To all two people watching my blog…
I’ve been quite absorbed in my Uni work lately. Like, barely able to do much else absorbed. Now, granted I’m only part time, but still. It feels like all I’m doing is Uni work. I’ve gotten just a taste of what it’s like for full timers.
Anyway, here’s a rundown of what’s happened since last blog.
First, and most recently, I’ve gotten Children of Fire chapter one, and the prologue, critiqued. Twice. They loved the style and the action scenes were my strongest point. I’ll be putting this up on the uni forum for *another* critique. Hey, might as well use everything I can.
Interestingly enough, I probably don’t need my lecturer/tutor’s commentary on the direction of the novel, partly because finding your own way and discovering the story yourself is one of the most rewarding parts of writing, but mostly, because I’ve been doing it for two consecutive NaNoWriMo’s and started again with a rewritten synopsis after that. Besides, I’ve got the Vision writer’s group, members of Melanie’s group such as Jordan, and the Brisbane Sci Fi and Fantasy Group to discuss the story with. I’ve gotten onto a real roll with this idea, really starting to polish it properly now too. It’s coming together nicely, this synopsis, and the writing ain’t bad either.
I’ve also been reading a book on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for my depression and anger issues, not to mention my sheer pessimism. Going from perfectly happy teen to miserable Bernard Black type in the matter of months was not fun. Staying that way through all of my ‘prime’ years is even funner. Someone at the critique group said I had a vacant expression. I was just thinking. Lots of things were going through my head on sunday. That’s all. That, and I don’t show any expressions. Ever. I’m like J. M. Coetzee: someone lived with him for 10 years and saw him smile ONCE. That exemplifies his monkish dedication to his work, and my kind of seriousness.
I have found time to go out though; it hasn’t been ALL work. I’ve been to a unique little bar in the valley (hiss!) called the Mana Bar. Mana, as anyone who’s played just about any RPG knows, is your magic bar. Yes, that’s right… they’ve created a bar for gamers, and not the pokies, which is for old losers who use two at a time and hog it for everyone. But I don’t go into that part of the local tavern, because I’d rather live music than the repetitive drone of pokie machines pretending to sound like coins to lure you in and suck away at your soul.
Ahem!
The Mana Bar is an amazing new idea – an inner-city nightclub-district video game bar, where there’s games, alcohol and, most shocking (in the best way), girls! Ok sure, I knew there were gamer girls in Brisbane. Somewhere. I just didn’t know they actually came in cute varieties like some guys’ gamer girlfriends (we learned about alliteration today) or in adorable, blonde, cute, zombie-killing, caped crusader loving Batman fangirls with an automatic weapon in their hand 90% of the time. You know, this is the first I’ve actually admitted it, but I think I have a crush on this particular bartender. I mean, I don’t really know her, so it’s kind of premature and ethereal. But the beginnings of the worst of my feelings is definitely there. Expect to hear a tale like that of the Exemplification Of The Worst Of My Luck, aka the Coffee Shop Girl.
This is all on the heels of a Respiratory Tract Infection. THAT was a fun two weeks! Not only did I cough constantly, I also got headaches and felt like the room was spinning. I had to call for a lift to the blood test people and then to the xray place because there was no way I could catch the bus and walk the two or three miles down the road in my condition. Nor could I go anywhere near a guy I know from church who has lukemia or something like that – he’s in a wheelchair and is all bone – and he had a near-death experience last time he caught a cold. No way was I going to be responsible for that. Sure, I didn’t have to do bible study (I know half the good book, and what I know I know backwards, or at least did 10 years ago) but it also meant I couldn’t socialise. The WORST part though? Besides 6 types of medication ON TOP OF my antidepressants and sleeping pills?
No.
Alcohol.
Two weeks, sick and sober. And unable to do critiques at a decent pace, nor to make it to Uni to hand them in. I was sick, and I managed to post the critiques of my classmates memoirs, but not one of the bastards posted anything for me. Thanks guys.
So that’s how life’s been for me. There’s been writing, gaming and sickness. There’s been social stuff, but only in limited capacity between working on assignments and coughing up phlemn. And I think I’ve covered everything there.
