Pages

Friday, August 22, 2014

Writer's Update: I'm Still Alive

So in my brain, I knew I hadn't blogged in a while. But in my brain, it hadn't been a whole month.

Turns out, having only one day of class does not mean I have all the time in the world for the rest of the week. I've been working usually once or twice a week. This week I worked three times and might be working a fourth on Sunday for the university's open day. I love working in the Deakin Library. I feel very in my element surrounded by all those books...

In the first four weeks back at uni, I managed to marathon the entire Avatar: The Last Airbender TV series with a few of my housemates. I feel so proud to have converted them to the fandom of the awesomeness that Nickelodeon has created. So... that was 20 hours and 20 minutes of cartoon watching and a lot of time spent not studying or doing anything else productive.

We just finished week five of classes, and had our mid-trimester break. Just before the mid-trimester break, I forced myself to get it over and done with and finally finished editing those last five pages of WALLS. My bedroom wall is still covered in the pages, which are now covered in highlighter, red pen, and an assortment of sticky notes. It looks awesome and I am completely used to it. I have to remind myself to explain what's going on in there when people come into my room for the first time. I've gotten a few 'WTF' looks.

My original goal for the mid-trimester break was to type up the edited version of WALLS and start the next round of edits. That didn't happen, because another project with a pressing deadline popped up instead. One of my best friends, a girl I lived with on res last year, is heavily involved with her hometown's local theatre company and wanted to direct a pantomime early next year, during our summer break in January. She asked me to write the script. So before the break we sat down and ironed out some details. And then over five days of my mid-trimester break, I cranked out a 10500 word Alice in Wonderland pantomime script. I'm quite proud of it, if I do say so myself. My friend is pretty happy with it. Fingers crossed the theatre company will give her the 100% thumbs up now that we have a script and the rest of the process of putting on a play can get underway.

I had to read the book Rash by Pete Hautman. Young Adult dystopian set in a future United Safe States of America. It was interesting, a little absurd at a few points. Overall, I enjoyed it.

Meanwhile, we've launched the 'Awkward' edition of WORDLY Magazine. I love being on the editorial team and working with the writers and other editors. This edition, I got super lucky and had two of my pieces accepted. Poem Fuckin' Poetry which I'd originally written for my final poetry folio last semester, and an article we ended up calling My Vagenda, in which I express and defend my love for the c-bomb.

We've been collecting submissions for the final edition of 2014, which does not have a theme. I'm really enjoying working on the team and hope I'll always be able to get involved with something like this.

Meanwhile, I've convinced myself that there is some sort of gap between the end of August and the start of September in which I will find time to write my two essays due in the first week of September. I told myself today I would stop procrastinating and start writing them... so naturally, the logical thing to do is write a blog post.

I'm going to try and get back into the swing of blogging, because I really miss it and I miss reading other people's blogs. So I'll aim for a post every two weeks at least.

What have you been up to for the past month? 
- Bonnee.

14 comments:

  1. In the last month I went to business camp for a week (PFEW), read some of Prachett's Going Postal and Tolkien's The LoTR (and some other odds and ends), wrote almost nothing (I've been a lousy writer this month, by every definition), and watched a lot more television than I had been (chiefly Girl Meets World, which is awesome). Good luck with those essays. I know I always work best when I'm under pressure.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sounds like you were busy doing everything except writing, haha well as long as you did something. I prefer to work without the pressure when there's more than one thing due, but realising there's only a few days to go really does kick me in to gear! Thanks for visiting, Patrick! :)

      Delete
  2. My Vagenda. Ha! That is brilliant. :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can't take credit for the title, one of the other editors thought of it. :) But thanks!

      Delete
  3. I am now hearing The Knack in my head, singing, "Muh-muh-muh-muh-muh-muh-muh-my Vagenda!"

    Can't get behind the C-bomb. Nope. But I'm glad your essay and poem made the magazine!

    Time is like money--the more we have (or think we have), the more we waste. On the other hand, I also believe that spending your time in the company of good friends and enjoying yourself is not a waste. Glad you're having a good time. As for me, I actually wrote two short works that I think are pretty good, so I'm looking forward to doing a little more polishing and hopefully submitting. Good luck with your essays!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I got quite a range of reactions with that article, including a friend throwing a phone at me in outrage, so I can respect some variations of opinion surrounding that little word.

      I couldn't agree more! I just hope I'm not wasting too much and really am being as productive as I think I've been. Good luck with those short pieces you wrote! Thanks for visiting :)

      Delete
    2. Lol I remember throwing my phone...not at your support of the c-word, but because you added the dumb feminist angle :P

      Delete
    3. I maintain that it's a matter of perspective, so I respectfully disagree with your disagreement ;)

      Delete
  4. I loved that piece in WORDLY, I didn't think anyone else felt that way about the c-bomb!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah! Pro c-bomb represent! :) Glad you enjoyed it!

      Delete
  5. It sounds like things are going really well for you! Congratulations on finishing the first round of edits on WALLS, and of course on getting your two pieces published in the magazine! :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. It's nice to read your blog again and you developing many skills: writing fiction, poetry, playwriting and being an editor. Hopefully your Alice in Wonderland will be accepted in your friend's hometown theater and the audience will enjoy watching it. Is it also a Musical? Congrats for launching the new WORLDLY Magazine with your poems published inside. Libraries have budgets to buy many books, so maybe a few years from now another Deakin student will work in the library putting your WALLS in the right shelf. I have no idea what is c-bomb, so I am going to google it now. Best wishes with all your many activities and if you'll blog just once a month, it's cool as well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks G.M. Alice in Wonderland has a few musical components to it, we're re-wording a few songs to fit in. The day I see one of my books in a library will be a fabulous day indeed. The c-bomb is considered by many to be the most offensive word in the English language, but it's just another word for lady-bits... Thanks for your support G.M. Lovely to hear from you! :)

      Delete

Have your say.