Every two weeks just became every month.
-Finish First Novel: I have radical ideas regarding how I'm going to be putting this out now, so I don't think that this will be finished until the fall. I'm still excited and hopeful that it will be done this year.
-Poetry Contest: I found out early last month that Write Bloody's poetry contest was cancelled this year. The other presses they suggested to submit to don't have open submissions, either. This resolution is scrapped.
-Land an Agent: Based on what i plan to do for my first novel, I don't intend on seeking an agent anymore and am scrapping this resolution.
-Gain Twenty pounds: Gained another five pounds sitting on my butt and eating. Fifteen away. I need to make sure I'm going to the gym so I don't end up fat.
-Get a 4.0 GPA: I'm not sure if this still possible for this semester, but if I don't get a 4.0 I think will at least get above a 3.5. So even if the resolution doesn't go through, I still did a lot better because of it.
-Rack up fifty to a hundred rejections: I have about ten rejections so far, so I'm making some kind of progress. However, I've also been sort of lazy and uninspired when it comes to producing new content, and when I do produce new content it gets sent to either nappyafro or Starved where, because of my relationship with them, it's sure to get published. I have a list of online lit mags that I need to start going through.
-Get a 30 or better on the MCAT: I tested at 19/45 on Saturday's practice test after showing up about 10 minutes late from the start of the test. The Verbal Reasoning section was scored at 8/15 even though I only got nine questions wrong, which doesn't seem right to me. More practice tests will give me a better picture before I take the test in August.
-Write an article for nappyafro every two weeks: Realistically, there was no way this was going to happen. Hip-hop is really boring this year after the entire industry released an album in 2013. What I'll probably end up doing is writing like three to five articles at a time and then sending them in bulk rather than any consistent schedule. Scrapping this resolution, too.
-Learn how to make beats: Nope.
-Learn how to code: Been coding for a while now, but I've gotten a little bit rusty because I don't do it everyday. With that said, my knowledge of both Python and C++ is good, but my HTML is quite poor.
As you can see, I've already had to scrap three resolutions and there is the possibility that I won't make a fourth happen. To be fair, some of this was circumstance and out of my control, but I have to at least salvage the rest.
-h
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
lol
it is my 22nd birthday. i don't care to celebrate too particularly, but i feel this is appropriate.
-h
-h
Sunday, February 2, 2014
First Resolutions Update
I think every two weeks is enough time to give a progress report of how I've been doing, and it drives me to continue to get better.
Finish First Novel: Nope. Haven't touched it yet, but I have some more ideas about how to make the final product better. Also got Dragon, which will make the process of transferring from analog to digital easier.
First Draft of Second Novel: Not till the summer. Again, picked up new insights.
Poetry Contest: No progress, but I still got a month.
Short Story Collection: Put on hold until the Fall, but I'm using the title (Everyone Knows This is Nowhere) for a different, more immediate project.
Land an Agent: Haven't tried yet.
Gain between Ten and Twenty pounds: Very surprised by this, but with my new diet and exercise I've already gained five pounds. My new goal is to pass twenty pounds (185-190 lbs).
Get a 4.0 GPA: Still early in the year, but so far so good.
Rack up between fifty and a hundred rejections for my work: I've been rejected about two or three times so far.
Get a 30 or better on the MCAT: I'm taking a practice exam this Saturday, which will give me a better picture of where I'm at. I also enrolled in an MCAT course.
Read Infinite Jest in a one month: Haven't attempted this and probably won't until the summer (at least).
Write an article for nappyafro.com at least every two weeks: I sent one in last week, so I owe them one this by this weekend.
Run a mile in under nine minutes: Haven't even tried.
Learn how to make beats: Nope.
Learn to code: Picking up C++ at a good clip.
I'm gonna stop updating the following goals, due to them being put off to a late date:
-Infinite Jest
-Running a mile
-Land an Agent
-Second Novel
-Short Story Collection
I think I'm making good progress on my goals. I have no doubt I will succeed in all this by the end of the year.
-h
Finish First Novel: Nope. Haven't touched it yet, but I have some more ideas about how to make the final product better. Also got Dragon, which will make the process of transferring from analog to digital easier.
First Draft of Second Novel: Not till the summer. Again, picked up new insights.
Poetry Contest: No progress, but I still got a month.
Short Story Collection: Put on hold until the Fall, but I'm using the title (Everyone Knows This is Nowhere) for a different, more immediate project.
Land an Agent: Haven't tried yet.
Gain between Ten and Twenty pounds: Very surprised by this, but with my new diet and exercise I've already gained five pounds. My new goal is to pass twenty pounds (185-190 lbs).
Get a 4.0 GPA: Still early in the year, but so far so good.
Rack up between fifty and a hundred rejections for my work: I've been rejected about two or three times so far.
Get a 30 or better on the MCAT: I'm taking a practice exam this Saturday, which will give me a better picture of where I'm at. I also enrolled in an MCAT course.
Read Infinite Jest in a one month: Haven't attempted this and probably won't until the summer (at least).
Write an article for nappyafro.com at least every two weeks: I sent one in last week, so I owe them one this by this weekend.
Run a mile in under nine minutes: Haven't even tried.
Learn how to make beats: Nope.
Learn to code: Picking up C++ at a good clip.
I'm gonna stop updating the following goals, due to them being put off to a late date:
-Infinite Jest
-Running a mile
-Land an Agent
-Second Novel
-Short Story Collection
I think I'm making good progress on my goals. I have no doubt I will succeed in all this by the end of the year.
-h
Sunday, January 19, 2014
New Year's Resolutions 2014
For the first time ever, I am making a list of things I want to accomplish in the year 2014. I think this will keep me honest, productive, and give me several benchmarks to reach for, as well as stuff to put on this blog.
I will try to update this monthly to give a picture of where I am with each goal. The numbers next to each goal illustrate how hard I think this will be to accomplish within the year (1 being certain, 10 being close to impossible).
-Finish my first novel, At Last, At Anchor 1/10
My first novel's first draft is finished. I think I'll be able to make the edits in full by March/April.
-Finish the first draft of my second, Stellar Express (working title) 5/10
I wrote the aforementioned novel in about nine and a half months at an erratic pace. I think I can finish in about seven months if I start in May.
-Enter my (untitled) poetry collection in Write Bloody Publishing's contest to win 9/10
I figure it's worth a try. I think I will at least make it to the second round.
-Finish a short story collection called Everyone Knows This is Nowhere (working title) 1/10
I already have an outline and a few sketches that will become stories over the next few months.
-Land an agent for my first novel 10/10
I'm gonna start trying around May. Very cautiously pessimistic.
-Gain between ten and twenty pounds 7/10
If I alter my diet and exercise, it should work.
-Get a 4.0 throughout the year across the next four semesters 7/10
I'm a Physics major and a Chemistry minor, so this won't be easy.
-Rack up between fifty and one-hundred rejections for my work 1/10
Getting rejected comes with the territory. At least this way I'm still trying to get my work out there.
-Get a 30 or better on the MCAT 6-7/10
I got a 14 on a practice exam I took as a Freshman in college my second semester. I think I should be able to double my score.
-Read Infinite Jest from start to finish within two weeks to a month 10/10
Dave Eggers got it done in a month, so that's who I'll try to measure up to.
-Write an article for nappyafro.com every two weeks at minimum 6/10
Hip-hop bores me a lot of the time nowadays. I will try to find ways to make it interesting.
-Run a mile in under nine minutes 8/10
I'm allergic to trees, grass, and dust mites. We'll see how this goes.
-Learn how to make beats on my MPC 3/10
I have pretty good ideas, but I still need to learn how to implement them.
-Learn how to code 5/10
So far I have an elementary grasp of Python, a moderate grasp of HTML, and little to no grasp of C++.
I was thinking about making a resolution to be a more active blogger, but I feel like that would take away from the time I will be spending pursuing these things. I'll try to keep active.
I will try to update this monthly to give a picture of where I am with each goal. The numbers next to each goal illustrate how hard I think this will be to accomplish within the year (1 being certain, 10 being close to impossible).
2014 Resolutions
-Finish my first novel, At Last, At Anchor 1/10
My first novel's first draft is finished. I think I'll be able to make the edits in full by March/April.
-Finish the first draft of my second, Stellar Express (working title) 5/10
I wrote the aforementioned novel in about nine and a half months at an erratic pace. I think I can finish in about seven months if I start in May.
-Enter my (untitled) poetry collection in Write Bloody Publishing's contest to win 9/10
I figure it's worth a try. I think I will at least make it to the second round.
-Finish a short story collection called Everyone Knows This is Nowhere (working title) 1/10
I already have an outline and a few sketches that will become stories over the next few months.
-Land an agent for my first novel 10/10
I'm gonna start trying around May. Very cautiously pessimistic.
-Gain between ten and twenty pounds 7/10
If I alter my diet and exercise, it should work.
-Get a 4.0 throughout the year across the next four semesters 7/10
I'm a Physics major and a Chemistry minor, so this won't be easy.
-Rack up between fifty and one-hundred rejections for my work 1/10
Getting rejected comes with the territory. At least this way I'm still trying to get my work out there.
-Get a 30 or better on the MCAT 6-7/10
I got a 14 on a practice exam I took as a Freshman in college my second semester. I think I should be able to double my score.
-Read Infinite Jest from start to finish within two weeks to a month 10/10
Dave Eggers got it done in a month, so that's who I'll try to measure up to.
-Write an article for nappyafro.com every two weeks at minimum 6/10
Hip-hop bores me a lot of the time nowadays. I will try to find ways to make it interesting.
-Run a mile in under nine minutes 8/10
I'm allergic to trees, grass, and dust mites. We'll see how this goes.
-Learn how to make beats on my MPC 3/10
I have pretty good ideas, but I still need to learn how to implement them.
-Learn how to code 5/10
So far I have an elementary grasp of Python, a moderate grasp of HTML, and little to no grasp of C++.
I was thinking about making a resolution to be a more active blogger, but I feel like that would take away from the time I will be spending pursuing these things. I'll try to keep active.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Finished.
It is a weird feeling, to be finished.
Once you've finished something, there is the question of continuing or going on to something else.
-Example: Boy, I just finished all that cake and ice cream. I can't decide if I want more, or if I want a nap.
I finished the first draft of my first novel, At Last, At Anchor, about a month ago. I finished my final exams about a week ago, thus finishing the fall semester of my junior year.
After finishing my book, I felt a surge of accomplishment. It was as if my typewriter had shot out some kind of magical pixie dust after the last few words were set in print, and I'd caught some of it on my tongue. It felt both magical and amazing. Pixie dust tastes an awful lot like regular dust, but you know it's not the same by the way you feel after you ingest either.
However, afterward, I felt a weird repulsion whenever I attempted to write again. It was as if my brain was saying "you don't have to write anymore; you just wrote an entire book." Thankfully, this sensation went away after a short while, when I forced some more of that pixie dust out of my typewriter and got back to work a couple weeks later.
Then I started writing on this blog again.
I've always felt weird about school.
School has always felt like more of an obligation than an object of joy. For example, even though I'm interested in Physics and Biology and Neuroscience, the only way I'd be able to get a job/research/explore-these-interests-further-while-also-making-a-living is by getting the requisite grades in classes. These classes are taught by professors who may or may not have the same interests as me and may or may not be good at presenting the material in a way that isn't difficult to grasp.
Despite this, I know that I won't ever give up on college or writing. So I guess the point of this blog is to point out that, as much as we'd like to be, we're never finished. Until we are.
Once you've finished something, there is the question of continuing or going on to something else.
-Example: Boy, I just finished all that cake and ice cream. I can't decide if I want more, or if I want a nap.
I finished the first draft of my first novel, At Last, At Anchor, about a month ago. I finished my final exams about a week ago, thus finishing the fall semester of my junior year.
After finishing my book, I felt a surge of accomplishment. It was as if my typewriter had shot out some kind of magical pixie dust after the last few words were set in print, and I'd caught some of it on my tongue. It felt both magical and amazing. Pixie dust tastes an awful lot like regular dust, but you know it's not the same by the way you feel after you ingest either.
However, afterward, I felt a weird repulsion whenever I attempted to write again. It was as if my brain was saying "you don't have to write anymore; you just wrote an entire book." Thankfully, this sensation went away after a short while, when I forced some more of that pixie dust out of my typewriter and got back to work a couple weeks later.
Then I started writing on this blog again.
I've always felt weird about school.
School has always felt like more of an obligation than an object of joy. For example, even though I'm interested in Physics and Biology and Neuroscience, the only way I'd be able to get a job/research/explore-these-interests-further-while-also-making-a-living is by getting the requisite grades in classes. These classes are taught by professors who may or may not have the same interests as me and may or may not be good at presenting the material in a way that isn't difficult to grasp.
Despite this, I know that I won't ever give up on college or writing. So I guess the point of this blog is to point out that, as much as we'd like to be, we're never finished. Until we are.
Friday, December 13, 2013
Opinion: Globalization
I think that it has finally sunk in for me how much the internet changed things.
Having an electronic device with the capability of accessing the world wide web is akin to being in the corner of one large building that houses the entire the world, composed of different rooms on different floors, with different people from different places on Earth.
This is globalization.
Globalization is, essentially, the question of learning to live concurrently with seven billion other people.
You think it would be simple to solve globalization, right?. If everyone just left everyone alone, then everything would be fine. But it's hard to do that, because people by nature can't just leave other people alone. You would think it would be that easy, but it really is that complicated.
Therefore, using my innately human power to not leave people alone, I will use this blog to spread my solution to globalization! (+ karma)
Solution:
Everyone should use whatever time they have with other people in service of creating positive energy that can be spread. There should never be any negative energy within a group that is brought up, unless it is brought up with the intention of its defeat within conversation.
I subscribe to karma as being equal in meaning to "what goes around comes around", and follow that as a philosophy in life. I do my best to not do bad things or cause others to feel bad, although sometimes I can't help it because I'm human. I think everyone will see that this is the case if they think about it. But I try every chance I can to change or correct my behavior, which is what's most important, I think.
I encourage everyone that reads this to do the best they can to spread positivity. If you see yourself about to do something negative or something that may hurt someone else, catch yourself. It is surprising how fast this can spread.
-h
Having an electronic device with the capability of accessing the world wide web is akin to being in the corner of one large building that houses the entire the world, composed of different rooms on different floors, with different people from different places on Earth.
This is globalization.
Globalization is, essentially, the question of learning to live concurrently with seven billion other people.
You think it would be simple to solve globalization, right?. If everyone just left everyone alone, then everything would be fine. But it's hard to do that, because people by nature can't just leave other people alone. You would think it would be that easy, but it really is that complicated.
Therefore, using my innately human power to not leave people alone, I will use this blog to spread my solution to globalization! (+ karma)
Solution:
Everyone should use whatever time they have with other people in service of creating positive energy that can be spread. There should never be any negative energy within a group that is brought up, unless it is brought up with the intention of its defeat within conversation.
I subscribe to karma as being equal in meaning to "what goes around comes around", and follow that as a philosophy in life. I do my best to not do bad things or cause others to feel bad, although sometimes I can't help it because I'm human. I think everyone will see that this is the case if they think about it. But I try every chance I can to change or correct my behavior, which is what's most important, I think.
I encourage everyone that reads this to do the best they can to spread positivity. If you see yourself about to do something negative or something that may hurt someone else, catch yourself. It is surprising how fast this can spread.
-h
Stuff I Like: Pretzels
Pretzels.
Adorned with either salt/salt and mustard, or powdered sugar/butter and sprinkled sugar.
Best when steaming hot and soft.
I would like to learn how to make my own pretzels, but my cooking is poor. I prefer to eat out as much as possible.
Auntie Anne's is my go-to pretzel place. I would like to look into investing into a more grassroots pretzel movement, but I have yet to find any aside from street vendors (their pretzels are OK).
I wish I had some pretzels right now.
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