New year!

Me and Shmogan before graduation!

I have finished senior year and even further, I have become an English major in my freshman year of college. I really liked making this blog last year so I thought, what the hell? I'll keep it going this year. For now it will mostly consist of reflections of classes I'm taking and things I experience outside of class that are story oriented.

This is my school, Ithaca college! It's strange being on the other side of the country, but it's also not over 100 degrees anymore so...

For example! I have gotten started on making a space for nanowrimo here, and have found quite a bit of people interested in trying it out. Which to be quite honest makes me a little nervous but that's okay! I'm ready to try new things and if that includes hosting write ins, then count me in. I'll figure it out along the way, which happens to be one of the things I'm good at.

My classes this semester are pretty much all english oriented and I couldn't be gladder. I have:

• Intro to Poetry
• Intro to Short Stories
• Creative Writing- seminar
• World Religions

Intro to poetry was a sort of gamble with myself because I never really considered myself to be much of a poetry person. Boy was I surprised when I got to my first class and found that I really couldn't keep my mouth shut on my interpretations of each of the poems and each of their deeper meanings. I refrained from taking over the entire class discussion and only shared my biggest opinions, but it wasn't enough and I ended up writing a few pages worth of reflection on the first three poems we read. I have no intention of turning them in but I also have no intention of leaving poems to be forgotten.

 I like to read each poem over a few times to start with. First, in my head twice and then once aloud. You wouldn't believe the difference when you read a poem aloud. It can become clearer and more powerful when spoken, as though poetry is only held on paper, and not meant to stay there. Then I have to write my reactions to the theme, voice and word choices. There is so much to consider in poetry, and there is really no way to be wrong. I think it's very similar to what I would look at during research last year.

Creative writing is quite the adventure. Every session is filled with the feeling of friendly ideas and secrets shared amongst writers. My professor has us share our feelings and read fairy tales and come up with our own. She insists on hikes and baking and appreciating each other between writing assignments. It's like entering another realm for an hour every Monday and Wednesday. Write now we have been asked to examine our names and hear the stories of where they come from. We are to find inspiration from names and present a story next week. 

That's all for now, updates soon on my stories and experiences.