Posts Tagged ‘progress report’

It’s Official! I Have a Job in Germany!

Posted: May 21, 2015 in Living and Life
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Guten morgen, mein Anhanger der Angst. Translation: Good morning, my Followers of Fear.

Well, it’s official. I’ve found a job. I was going to wait to announce this when I had all the full details, but I was like, “F*** it,” and decided to post it. Besides, this is such good news, I can’t keep it under wraps for long.

So, if you haven’t seen my Facebook post or tweets yet, I’ve accepted a job with the US Army Civilian Corps, and I’ll be working through some point in September with them (possibly longer, but no guarantees). To be specific, I’ll be working with their Equal Employment Opportunity Office in Wiesbaden, Germany. Yeah, that’s right. I’m heading to Deutschland! It’s been a year since I’ve been to Germany, when I was in Berlin with my study abroad trip, and I’ve been wanting to go back to Europe ever since. I can say with great happiness that opportunity is come.

As for what work I’ll be doing, it’s mostly going to be dealing with policy changes, as well as a newsletter. Yeah, that’s right. I’m working on a newsletter. I actually landed a writing job. Can you say, “OH YEAH!”? Writing is my life, and this will help me work on my skills and build a portfolio.

I leave for Germany May 31st–ten days from now–and will arrive in the evening on the 1st in Frankfurt, which is not too far from the base I’ll be staying at. Some of the details are still being finalized, but that should be coming along soon. In the meantime, today I’m doing a lot of stuff related to getting ready to move out of my apartment and get ready to fly to Europe. Trust me, it’s going to be crazy!

And does anyone remember that Tarot metaphor I used back when I graduated? Well, it looks like that next cycle of my life is starting. How long it lasts or where it’ll take me, nobody knows. Still, I’ll be having a ton of fun as I dive right into this next challenge, and I hope you’ll stick with me as I enter the next phase of my life. Wish me luck, Followers of Fear. I’ll see you next time (probably in my review of Poltergeist).

Outlining Short Stories & Novelettes: A Writing Experiment

Posted: May 19, 2015 in Living and Life, Novelette, Reflections, Writing
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I might’ve mentioned this a few times on this blog and on my Facebook and Twitter pages, but I’ve been trying something new with my writing. As you probably know, I’ve been working on a couple of shorter works, a short story and what will likely turn out to be a novelette, since I finished the second draft of my thesis/novel Rose. Unlike previous shorter works, where most or all of the story has been laid out in my head and I’m just transmitting it to the page, I’ve been actually outlining these stories on paper so I have a better idea of where I’m going and to see if doing so improves the stories overall.

I decided to try this because of two things I’ve noticed with my shorter works. For one thing, I’m always worried about the final word count. Many fiction magazines only accept stories of a certain length, and I’m always worried I won’t be able to tell a compelling story within that space, so I try to wedge it in. Usually that doesn’t turn out the results I wish.

Another reason I’m trying outlining is that when I usually write shorter works, most of the story is mapped out in my head. But when I try to get the rest on the page, I sit there wondering which direction to go, how to tell the story just right. And depending on the story, this sitting and wondering can take a while before I actually figure something out and start writing.

For both of these reasons, I’m trying to outline my shorter works. The outlines themselves are just basic summaries of the events of the story, which works for me. It’s just enough information that I can work with it to write the actual story.

And the results have been very interesting. Having a clear direction of where I’m going by writing it all down beforehand not only cuts down on the time I spend on sitting wondering where to go, but having a definite idea of where I’m going makes me less anxious over the word count. It’s kind of…decompressing, in a strange way. I can just write the story as I intend it in the outline and not worry how long or short it is.

As for the stories themselves, the results have been rather mixed. For the first story Streghe, which I finished not too long ago, the outline didn’t help as much, but that was mostly because I kept going back and rewriting or changing the direction of the story. I’d like to write another outline for the second draft though, especially since I think there will be a lot that will change between the first and second drafts. We’ll just have to see what I come up with in-between drafts though and what direction I want to go with that story.

As for the story I’m working on now, a science-fiction story currently at about sixty-seven hundred words, the outline has been very helpful so far. I have a very good idea of where I’m going with the story, and in-between sessions of writing I’m able to lay out what I’m going to put down on the page next in my head, rehearsing whole scenes before I write them down. It’s been a lot of fun working on this one.

Based on what’s happened so far, I think I’ll continue to outline my shorter works along with my longer works for now. As long as it works for me, why not use it? It just goes to show that no matter what stage of your writing career you are in, you’re never too old or too late to learn a few new tricks. And boy, am I glad I learned this one.

Do you or have you ever outlined your shorter works?

What’s been the effects of doing so on your stories?

I’m Graduated! Now What?

Posted: May 11, 2015 in Living and Life
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Me, my grandfather Seymour Ungar, and my dad Rabbi Michael Ungar at the English Graduation Breakfast.

Me, my grandfather Seymour Ungar, and my dad Rabbi Michael Ungar at the English Graduation Breakfast.

In Tarot, the World card represents the end of one life cycle and the beginning of a new one, or the pause before the new cycle begins. Great changes come, and one has to adjust to the new changes. Yesterday one of my life cycles came to a close, and today a new one is either set to begin or has already begun. Yesterday I graduated from The Ohio State University.

I’m telling you, the week and a half leading up to graduation has been incredibly busy and crazy. And the day of graduation was the most tiring of all. I woke up around 6:30, about a half hour earlier than I normally do on weekdays, got myself dressed up in a dress shirt and tie, and headed to the Union for a graduation breakfast put on by the English Department. Almost all of my family was there, which was fun and slightly terrifying (if you know me well, you can guess why). I introduced them to some of my professors who were there, and took some photos, one of which you can see here.

After breakfast I headed back to my apartment because it was really hot out and I wanted to change into something I wouldn’t boil to death in. I then went to where the Arts & Sciences grads were assembling, in one of the gyms in the RPAC (the school’s main building for exercise and playing sports with your friends), and then we headed out to the Ohio Stadium. We then waited outside the Stadium for about ten, fifteen minutes before going in and sitting in the stands. In total, there were over eleven thousand students, the biggest graduating class Ohio State has ever had the pleasure of producing. I can only imagine the work that must go into making sure that many students walk in, are seated, get their diplomas, and then get out of the stadium without causing chaos. Must be a nightmare.

Anyway, we had our commencement address from Archie Griffin, a former OSU football player and head of our Alumni Association (note to self, sign up for the Alumni Association). He actually gave a really good speech. He spoke about how his family had worked hard all through his young life, how he’d gotten to OSU on an athletic scholarship, and how despite fumbling the ball his first game in his freshman year, he still somehow got to play the next game and did spectacularly. The message we got from his speech was, sometimes you fumble and stumble and fall. Don’t let it get you down or hold you back, though. Instead, keep going forward and keep pushing, and you’ll do amazing things.

Our commencement speaker, Archie Griffin.

 

After that, they conferred honorary degrees and distinguished awards to people who had accomplished much in life or did amazing things for the university (one of the honorary degrees went to Kathleen Sebellius, the former Secretary of Health and Human Services. I thought that was pretty cool). Then the doctorate students went up and got their diplomas on stage, the only group to do so. Because nearly two hundred people were going up to get their doctorates and it took time for each to come up and get their diploma, a lot of grads took that time to go and grab something to eat from the food stands in the stadium (I was among them). After that we sang the school song Carmen Ohio and then began the long process of giving students their diplomas by having them walk down from the stands and getting their diplomas from the dean of their school at little tables set up on the field.

It took a while to get to my section of the stands, let me tell you. Even though the process is designed so that several different colleges can go up at once and get their diplomas, the College of Arts & Sciences had nearly two-thousands grads yesterday, and they get their degrees in alphabetical order. I was among the last five-hundred. But I eventually got down there, got my degree, and headed out of the stadium to meet with my folks, take some more pictures, and then go home to shower before going out for a celebratory dinner.

All told, that graduation ceremony took about three hours from the time it began to the time I got out of the stadium. It was not only long, it was very hot, and even though I mostly just stood and sat, I was exhausted by the end of it. Thank God I brought in two large water bottles with me, or I might’ve overheated or passed out from dehydration sitting there.

And still, it was wonderful. I’m glad that, after four years of hard work and a lot of tuition paid, I got to attend my graduation and get my diploma.

My sister Adi and I after I've gotten my diploma.

My sister Adi and I after I’ve gotten my diploma.

Today, things feel very different. The feeling that I’ve had since around exam time, like I’m the prom queen and all adore me, is dissipating pretty quickly. What’s left is this wonderful zen feeling that’s been going on since I woke up and has lasted pretty much the whole day. I also feel like I could make any changes to my life right now and they’d stick. I’ve already noticed a few just today: I’m talking to myself much less (something I do on a daily basis) and I’m not craving chocolate at work (which happens every time I step into the office!).

A new cycle begins. What’s in store for me, we will soon find out.

 

I think that might be because, for the first time since I was small, I’m no longer enrolled in any sort of education. I’m now past education! It’s a weird feeling, meaning a major change to my identity, so I’m adjusting and finding my new self. Maybe that’s part of the beginning of the new cycle I mentioned above. And perhaps, with a new job and everything else that comes with that, I’ll figure out my new self fairly quickly.

In the meantime, it’s back to business as usual. But first, I want to thank everyone reading this blog. Since I entered college, this blog and the people reading it have been with me, guiding and supporting me through exams and publishing and Europe and everything else in between. I hope that you, the Followers of Fear, will continue to support me as I figure out what comes next for me and work my hardest to accomplish that.

Until next time, my Followers of Fear. Have a nice day.

Oh, and if you get a chance, check out my About page. I just updated it to reflect my new circumstances. Tell me what you think of it.

Spring Semester 2015: Post-Semester Wrap-Up Report

Posted: May 7, 2015 in Living and Life, Progress Report, Reflections, Writing
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Well, finals are done and I’ve gotten all my grades back. You know what that means? It’s time for my last ever post-semester report (unless I decide to go to grad school, but at this point I wouldn’t bet on it). Normally I’d have to wait another week or so to receive all my grades back, but I’m a graduating senior and our teachers have to give us our grades earlier than others so that we can graduate without any problems.

And you know what else? I ALMOST GOT ALL A’S THIS SEMESTER! I was so close, but I got a B+ in British Literature. Little annoyed about that, but in all my other classes I got A’s, so I guess I can let it slide. And I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s ever been to college and never gotten all A’s. Besides, if you count my study abroad trip, which counted for class credit during the summer session, I got all A’s–or only one A–that term.

Anyway, back to the report. I had a really good time this semester. I had three classes–Restoration and 18th Century British Literature, Business & Professional Writing, and History of Witchcraft in Medieval Europe–and they all had something to offer that made them interesting and fun. Yes, even the British Lit course had something to offer. You’d be surprised how risque 18th-century plays and novels can actually be. And I got a lot of inspiration for stories from these classes, especially the History course (as my post from last night made apparent). I’m glad I got through them okay, and I’m sure some of what I learned will help me in the future.

This semester I also finished the first and second drafts of my novel-as-a-thesis Rose and argued it in front of my advisor and one of my teachers. Working on Rose was both a joy and a pain in the ass. It took up a lot of time, and I had to change so much of the story over the course of the year. And judging from some of the feedback I got, I’ll have to do some more editing. But besides giving me credit and looking good on my resume, Rose is a very good novel, even though it’s still not ready, and I had a lot of professional help that got it to this stage of its development. I can’t wait to see what happens when I work on the third draft (whenever that may be. Trust me, I’ve got a heavy schedule, so it might take a while to get to the third draft, let alone through it. Them’s the breaks of the biz, I guess).

And work…oh my God, I nearly cried at the office this week. The staff came up to us yesterday, me and this girl who had both worked at the Financial Aid Office for our entire college careers and gave us signed cards and little gifts. It was the sweetest thing ever. I’m so glad that I got to meet these people. The office has been more than just a job, it’s been a place where I’ve grown and made great friendships. Heck, these guys helped get me to Europe a year ago! You have to love them for that. I hope we can stay friends even after I’ve left the office for the last time.

Graduation in the Stadium. It’ll be here soon. And I can’t wait.

 

And on that front…well, someone recently advised me not to speak too much online about my job search, and there was some truth to their reasoning. I will say though that there is hope on the horizon, and the moment I have something, I’ll be screaming it from the top of a mountain, you can trust me on that.

Well, that’s all for now. I’m going to get started on a short story, so let’s hope I make some progress on that. Have a good one, my Followers of Fear.

Streghe: Finished

Posted: May 6, 2015 in ideas, Novelette, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Another late night of writing, and it’s paid off. I’ve just finished my latest first draft of a story, and this one’s a whopper. Tonight we’ve got Streghe (which, by the way, is also the Italian word for witch) and is based on one of the witch mythologies we learned about in History of Witchcraft (that class is already coming in handy). Ever since I heard about the mythology, I’ve been fascinated by it, and I knew I had to incorporate it into a story. So as soon as I could, which meant right after Rose‘s second draft was done with, I started working on it.

I did a few things differently with this story. For one, I wrote an outline of events for it, even though it’s only a short story. I’m trying to see if writing outlines for shorter works makes a difference in how I write them. And it does, because even though I went back several times to change the direction of this story, I felt I had a better idea of where it was going and I wasn’t too worried about word counts this time around.

Still, that nonchalance kind of led to this story getting a bit long. In fact, it’s no longer a short story, it’s a novelette! Over ten-thousand words total. I’m not sure if I want to try and shorten it in the second draft or see about expanding it. There were definitely elements in the first draft I didn’t get to include, so I’d like to see about getting those in during the second draft. It really depends on what ideas percolate in my head between the first and second draft.

Well, it’s a good first draft, I think. And once I’ve had some time, I’ll make a (probably) better second draft. In the meantime, if I have time tomorrow I’ll start a new story that’ll most likely also be novelette length (yeah, I never stop writing) and then I’ll get back to editing Video Rage, and see if I have some ideas on how to rewrite and improve Laura Horn.

Until next time, my Followers of Fear. Things are just going so well for me lately. I could just dance. In fact, I think I might (and I’ll terrify everyone who sees it, which is not a problem for me).

One Week Till Graduation

Posted: May 3, 2015 in Living and Life, Progress Report, Reflections
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It’s coming soon.

It’s coming.

Well actually at the time I started writing this post it’s six days, eighteen hours, and 18 minutes till graduation. But who’s counting?

Still, it’s amazing that this milestone in my life is coming so quickly. I’ve been looking forward to it for nearly a year, and by he time I turn around, it’s probably going to be here. I’ll see my whole family (and I mean my whole family, around ten or so people are showing up for this), I’ll walk down that aisle for my diploma, my mother will cry her eyes out and then be grateful that for mother’s day she’s got one kid graduated and three to go. There will be tears, photos, selfies galore. I’ll get my diploma and meet President Drake for the first and possibly only time. Afterwards there will be more photos and congratulations, I might have time to change my clothes, and then we’ll go out to dinner.

Oh, and alcohol. Pleeeenty of alcohol will be consumed. It’s graduation, it’s to be expected.

You know, I’m really going to miss Ohio State. So much happened here. I took so many fun classes, a few ones I wish I could do over or never took at all. I made great friends, some of whom I’ll stay friends with for life. I met so many great professors and learned so many awesome things from them. I published my first three books and wrote two or three more while I was here. I published some articles and short stories, started working for Self-Published Authors Helping Other Authors. I went to Europe on a study abroad trip. I worked in a really wonderful office with really awesome people. I got my first apartment and started to really become an adult (paying bills, creating a credit history, etc.). And while I was here, I grew an audience of readers who enjoy my posts, love giving me feedback, and even read my books from time to time.

I think what I’m going to miss the most though, more than the excitement and surprises of learning something new each and every semester, is the challenge. Each and every year, and each and every semester, I’ve had new challenges to overcome, new obstacles to tackle and fight against. This has ranged from getting used to college, to getting used to semesters, living in my first apartment with a new friend, going abroad, doing a thesis, and a million other things. I like to think I met and beat challenge successfully.

Well, depending where I get my next job, there will definitely be new challenges to deal with, so that won’t be a problem. Hopefully I’ll know where I’m going soon (still working on my first job, but hopefully I’ll have more news soon). And you know what? As much as I love OSU, I feel it’s time to move on and see what’s next for me. I can’t remain as a student forever, and I don’t think I’d want to, even if I could and it cost me next to nothing. College is meant to be temporary anyway, so why stick around?

And I’m actually looking forward to getting away from a few things. Classes I hate, huge reading assignments, that sort of thing. Enough with that. And I’ll definitely be glad to see the last of those preachers on the Oval who keep telling us we have to become proper Christians (whatever that means) or we’ll go to hell. Honestly, I heard one of those guys claim the Girl Scouts are going to turn us into hedonists. I was like, “Whuuuuuuut?”

Well, I’ll make sure to post about graduation after it happens in one week. Or as a certain ghost I know likes to say:


Sorry, could not resist. You know, I once joked on Facebook that I’d married the ghost in that movie and that one post got so many likes and hilarious comments. And then some people thought it was true. Yeah, that was the awkward icing on the cake. Still, hilarious story. Might post about it some day.

Anyway, I’d like to thank everyone for sticking with me through all of my undergraduate career. I hope you guys continue to stick with me as I take on whatever comes next and as I continue to work on becoming the next big horror writer.

Until the next time, my Followers of Fear. Hope you’re not as busy as I am.

Rose: The Thesis Discussion

Posted: April 16, 2015 in Living and Life, Novel, Progress Report, Reflections, Scary Stuff, Writing
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So today was the day. The day I’ve kind of been working towards since Fall Semester started back in August. My thesis discussion, where I would discuss with my advisor and one or two other people about the finished product of the novel I’ve been working on.

Well, finished product is a bit of a misnomer. But you get the idea.

Early this morning I met in my advisor Manny’s office for the big meeting. My second reader for the discussion was Maura, a teacher I’ve taken classes with, whose company I enjoy, and who is a huge sci-fi enthusiast (can you see why I asked her to join us?). For about an hour and a half we sat and discussed Rose, how I got the idea for it (actually in one of Maura’s classes), how it grew in my head and became the novel I wanted to write for my thesis, and how all that went (you know the process of that from my many posts on the subject). We also discussed changes I could make for the third draft (which I will do, in time) and what they liked and disliked about the story.

I won’t do a transcript of the entire hour and a half, but I will go over the salient points. As you probably already know, Rose is about a young woman brought back from the dead by a man claiming to be her boyfriend and begins to turn into a plant-like creature (when Manny told the subject of my thesis to some of his writing friends, they were rather impressed by the originality of the idea). It’s about forty-nine thousand words as of the second draft, and still needs some work.

Maura and Manny definitely enjoyed the symbolism and thematic elements of the story, as well as how Rose’s character developed over the course of the story. However, there were some things that could be changed. The first third of the book or so could stand to have quite a few things changed around, including the portrayal of Rose’s amnesia and how she first interacts with the antagonist, the man who brought her back. They also thought that how certain revelations of both characters could be spaced out a bit more evenly and maybe change how the antagonist’s dad is characterized or used. There were some other elements that they touched upon, but I can’t mention them here because they would reveal too much. In any case, they’ve got my brain churning in all the best ways and when they’ve emailed me their notes I’ll take down some notes of my own and put the story away for the third draft.

In between this draft and the next though, I plan to finish a couple of short stories and then dive right back into editing Video Rage, the sequel to Reborn City. Yes, I know I’m overdo for that one and it might take a little while longer to get it ready, but I promise you, I’ll get it done as fast as I can. And after that…well, I don’t know. Maybe I’ll work on the third draft of Rose. Maybe I’ll have enough material to do that rewrite of Laura Horn I’ve been meaning to work on. Or I’ll work on some short stories and maybe an entirely new project. Anything’s possible.

You know, it’s been quite the crazy journey for this story. It’s gone through so many changes, more than most of the stories I’ve had the pleasure of writing. And it’s journey is not over yet. No, it’s just at rest, waiting for the next transformation, the next polish. And what a polish it will be when it happens. I think that when the third draft is done, even if it’s not the final draft, Rose will definitely be much closer to publication than it is now.

In the meantime, I’ve got a paper to research and a few other things to do, so I’m going to get on that. You have a great rest of your day, my Followers of Fear. I know I will.

Hillary Clinton 2016

Posted: April 12, 2015 in Living and Life, Politics and Leadership, Reflections, Social Activism
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Running for President in 2016. Glory Hallelujah!

Or maybe I should title this post #HillaryClinton2016. That might get more people to read this. Oh well. Let’s just go simple with it.

This morning, Former Secretary of State and US Senator Hillary Clinton announced her candidacy for President of the United States. And I fully support her. Not because of her husband, that doesn’t even factor into it. Shouldn’t even factor into it (2015 after all). It’s not because she’ got a political dynasty behind her. And it’s certainly not because she has or doesn’t have style (even if I had a good grasp of that sort of thing, I wouldn’t use it to judge whether she should be President. After all, some of the people we elect every year are ugly as hell and yet we think they’re competent for office).

She’s experienced. She’s skilled. She’s respected across the country and around the world. She’s been a lawyer, an advocate for children, an advisor on education, a corporate executive, a US Senator, and Secretary of State, all in addition to being a wife and mother to one of the most famous men of our age. Secretary Clinton knows about domestic policies and she’s traveled and dueled on the world stage more than any other US Secretary in history. She’s pro-gay rights, pro-choice and pro-women. She’s stood up for minorities, and she’s stood up for those without voices, whether it be the poor or children who no one else will listen to.

Plus, she’d be the first female President of the United States. It’s not my main reason, but it’s definitely a draw.

All that and more is why I’m supporting her in this election. I even sent in an application to be a staff member on the campaign, preferably in media or communications but a few other fields as well. Heck, most of this country has basically peer-pressured her into running for President, so the least I can do is at least apply for a job and do my best to help her if I can. And how cool would it be to have a part in electing the first female United States President?

Nice logo.

Well, I’ll probably be writing more about the campaign every now and then (and if I’m somehow lucky enough to get on the campaign staff, much more frequently). You know me, I’m a bit of a political junkie. No, that’s not right. I’m a junkie for watching this messed up world and finding my own ways to fix it. And as a presidential election in this country effects that in so many ways, I’ll be paying attention to it.

Anyway, here’s to the future. To Hillary Clinton. To America. And to making a difference.

Oh, and on an unrelated note, I set up my loan repayment plan and purchased my cap and gown, specially colored tassel for my college included (and I mean purchased. I don’t think you can return these things. Maybe I’ll take it out every now and then, and try it on like a woman with her wedding dress and remembering all that had been promised on that day. God, I hope I don’t get that stuck in the past!). Graduation is less than a month away. Everything’s coming to an end. I hope it doesn’t without a job though! Wish me luck. I’ll let you know if anything else comes up of significance. I’m sure there will be.

Rose: Second Draft Finished!!

Posted: March 31, 2015 in Living and Life, Novel, Progress Report, Scary Stuff, Writing
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Well ladies and gentlemen, it’s official. I stayed up too late working on it, and then I finished and did a word count, which took up more time, then I sent an email, and then I did a dance routine to one of my favorite songs to celebrate. Yeah, I’ve eaten up a lot of time to celebrate. And I think I miscounted on that word count.

But yes, the second draft of Rose is finished, thank God. I knew I’d get it done by late March, but I didn’t think I’d be so down-to-the-wire with it. And these last couple of days, I got through chapters like…what’s an original metaphor? Fellow Star Wars fans go through the movies on May 4th? That’ll work.

Anyway, if you don’t know much about Rose, it’s a novel I wrote as my senior thesis. I didn’t need to do a senior thesis, but I felt like doing it. And let me tell you, it’s been a challenge. I had to rewrite the plot at one point, and at times with school and work it was difficult getting through it all. But I managed to do it somehow, and I got through the second draft. Now all that’s left is the thesis discussion with my advisor Manny and one of my teachers who has agreed to read it (I have a feeling she’s going to be pretty terrified over the next week or so). The novel centers around a woman named Rose, who is brought back from the dead through very powerful magic by a man who claims to be her lover but isn’t all that he says he is. And that’s just the start of her problems!

Trust me, it’s as creepy as it sounds.

Anyway, here’s the page count and word count for the second draft. In terms of pages (as always, 8.5″ x 11″, double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman) is 164 pages, about ten shorter than the first draft. In terms of word count (which I’ve recounted), it’s novella-length at about fifty-thousand words, or a thousand words shorter than the first draft. And still much shorter than the shortest Harry Potter novel, so pretty manageable.

Tomorrow, I’ll send a full manuscript to my teachers so they can prep for the discussion. I meet with my advisor on Thursday, so hopefully he’ll give me some tips for the third draft (though it feels like I’ve gotten a third draft thanks to all the help I’ve gotten with this story). After that, nothing to do until I take the next step, whether that be another draft or if I decide to go straight to publication.

In the meantime, I think I’ll take a short break, work on a few blog posts I’ve been meaning to do, read some books, and write a short story bfore I get back to what I was doing before the school year started. That’s right, I’ll get back to work on Video Rage. Rejoice, fans of the Hydras, because I’ll be back on it faster than Speedy Gonzalez.

In the meantime though, it’s late and I’m tied. You all have a good night, my Followers of Fear (or a good day, if you’re reading this over your morning coffee). I know I am.

Updates on What I’ve Been Doing

Posted: March 20, 2015 in Living and Life, Novel, Progress Report, short story, Writing
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Once again, I’m updating everyone on the various projects I’ve been working on. God knows I’ve got many at various stages of completion. And only God knows why I’ve gotten myself stuck in these crazy projects. It is insane. Well anyway, here’s my updates:

Rose

I’ve just gotten two-thirds of the way through the second draft. I’d say I’ve got about two or three weeks before I’ve finished the draft. After that, I may or may not do a third draft (though I’ve gotten advice throughout the first two drafts, so that feels like a third draft). Once I’ve finished the editing process though, I’ll start the publication process (copyright, cover, what have you). Might get it out later this year or early next year. Either way, it should scare the pants off of people.

Video Rage

I’ve got a lot of people–most of them my family, I’m afraid to say–pissed at me because of the delays in this one. Sorry, my thesis has taken up a lot of my time, so I haven’t been able to devote any energy to Reborn City‘s sequel. However, I plan to get right back into VR as soon as I’m done with Rose. After that, I have a friend who gave me a great amount of help for RC, and after that it’s all publication. Like Rose, I’ll hopefully get this out late this year or early next year. Fingers crossed.

Laura Horn

I still plan to rework and rewrite this book, to make it better than the draft I finished last year. Not sure when I’ll get to it, but hopefully before the year is out. We’ll just have to wait and see.

The Dead and Dying (plus other short stories)

I know I said I’m working on another collection of short stories, but I’ve been busy with…everything and unable to actually do that much collecting. But I plan to get more short stories written after Rose and maybe include them in the collection. I’m still working on that short story involving witches, but it’s taken time to get it right. I’m exacting that way, I want as close to perfection as possible for this story. I might try to take a break with it though, work on some other ones. I have an idea for another witch story that’ll be a bit easier to pull off, so I’ll work on that instead.

Self-Published Authors Helping Other Authors

Got a new article coming out tomorrow morning, a very special one. I’ll write a post and include a link tomorrow. Trust me, it’s going to be great.

 

Well, that’s my updates. I’ll let you guys knows if anything comes up that’s worthy of knowing. And with school ending for me in a little over seven weeks or so, I’m sure there will be plenty of things worthy of posting about, my Followers of Fear. Good night everyone (or if you’re reading this over your morning coffee, good morning).

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