It’s been awhile since I made a post, because clearly I suck. I’ll spare the excuses, because it’s a little exhausting just thinking of how much shit I try to pile into a single week. #humblebrag
I have been working on Scurvytown things, however. I have an episode and a half written for a new podcast. I’d like to get at least a handful written before I start the production process. I red-lined what I had so far, and have a lot of changes to incorporate, which is actually more encouraging than the opposite. Most of my notes are like, “change this, omit that, re-tool this scene, and damn it, Lauren, that’s not how dialogue works.”
The semester is winding down, which means I have a week to chill before the next one begins. This spring semester, I taught English 102, which meant grading 4 research papers for 15-20 students, depending on how many were actually turned in. It was a lot more intense than English 101, for sure, and thankfully, this summer, I’m back in a 101 classroom. If certain things improve, I’d love to be able to take a semester off, but who knows what the future holds? My immediate future holds grading 16 research papers, and a cookie when I’m on the other side of that pile of work.
One thing I worry about with the new project is running out of ideas for it, so I have to really set the focus of my brainstorm sessions on broadening the scope of the project. I tend to schedule my brainstorming to coincide with going for walks/hikes, and as the spring gives way to summer, my productivity tends to flourish.
I guess rather than being vague, I can at least explain generally what my idea is. Scurvytown character Magby Aarhus has a local radio show and is offering up free advice to people who call in. Now, Magby does not have any kind of expertise relevant to advice-giving, which makes it kind of funny, because things don’t really go the way she wants or expects. It’s kind of the idea of being bad at a thing, thinking you’re awesome at it, and not really getting that you’re awful. Not sure if that works, yet. I am also trying to figure out a way to incorporate music kinda like how they do on Night Vale, because that’s really fun, and the only thing my original idea from back in 2010 didn’t have.
And I guess at some point, I really do need to revisit my thesis, revise it much in the same way I’ve learned to do for this new project, and produce that damn thing already. I made a list of all my creative projects this past Monday night, and I was pretty much like, “Damn, girl. Pick one and focus that shit.” My inner voice may be a little harsh, but she’s right.