new year, new life

Hello all. I realize it's been a really long time since I posted anything here, but I'm not going to apologize for it or anything. Even the summary will be short. I survived finals, I had a great break, and now I'm back for interim. There. You get nothing else on the past. Unless I change my mind later. Anyway.

I've done something different for interim each year, but I'm still going to go with the idea that this is my strangest J-term yet. My roommate has left the country, for one thing. Check out her blog to read cool things about England. I'm not gonna lie--the first few nights with the room all to myself were a little weird. But now I'm loving having the space to myself. The best part might be that I can actually turn on the lights while getting ready in the morning. Well, the solitude for writing is probably the real best thing, but I thought I'd mention the other reasons too. And don't worry, I'm not turning into a recluse. Last night I had a bunch of people in the room playing Apples to Apples, which was great. Corinne and Mandy came over and random other people showed up as we went along. I also went ice skating last night with Corinne and Brittany. When we got to the park we discovered that skate rentals were free for the night, so that was pretty much amazing. Yes, I do have a class this interim, but it doesn't start until today at noon. I'm really excited for it, actually. Of course, we won't be doing the fun part--the week-long canoe trip in the Boundary Waters--until May, but discussion this week should be good too.

And now to the really important bit. I have more free time right now than I have had since I started grade school. Having used the first couple free days to relax, rearrange my room and see some people, it's time to get to work. I want a career as a writer, so this month is my chance to practice living that life. My mom has suggested I try to work a 40 hour week writing my book, so right now I'm trying that. Today it's looking like all my hours will be coming after lunch. This writing doesn't count as work, though it does sort of work to "prime the pump" and get me in a writing mindset. Yesterday I spent four hours working and wrote about half a chapter. I was also bouncing around doing bits of editing, which would explain why it took so long for me to get through only two pages of new text, but I think that's okay. Once I get used to this whole writing all day lifestyle I should be able to produce more at once. The best part of all this is that I should be able to finish the draft of my novel by the end of the month. That would be absolutely amazing, since it's been half finished for the last couple of years. My writing group is meeting again this Sunday, so I'm hoping to have finished the last couple chapters of the current section before I see them. It shouldn't be a problem, since I only have maybe four new scenes to write. Wow. It's actually hard for me to believe that I'm that close. I wonder if I'll know what to do with myself once I finish things. Well, I know that I'll have to do a huge ammount of editing and then write a plot summary and cover letter and start sending it out to publishers, but emotionally I'll be a little lost. I mean, I've been working on this one story for as long as I've really been serious about writing. I guess it's a good thing I already have an idea ready for the sequel so I won't have to leave the world completely. I'm getting ahead of myself now, but it is something I've been thinking about. You know, I'm even more glad to have found my group when I stop and realize that I have no idea how to go about getting myself published. But my new friends do--at least some of them. None of them are published yet, but they have experience in how to submit work, who to send it to and all that. Their help seems proof to me that now is the time for me to finish my book. Well, that plus encouragement from so many other sources and this sudden gift of free time to write. All these blessings coming at the same time seems like God giving me the nod, telling me that yes, this is what I want you to do, so go ahead and get it done. It's a great feeling.

-Kim