I’m Back! New Diploma, New Town, New Job! And Still Writing!

So yeah. It’s been awhile. Even the Magic Hat beer I drank the other day told me “You need to write more” (under the cap, you know?). In the last nine months I’ve graduated, moved to VA and landed a job teaching BIO 101. Actually totally stoked about that last bit, we’ll see what I say after I actually start in January. Any advice for a new teacher would be greatly appreciated.

I look forward to catching up with everybody.

Wacking Self in Head With Heavy Textbooks Also, Lists are Incredible

I am not methodical. Whatever. But if I have to get something done, a manuscript, a draft, a thesis (barf), I make a list. I've been incredibly productive ever since I developed a detailed list for writing and editing my thesis. So, every time I zip through the beast, I'm looking for something specific. And I actually get shit done.

Otherwise, when I'm editing for everything and anything, I find myself editing what I want to edit and leaving other problems for later (my lazy bone can be extremely convincing).

But a specific goal helps alot, particularly now that I've stopped caring about the bioavailability of dissolved organic matter in Gulf of Mexico coastal waters.

Plus, I get to mark stuff off my list when I finish it, so I can see my progress. I can see the end. And usually the bog isn't quite as labrinthine as I thought.

I plan to apply this strategy to my creative projects as well.

How do you guys concentrate when you need to?

An Award! Go Me!

OMG! I'm so excited! Woot!

Thank you Matt at Free the Princess !

Hey, it's my first award. I'm entitled to go a little psycho.

I'm not totally sure of the rules here, but I'm pretty certain I get to award someone else, right? How exciting.

And the award goes to... (Drumroll please)

J.M. Diaz ! (Firecrackers! Funfetti Ice Cream Cake! Beer!) Just for being extremely entertaining and for his interesting Santa musings.

*Edit*- I've just been informed of the rules. (Thanks Matt)

Seven Things You Probably Don't Know About Me

1. I think scientists should genetically engineer fruits to come in holiday colors, like pink and blue grapes for Easter, orange and black pomegranates for Halloween, ect. And not just the skin either, the edible part should be colored too.

2. I don’t like potato chips or french fries.

3. Most days I’m over-caffeinated and under-slept.

4. My favorite color is yellow.

5. I also think scientists should make fingernail polish in which the color is activated by a component in your fingernail. That way every time I paint my nails my hands won’t look like I just sneezed paint all over them.

6. Breakfast is my favorite meal.

7. I think there is a mouse living in my bathroom wall… I hear it chewing sometimes.

Random Grr Reviews and Recommendations.

Who's got a Wii? (waves hand) Well, the bestest game eva (as long as you have several people playing) are the Karaoke Revolution series and the American Idol series. Hilllllarious. Me singing rather resemles a cat with its tail closed in a door, but that didn't matter at all!

On second thought, the beer may have had something to do with that too.

Got a Kindle this Christmas. Pretty much fell in love in less than a minute. Sunlight blinds me, must crawl back into my cave now.

Currently reading "The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan" (good) and "Brave New World by Aldous Huxley" (gooder).

"The Forest of Hands and Teeth" is good, but so far I think it needs more action, less protagonist groaning and moaning. Otherwise, pretty good.

"Brave New World" is just really good. But everyone probably already knew that, but me.

Creativity-Can it be learned?

Many of us imagine the misanthropic genius from time to time, the guy that develops creative masterpieces in a social vacumme, his/her brain accompanined only by cigarette smoke and booze. But does creativity really thrive like this? I think not.

I believe creativity promotes more creativity. While we need our quiet time to reflect and draw conclusions, the collaboration part is actually the most important part. The social aspect is the seed and perhaps great ideas evolve more from interesting interactions rather than interesting individuals.

For me, situations/interactions/events seem to pile up in my head and compost there. Interesting people, conversations, fights, disagreements just ferment somewhere and what sprouts out of this mess is often nothing like how it started.

I think creativity can be learned in the sense that maybe people can learn to recognize viable ideas when they get them. That one can learn to put oneself in situations that promote those ideas. That there are ways to maximize ones creativity. But I don't think you can learn to care. An individual does need some natural tendency to entertain bizarre ideas. So tell me, do you think creativity can be learned?

How do you get unstuck?

I run. My brain seriously works so much better when I'm moving. If I could jog and type, I would double my work speed. Because that is when my WIP starts to move by itself without me manipulating it. And my WIP is so much better at it than me.

How do you work out the kinks? How do you get unstuck?

What? Graduate? Oh Shit!

Goal: Graduate with my MS degree in May.

What that means: Graduate with my MS degree in March!

Did you read that twice? Most of the deadlines for a May graduation are in March. Quite scary. Basically, in the next threeish months I have to finish my thesis, clear thesis through my committee, defend thesis and pass the comphrehensive exam.

No Christmas break for me.

No more weekends for me.

So, if over the next few months, my blogs seem exceptionally confused/bewildered/angry/lachrymose, just send me a smile.