Winter Break has officially begun

December 15, 2007

My semester(s) is (are) done. what a confusing sentence, eh?

I mean i’m done with my two schools–finals graded, grades and attendance turned in. I don’t think i’ll be going back until January(yay!).

I’m so wanting to finish this book i’ve been reading, “The Perfect Man,” by Naeem Murr. It’s beautifully written, and I love that it takes place in small town 1950s (like the book i’m working on), but for some reason I haven’t been ‘dying’ to get back to it. It’s about 464 pages and i’m halfway through it but I haven’t felt compelled by it,  like I need to read until late in the night before bed. I haven’t been completely wowed, as I have by books in the past (like Middlesex or Atonement–which, by the way, is a fine movie, too; we saw it a few nights ago. James McAvoy is a doll). I’m really wishing I could find a book that’s going to knock my socks off, devastate me, make me again realize why it is I want to write. (ANY SUGGESTIONS?).

I’m thinking of reading Madame Bovary next. Others on my nightstand/queue include:

Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko (started, but then put aside for some reason I can’t remember).

Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl (I know, it has its admirers and its haters, but I need to see for myself what the big deal is).

What Are Big Girls Made Of? Poems by Marge Piercy (she’s coming to one of the colleges I teach at in the Spring for a talk so i’m teaching her in my Creative Writing Class; I LOVE her poem Barbie Doll).

I’m also going to try to work on more postcards and collages. Just received this fun postcard from Valerie, a new post.due swap pal:

I sent these out to my swap pals:

this one is from a new Series i’m starting called “The Dr. Is…”

and this one is from a branch of the Meat Series, called “Salad” (i’m going for a four course meal; soup and dessert to follow–just kidding!).

I also made these two larger postcard/collages this past week. One for the chair of the English Dept. where I work, and the other for my office mate:

they are from another new series called “The Great Books”

I’m really having a great time with these collages. Though I still feel like i’m just figuring it all out– glues, papers, colors–it’s trial and error and some cards come out better than others but i’m having fun, anyway.

And…

Of course this winter break i’m going to work on my writing. The class that I took the last 6 weeks ended a week ago. If you remember, this was the class at San Diego Writers Ink, that was about how to plan and sketch out and outline your novel/book. As i’ve said (a million times?) before, i’m a planner, so this class was exactly what I was looking for. We sketched out scenes for our books, we outlined chapters, searched for themes and symbols, worked on a prologue, fleshed out characters, etc. etc. I know some people might not feel satisfied with just doing that, or some writers (many of my friends) who loathe the planning, who forgo any outlining and sketching of chapters or scenes. And, certainly I like to sit at my computer and have new fresh, unexpected ideas and scenes and character quirks come out, too. But I also like to have an idea of where i’m going, or a plan for what to work on that day, and that’s why I like to do this planning/outlining. I don’t always completely stick to it, I often deviate from the plan, but it’s there in case I get lost, or feel uninspired, or get stuck.

In any case, i’m excited to begin this phase of the novel. I have a much clearer sense of where i’m going, a better idea of these characters, a better sense of place and time (especially after my last visit to the Southern Utah town where my novel is set).