Writing Workshop Assignment #6: At Arms’ Length

For this week's assignment, our teacher had the class members fill out two pieces of paper: one with a job title, and one with a slightly unusual activity. Everyone put their pieces of paper in two separate piles, and drew a job and activity from the pile. The assignment was to craft a story in which the protagonist holds the job described, and the story ends with the activity described.

The cards I drew:

• Deli Clerk
• Massages a lover's back (actually, the card originally read "pops pimples off a lover's back," but I took some liberties)

One of the benefits of writing for a class is that it inspires you to write outside your comfort zone, or at least to write stories that you wouldn't write if left to your own devices. I don't know that I'd put this story together on my own, but I had fun working on it.

I sometimes feel slightly self-conscious if I'm writing about a romantic couple. It feels almost like writing science fiction for an audience of space aliens; even if the story makes sense to my eyes, I worry that it is ridiculous in a way that I can't perceive. But, I suppose that's true of anybody writing a story that is a bit outside of their own experience, and most good writers find ways of understanding outside perspectives and experiences in an authentic way.

Writing Workshop Assignment #5: For the Road

This week's assignment:

Please read The Sock. Then, choosing your own object, write your own story, using that object to explain and/or reflect on the feelings your narrator has for someone else. In The Sock, Lydia Davis looks at the sock and is reminded of many things about her former husband.....using her example, write your own. If that doesn't make sense, send me an email and I can explain further.

Whatever your object of choice, let us see, taste, smell, hear, feel what the narrator feels as he or she reflects. See how much characterization you can fit in, too, using the techniques of action, speech, image, and thought... You'll probably note that The Sock is not heavy on plot. That's the way it is with almost all of Davis' stories. She's not at all a conventional writer.

---

Like many people, I sometimes reflect on my dependence on cars, and I know that I feel deprived when I cannot drive for some reason (because I'm carpooling or the car is being fixed) and resistant at times when I shouldn't be driving (because the car needs to be fixed or because I am tired). Given that even a temporary loss of driving ability can be difficult, I thought it would be interesting to meditate on feelings that might arise when one permanently losing his or her ability to drive.

By the time I started driving, I was able to rely on Internet printouts (now, of course, I can map things out using my phone), so I never used a Thomas Guide (I recall getting a smaller road atlas as a gift, though). Still, I do recall my mom using one extensively during junior high and high school, especially when I would tag around for my sister's auditions, which took place all around town.

A side note: In the original version of the story, the car was originally a Civic. I changed it per the suggestion of some of my classmates.

Writing Workshop Assignment #4: The Jackson Valley Maniac

This week's assignment:

You have two choices. Write either a story about growing up, like Mona Simpson did (we also read Reunion, which has this same subject), using two characters who are thrown together by some sort of circumstance. Two characters ONLY (although you can have an "extra" like the waiter or the car wash kid as in Simpson's story). Or use the following prompt to write a story:

Two characters are stuck on an elevator. One is seriously irritating. The other is normal. Write a story or a scene (decide which) in which we are shown how the one character irritates the other. 

For either of these, try to give us the details that matter. Use concrete details--the ones that appeal to our senses (see, touch, hear, taste, smell). Characterize your characters by their actions, by the way they look, by the things they say. Show, don't tell. Although "show, don't tell" isn't always appropriate, try to think about it while writing.

I went with the first assignment. I've been thinking of my own tendency to get "stuck in my head" sometimes, and I thought that might provide a good basis for a "coming of age" story. As an added bonus, I was able to put together something that was Halloween-appropriate.

Writing Workshop Assignment #3: Jared and Phoebe

This week's assignment:
Using the characters below (or come up with your own character - we are looking for cliché characters that we will make unique through characterization), write a scene individualizing your character through particular details that will make us sympathize and/or identify with him or her. Do this for two characters.

• An absent-minded professor
• A lazy laborer
• An aging film star
• A domineering wife
• Her timid husband
• A tyrannical boss
• A staggering drunk

To make the assignment more fun, I tried to create characters that fit the descriptions but were a few steps removed from the obvious archetypes (e.g. Norma Desmond or Albert Einstein).

Writing Workshop Assignment #2: Errands

This week's assignment: Two characters have known each other a long time. Your characters can be friends, a married couple, a father and son, any two characters. Decide which of the two is your protagonist.
- Have the protagonist reveal something about themselves to the other character, or vice versa.
- Have this new piece of knowledge cause some sort of conflict.
- Have your protagonist learn something new about THEMSELVES at the end.

I had guessed (correctly) that most people would be writing stories involving romantic couples, or proto-couples, and I had just written a story involving a husband and wife, so I avoided writing a story about a couple. My first instinct was to write a story about a 'master' who seemed to effortlessly perform his or her craft, revealing to a longtime fan that the sublime effects that he or she created were the result of some sort of trickery or behind-the-scenes work. The admirer would be let down that the performance wasn't, in some sense, "real." The master would not quite understand the conflict, believing that it was the effect achieved that was ultimately important. But I had trouble figuring out the specifics in a way that would work, so I decided to run with something different.

Writing Workshop Assignment: Old Steven

I have started taking an eight-week writing workshop, and am looking forward to it. If nothing else, I look forward to the challenge of being 'forced' to turn in some creative writing each week.

This week, we discussed the basics of plot, and turned in our first exercises. The assignment was to "create your own story where a character's expectation of something is dashed completely." I have written out my assignment below.

Nostalgia and a Baby Party

I have finally finished the process of getting my old posts moved from LiveJournal to Blogger. I did not include a few posts (either because the material was "too sensitive," too dull, or reliant on broken links/photos), and cleaned up some minor mistakes, but it is 95% the same. I am hoping to get a couple of old written journal entries up there as well. In going through the many old entries, I've also come to appreciate the archive system that Blogger has; it's a lot easier to look through the less recent entries with their system, so it's nice to reproduce the entries in a more accessible format.

Most of the journal entries I've found date from 2000 or later, but I did find a charming letter that I wrote to myself in 8th grade. Among the blog entries, I've also come across some interesting things, like the record of my 2003 London Program adventures (beginning here), a bunch of old "interviews," and stuff from one of Chrissie's student films.

Revenge of the Slacker

I'm sure you all will be surprised to hear that I did very little productive work today. I did meet with a partner for my drama project and do a teeny bit of writing, but that's about all for school. However, I did finish part three of the comic!

I'm thinking of limiting my hours on the computer, or at least the internet. I need to get out of my room and do my work, and my 'addiction' to the computer isn't helping me.

My Thesis Is DONE!

Having this finished is quite a load off my shoulders.

The last couple of days have been unpleasant for me as I scrambled to get my thesis final draft completed. Extreme lack of sleep is no fun, especially when coupled with unpleasant tasks and caffiene withdrawl. But I did get it done, and that's what counts. It was quite a relief to carry the stacks of books back to the library and know that I'll never have to analyze them again.

I was able to expand my analysis when I did the second draft, and the professor's suggestions helped me to bring out ideas that I hadn't given ample consideration to. I also got the chance to fix a few (cough) mistakes that I didn't catch when I was first plowing through the paper. The paper ended up being 36 pages with an 11.5 font, a bit longer than the 30-35 pages it was supposed to be, but I'd rather have the paper be on the long side than come up a bit short.

Spring has definitely arrived around here; the trees are flowering, the birds are singing... and the weather has started to get annoyingly hot and humid. My room is slightly stuffy, even with the window open. Additionally, the screen is broken, so insects are able to fly in if I leave the window open. Hopefully I'll figure out a way to cool things down a bit around here.

Tengo Hambre

Well, this is what I get for putting things off until the last minute. It's really late, the caffeine in my tea is starting to wear off, and I'm hungry but don't have any food around and can't get any at this hour.

I'm about seven pages into my thesis, having done the introduction (actually, I had written a bad version before break and refined it during my vacation) and my background secondary source material. So I have twenty three to twenty eight pages to devote to the primary sources that make up the bulk of my thesis. I know I'll be up all night fighting sleep and feeling crabby and rotten, but I will get this rough draft finished on time, and it will be a relief to have it behind me.

I couldn't get any work done this afternoon even though I knew it was important and that I had already done enough slacking to write multiple theses. I think that, somehow, being hungry and spent makes it easier to concentrate and get work done. Perhaps it's an ingrained trait; we're wired to 'work', or seek food, when our stomachs are empty, but don't instinctively feel the need to when we're relatively comfortable. Heh, this is rationalization at it's finest/most desparate...

Procrastination XIV: Sloth's Revenge

Today was another day in which my laziness fot the better of me. I did a little bit of work on paper #2 (due Wednesday) and have started on my prospectus (due by 5 tomorrow). Fortunately, the prospectus is only ten pages, rather than fifteen as I originally thought. I'm going to try and do the bulk of the work tonight, and continue working on it tomorrow. The project description shouldn't be too hard, but I worry about the literature review and the methodology a bit. The last part is a bibliography, which is a no-brainer.

I wish that the vacation were longer, but I know that I would probably put things off just as much if I had the extra time. I get so frustrated with myself sometimes, yet that frustration doesn't seem to prevent me from procrastinating whenever I get the chance. I just overanalyze my procrastination problem and am too paralyzed to get down to work. It's only when I'm really desparate to get something done that it actually gets finished. Otherwise, I just can't work up the energy to focus on work. Oh, well.

In other news, I am literally counting the days until the semester ends and I can go back to California. I have a pretty exciting vacation in store. Seeing my family is always good of course, and in the case of winter break there isn't enough time for me to get frustrated with everybody. Plus, I'll get to see Marina and Fred, which should be a lot of fun. Right after I get back home, I'll be seeing the musical version of The Lion King and doing some last minute Christmas shopping with Marina. A bit later, I'll be flying to Seattle to visit Fred for a few days. It should be exciting, and it's something to look forward to as I wade through the sea of papers and projects.

Papers and Procrastination

I am currently alternating between a paper, this journal, and chat, so my thoughts might be a little scattered. I am doing alright on the paper, though I can tell it's going to be more than a little long. I wish I had the ability to simply sit down and write a paper without causing myself undue worry; as it is, papers that should be simple undertakings are stretched out needlessly by my own procrastinating.

Today I was feeling a little down for some reason... I think that perhaps that hindered my ability to do work. My mind was sort of distracted, never a good thing when you need to do a good deal of work in a short time.

And, as an attempt to make my journal less boring, here's Sunny!

Getting Personal

Today I slept in a bit, but I was nonetheless able to get some reading done. Tonight, if all goes well, I will do a paper for class. Tomorrow will be jam-packed with excitement, as I work on more reading, a take-home math exam, thesis stuff, and application stuff (including the two-page 'personal statement').

I am sometimes uneasy about these personal statements for college. Something about laying down something that states 'this is who I am and here's what makes me tick' makes me uncomfortable; I have trouble reducing myself to a short explanation of my personality. I think it's hard to approach yourself objectively anyways, since a person is almost always too self-interested to divorce their romanticized conception of themselves with the person they are.

A related issue is that of presenting oneself in the context of a college or graduate school 'personal statement'; the image of the ideal student inevitably looms over such compositions. After all, it is not in an applicant's interests to present themselves as they are... they are trying to paint the 'right' image of themselves (though perhaps adding enough of their own quirks to stand out). Ironically enough, these statements can't ever truly be personal.

Anyway, I hope I'll be able to get this work done without too much trouble. I have so much to do this week that it's crazy.

The Return of the Attack of the Killer Thesis!

This afternoon, I went back to the American Philosophical Society archives to do some preliminary work on my thesis. I got to look at some documents, plus I was able to get some advice on other places to visit (happily enough, one of the places suggested was the archive at Haverford, which is pretty accessible). I didn't have enough time to look in depth, but I think I got a good start. The train trip also allowed me to catch up on some reading I had been slacking on.

After I got back, I didn't do all that much, but I was able to clean up a graphic that I had been meaning to work on for a while.

Semi-Productivity

Today wasn't the most productive day ever, but I at least managed to get a little bit done. I called the American Philosophical Society and arranged to visit the archives again tomorrow, so that should be interesting. After making the call, I went over to the supermarket and got some food. I did a tiny bit of reading, and, since the dorm lounge was empty (this being fall break and all), I also treated myself to a few cartoons.

Raiders of the Lost Archive

Please forgive the godawful pun in the title.

Anyway, after class, I met Rachel to visit the archive of the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia. After meeting up, we got on the train to central Philly. The archive was located in the 'historical' part of town, near Independence Hall and other landmarks from the revolutionary period. All the landmarks were closed, presumably as a precaution after the World Trade Center attacks. It's understandable, but still a bit sad.

We quickly found the archive. After filling out reader forms, we met with an archivist, who was nice enough to give us a tour of the vault, which had the most valuable documents in the collection. Luckily, the original Lewis and Clark journals were out since they had recently been displayed, so she was able to show them to us. We also saw a Darwin manuscript and a scientific manuscript from the 1600's, among other things. After touring the vault, we talked with another archivist, who basically told us what the archive had to offer.

In terms of less extraordinary documents, Rachel spotted this near the vault entrance; one of the archivists had posted it as a joke. The archivist offered to make copies for us, so we got an amusing little souvenir.

After doing some reading, I decided to audition for a series of one acts. The director didn't ask for schedules, so that won't work against me this time. I knew the director a little, so I think that kept me from being too nervous. The audition went well despite the fact that I had too much caffeine beforehand; I was able to make the director laugh a few times.

In other news, I joined ICQ today and got an, um, explicit message about two seconds after I got on. Lovely...

Stuff happened today

Well, Monday is a pretty light day for me, schoolwise. I only have one class (the other four are on Tuesdays and Thursdays), so I can ease my way into the week. I spent more of my time on the net than I probably needed to, but I nonetheless was able to get a decent amount of work done.

Schoolwork's always harder for me than it really needs to be; I tend to overintellectualize the process of getting work done, which makes it hard just to bite the bullet and do the work. I end up putting more effort into procrastinating my work than the work itself sometimes. ::sigh:: And now I'm overintellectualizing the fact that I overintellectualize things...

Anyway, at least I know this is a problem for me and can try to curb any bad tendencies on my part. The nice thing about living on a college campus is that there are a lot of libraries and other places where you can go to if you need to study. I don't know if it's true for other people, but I find it very difficult to study in my own 'personal space' for some reason. I guess I get distracted too easily or something.

And Now For Somethng Completely Different...

For a change of pace, I am making tonight's entry a series of limericks (yes, I am bored):

I got out of bed somewhate late
Which made me a little irate
I checked a website
Then I had to take flight
To get to my math class (how great)

I found myself quite distressed
About my upcoming three-hour test
I talked with a buddy
We agreed we should study
Together, so I'm less depressed

I entered some pictures I took
Which I thought had an artistic look
In a contest, I thought
It might be worth a shot
If I win, I could get a free book
I know it's lame, but hey, it rhymes

After that, I quickly asked around
I wanted some old teachers to be found
I need teachers' praise
'Cause of applications' ways
Of wanting profs to say you're profound

I... uh, never mind. I'm getting tired of this, and I bet you are too.

Anyway, I then got some stacks of books for my thesis. After that, I searched the UC Riverside site for one of the professors who I want a recommendation from (of the three, one is still around, one transferred to Riverside, and one is somewhere in the area but isn't teaching right now). I emailed profs 1 & 2 about the recommendations, but I haven't found a way to contact prof 3.

After doing a tiny bit of reading, I went to another rehearsal of Sure Thing. I think I pretty much have the lines down. So I won't make a complete fool of myself come performance time.

And then I got to my room and typed in my journal... oh wait, never mind.

First Semester, Junior Year

Well, it's almost time to go back home for winter break. Right now I am taking a short break from my reading. Tomorrow, I am going to try and write my paper for my 19th Century cultural history course, on Elizabeth Cady Stanton & The Woman's Bible. I have quite a bit of reading left to do, but I feel able to complete it. I have been keeping up to a greater extent than usual, and was able to do my three other finals on Sunday so I could concentrate on this. I've felt much more on top of things than last spring; I think I had really hit my nadir that time... I was too depressed even to go to class much of the time, and doing my work was a real ordeal. I've been feeling pretty good the past week or so - more comfortable socializing with groups of people. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep this up.

Second Semester, Sophomore Year

I'm not sure why I'm writing this, except that I don't know whether I can keep ignoring my frustrations, and maybe putting everything on paper will keep me from brooding over everything as much. Even so, I have my doubts - writing my emotions & frustrations down has always proved frustrating in itself, and what seems to be genuine in my mind becomes contrite and overwrought once I put it to paper. But I might as well try it anyway.

I got back to Bryn Mawr on Saturday (15th) and have yet to get completely settled in to college life, something that worries me a bit. This morning, I couldn't work up the energy to leave the vicinity of my room and get to my class at 9:00. Partly this was because of the cold (and because the class was in the Park Science Center, about as far from my room as possible), but I still worry. Usually I am at my most energetic when school begins. Maybe it's just that I am having trouble adjusting after being sedentary all vacation, and it will hopefully blow over by tomorrow.

There are a few things that are upsetting me, though most of them have been botherming me for a while. I have been thinking about my social problems for a while. My position is a frustrating one: much of the time I feel upset because I am lonely, but, when I try and interact with other people, my lack of social skills makes me self-conscious, and I add my feelings of social inadequacy onto my original loneliness, making myself more depressed than ever. More importantly, I find it difficult to find close friends who like me for who I am because I go to such absurd lengths to keep myself hidden in order to appear "nice" or "normal." Of course, this hasn't really been effective, plus it hasn't made me feel more comfortable around people (well, unless you compare how I am now to how I was in 7th grade), but I am all but unable to control things.

Well, it's been nearly an hour now, so I should try & see if I can get to sleep.