No. It has not.
However, I am in a better mood!  Exciting right?

Today's blog is not about my feelings though.  Well, not entirely.  Maybe a teeny bit, because everything I do, I do with feeling.  Dramatic feeling usually.  Okay, getting to the point.

This blog is about the fact I love to write.  I LOVE writing.  I have since wayyy back when.  In fact I found this notebook I wrote a story in back in third grade.  It was completely awful and I'm incredibly grateful I never let anyone read it.  But I have always had a passion for writing in spite of not always being very good at it.

I love writing so much that I am interested in pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing.  Who knows where to at this point... and really that doesn't much matter to me.  It's an option and I plan on looking into it whether it be here in San Diego or somewhere else... kind of.

Here's one of my problems:  I have never, in all my years of writing, actually finished a story.  I think I finished a few Creative Non-Fiction stories, but those don't count seeing as they're based on actual events and therefore already have an ending.  I don't have to make one up.  My fiction stories are another matter entirely.
Here's another problem: I frequently have writer's block.  One of my professors always said that, "Writer's block is a lie, a myth, something people tell themselves to make their laziness okay."  Which, granted, kind of makes sense.  HOWEVER, I do believe that when you've sat down at a computer or in front of a journal and have been able to write for hours on end without thinking of food, water, or life beyond the page, any other kind of writing just sucks.  So when I have to stare at a blank page for over twenty minutes until I can write a single solitary word I get discouraged and declare writer's block.  It kind of feels like this:

With these in mind, I must now prepare a portfolio of my writings to send in with my application to any grad school I apply to.  Remember problem numero uno?  Yeah, I don't have much to send to anyone.  This brings me to my MAIN point.  My boyfriend (Michael, in case we all forgot or thought I'd gotten a different one.  Which I guess could have happened since I never update this blog, but it definitely hasn't.  Same awesome Michael) has helped me come up with an amazing writing exercise to help combat my issue with writer's block.

The premise:
Start with seven characters, seven places, seven objectives, and seven genres.  Then use a randomizer and you get seven different story scenarios.  Some could be awesome.  Some could be beyond crap, like my most recent one (I may have chosen to name a character Barnabus.

I know. I know.  Not my best life choice.  I think Michael thinks that's the main reason I had such a tough time with this story.  I think it was the genre.  'fable'  If you do this exercise DO NOT use fable.  It is dreadful.  dee-red-full).
The catch:
You only get one week to start the story.  It should be at minimum five pages long.  Then when the week is over, you start the next one.  So after seven weeks you have seven different stories.
The part that I don't really understand quite yet/I have to sway Michael to see it my way:
I think I should then go back and work on the stories I really connected with.  As an example, my first story I came up with ended up being over ten pages long and I could have gone on but I had to start on the next story.  I think I want to go right back to that story and start really fleshing it out and working it. Because although I have the start of seven stories I have the capacity to actually finish that one.  And maybe others as the weeks progress.  So yeah, that part is still up in the air... Because I think I'm supposed to work on them for a week each again... but I don't think I necessarily want to do that.  I digress.

This all occurred due to Michael's help.  And I think he gets quite a kick out of getting on me and making sure I keep up with my work.  I'm a pretty lucky gal.  No sass, I'm serious.  I'm super lucky.

Well, ladies and gentleman.  I am off to start a new story.  Say a little prayer that this one goes a bit smoother than the last one.  Maybe I'll post a snippet of a story on here some day.  Wouldn't that be a treat? Okay.  I think I'm done now.  Have one awesome day!  And as always, thanks for reading.

52-Week Challenge

My fish doesn't like me.  I've been told beta fish are fickle like that.  Mr. Darcy seriously doesn't like me though.  Don't know why.  I gave him a castle for crying out loud.  No one's given me a castle.

I watch him do his exercises about his tank... swimming up, down, backwards, forwards.  If I had his dedication I'd be down to a size six by now.  Not that he has much else to do.  Maybe that's why he's always pissed.  But I still love him just the same.  Even when he hides from me and doesn't eat.  He'll come around eventually.  Either that or die.  I really hope he doesn't die.  That wouldn't go over well with me.

Moving on.  I recently, like five minutes ago, read two blogs by two of my closest friends: Cynthia and Megan.  They were both titled: 52-week Challenge (haha kind of like mine...).  Now, seeing as both of these lovely ladies are two of the most inspiring women I know I figure... what the hey.  I'll jump on this challenge bandwagon.  

What is it?  

It pretty much requires me to do something new every week for the entire year.  So by the end of the year I will have done 52 new things.  As Cynthia said, "They can be as simple as trying a new food for the first time or as exciting as sky diving."  That's literally what she wrote.  I just copy and pasted.  I'd be all for sky-diving by the way.  Just throwing that out there.  

Why?  

Because I figure a) I'm not going to be getting any younger.  b) It will hopefully get me out of my comfort zone at least a few times.  and c) Why not?  Who knows how I'll grow and what I'll learn from these new experiences.  I'm excited.

When is it?

Every week silly! And I'll be updating you as my 'new' things occur.  I have absolutely no idea what they will entail.  But I think I might start making more lists... just to be ready.

Those are all the W's you're getting.  So now my new year's resolutions have grown to 8 things now.  I'm giving myself till January 15 to finalize them all.  More lists!  I have an issue.  

I must get ready for work now.  Have a simply fabulous day and God Bless!