A Post-_Mars_ List

Writing yesterday was a perfect example of the “writing is hard work and it’s painful, and miserable.” Without a “but totally worth it in the end.” clause. I mean generally, I think it’s rewarding, and I am glad that I can do it, but it’s not… fun and bright lights. I agonized over it, and when it was finally over, I’m mostly just glad that I don’t have to do that again.

Having said that, because ~/tychoish is really kinda like a notebook for me, I thought I’d post my working list of “things I need to concentrate on for the next little bit now that I don’t have a huge writing project hanging on my back demanding to be written.” Here goes:

1. Read more. This is always a project of mine. I have five books, in the immediate “to read” pile, including a book of short stories, and a Delany novel, the Delany novel I’m in the middle of, plus a Tiptree novella, and another Melissa Scott book. Plus things for class. I’ve been pretty good about reading of late, but I can always read more and it sometimes gets away from me.

2. Write some materials for a couple of knitting classes that I want to be able to offer in the coming months. I want to write a “how to knit” using the method that I developed during my WGST internship last semester. And I also want to write a list of stylistic guidelines for people who want to knit sweaters, so that I can teach a “knit/design your first sweater.” class, in addition to my “toe up sock class” and intro to two color knitting class that I’ve already taught.

3. Knowing Mars¹ work, specifically I want to give it a quick once over and then create a PDF/HTML file so that reviewers can get a copy pretty soon. Many of you are on my “readers” list, I’m sure, and will get a copy to look at soon. My intention is to have two batches of eyes look at successive versions, so that I don’t get 12 people telling me to change the same thing, and no one to tell me if the old version was better than the first.

4. Write Station Keeping Seasons 2 and 3. So in my concentration on the new project, I completely ignored my other fiction project. Theoretically we should have started season 2 last week, but that’s not going to happen. I’d rather wait a while and then do it right, then rush in and screw it up. It’ll work out, and I’ve got a lot of prep work done on it, so it makes some sense to give some attention to the execution of the story.

5. I applied--albeit unsuccessfully--to be on the staff of futurismic, a blog/publication that does the kind of science fiction/futuristic stuff that I’m most interested in these days. I can however submit articles/essays/columns to them, and I think I’d like to take advantage of this opportunity to write about some of the ideas behind what I’m thinking about these days. And it’s a cool site.

6. Graduate school stuff. I have some work to do for school, including a really cool paper for my linguistics class. And I have to write a new personal statement, register and study for the GRE (I’m taking a class, so that’s good) and then fill out applications and do some of the logistical stuff including getting transcripts and other materials prepared for sending. I think my chances are pretty good, though I can’t bear thinking about what might happen if I don’t get in this time. So I’m not going to think about it.

7. Knit more. I still have a but load of sleeve knitting to do, and a project that’s progressing very slowly. It’ll speed up in another 40 rounds or something. Sigh. My quota will be way down this year, I fear.

That’s all.