It's One of Those Days

What I'm Listening To: Lady Marmalade

My Spanish final is Thursday and I feel like I'm getting nothing done. I love Janet Reid's blog (but, if you're smart, who doesn't?). I'm trying to plan to go to a writing conference, but these adults who don't have to take classes schedule conferences during the week. And it's bound to be expensive, from the conference itself to my transportation to wherever it is. So basically, I have to be making some serious dough or just plan on going to one at the beginning of next year. I'm still editing and formatting my poetry book, and that WILL be pubslished by January, whether or not Starbucks, Giovanni, and Angelou get back to me on my proposals. I never claimed to be a poet, but I am a writer. I think that every writer should have basic knowledge in various fields in order to call themselves writers.

My Spanish teacher Julio said something very interesting to me today. He said that there are so many people who call themselves poets and writers but they don't adhere to the more conservative guidelines, don't write novels or poetry, and they are unpublished. I thought his assessment was a little harsh. I mean, I guess I couldn't call myself a writer even though I've come out with two books. I feel like I have no time in my life whatsoever. It's getting rather ridiculous. But I love to write and really need to begin making money, so that's why I do it.

I don't even think I have time to start a small side business, but here I go again, (excuse the cliche) about to bite off more than I can chew.

Crank....Whoa

What I'm Listening To: Tu no eres para mi by Fanny Lu

I'm currently sitting in the Student Activity Center and trying to study for my Spanish final for 226 next week. We already finished the Spanish Literature 224 class, and my teacher Marcelo is the best. He simply cancelled our final and gave us the same grade that we got on our last test (mine was 100%). This other final is grammar and I've already been so bad that I don't know what's going to happen. We just have to wait and pray I guess.

I spent the all of yesterday just concentrating on relaxation (which I don't usually do) and watched Crank for the first time. I already knew it was going to be good because Jason Statham was in it, and I simply adore his work. It was hilarious with plenty of action...

Today, I had to get to work though. I'm sending off my letters to Dr. Angelou and Nikki Giovanni this week, getting ready to move out of my apartment, and seeing about Study Abroad stuff and a semester internship in Washington. I can't believe I'm going to be gone from Madison for almost 2 years. That's probably going to be weird. I should probably start looking for material for PRIME, the magazine that I edit, right about now. So with that and all of the gloomy weather outside, I'm putting my nose to the grindstone yet again.

Apparently Writers are Lazy...but not Dr. Angelou

Okay, here's what I'm going to do because agents and everyone are always complaining that writers never do anything. So I'm going to self-publish my book with Createspace. It's so hard to get anywhere in the publishing world because they insist that you have to be known (have a platform) before they publish your book. Isn't that a little contradictory? I thought that's what publishing the book was supposed to do. I think that if it's a good idea and they're pretty sure it's going to sell, they should represent you. That's why authors are trying to go to publishers on their own becuause people keep refusing to represent them based on the fact that they are a new author. They can get the query letter write, have a good proposal, their book is polished to the max, and for what? To be rejected time and time again. So I'm coming out with two books. The first is a poetry book that I'm almost done with and I'm going to get people to pre-screen for me, and the second is a collection of short stories that should be done by December. I'm really excited for it to come out, and I'm trying to see if Dr. Maya Angelou would possibly read it. That woman is probably so busy it's ridiculous. I mean, I read that she does 80 appearances a year. 80 at 80? I have so much respect for that. She is one of the few poets that I can read and the pictures paint themselves in my head and I feel as if she is right there reading the words to me. However, it doesn't hurt to try :)