I think I need to get my priorities straight.

This week at school has been on the slow side, mostly since my teacher hasn’t posted what we are suppose to read, so I can’t read it. (*sigh*)

Anyway, because of that I’ve been able to do a lot of writing this week. Or more correctly, editing.

See, I’ve been ever so slowly editing my mermaid story over the last month. I finally finished it last week, but I’ve had a hard time getting the changes in. it’s just that I have so much to do.

1. I need to study for two nursing classes.
2. I need to keep up with chemistry class.
3. I need to work with a tutee I have, and make sure that I prep properly.
4. I have a job in the writing center.
5. I have to get my ranking up at critters.
6. I need to write blog posts
7. I need to maintain on my house chores.
8. And I have the added responsibility of a paralyzed dog.
9. Then this past week, I needed to figure out my class schedule for next semester.

None of those things include anything about writing.

Now, in all fairness, during my one job at the writing center I am most often not busy. I can work on number 2, 5, 6 and 9, not to mention writing, all while there. But I only do it for about four hours a week and I don’t always get around to doing those things because either a) I actually have to work or b) I talk with one of the other people there.

Yesterday I got on the computer and I began thinking that I should write today’s blogpost, then I realized that I should probably finish editing my story, so I did that instead. I can’t keep postponing it is all, and I have to remember that.

Now, about other things. I’m thinking I’m going to take a minor. This is maybe crazy, I know, but I’m trying to delay my graduation in hopes that my school will get accredited. (That whole problem is another issue.)  And I know I’m going to nursing school and all, but I really am thinking I want a jouralism minor.

Reasons for this are rather simple.

1. Writing makes me excited. I almost took an Advanced Expository writing class this next semester, and I got all excited at the possibility.  Sure, it’s a 30 page research paper, but who cares? I can do it.
2. My weakest point when it comes to novel writing is research. The point of jouranlism is research, so far as I understand.
3. It gives me a chance to develop my writing skills. Up until now, I have had no official instruction in writing. This will hopefully help to make me a better writing.
4. The creative writing program at my school doesn’t look too good. If I am going to take a creative writing program, I wants to know how everything works. So I think that it should include a little bit of what makes a good story and all, and a lot of how does the legal systems work, in different countries, and how do people generally respond and how would society respond to a problem.

So, to me, it makes sense. The idea of going for an extra semester is no big deal; I love school. I love everything about school, but especially the classrooms.  And the way I put it, nursing is to pay the bills. Writing is for life.

So I one hand I’m saying I’m too busy to write, and on the other, I’m saying that I’m going to take writing classes. Yes, I know, contradictions, but I think it is a really good idea.

Anyway, look for the mermaid story soon. I haven’t figured out a title for it yet. Maybe that’ll be my rant next Friday. For now, it’s called Ethical Dilemmas, but other possiblites I have include  My Father’s Shame, To My Father’s Shame, For life?, A Life Worth Living, Ambushed, The Value of Life, Just a Child.

how did that happen?

My logic is to writing is write fast, edit later. When I write like that, I usually get whole paragraphs where I just repeated what I wrote in the previous two paragraphs. Utterly boring and unnecessary. Thus, when I write something I can usually count on lose some pages (or words, depending on how you count it) from my original count.

So when Kontyo came out at around 20 pages and 11,000 words, I was rather happy. (I’m aiming for less than 17,000 because I’m hoping to enter Kontyo also into the writer’s of the future contest. I was also hoping to do that with Giant’s Wife, before it came out at 46,000 words.)

Since I finished it yesterday, I did the final touch ups today (well, probably not totally final, but it’s practically done.). Then, I did another word count and it comes out at not less than 11,000 words but at 12,000 words and 25 pages! This is suppose to be a short story.

Now, I’m not sure what is exactly short. For the library’s writing contest in MN, they wanted about ten pages in the beginning. When they actually put a limit on pages, they put it at about 7. But this contest at school doesn’t have a limit, a topic, or anything, and it is driving me crazy, because I don’t know if this is technically write, and their tougher on grammar here I would think as well.

My harder part comes from finding a title now. I have a clue about something with darkness swallowing up people or disappearing in darkness or something. Maybe I’ll just post it anyway, but I need a title sooner rather than later. Contest ends January 31st and I’d rather submit it no later than the 12th. Who knows what kind of homework I’m going to have by then.