New

I've begun work on a new writing project. The others I've put on hold. This semester I am taking an independent study in "Advanced Creative Writing" (that's at least what it's called on my schedule). My professor has given me interesting assignments. First I was to write a parody of Bartleby the Scrivener.

Next he asked me to bring in excerpts from different projects. Long story short, the project he most liked was the one that I'd done the least work on. Specifically, aside from the 5 page section I wrote for my excerpt, I hadn't done anything else. Still, though it will mean more work for me, I'm glad he's leaning toward that novel.

I think it will give me a good chance to ferret out and then work on my strengths as a writer. From my short stories I've discovered that I do best with character-based stories, stories where the real appeal is the characters, not the setting or the plot. In plenty of my longer projects, the scope and complexity of the world forces my attention away from the simple and powerful elements of human nature.

The story I'm working on now is called Avalon, though that will likely change, possibly to Valentine. It's a science-fiction piece set near enough in the future that modern vocabulary still has relevance. (I can use words like T-shirt and Swedish.) My goal is to keep the plot relatively simple. Like Firefly, this novel takes place mostly on a spaceship and focuses on the handful of people that crew it. A lot of the tension and the conflict is personal, not external. I'm attempting to tell a sort of everyman sci-fi story. More updates to come.

I recently went a purchasing spree. I've now completed my Tiesto library (until he releases something new). I've become a bit obsessed with the song "The Force of Gravity" original by BT and remixed by Tiesto in volume 4 of his In Search of Sunrise series. I also bought a DVD of his recent show in Copenhagen, which was part of his Elements of Life World Tour. Watching that DVD has redoubled my conviction that my life will not be complete until I see this man live.

I also watched the debate tonight, but that post will have to wait. Need to digest it first. Initial thoughts: blech.