Updates

Writer’s block gets a bad rap. It isn’t wholly unproductive though. While I haven’t written every day while blocked, I have worked here and there and moved the story line on toward where I envisioned it going. I’ve also enjoyed several story ideas which mostly came to me in dreams. Odd that, dreaming of a story line. I never understand how that works but that’s how I get some ideas.

I’ve been slaving away with homework to the point where there’s hardly any time to think. My community college recently reorganized, probably to survive the pandemic. Instead of a group of colleges all administered together, they are now one college operating under a single administrator. So Dallas County Community College District (collectively known as DCCCD) became Dallas College.

They like to lump classes together if they’re taught by the same instructor and similar. So Drawing 1 and 2 are together. They’re very different classes but share the same instructor, the same studio space but are focusing on two different types of drawing, beginning and the more advanced studying together. This is actually a good thing because classes which fall below the standard limit of student number to keep it going, can now continue because the two classes are one. That gives us small classes which increases learning potential and it’s fun to see the advanced students’ work.

Another class did that too. Basic Design was lumped together with Visual Design for New Media and the instructor is one of those old school military school directresses with the bullhorn and pages of instructions on how she wants every detail of your life to be lived while you’re in her class. I did jump through her hoops and exhaust myself to earn two zeros in her class. In her defense, there were students who were doing really well. But both classes were doing the exact same homework! I was encouraged to complain when I dropped the course but I chose not to. Just because it isn’t for me, doesn’t mean it isn’t helping someone else. And she had mad photoshop skills. So that’s next on my list of want to take is a photoshop class.

I am still strongly considering going to a four year college, one that seems too grand for me really. Dream big, right? SMU has a Bachelor’s in English with an emphasis on writing that sounds like it’d be divine to take! I’m not certain I can get in. It requires a 3.5 GPA to be accepted and my transfer grades are only 3.22. They’d be significantly lower if I’d stayed in that Visual Design class where the teacher appeared to not like me very much. So, keeping my focus forward, I’m strongly considering what my next move is and when I need to make it.

I’ve registered for the 2021 Dallas/Ft Worth Writer’s Conference in Hurst. At first, they said they were definitely going to have it in person but it has now been officially switched to virtual. I’m not sure how that will work but I’m still interested and glad they’re going on with it! I really missed it last year! I hope to learn more and just basically enjoy myself and the whole writing/author thing.

Joey. I adopted him and his sister in 2006 after I lost one of my cats to Kidney disease. They were to be my mother’s cats but after the vascular dementia set in quickly became my cats. His sister passed last year at this time. Joey has been diagnosed with significant heart disease, a genetic disorder which suddenly appeared and has taken a toll on his health. I’m enjoying the time I have left with him and cuddling him extra close and he is surprising me by allowing that even though he usually hates it.

I’m working on the cover for Machine Planet after having a revolutionary idea during a drawing class. And that’s about it right now except for the story that won’t let me go which is progressing slowly. Last night, I stayed up late with a story I’d written 20 years ago. I read through that, editing out spelling or grammar errors, changing a word there or editing a sentence here. I really enjoyed that story and hope to write a sequel to it soon. But for now, I’ve got writer’s block so I’ll go back to homework.