briarwood: (SPN Meg Blue)
Morgan Briarwood ([personal profile] briarwood) wrote2010-06-15 10:12 am
Entry tags:

The State of Me

Yesterday [livejournal.com profile] admiralandrea and [livejournal.com profile] krazykipper got their degree results and I couldn't be more happy for both of them!

My OU course result showed up this morning. Not as exciting as theirs, since mine is a pass/fail thing and only a level 1 course, but I passed. I got an 81% average on part 1, 74% on part 2. Which is pretty darn good considering how many issues I had with the material on part 2. Now I've got to decide whether or not I'm continuing with this next year. Part of me really, really wants to. But the bigger part of me is focussed on the cost: in money, but mostly in the things I'd have to give up to really concentrate on study. Like fandom. I reckon I could deal with the monetary cost but the rest? I doubt it.

I got a frantic call from Sis yesterday telling me Mum had texted her and she was really sick and when was I going home. I was almost at the end of my work day so I begged a lift from a colleague and headed home double-quick. I don't know what she'd told Sis but Mum seemed fine to me. She'd been unwell, and was being sulky and miserable, but Sis made it sound like I'd need to call an ambulance the instant I got in. Someone needs a stern talking to about exaggerating ailments. I just need to figure out which one. Grr.

Poppy has her next checkup at the vet tonight. She still isn't walking properly on that leg, but I don't think it's hurting her any more and she's back to being fit and active and running everywhere. She'll use all four legs when she runs - that's why I'm sure it's no longer hurting her - but if she's walking or standing still she still tries to keep it off the ground. Habit, maybe? Hopefully the vet will be pleased with her.

I made a start on a fic for [community profile] hc_bingo: just outlining so far. It has an...unusual pairing, which seems to be a habit with me just lately. Then it occurred to me that I've got a WiP which fits fairly well with another of my squares. I'd just have to make the 'hurt' stuff a bit more graphic than I originally planned and it might be the push I need to finally finish this one. And then I sat down to write...and ended up with more than 5,000 words of a completely different story. And this one is no good as a bingo square!

How does this happen to me? I know how it happens. I just have this really well-populated back-burner. I get ideas, I shove 'em back there and someday they pop up as if to say "Right, my turn now!" and it just flows. It seems easy, but it's because I've been thinking about it at odd moments for years. In this case, it was an idea about Sam and his friends staying in a supposedly haunted house while he's at Stanford, and how would he deal with it while trying to keep his friends both safe and ignorant of who he really is. Then I thought about tying that idea in somehow with The Haunting of Hill House, just, you know, because. But the idea when I originally thought of it went nowhere. Now suddenly I've got the 'hook' I needed to make this work and I've got all this stuff written...and weirdly, it's all from Jessica's point of view. I think that's a big part of my 'hook': I don't need to explain who Sam is or what he knows - the reader knows all that. The interesting part of the story is Jessica's ignorance: how does she perceive the paranormal activity, how much does Sam inadvertently give away, what will she see in his actions? In a sense, she's a perfect unreliable narrator because the reader will have more information than she does. This could be really good.

Of course, no one will read it because it's icky het and from Jessica's POV :D

I really must do more than outline that [community profile] hc_bingo fic. And get back to that TV meme. Soon.
birggitt: Happiness (Books)

[personal profile] birggitt 2010-06-15 02:20 pm (UTC)(link)
*raises hand* I'd read, as the premise looks really interesting. And because I really love stories with an unreliable narrator. So, yes, even with the icky het, I'm up to it *laughs*

About your OU course, well, I'm the kind of person who keeps studying for the fun of it, so, maybe not the most adequate person to give any advice.
But the thing is, if you don't find your course entertained enough to make up for what you are giving up, IMHO, is not good for you.
But, then again, I study maths for the fun of it, so maybe you want to have that on account *laughs*
Edited 2010-06-15 14:21 (UTC)
birggitt: Happiness (Twin Peaks)

[personal profile] birggitt 2010-06-15 04:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes, I know. Gen, mostly, is very, very underrated.
But, lately, as I have less and less time to read, I've noticed this tendency on me: I'm not reading a lot neither of het or slash. When I go for a long new story, it's usually gen. *shrugs* Maybe I got an overdoses of porn *laughs*

I see. It's a lot to give up on, and, if you are not sure... well, I don't think it'll be such a good idea. But, of course, that's just IMHO

Oh! And your icon remind me! Did you saw True Blood? The title sequence? They hate us, don't they?
birggitt: Happiness (Bobby!!!!)

[personal profile] birggitt 2010-06-15 05:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, my copy must have been chopped, then, cuz I didn't got it, and I thought they had cut it out!
*looks for other, different dl*
ghyste: (Default)

[personal profile] ghyste 2010-06-15 05:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Congratulations on your results :)
draigwen: (Default)

[personal profile] draigwen 2010-06-15 07:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Congrats on the course results. I just got mine for a level 1 course too (a 10 pointer). I'm starting a full 60 point course next year - I borrowed money from the OH to pay for it but they also do really low interest rates if you want to pay monthly (something like £12 on £650) so I'm planning on doing that for the next year assuming I get through the workload of this one!