Novels, and not novel ideas either.

So lately I've been reevaluating my life goals and trying to narrow my options for grad school. With a whole bunch of AmeriCorps education money, a decent IQ, and no student loans to pay off, I figure I just may as well go back for my master's degree. The thing is, I love reading and learning. Every program I look at is just so goddamn FASCINATING, I can't fathom how anyone would just KNOW what they wanted to study. I'm trying to be reasonable, though, and come out of this really knowing where I see myself in the long term.

For the time being, I've settled upon University of Baltimore's Creative Writing & Publishing Arts program because I've always and forever been a writer. If there are two constants in my life, they are my need to write and play music. Music performance doesn't seem like it's in the cards as a career per se, but writing and media management sure could be.

Lately I've been taking out old ideas and old writing, dusting them off, and seeing what I can make out of them. While rummaging through a bunch of old notes passed between myself and my friend Oli in seventh grade (yes, okay, I still have them), I found this. I might see what I can make of it for National Novel Writing Month, which is fast approaching and sure to go much more smoothly if I have a plot to write on from the outset. The bulk of the handwriting is mine, but the big "BOOK!" at the bottom is from Oli. Interesting to see what I was thinking from ages 12-14. Alternate realities, breaking spells, etc.