three excuses
alright, friends. clearly i've been slacking on my LJ duties. but i have good excuses! three of them!
1. i moved to pittsburgh!!!
this move happened right at the end of summer, between a trip to san francisco and a trip to the beach. and it nearly killed me. but my fabulous new apartment completely makes up for all the troubles. i can't tell you how much i love this place. first off, it is about 600 times the size of my brooklyn apartment. i'm talking THREE bedrooms, plus an office for me. and it has lots of nice details like black wooden trim, old radiators and a fireplace. plus it's on a cute little street with some shops and a movie theater. it completely feels like home in a way that living in ohio never did, i think because we were renting someone else's house for just a handful of months. anyway, i'm very happy about my new living situation and i'm looking forward to getting to know this city better.
(view from the dining room, into the living room. look at all my books in those fancy built-in shelves!)
2. i am teaching my first ever class at the university of pittsburgh!!!
when i was first presented with this very awesome opportunity, i talked it over with rachel cohn. she had taught a similar class in los angeles, and told me that it was going to be A LOT of work. well...she wasn't kidding. i'd say i put in a good four hours of prep time, i spend three hours in my office, and the class is two and a half hours long. but i really love it. i've got a ton of super talented students. and i get LOTS OF PERKS from the university, like free healthcare, a free bus pass, and free computer software! also, i get to teach in the beautiful Cathedral of Learning building.
and finally...the best excuse of all...
3. i finished the first draft of my new book which has no title or cover!!!
now, to call what i handed in a first draft is completely misleading. i'd probably written up until the middle of the book at least fifteen different times. and it kept feeling wrong. so very wrong. i blew two deadlines. i spent maaaaany afternoons sobbing my eyes out. but with the help of many talented friends, a few slaughtered darlings, and three weeks of 14-hour work days, i managed to limp over the finish line.
my reward: i've enjoyed two fabulous weeks of doing nothing but watching dvds, reading books, taking long walks, and doing some much-needed chores around the apartment. i've also been contemplating ideas for my next book. i've got two very different ideas swirling around...and i'm pretty sure i know which one i'm going to go with. it's been so fun, imagining a new project after being completely immersed in another for the last YEAR AND A HALF.
granted, my freedom ends tomorrow, when my editor and i go over his editorial notes. but that's okay, because he was really happy with the draft! i am so excited about this book. i can't WAIT for you to read it.
okay. that's about it for tonight. i am going to try my ABSOLUTE HARDEST to update this bad boy a lot more often. swearsies.
missed you, LJ! missed you internet friends! hope everyone out there is doing well!
xo,
siobhan
1. i moved to pittsburgh!!!
this move happened right at the end of summer, between a trip to san francisco and a trip to the beach. and it nearly killed me. but my fabulous new apartment completely makes up for all the troubles. i can't tell you how much i love this place. first off, it is about 600 times the size of my brooklyn apartment. i'm talking THREE bedrooms, plus an office for me. and it has lots of nice details like black wooden trim, old radiators and a fireplace. plus it's on a cute little street with some shops and a movie theater. it completely feels like home in a way that living in ohio never did, i think because we were renting someone else's house for just a handful of months. anyway, i'm very happy about my new living situation and i'm looking forward to getting to know this city better.
(view from the dining room, into the living room. look at all my books in those fancy built-in shelves!)
2. i am teaching my first ever class at the university of pittsburgh!!!
when i was first presented with this very awesome opportunity, i talked it over with rachel cohn. she had taught a similar class in los angeles, and told me that it was going to be A LOT of work. well...she wasn't kidding. i'd say i put in a good four hours of prep time, i spend three hours in my office, and the class is two and a half hours long. but i really love it. i've got a ton of super talented students. and i get LOTS OF PERKS from the university, like free healthcare, a free bus pass, and free computer software! also, i get to teach in the beautiful Cathedral of Learning building.
and finally...the best excuse of all...
3. i finished the first draft of my new book which has no title or cover!!!
now, to call what i handed in a first draft is completely misleading. i'd probably written up until the middle of the book at least fifteen different times. and it kept feeling wrong. so very wrong. i blew two deadlines. i spent maaaaany afternoons sobbing my eyes out. but with the help of many talented friends, a few slaughtered darlings, and three weeks of 14-hour work days, i managed to limp over the finish line.
my reward: i've enjoyed two fabulous weeks of doing nothing but watching dvds, reading books, taking long walks, and doing some much-needed chores around the apartment. i've also been contemplating ideas for my next book. i've got two very different ideas swirling around...and i'm pretty sure i know which one i'm going to go with. it's been so fun, imagining a new project after being completely immersed in another for the last YEAR AND A HALF.
granted, my freedom ends tomorrow, when my editor and i go over his editorial notes. but that's okay, because he was really happy with the draft! i am so excited about this book. i can't WAIT for you to read it.
okay. that's about it for tonight. i am going to try my ABSOLUTE HARDEST to update this bad boy a lot more often. swearsies.
missed you, LJ! missed you internet friends! hope everyone out there is doing well!
xo,
siobhan