It's 10:53 PM My Time...

...which means that no matter what this blog time thing may say or what zone you are in, this is the update for Feb. 3, 2011.

(I'm determined to do this.  A new blog each day for a whole flippin year.  So far, so good.)

I got my feedback and critiques back for the speech that I gave on Tuesday.  I was four seconds short on time.  If I had gotten those four seconds, I would've aced the speech.

That's right.  I would have gotten full points.

So it's going to be ok.  This class is going to be ok.  Giving speeches is not going to kill me.

Also, you guys remember how I was having all that heartburn trouble and the doctor gave me some pills to try? (That sounded wrong, but I don't care.)  Well I am happy to report that they work.  I have been heartburn free since I started taking them.  I can not tell you how nice it is to be able to eat whatever I want without having to down a bottle of Tums with it. 

It is freaking amazing.  No heartburn at all.

The only side effect that is driving me nuts is dizziness.  I only feel it when I'm extremely tired (as in, sleeping hardly at all or about to fall asleep) or this past week from being sick.  I had no idea being sick made such a difference, but it totally does.  I got so dizzy in speech class today from the combination of pushing myself, the heat of the building, and my medication.

It's a side effect I will take gladly.  I would much rather be heartburn free.  And, as said before, it's not like I feel it all the time.  Just when I'm massively sick or overly tired.  I'll take it.

I wrote a poem for my creative writing II class.  It's a narrative poem written from my point of view.  I wrote about being sick and tied it in with the Bubonic plague.  I have no idea where the plague idea came from, but it came from somewhere and wedged itself into my poem.  For good or for ill?  Only time shall reveal the answer.

I forgot how much I love creative non-fiction.  Maybe I'm a combination essay writer and short-story author.  I don't know.  I hate being up on the fence about two things that I love.  At the moment, though, creative non-fiction is winning out.

Still don't know about the contest I entered.  I think I should know soon though.  I'm still kind of hoping to win, but there is so much good talent here; it's kind of intimidating.  But if I don't win, that's totally cool too.  It just means I enter another one down the road.

Also, I saw three owls tonight.  It totally gives me hope for things to come.  All three were Great Horned Owls, two male and one female.   (You can tell by the size; the female is huge compared to the males.)  All I have to do is keep praying, trusting, and living the life that I enjoy.  At the moment that includes going to school and living at home.  Things are going to be good.

And on that note, I'm going to leave you.  It is now 11:05 PM. 

Until the next time,

~Meaghan

I'm Doing It.

It's official, my dear readers.  I'm entering my first writing contest. 

I should rephrase that.  Truth be told, it's not actually my first.  When I was nine, I entered a limmerick in an on-line contest through PBS.  Surprisingly, I won (I don't remember what place, it was too long ago) and got my limmerick published online for a brief amount of time.

This time, though, it's different.  This time, there's more on the line than being published on the internet.  Afterall, being published online falls into a similar catagory (I feel like I spelled that wrong) as fanfiction and blogging.  And I do both.

No, this contest means business.  I'll fill you in.

It's actually two contests: one for students of colleges only and one for all residents of Colorado.  There are three genres for each - Creative Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction, and Poetry.  There's an entry fee of ten dollars (seven for students, so I get the lower rate).  You have to mail in three copies of your piece and a coversheet (like you would write if you were to send something to an editor).

Here's what you get if you win.

If you win the student only one, you get $75 for your genre, your piece published in a national writer's magazine, and an invitation to attend the Colorado Literary Festival in April.  That's a pretty sweet deal with great exposure.

If you win the statewide one, you get $250 for your genre, your piece published in the same national writer's magazine as the student only contest, and you get to not only attend the Colorado Literary Festival in April, but you get to read your piece at it.

My hands are clammy just thinking about it.  Yeah the money's cool, but think about it.  Editors and writers and publishers all read this specific magazine.  It's brilliant.

Of course, chances are that you will also get a letter thanking you for participating.  Even that's pretty cool though.

I'm really excited, can you tell?  I'm also a little nervous.  I've never done this before.  But seeing as my aspiration in life is to be a writer, this is a good start.

It's funny.  I don't think I would be entering this contest if it weren't for my writing instructor.  She told me that she felt my final piece last semester was strong enough to be entered into this contest as well as other writing contests across the board.  I think that's the highest praise I could honestly get from her for something I've written.  After all, she's a fantastic teacher and a brilliant writer.

My final piece is the one I'm entering.  I've done a lot of work on it to craft the words the way I want them and to show the characters for who they are, even if it is just for a fleeting moment.  The piece is short and starts right in medias res.  I love stories that do that.  They are fun to write and fun to read.  I'm also thinking it's part of a larger story; I feel like I'm going to end up writing that larger story in the not too distant future.

So anyway, that's it for today's blog.  I'll let you know how this contest goes.  I'm hoping to have my entry in by Friday.

Until we meet again, dear readers.

~Meaghan