Writing

I probably should have done more writing today... but I did get a lot done this week!
Today the internet caught me though, and pulled me under. Drowning in the net. Glub glub.
So, I got through some chapters, and feel like I made good progress.
Gonna try to write some more tonight too.
And I get to go home in the morning. Although I might be leaving again the same day to see my cousins visiting from Oregon. No chance to rest.

More Naaames

So, I changed another of the names of one of the less major characters in Katani's story. Just when I think I have them all done. I might go through them again and change some others. Because the names are skewed heavily towards Japanese. I don't have my name list with me now though... it's on my computer at home.

Running Short

I'm behind on my blog posts for the month. TT^TT
Curse my lack of posting in Japan and at Family Camp.
I'm kind of tempted to randomly break up blog posts so I can hit the 10 blog posts a month (which I've missed twice so far. It bugs me more than it should...)

Family Camp

So, been away for the week, again. Got home from Japan, spent the week painting our front poch, and then left again for another week. And once I get home, I have a week to spend with my Portland cousins, who are visiting (actually, I'm going to miss the family party, so that makes me sad. TT^TT )
Now I'm volunteering at the Family Camp up at the Ananda Retreat in the woods.
It just ended this morning, and the internet is back up. XP
I've been getting a lot of writing done! And the camp was a lot of fun too.
I forget if I posted much about this on the blog. But I did that writing program up here last summer, right? And I applied for the writer's residency grant that went along with the program . I got second place, though, so didn't get to do it.
But it turns out that the guy who actually won chose this week to come up and write. So I get to meet the person who beat me out. Heheh. He's working on poetry. And he's from the midwest, and not part of Ananda. So I guess the grant was a lot more open and wide-spread than I thought. I wonder how many people actually applied...
Oh well. At least I got Saturday and Sunday last week to write, and I have all of today and tomorrow too (since the camp ended kinda early). And I have been getting a lot of writing done, even though I didn't win the Residency Grant. So it's all good.

Name-changing

Once I get a name in mind for a character, I don't like to change it. Especially when the names just feel right.
There have been a couple instances where I've written an entire draft, and then realized that I needed to change one of the character names. It may take me a while of mixing up the names. But I always get the new one in my head eventually, since it fits better. Like Youka.
And then there are times when I don't want to change the character name... but I kind of have to.
Like the other night. I randomly thought of something that made me realize that I needed to change the name of a character.
Evva (Evareen), from a story I have not yet written. Which is good, because I don't need to go back and change her name in stuff I've already written (except a pilot chapter). But I had already named most of the characters in that story, and been pretty satisfied with most of them. Like Evva's name. It felt right to me.
Except for one thing.
Evva has earth magic. Rocks, metal, and such (or maybe just rocks. I'm not sure yet). The problem is... in another book series, there's a girl named Evvy, who also has rock magic.
@!#$!@#
Damnit.
Looks like I need to find a new name for Evva. Maybe I can recycle her ex-name elsewhere.

Maybe Finally

So, I talked to my teacher, and she said I should go ahead and apply for the Envs grad program.
So, it looks like maybe, at long last, I might have found a grad program! One where I can write a story instead of a research paper.
It will involve some extra tests and stuff.
Application isn't until September, I think. I wouldn't be able to start until spring, so I have the entire next semester free. There might be a couple classes I can take to prepare, though.
And hopefully I'll be accepted. XP
So, once again, cross your fingers for me!

Begging for a Program

So, tomorrow I meet with one of my teachers to see if I'll be able to get into a grad program (the ongoing battle to find one XP). This was actually my first idea - to stay at my school, and even stay in the environmental studies program. I already know the school, and I know many of the teachers pretty well already. And I like studying the environment. But if I were to do the grad envs program, I would want my thesis to be a novel, as opposed to a research paper. There is nothing I want to research enough to write a thesis about. The only thing I would ever want to write that is book-length is, well, a book.
Only thing is, they've never done this before. It's always been a science program, with a first-hand research paper as the thesis. So, I gave up after asking around last year. And now I'm picking it up again, since the other grad programs I've found fell through. Since I've got four teachers (and maybe more if I asked around) who said they like the idea, I may have a chance of getting somewhere (see, it pays to be on good terms with your teachers!).
The teacher I'm meeting with tomorrow is in charge of the grad program, and I know her pretty well. So, I'll bring the excerpt from the story I hope to write, and bring some points as to why I think this is a good idea (writing a book instead of a research paper). Hopefully I'll be prepared enough. I guess I should try to treat this as a professional interview. It helps that I already know the person, at least.
Cross your fingers for me!