It’s the fifth week of school and I am in a normal state of “too much to do,” but I’m also behind in my writing schedule.
Writing when life gets in the way, some brainstorming.
1. Get up early and write before I leave the house. (Getting up early will definitely work. Before I leave the house? That’s so I don’t get busy with grading.)
2. Pull out my schedule and write in due dates and dates to get abstracts written and reviewed.
3. Read the CFPs for sessions I want to present at, like MLA, and start writing. Write for five minutes. Write for five minutes every time I have free.
4. Schedule 15 minute grade-a-thons and write during the breaks. That will definitely encourage writing.
5. Stay up late and write. (Not working right now, but it might.)
6. Put together the notes for writing and write whenever I have time. Keep a notebook (as I like to write by hand–I think that way better) and carry it with me. Use one of the cool-looking pretty notebooks to carry and encourage myself to write. This seems like a good plan. I’ve bought some new pens I particularly like. Maybe those will help, too.
7. Make a goal list.
Okay, starting with #7. Organize by dates.
I’m thinking, thinking. I have 5 things written, but I am sure there is something that has to be done in February. Definitely need to do school organization I am sponsor of letters. Should have sent those already. Won’t take long, but haven’t done it. Feb. 12.
Oh, yeah. I remember. School application for honors’ classes. Feb. 13. Speed reading? I’ve had two sets of students ask for classes on this in the last week. Also thought it might be fun to teach a grown up version of Games and Races Through History. Was thinking I should do an iBook for the syllabus application for Games and Races.
Have to present on Texas occupations in pop fiction. That’s March 5. Books I was reading–with notes–are in my iPad. I should start taking that to school with me again so I can work on it.
MLA–Heavens Above! Envisioning Religion in Science Fiction.
Alien religions, post-secular numinous experience, evolutionary religious developments, neo-religious epiphanies–science fiction rarely leaves religion behind as it leaps to the stars. Papers addressing teleologies of transcendence, apocalyptic religious fulfillments, and other intersections of religion and science fiction welcome. Panel sponsored by MLA Forum on Religion and Literature. Abstract/CV by 15 March 2015 to Liam Corley, [email protected]. From UPenn.
Want to build on work I have already done for SWCCL and on work from PCA ideas and the class I’m teaching write now.
SWCCL, no clearly delineated SFF, due March 16.
PCA, sf and religion, conference presentation due in April. I am presenting April 2.
SF Rhetorics course for the fall. The Rhetoric of Fiction by Booth should probably be read again. I have The Rhetorics of Fantasy. Need to find it. Maybe put all my sff theory/pedagogy works together. Do I own Rhetoric in Popular Culture? I think so. Think I lent it to DW for FYC.
To remind myself:
I am attempting to limit my areas of presentation/publication from now on within one (or possibly two) very particular areas.
1. Science fiction/fantasy
2. Rape
Those are the two areas of interest/preference that my department wants me to focus on… Oh, and they would prefer a rhetorical angle rather than a literary one. I have discussions/descriptions/beginnings of rhetorical analysis of rape in literature and life. I don’t have that for sff.
I wrote what I hoped would be my first rhetorical-related chapter. Sent it off. No answer by due date for returns to revise. No answer to email request for information. It’s either that her life is too busy (which is possible and what I secretly hope for) or that it was so bad she doesn’t even want to tell me it’s not accepted (far easier for me to believe).