Monday, January 01, 2007

The Days to Come

Between this and my other three blogs, I am approaching some 200 posts. On this, my main blog, I am now writing what will become post number 166. It is not my first writing for the year (I’ve left comments on a few other bloggers’ posts), but it is the first post – the first substantive writing for 2007. It for sure won’t be the last. In addition to a couple of freelance stories I’ll probably pick up next week, there will be much more written for the sake of writing. And it will be housed right here and on my other sites.

Although I didn’t, nor will I make any resolutions, I do intend to put a little more time into writing fiction. I have a blog dedicated to it and a story is in the very early stages of development. For me, it is absolutely “writing outside the box.” It feels unfamiliar, uncomfortable and unsteady. However no matter how it “feels,” I am, so far, pleased with the results. It is still difficult to start the task of writing even though I know that once I’ve started, it always comes. I can usually call up the verbiage on demand; it’s just the initial spark that is so hard to fire sometimes.

Another area of concentration will be my photography. I have enrolled in a photography class next semester – basic photography – not because I need it for graduation, but because I don’t know everything. Photography is something I know only a smattering about, and I want to learn much more. I have the time and the units to spare, so photography it is. It will be my first photography class since high school – some 25+ years ago!

As far as my writing is concerned, my schooling is not yet complete there either, although it will be complete enough for a BA degree next June! Ah, but I’m getting ahead of myself – I didn’t get this far by “future-tripping.” My journalism classes will include “media law” and “war, peace and mass media.” The second class will be the very last class taught by a retiring professor with a 40-year tenure at Sac State. He is highly respected by students and staff alike. I am very fortunate to be among his last students. I’ve had the media law professor previously; he’s tough, but intriguing. I’m looking forward to the class, I kind of like law. Scary, I know!

I enrolled in another journalism course that is not required but interests me very much. Magazine writing is an area that might appeal to me. My first journalism professor who happens to be my academic advisor is teaching the class. I have an excellent rapport with him and he is a working journalist. One of the goals of the course is that students sell an article to a magazine. Don’t worry; you’ll all be the first to know when and where it will be published.

My fifth and final class is to fulfill a stupid requirement called a “writing intensive” course. You’d think that a journalism major would be well versed in writing… that virtually every journalism class would be “writing intensive.” Believe it or not, not a single one is. Furthermore, my major is government-journalism (essentially a dual major, poly-sci and journalism). Only a couple of government section classes qualify. Of course, they aren’t classes that could be used to knock off other requirements with the same stone.

So my “writing intensive course?”
RLS-122. “RLS” stand for “Recreation and Leisure Studies.”
Hey, I didn’t make the rules!

6 comments:

Jean-Luc Picard said...

Hope you have a very happy new Year!

Michele sent me here.

Anonymous said...

Happy New Year. Michele sent me here, but I'm glad I came.

When I was in school (the first time, in 1988) my university was just beginning to push it's WAC (writing across the curriculum) program, in which writing intensive classes peppered every discipline. I thought it was cool then, I think it's cool now, and I hope you gain something from it.

WooleyBugger said...

I know what you mean about the writing a fiction story. Though I have written several, sometimes the spark is hard to ignite.
There are two in the works at the moment and that makes it tougher; for me at least. Finding un-interupted time is also difficult and that is why I'm up late. Was the same way for me in school as my most productive time was late at night.

I to had a near death, or so it seemed at the time)a couple of years ago. Nothing like the one you experienced in the crash though. Mine had to do with deadly nerve gas from Pakistan that was in a shipping container. This chemical powder spilled all over me. It is a long story but it did involve my waiting for hours not knowing if I would live or die. It also brought in several government agencies, Homeland, FBI, local and state law enforcement, hazmat and a slew of others. I was stripped of everything I had; my clothes, all my belongings including my wedding ring and neck chain, cell phone, everything. Then I had to go through a decatamination booth being hosed down with an attendant dressed head to toe in safty gear with a breathing mask and white suit. Upon exit I was given a thin jump suit and heavy rubber boots and under went hours of being hooked up to wires and monitoring devices. Not to forget the borage of never ending questions over and over again. I, and two others were even put under armed guard as if we had done something wrong. We were the ones who alerted the authorities and we became treated as criminals.
The news media showed up but were not allowed to interview us. They left and the story never made the papers or news channels. I suspect because I did not die there wasn't a story there.

It was an eye opening experience but I still am confused on what I should do with my life.

Anonymous said...

Wishing you a very Happy New Year, Mike. Sure looks like it'll be a busy one for you.
Wishing you lots of inspiration on your fiction writing and much success on your upcoming courses.
Make 2007 a banner year!
Here from Michele's.....

mal said...

Congratulations on hanging in for your degree! Ideally, education is a life long process. It makes me think I should start back on another degree too....

David Edward said...

ive always loved pictures - now I just take a lot more
and hopefully better ones
here from michele