Joe Vasicek

272 words

It will have to do for tonight. I really should get some sleep.

I’ve got three tests this week: Book of Mormon, Political Science 357, and Philosophy 202. I’m not anticipating any unpleasant surprises, but I will have to study fairly hard over the next few days. However, this is good, because it will leave more time next week for the two Quark meetings (on Tuesday and Saturday).

I’m at a critical juncture in the novel and I think I need to reread the last 50 pages in order to figure out exactly how to tell what happens in the next 50 pages of the story. I’ll probably do that between classes, while hanging out at the LRC.

Drek and I were chatting today on gchat about OCR and the awesome free music they put out. We decided to blog on our top pics from the website. His post is already up, but I need a little more time to put mine up.

Book of Mormon test tomorrow. Should be a breeze. Wish me luck with the others.

Call for readers

Hey, if I know you from real life (ie from Quark or we’re friends in person in some other way) and you want to read what I’ve got so far, shoot me an email or a comment on this post, and I’ll send you what I’ve got! The Lost Colony is currently at about 36,600 words, and if you’ve got the stomach for it, I’d love for you to read it and just give me your general impressions so far! I’m not going to be making any major revisions yet, but I really do love sharing what I write with people, so if you would like a copy, by all means I’ll send you one!

In fact, I probably am a little bit too eager to share my stories. I remember sharing The Clearest Vision with a few casual friends and acquaintances before I edited it to tone down the more controversial stuff. It made things slightly weird in those relationships. Yeah. I definitely wasn’t expecting the two page letter questioning my priesthood worthiness (but then again, that was more psycho on her part than on mine).

Hence, it’s probably safer to ask for people to come to me than for me to go out to everybody I know. So yeah, if you want a copy, and you’re a good enough friend that I know you won’t do something stupid like plagiarize me, let me know! I would be very interested to get some initial impressions!

717 words

Today, around midnight, I just had this urge to escape reality and jump into my novel. That, so far, has proven to be the most effective way to escape the strange sense of procrastination that keeps me from writing when I can. I stopped caring about sleep and just dove in. Now, I’m 717 words in, and the story is progressing very nicely. Yay!

Also, I decided to change the font from Courier New to Times New Roman. The idea was that I’d write the novel in the format of the manuscript that I’d actually send out to get published, and the publishers I’ve submitted too all have Courier as the required font. However, from talking with some of the members of the writing group in last week’s meeting, and also with Locke (the leading editor of The Leading Edge), I figure it’s better to write in Times New Roman. This is because 1) it’s easier to read, 2) TLE prefers Times New Roman, and 3) some of the writing group members (Xen!) really have a thing against Courier new. So meh. It reduces my page count from about 170 to about 130, but I can handle the blow to my ego.

Thank goodness we got an extra hour of sleep this weekend! I can tell you I’ve already spent it!

288 words…

…and I’m so freaking tired that I’m going to bed NOW.

At least I wrote something today!

Um, yeah…only 66 words tonight…

But at least I wrote SOMETHING. Around 10:30 at night, I went and visited my old roommate Steve who’s a film major. He was trying to finish a screenplay and get it in before midnight, so I decided to come and write with him in the same room. So then, got home, took a shower, had a bowl of cereal, called my parents while in the car on the way…and finally sat myself down writing at about 11:15. And then he sent in the screenplay at 11:45, and we ended up just hanging out and talking about stuff: life, girls, school, work, feelings and emotions, spiritual impressions, marriage, regrets, finances, Israel and the illegal settlements, Yasir Arafat and Black September (ok, I did most of the talking there–but at least I kept it short! And Steve WAS interested, otherwise I wouldn’t have talked about it!), classes in the coming semester, pirating illegal music, the singularity, the possibility of space travel in the Millenium…basically, all kinds of stuff. Man, friends are really awesome!

So, I’ve been thinking about the goals that I’ve set. Back when Aneeka inspired me to actually give this novel idea a shot, she said that I should set goals. I reviewed that conversation tonight, and was thinking about it. I’ve got a 500 word per night goal…but I don’t always keep it. Usually, I can just tag how many words I miss onto the next day, so if I miss one day, I’ll make it up by doing 1,000 the next. Or 1,500 if I miss two days in a row. But anything longer than that, and I just end up never making the goal at all.

So, I’ve been thinking that I should approach this writing with two goals: the first is to write 500 words per night, and the second goal is just to sit down each day and at least write something–even if it’s only a sentence or two. That way, I’m still doing what I’ve been doing, but if I can sit down for even ten minutes, I can at least feel like I’ve accomplished something. Also, if I can really get into the habit of writing daily, then that alone will probably do a lot to help me move from a hobby writer to a semi-professional one (about as semi as you can get…). We’ll see.

Thank God for Political Science!

Man, I am SO happy that I’m a Political Science major! I can’t say it enough! I will NEVER have to worry about looking back and saying “man, why didn’t I major in Political Science?” That right there is a mightily compelling reason! But there are a lot more reasons as well! A LOT. For one, the stuff that I’m studying here for Political Science is REALLY giving me a lot of good ideas for writing fiction! Man, the Middle East is such a complicated area of the world, with so many conflicts and such diverse cultures, religions, and ethnicities…there is no shortage of questions to ask and stuff to explore! And Science Fiction (and fiction in general) is one very valid and interesting way to explore it! I mean, take any aspect of the Middle East, and say “what if we do this to it?” Put it in a sci fi setting, and you’ve got the potential for an amazing story! Or take the problems that we’re struggling with in the region, isolate them, and write a fictional world where the characters struggle with those same problems. Add in some imaginative stuff, some awesome technology, compelling, well-written characters, and all that, and you’ve got something EXTREMELY relevant to the real world! Even more so because it’s fiction, because if it’s written well, you’ve put it in a setting where people can look at the problem without being so burdened by their silly and irrational prejudices! But besides that, just from studying something like Political Science, I’ve tapped into an AMAZING source of ideas and inspiration for my own writing! Even if I just wanted to write fiction for the sake of writing fiction (and honestly, I really think that almost any other approach is going to backfire–ESPECIALLY the dogmatic approach), by studying Political Science, I’ve opened a fountain of ideas in embryo that are just screaming to be born! MAN! I am SO happy that God put me in a place where I could study Political Science!!!

There was an amazing lecture today at the BYU Kennedy Center. Reza Aslan, author of No God But God, gave an excellent lecture on Iran and US-Iranian relations. Just in case you don’t know, relations between us and them are…well, let’s just say that they’re pretty freaking bad.

Please, PLEASE, PLEASE pray that we don’t start bombing them! Just when you thought the US couldn’t shoot itself in the foot any more (because the freaking Neocons have been doing a @#$@! good job of that since Sept 11th–either they’re EXTREMELY stupid, or, for all intents and purposes, they are traitors to this incredibly wonderful country we call the USA), Dick Cheney and his neocon goonies start sounding the war drums. Right now, just about every missile in the Middle East (and we have troops in EVERY COUNTRY bordering Iran) is pointed at some target inside the sovereign Islamic Republic of Iran. Not good…definitely not good!

But I learned a little bit today WHY it’s not good…and the reason was very surprising! If we launch airstrikes against Iran (and we almost certainly won’t do a ground invasion–not because the Neocons aren’t stupid enough to make that blunder, but because our military simply doesn’t have the capability to do it!), it will play right into the hands of the extremists and tyrannous clerics who rule (under, may I add, upwards of a 90% popular disapproval rating)! In fact, according to Mr. Aslan, EVERYTHING we have done in that region FOR THE LAST THIRTY YEARS HAS PLAYED INTO THE HANDS OF OUR ENEMIES!!! It’s been an unrelenting disaster! Reza Aslan made a very compelling argument that if we were to end sanctions, recant regime change as the stated policy of the United States, and do everything to open up that country to the rest of the world (“we should be prying it open with a crowbar,” he said), the horrible, cruel, autocratic clerics wouldn’t have a leg to stand on! It would be like China–you look at it now, and it is DEFINITELY not a communist country! I mean, in name it is, and it’s not yet a democracy, but it’s a far cry from what we saw under Chairman Mao–that spawn of Satan himself!

And the big difference is that Iran ALREADY HAS almost everything a liberal democracy needs! It has a thriving civil society, with all kinds of NGO’s, Foundations, Institutions, etc, it has a rising middle class, it has a constitution with legislative, judicial, and executive branches, it has regular elections…it’s just that all that power rests with a handful of tyrannical clerics! And the only way that tyrants stay in power (according to Mr. Aslan) is by isolating their people! Man, if we would just OPEN UP to that country–I mean, if they weren’t so scared of us, it would be a LOT harder for Ahmedinejad and his cronies to get people to support the Iranian nuclear program! I mean, the average Iranian cares a lot more about the economy than their nation’s foreign policy! That’s the only reason they elected Ahmedinejad in the first place–and the reason why he’s so unpopular back home right now! Everything we’ve been doing in the history of our dealings with the Islamic Republic of Iran has either helped our enemies or hurt our own interests, and it’s HIGH TIME we had some change!

</political rant>

Ok, I’d better calm down (note to self–breath in, breath out, breath in, breath out). But MAN! You see why I’m so happy that I’m a Poli Sci major! And the cool thing is that this stuff really has some potential for some good stories! I mean, just about every time I learn something new about the Middle East, I think to myself “Oooh, that would be really awesome to put into the story I’m writing!” It’s gotten to the point where there’s just too much stuff to cram into one novel! Fortunately, I can write others. But man!

I mean, I felt like my eyes were totally opened today! Up until this point, I’ve seen Iran as this scary, totalitarian nation led by a crazy, maniacal leader, bent on the destruction of all that is good and holy in the world. Even when I’m rational enough to realize that that’s probably not all true, the idea has been lurking in the back of my paradigm. But this lecture painted the picture of a completely different country! A civilized, rational, highly cultural, and essentially peaceful people who are working, despite the interference of the United States, to free themselves from the rule of a few bad men! Man, this lecture made me want to study Farsi and travel to Iran, for heaven’s sakes! I might just do it! I just might!

At the very least, I’m going to read this guy’s book and subscribe to just about every raw news RSS feed that I can (AP, NPR, Reuters, Al-Jazeera, Agence-France, etc–basically, the ones that Drudge links to) so that I can have a heads up on what’s REALLY going on in this wonderful world! I mean, I just learned from Mr. Aslan that representatives from EVERY MUSLIM SECT got together a few months ago to sign a document calling on the Christian world to help improve relations and fight extremist fundamentalism in both religions! I mean, imagine the press we’d be hearing if all of the Christians sects did something like that! It’s unprecedented! I don’t even think it would even happen! And yet…where was that in the mainstream media? Buried somewhere. Time to start digging it up.

Man, I am SO GLAD that I’m a Political Science major!!!

1,100 words and a very fun Nanowrimo writing party!

I’ve been wanting to organize some more informal get togethers with Quark. I heard from Gamila that it’s really the informal get togethers that Aneeka threw together back in the day that got the ball rolling with the writing group. Of course, when I was talking online with Drek about this and venting / bouncing ideas off of him, his response was “doesn’t informal mean that it isn’t planned?” Well…maybe…

So, today was the first day of Nanowrimo, and Drek and his wife Kyla were kind enough to host a sort of “informal” (but planned) writing party. It was a lot of fun! We basically all got into the same room and wrote in our stories together–while listening to music, snacking on food, sharing our wordcounts, playing with the cat, etc. After long days and lots of studies, it was very relaxing and a lot of fun!

I gave Danke and Onlera a ride to Drek’s house, which is pretty far away from campus. It was really just the five of us, but I think we all had a good time. Onlera hasn’t really made it out to too many meetings before, but she seemed excited about it now. And Danke has been showing up to almost every meeting, but hasn’t yet submitted anything. I think that’s about to change, though. As writing group leader, I’ve taken it upon myself to help everyone overcome the shyness and lack of self-confidence that seems to prevail among aspiring writers (holy cow! It is easier to write 50,000 words in a single sitting than it is to convince Aneeka that her novel is not the worst story in existence! Even with empirical proof!) 😉

I was a little bit surprised that I only got 1,100 words in two hours. 400 of those were from something that I realized I needed to insert in a certain place, in order to give the novel a little bit more direction and build up the tension earlier. Basically, Ian and Aaron consult with each other on what they should do, after they make it to the capitol city, and they figure out that the coalition rescue fleet will arrive in about nine months, so they decide that their highest priority is to find out what hit them and do what they can to disable it before the fleet arrives and gets hit. Other than that, just continuing the scene I’m at right now–at the feast where Ian realizes that by local law, he won all of the bandit women as slaves when he killed their husbands in self-defense, and he makes the extremely unusual decision to free them. More cultural awkwardnesses and misunderstandings! How fun!

So, basically, the writing party was a TON of fun and I’d love to do it again! I don’t know if I’ll be able to host parties here at the FLSR, since there really isn’t a space that’s empty and relatively quiet for 2 full hours. I’ll see what I can do, though.

I really hope I get into this class!!! (and other thoughts on Brandon Sanderson)

MAN!!!!!!! Today was the first priority date to sign up for classes, and every slot except for one filled up in English 318 section 3 (the one taught by Brandon Sanderson)!!!! MAN!!!!! I SO want to get this class!!!!!! My sister told me she’d try to hold it for me, but last I heard she had a hold on her account…and so did two other senior friends that I asked! Well, if I fail to make the date, I suppose I can try the add-drop card approach. And I’ve already emailed him (not just a fan email–I asked him if it would be alright if I worked on this novel in his class). Many of my friends in the writing group have taken his class, some multiple times, so I suppose that it’s possible…I don’t know. I’m stressing over it.

I’ve heard Sanderson interviewed on a couple of writing podcasts that I listen to. The most notable one, IMO, was Adventures in Sci Fi publishing. Apparently, he’s been doing a book tour out here in the West with Dave Wolverton (maybe that’s why he hasn’t responded to my email 🙂 )

He said a couple of interesting things on the podcast. The first thing was really frightening, actually (I forget if it was him or Dave Wolverton). One of the two of them said that the major publishers are so paranoid that they’re rejecting new authors who even have the support of big name reviewers. Apparently, a publisher in NY turned down a new sci fi novelist who had his draft reviewed by one of the big name book reviewers over there, as well as having other credentials. Ouch. As an amateur writer who only has vague, nebulous dreams about getting published…this is really scary. And, even though I’ve attempted to write a novel like five or six times, I have yet to succeed in even finishing a rough draft. So…I’ve got a lot of road ahead of me. And I have no idea how long it will take–decades, maybe. Yikes!

The other thing was about him and science fiction. Someone on the podcast asked him if he planned on writing science fiction, and he said that he just wasn’t well versed enough to participate in the conversation. That’s really interesting that he called it a “conversation.” Coming from one of the social sciences, it really struck a chord in me. Academia is like a conversation, and the important thing isn’t about being right so much as it is being relevant. You need to do a lit review and know what the debate is like, what the sides are on the issues–otherwise, either you’ll waste your time with research that’s already been done, or you’ll end up answering a question that nobody is asking.

So, what I took from that, is that I really need to read more sci fi, if I want to write it! Man, as if classes weren’t enough…but this is something I love, so it shouldn’t be hard. Maybe I should set some kind of goal, like one novel per month? I have no idea. But yeah, I want to write something that’s worthwhile, and possibly get it published eventually. Like, if I can…

UPDATE: ok, so in the time that it’s taken to write all of this (interspersed with interruptions, like driving my friends down to a disgustingly huge Halloween party at the Hollywood house and hanging out with some of my other friends), I just heard from my sister Kate! She was able to hold the class for me!!!!! YAAAAAYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’M IN!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOHOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1,233 words on this hot date with my science fiction novel

I’m past the part that I was hung up on, and now I’m in a good part. The story is advancing quickly, and it’s really coming together quite naturally. Yay! I didn’t write yesterday, but I more than made up for it today.

I love it how when you have vague ideas before you sit down and write, they come together in a way that makes sense and can even surprise you by showing an aspect of the story that you hadn’t considered. It’s like that when you’re writing about the different charactes’ feelings, and then as you consider what the character should be feeling at that time, it leads you to think a little more about how this character relates to the other character, which helps you to flesh out the characterization and the story around them. It’s great. That’s why I don’t go into writing fiction with a clear, well laid out plan of what’s going to happen. I like to let the story itself surprise me.

And so, now that you all know that things are going well, I’m going to sign out. I REALLY need sleep. I’m awake as long as I’m moving, but when I sit down, I start to get droopy eyed. I realized this today as I was driving to a family get together in Salt Lake city. Fortunately, I have some good ocremix techno to keep me awake. But now, I’m getting loopy.

Goodnight all!

Yay! 790 words!

This is going to be really short, because it’s very late and I’ve got to sleep (preferably not in church tomorrow). I picked up the novel tonight and got another 790 words in. Yay! So I’m not stuck as bad as I’d thought! I’ll just have to rewrite that one part at some time. And I’m at this really good scene, too, where some pivotal things happen! The first contact / cultural shock continues, with all kinds of misunderstandings and complications that set the stage for what comes next! Yay! What fun! If I weren’t so dang tired, I’d just keep on writing!

Now, I’d better get to bed before Aneeka comes online again and starts chastising me for neglecting my sleep…