Classes!
So, first day of classes, today. Went very well. I am quite pleased with how this semester is shaping up...
Seminar, which I'm just going to keep referring to as Thesis, because no one else knows really what "Seminar" means (it's the English Major Thesis, anyway), is looking very interesting, and yet I'm still rather scared pantless over it... I just have the anxiety of never really having written a research paper before, and I'm only okay at essays, I guess. Sometimes I do fine, good even, but others- not so much. And the only "research" paper I've ever done was for IA second semester Freshman year, which was, I'm pretty sure, a complete disaster, though about fifteen pages of complete disaster. Thesis paper is 20 - 25 pages. Granted, we do work on it all semester, and we work closely with her (plus, Karen = teh awesome), and because we're going to have a minimum of ten outside sources, it's not going to be hard to write that much. It's just the fact that I have to write a 20 - 25 page paper. It's going to take a while to get my head around that.
Fiction Writing is looking quite intriguing indeed. I've been dying to take a class with John since before I even came to LC- I sat in on his English 206 (Major Periods and Issues in English Literature Post-1800) as a prospie. It was in that moment, when the class was reading Keats's "On Seeing the Elgin Marbles," I decided that I wanted to come to LC, I wanted to be an English Major, and I wanted to take that class with him.
Turns out it was a totally whacked year where he taught 206, and so I ended up taking it with Kurt, instead. Sadly, that will be my only Kurt class. He was forced to cancel his Romantics class (I'm still bitter, though I understand), because he had to take over another teacher's Thesis (Seminar) at the last minute. I'm still glad I was able to get at least one- he's also more than awesome. He is made of awesome. I think Jerry is up there, too.
But now, finally! I'm in a class with John! And he is every bit as I remember him- he even looks the same... which is old enough to be my granny's age, I think. I'm cool with that. And he swears a lot- it's hilarious. I also like the fact that he's a writer, and having a novel published is also pretty cool, which just happened. He said he'd wanted to write a novel his whole life, and it took him five years to do it, but he did. And how old is he? I think that's totally great. Shows you're never too old, and it's never too late. A Man You Could Love.
...I just read a summery: apparently when a volcano erupts, it kills the main character's secret lover, Rebecca. I am seriously way too amused by that...
Anyway- I totally digress. Or do I?
The class is looking to be very well set-up. I normally tend to detest writing exercises, because they so often are pointless and rather stupid, but these it looks like will be helpful, and even fun. We did one today- develop an intriguing character, basically. With a secret, even if we didn't know what that secret was, yet. We had about fifteen minutes to write. Came up with something interesting... Then we expand a bit and add at least one line of dialogue for Thursday's class. Also, we review manuscripts anonymously. THANK YOU GOD. It's hard enough putting your stuff out there for someone else to read, but when they're sitting in class with you, and they're going to be sitting in class with you for the rest of the semester? So much harder. I have much less trouble putting my stuff up on the internet, because of the anonymous factor- very few people who read my stuff on the internet actually know me. They may matter, but there's little face-to-face interaction and therefore less squirmy-inducing embarrassment.
That's also part of why I've shared very little of my work with my parents, or family... and I'm discounting the slash (graphic or not) entirely, as that's for an entirely different reason first (in addition to because of above-mentioned issues).
But... I'm just thinking it's going to go well. Had a momentary panic attack about the 'contract' we're to sign. But I also read it wrong and thought it was wanting 25 pages of 'our best work' as of now- meaning submit your portfolio now. It's 25 pages of our best work that we plan to do during the semester. And it doesn't have to be fully finished pieces, it's just things that we can continue with, or expand on even. It's just a set of what we work on over the semester and getting us to the process of revising it. Much better. Even with approximate, self-set 'due' dates.
And I went and talked with the Drawing teacher- it's looking like I'll get into the class. She also said it was good that I came and talked with her. Before, I was just another name on the waitlist (though in second place, there), because waitlist doesn't give class standing, or major/minor info. I am a Senior Art Minor who needs the class for the minor, needs that section because the other conflicts with my Thesis, and I think the newest section they opened, though technically only open to incoming students, conflicts with Fiction Writing, I believe. So, I was sort of set in that case there, anyway. But still- load off my mind. I go to class tomorrow night for the first time and it shall all be official. Hooray.
Anyway... That's my first day of classes ramblings.
Moose?