swordBeatsPaper

I’m finally getting some short-term goals set for my novel. For the next two weeks I’m going to edit two chapters a day, with a red pen. Then, I’ll use some program or poster board to map out the whole plot, and look at it and make any changes that are necessary. Then I’ll start with the rewriting. If I don’t make a plan like this, I get very easily overwhelmed and then get very little done. Never a good thing…

Otherwise, the job hunt’s been challenging. I applied for volunteering at my local PAWS shelter, so that might be …

It’s strange to be at home. At first it was rather easy to slip into my usual “vacation at home” mode, but by now, I’m really feeling how I’m not going back to school anytime soon. And not back to UBC at all. I miss everyone. I miss watching movies and TV shows together and reacting with everyone in the room. It’s one thing to watch alone and discuss things online, and completely another to watch when you’re all in the same room. I miss going down the hall to knock on someone’s door when I feel lonely, or just …

Today is my second full day back home, and it’s still strange. I don’t hear people down the hall except my mother and my cat and I can’t just walk fifty feet to hang out with my friends. It’s quiet. That’s not a bad thing though, I just have to get used to it. My room is bigger, I can make whatever food I want, and I don’t have schoolwork to do. But I miss my friends.

Lately what I’ve been doing to keep from being bored is watching TV shows online. After I was done catching up with Doctor …

I’m a week behind… but for a good reason! It’s finals time for me. Today I finished my third one, and my next and last one isn’t until next Thursday. So I have time to chill this weekend. And boy, do I need it.

A couple days ago, I officially accepted my offer at the University of Glasgow! I can start applying for accommodation soon, and then loans and my visa. Things are moving along nicely. Strangely, Glasgow was the only university (out of the five I applied to) that accepted me as a 3rd year in Computer Science. I …

My applications and inquiries into transferring to a Scottish school are now all pointing to one place: Glasgow. It’s the only school so far that’s accepted me as a 3rd year student–I do not want more than two more years to complete my undergraduate degree (and can’t really pay for more than that anyway). I’ve also heard good things about its Computer Science program, and that the city itself is considered the “Silicon Valley” of Scotland. It’s also not the most expensive school I applied to. Everything’s working out so amazingly well that it’s almost hard to believe. I’m finding …

Attempting to continue my new year’s resolution, it’s time to write a blog again…

This past Easter weekend I’ve seen a number of movies, including new ones like Clash of the Titans and The Ghost Writer, but also some good ones that have been out for a while on DVD, Across the Universe and Moulin Rouge. They were all enjoyable for various reasons, some more than others.

Let’s start with the older movies, ones you’ve likely seen before. Across the Universe. Saw it once when it came out, then again earlier this year, and once more a …

Today is Ada Lovelace Day, when we celebrate the first ever computer programmer, Ada Lovelace, and blog about our favorite woman in technology (Pledge to blog here! Even though it’s a little late).

A few months ago, I read an article on Yoky Matsuoka, a professor at the University of Washington. She’s working on creating prosthetic hands and other devices that take commands directly from the brain. But she’s not only doing that. She started a nonprofit company, the “YokyWorks Foundation”, wrote books–one that encourages girls to go into math and science–and is a mother of three. …

Happy Pi Day! (3.14.10)

I’m overdue to write another blog. In the past week I finished reading the first draft of my novel, straight through, without writing any notes, just to get the feel of it. I tried my best to get out of “writer” mode and into “reader” mode, but it was a bit difficult because I knew what was going to happen. Occasionally I would cringe about wording, or forgetting to put something in, but I tried to forget about whatever bugged me and told myself to remember it later when I read it again. I actually enjoyed …

I’m feeling a bit philosophical today, perhaps since I watched the end of a great TV show’s second season. It inspired some thoughts in me.

I’m sure someone’s said this before, but I believe that what we do when no one’s watching is what defines us. We’ve got friends and family, coworkers and people we meet at the supermarket. But when it comes down to it, we all end up alone sometimes. We break up with people, we lose people, and some of us aren’t charismatic enough to make many friends. Sometimes, everyone’s busy, and we have time to ourselves, …

Eleven o’clock this morning, I wrote the last word of the first draft of my novel. About 300 pages, and 87,000 words. I didn’t even plan it to be a certain length, but my goal was at least 300 pages, and I got there. I seriously can’t believe it. For some reason I remember starting it in August, but I can’t think exactly what year. My guess is it’s been over three years. I took a few long breaks, but I knew eventually it would be done. And now it is.

For so long, it’s been something on the backburner. …