Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Talk about Hitting the Ground Running!

Okay, I am officially scheduling my first nervous breakdown for September 15. I was planning to hold out until October, but when I got a better look at my workload today, I decided to move it up. I think I'll have two in October. I'm planning at least ten for April.

I have carefully scheduled my semester down to the half-hour, and with good reason. Today was the first day of classes, as well as the day that I met with my boss to work out my hours for my job at the university. Courtesy of my new schedule (classes plus job), I will now be at the university for FOURTEEN HOURS STRAIGHT every Monday. Yipe! Tuesdays are a little better: only eleven straight hours. Wednesday, I opted to have as a day off (hence the rather full Monday and Tuesday). Thursday and Friday, I have six and five hours, respectively. Did I mention that I am also working TWO positions for the publishing press that I'm helping to launch? And continuing to write a novel? And writing my thesis? Needless to say, I decided to give up on the idea of resuming piano lessons.

Between work and class, 34 hours of my week are claimed. The press will claim a minimum of another 13 hours. The workload for the classes (reading around 1,000+ pages worth of material and writing a minimum of three papers - per week) will claim a minimum of another 25 hours. The thesis research will probably average about 2 hours per week at the moment. I am hoping to squeeze in about 3 hours per week for my novel. All total, I'm looking at a minimum of a 77 hour work week each week. Realistically speaking, it will probably average out at around 90 hours per week. See, history grad programs are not for the faint of heart!

This week's workload is definitely thrusting me back into student mode (did I ever leave?): five books to read, two papers, one presentation, and a quiz to study for. Whew!

I might not be posting very often on my blog this semester!

Monday, August 23, 2010

Check It Out!

The publishing press that my friends and I are launching, Lantern Hollow Press, is starting two blogs on September 1. One blog will be a writers' blog, covering the full scope of the writing process and also offering advice and aids for other writers. Our other blog will be a character blog, in which our many characters will be posting and conversing today. Be sure to look for Flavia, Edric, and Nobbley, my three talkative characters who have joined the blogging world. You can also stay up to date on our new press through our Twitter page.

Click on the links to see what we've been up to:

"While We're Paused . . ." (Lantern Hollow Press Writers' Blog)

"The Characters of Lantern Hollow Press" (Lantern Hollow Press Characters' Blog)

Lantern Hollow Press on Twitter


You know, I think those rogue characters of ours may have jumped the gun, and have already gotten started posting on the character blog. Why don't you go have a look?
"Passage—immediate passage! the blood burns in my veins! Away, O soul! hoist instantly the anchor!
Cut the hawsers—haul out—shake out every sail!
Have we not stood here like trees in the ground long enough?
Have we not grovell’d here long enough, eating and drinking like mere brutes?
Have we not darken’d and dazed ourselves with books long enough?

Sail forth! steer for the deep waters only!
Reckless, O soul, exploring, I with thee, and thou with me;
For we are bound where mariner has not yet dared to go, And we will risk the ship, ourselves and all.

O my brave soul!
O farther, farther sail!
O daring joy, but safe! Are they not all the seas of God?
O farther, farther, farther sail!"

~Walt Whitman, "Passage to India"