digitize me, captain

I once had an idea that I would make a vlog about what it’s like to be in an MFA program, but I think a lot of that is what you make it. Last semester, it sort of felt like undergrad, but slowed down and with better critiques and new people, and a lot more alcohol. Not that I necessarily drank more alcohol, but I was certainly around it more.

Not sure why that is.

But here’s what I’ve learned in the first week or so of my second semester in graduate school. Graduate school is an eff-load of work. I mean, it’s always been work, really, but I felt like I had ample time to do everything. So, I decided to start involving myself in some outside projects, because I wanted more things to do and because I didn’t want to spend the entire spring semester trapped in my little studio with my cat.

I started branching out in the internet community that I love so much (i.e. Nerd Fighters), which means that I make a video once a week, twice a week if my homework slows down enough to let me breathe. That means filming it, which means setting up the props and lighting and whatnot, but it also means preparing for it (research, script writing and editing, etc.). That’s what I normally end up doing on my day off, which is Tuesday.

But outside of vlogging, I keep up with “collaborative” tumblr for the youtube channel, which is updated daily at least. (I love tumblr because I can cheat and queue up the posts for an entire week in advance.) I have to review six books this year, three poetry and three fiction, for Literary Laundry. I have to get started on this ASAP. I am writing (frantically to get in by the deadline) and editing a Nerd Fighter collab book. I am constantly trying to edit things so that I can send them out for possible publication. I’m trying to finish this freaking novel that I’ve been working on for a year. I am trying to keep in contact with the Chicago Nerd Fighters and Pogotribe. We’ve an outing planned for April, and a Driftless Pony Club concert to go to in March.

I fully intend to go vegetarian for Lent, so I’m looking up stuff on that. I am still reading like a fanatic, which is now starting to get in the way of what I should be reading. I am getting Skype and a webcam because my brother is about to be deployed overseas and he’s my best friend, so I want to still have contact with him. I am starting a bit of a workout regime because I am sick of being sick of the way I look. And I’m sick of being sick. I think I’m finally starting to kick all this allergy/sinus stuff I’ve had for so long.

Outside of all of that, I am going to school, which means that I’m reading for class every week and doing so much homework that it makes my head hurt. I now have yet another blog, but this one is for a digital theory class (and yes, it does already have DFTBA stuff on it). I have quasi-family (but definitely friends) coming in very soon that I am making time for.

And, in case that wasn’t quite enough, I’ve got a new job that I’m starting doing newspaper layout for The Torch. I haven’t done newspaper stuff since high school (though I’ve done a couple of literary magazine layout things since then), and I’m trying to brush up in time to finish an issue by Sunday. And it’s a weekly paper, so that’s now what my weekends consist of–layout editing. I’m geekily looking forward to it, actually, so I can’t complain about it much.

I sincerely hope that the editors don’t mind me listening to music in my headphones, or they’ll probably want to hurt me by the time Saturday night rolls around. I mean, I love DFTBA and DJ Earworm, but they probably don’t.

That reminds me of something. If you’re looking to check out some new music, look into Mike Lombardo. He’s a really nice guy, has great interaction with his fans, and his music is very nice. Well written. And if you want some interesting science-related-but-also-cool-for-the-masses entertainment, see the new Darren Brown series Science of Attraction. Charlie McDonnell (fellow Nerd Fighter and vlogger, also director and musican) is a part of it.

And by the way, I have actual friends here (oh, the shock, the horror) that I’m trying to keep up with too. And readings. And I am making time to do cool things, like go to the museum. And I really, really, deep down in my soul, want to go to VidCon this year. I doubt that I’ll scrape up the cash for that. And even if I did, I wouldn’t have friends there, really. It would be an entire conference (weekend?) of me fangirl-ing. Seriously.

So, yeah, I know that it always seems like I’m doing nothing, especially if you follow me on twitter, but that is clearly not the case. That being said, I am so excited about all of the things that I’m doing this semester (except maybe the homework), and I look forward to talking to you guys about more specific projects as they pop up.

Until then, happy writing!