Hi everyone - so sorry for the prolonged absence. It's been a busy few weeks and not likely to get any less hectic. I'm still getting regular shifts at the library (yay!) and now am working on two online courses in my library tech programme. We have regular assignments and lots of reading, so my little nose is on the grindstone.
Which brings me to the topic of balance. As writers, we all know how important balance is - our characters can't be too perfect or too evil, we need to mix narrative with dialogue and all the other elements, like plot, setting etc have to work together, with no single one being too dominant. In our own lives, balance is important as well - I'm finding that out now. It's so tempting to just spend every waking moment on my course work as I'm really enjoying it, but I know I can't just abandon my family, friends and writing. It's just a matter of finding the right balance.
What do you do to keep all the elements in your life working smoothly?
Teresa
Currently Reading: Just finished A Place Beyond Courage by Elizabeth Chadwick (review coming soon - check out the video on the book page to which I've linked)
Link of the Day: My Library Tech Blog
Showing posts with label back to school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label back to school. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to school I go...
I arrived home from work today to a message from Langara telling me I've been accepted into the Library Tech programme, Flexible Option - which means, I'll be doing the course work online. Yay!
At first I'll likely only take one or two courses at a time, but I'll also get credit for some of my undergrad courses from Queens, which is nice.
It's very exciting and a bit scary too! Still, it feels right, which tells me a lot. I've always been one of those geeks who enjoys school (well, ok, except for the Math part, so when I got to Grade 13 and was allowed to drop Math, I was in heaven!), so I guess it really isn't a surprise. The first courses I'm hoping to take will deal with acquisitions and records management. (If Sean is reading this, he must now STOP laughing!)
My plans to write when I got home pretty much went out the window when I woke up at 4:30 this morning and couldn't go back to sleep. Tomorrow, however, is another day :)
So, if you could go back to school (and wanted to), what courses would you take?
Teresa
Currently Reading: The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
Link of the Day: Resource Blog for Library Techs
At first I'll likely only take one or two courses at a time, but I'll also get credit for some of my undergrad courses from Queens, which is nice.
It's very exciting and a bit scary too! Still, it feels right, which tells me a lot. I've always been one of those geeks who enjoys school (well, ok, except for the Math part, so when I got to Grade 13 and was allowed to drop Math, I was in heaven!), so I guess it really isn't a surprise. The first courses I'm hoping to take will deal with acquisitions and records management. (If Sean is reading this, he must now STOP laughing!)
My plans to write when I got home pretty much went out the window when I woke up at 4:30 this morning and couldn't go back to sleep. Tomorrow, however, is another day :)
So, if you could go back to school (and wanted to), what courses would you take?
Teresa
Currently Reading: The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
Link of the Day: Resource Blog for Library Techs
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Practise really does make...
ok, well, not Perfect, but it certainly improves almost anything we do, including writing. Of course, we all know that, but with writing it's sometimes hard to SEE the improvement. Sometimes it takes seeing it work in other areas to believe in its efficacy.
As regular readers know, I'm a big fan of Nia. This month marks two years since I began regular Nia classes. (Stay with me now, this DOES connect to my first paragraph *g*). I loved it almost right away, but one of the few moves I really didn't like at all was the shimmy. Why? Because I couldn't shimmy to save my life - I'm not kidding, I looked like an idiot trying to make my shoulders do something they'd never done before. And at 40+, they really weren't keen on learning something new and different.
My mother-in-law told me to just keep at it, keep trying that shimmy and eventually, my body would adapt and I'd be able to do the move with at least some measure of competence. So I did, much as I really hated it and was relieved when we did less shimmy-intensive routines. For at least a year, I swore I'd never get it and that I might as well give up.
During my second year of Nia, however, I noticed a change. It was subtle at first, just a little bit of movement. Then one day we came to a shimmy section of a routine and I realized I was doing it properly, not brilliantly, mind, but well enough that someone watching would know I was shimmying. It was so cool. Now I really enjoy the routines when we shimmy, all the more so because it was something I worked so hard at and finally saw the results.
In our writing, I believe it happens the same way. We write and write and write, sometimes never feeling like we're making progress, as though our dialogue is still stiff, our narrative awkward and our pacing all wrong. We work hard at it, get critiques, read craft books and study the writing of others. And keep on writing. And then suddenly, it jells and those reading our work see it as well.
Granted, most of us never achieve writing perfection, but just like me and my shimmy, we do reach another level, after months/years of very subtle changes as a result of our constant effort and study. Changes we can't see on a day to day basis, but changes that are there nonetheless.
So, the next time you read your work and think it's crap, remember me and my shimmy.
In Other News
Today I'm sending off my application to the Library Information & Technology Diploma Programme at Langara College in Vancouver. Yep, that's right, I'm hoping to go back to school in January, as I'm applying to the Flexiple Participation Option, which means I'll do everything online. I had thought of the MLIS programme at the University of British Columbia, but nothing there is available online and the thought of commuting, even two or three days a week was pretty daunting. This way (if I get in) I can keep working at the Sechelt Public Library - I'm one of several casual Public Services Assistants hired recently. So far I'm just loving my job and wishing I'd made this career choice 20 years ago. However, I can't change the past, so I'm at least trying to change the future by applying to the programme and working over the next few years to earn that diploma.
Does this mean I'm going to give up my writing or my attempts to get published? No way. I often work better when I have more on my plate, though at certain times I imagine my mss might suffer a little. But writing has been a part of my life for so long that I feel confident in my ability to fit it in, even when things get busy. My characters generally give me no choice.
In view of all the above, I've decided I might as well attempt NaNo again this year, to help jump start me on one of my stories that I've pretty much completely revamped. I had a chapter or so written, but decided a few months ago to change much of the backstory and plot (encouraged to do so by my hero/heroine), so this will give me the opportunity to get going and see what happens.
So - anything new and exciting with you? If you've gone back to school, did you enjoy it?
Teresa
Currently Reading: The Intelligencer by Leslie Silbert
Link of the Day: Wonders and Marvels
As regular readers know, I'm a big fan of Nia. This month marks two years since I began regular Nia classes. (Stay with me now, this DOES connect to my first paragraph *g*). I loved it almost right away, but one of the few moves I really didn't like at all was the shimmy. Why? Because I couldn't shimmy to save my life - I'm not kidding, I looked like an idiot trying to make my shoulders do something they'd never done before. And at 40+, they really weren't keen on learning something new and different.
My mother-in-law told me to just keep at it, keep trying that shimmy and eventually, my body would adapt and I'd be able to do the move with at least some measure of competence. So I did, much as I really hated it and was relieved when we did less shimmy-intensive routines. For at least a year, I swore I'd never get it and that I might as well give up.
During my second year of Nia, however, I noticed a change. It was subtle at first, just a little bit of movement. Then one day we came to a shimmy section of a routine and I realized I was doing it properly, not brilliantly, mind, but well enough that someone watching would know I was shimmying. It was so cool. Now I really enjoy the routines when we shimmy, all the more so because it was something I worked so hard at and finally saw the results.
In our writing, I believe it happens the same way. We write and write and write, sometimes never feeling like we're making progress, as though our dialogue is still stiff, our narrative awkward and our pacing all wrong. We work hard at it, get critiques, read craft books and study the writing of others. And keep on writing. And then suddenly, it jells and those reading our work see it as well.
Granted, most of us never achieve writing perfection, but just like me and my shimmy, we do reach another level, after months/years of very subtle changes as a result of our constant effort and study. Changes we can't see on a day to day basis, but changes that are there nonetheless.
So, the next time you read your work and think it's crap, remember me and my shimmy.
In Other News
Today I'm sending off my application to the Library Information & Technology Diploma Programme at Langara College in Vancouver. Yep, that's right, I'm hoping to go back to school in January, as I'm applying to the Flexiple Participation Option, which means I'll do everything online. I had thought of the MLIS programme at the University of British Columbia, but nothing there is available online and the thought of commuting, even two or three days a week was pretty daunting. This way (if I get in) I can keep working at the Sechelt Public Library - I'm one of several casual Public Services Assistants hired recently. So far I'm just loving my job and wishing I'd made this career choice 20 years ago. However, I can't change the past, so I'm at least trying to change the future by applying to the programme and working over the next few years to earn that diploma.
Does this mean I'm going to give up my writing or my attempts to get published? No way. I often work better when I have more on my plate, though at certain times I imagine my mss might suffer a little. But writing has been a part of my life for so long that I feel confident in my ability to fit it in, even when things get busy. My characters generally give me no choice.
In view of all the above, I've decided I might as well attempt NaNo again this year, to help jump start me on one of my stories that I've pretty much completely revamped. I had a chapter or so written, but decided a few months ago to change much of the backstory and plot (encouraged to do so by my hero/heroine), so this will give me the opportunity to get going and see what happens.
So - anything new and exciting with you? If you've gone back to school, did you enjoy it?
Teresa
Currently Reading: The Intelligencer by Leslie Silbert
Link of the Day: Wonders and Marvels
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Thanks for all the feedback!!!
I really, really appreciate all the comments and suggestions. Back soon with new posts. My life is busy right now as I adjust to a p/t job and preparing to submit an application to a library studies programme.
Teresa
Currently Reading: Every Secret Thing by Emma Cole
Link of the Day: Versailles and More
Teresa
Currently Reading: Every Secret Thing by Emma Cole
Link of the Day: Versailles and More
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Dearth of posts...
I'm posting less and even reading other blogs less frequently for a variety of reasons. The job hunt continues + I'm now considering going back to school. All this takes up time - applying for jobs, tailoring my resume for each one, researching school options and consolidating the info. All this leaves me with far less time to just play on the internet :( I do sign into Facebook at least once a day as it's kind of a one-stop place and easy to scan for updates etc.
Oh, and I'm also trying to up my exercise quotient by dragging my sorry a** down to the elliptical trainer early in the morning. Not my favourite time to work out, but it needs to be done and generally once I get started I'm ok, then I can shower and get on with my day.
And, I'm trying to keep up with my writing.
So, if I'm scarce for the next little while, that's why. Not that it appears many people are dropping by here anyway, a result, I realize, of my less than frequent presence here.
Teresa
Currently Reading: Playing James by Sarah Mason
Link of the Day: Medical Heritage of Great Britain
Oh, and I'm also trying to up my exercise quotient by dragging my sorry a** down to the elliptical trainer early in the morning. Not my favourite time to work out, but it needs to be done and generally once I get started I'm ok, then I can shower and get on with my day.
And, I'm trying to keep up with my writing.
So, if I'm scarce for the next little while, that's why. Not that it appears many people are dropping by here anyway, a result, I realize, of my less than frequent presence here.
Teresa
Currently Reading: Playing James by Sarah Mason
Link of the Day: Medical Heritage of Great Britain
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