Follow Through

I had a consultation with my feature writing professor, Dr. Gailey, a few days ago and she gave me loads of encouragement, but she said she wants me to work on following through with writing projects more. The meeting was about a revision for my second feature, which I still haven't submitted to her. Despite teaching for thirty years, she said I was possibly the best writer she's ever had. That's a comment I don't think I'll ever forget. She said she sees so much potential in me, and it's hard to describe what that kind of recognition means to me. She invited me to take her documentary II class in the spring even though I haven't taken doc I, a prereq for the course, because she said she's really wanted me in the class ever since she read my first feature.

I'll be hearing soon whether I got the assistant features editor job at The Echo or not, and if I do get it I'll be forced to follow through on writing stories on a regular basis. Dr. Gailey thinks I should be the editor rather than the assistant, and while that's not an option since that position has been filled, I couldn't see myself having that much control. I've never seen myself as a leader, and I really couldn't imagine it.

Plays, Puns and Burning Out In the End

I turned in my Echo feature about the theater department's play. I think it was OK, although I struggled to make it in time for the deadline. I love writing, but sometimes it's hard coming up with the words. I'll get another chance to improve after next week. (There's no paper during Thanksgiving week.)

My sister said she liked how I used "newspaper puns" in my Pulse story. I thought about that and I noticed that I was drawn to using them in my piece about the play. It's funny, when I read stories that use corny puns it annoys me, but I go ahead and use them in my writing.

I registered for spring classes and all I can say is it's going to be rough. I have some notoriously tough classes with notoriously tough professors. I'm sure I'll make it through just fine, but I'll have to push through some major burnout. I'm struggling through it now and I can just imagine how bad it'll be during my last semester.

I have to stay for the summer, sadly. The internship and a computer class are the last things I have to complete before I graduate. It occurred to me that I won't be able to take another class with Rebecca Cook or Jennifer Beech and that makes me sad. They are the two writing professors that have influenced me the most and I really loved being in their classes. If they both offered writing classes in the summer I'd be in them for sure, but I don't think that's going to happen.

Just Not Like Me... In a Good Way

Last night, in Creative Nonfiction Writing, I was very vocal. The best part was that I was volunteering my input instead of being asked for my opinion.

We had to workshop five writers in the class and spend about twenty minutes on each one, so we had to give writing advice for five different people. It gets tedious after a while. Anyway, I sat next to the professor and when she asked a question I tried to get my answer out first. I had quite a few responses last night, and usually more than one for each writer.

This is what I'm trying to do in all of my classes. I want to be unafraid to speak up in any room. For now, I just feel more comfortable in Rebecca's classes, but the similar experience in Anthro the other day is encouraging.

I noticed that a guy I hang out with affected my mood and made me feel like answering less. He says things very carelessly that bother me and then tells me later that I didn't get him. I considered not going to dinner with him after class (even though it's tradition), but he promised he'd be nice and he was. I don't want anything in my life that pushes me back and I know that if I spend much time with this guy he'll affect me.