Nanowrimo 2010

I just hit 50,000 words, which means, I have won Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) for the fourth year in a row.  Woo hoo!  Anyway, for fun, here is a word cloud of my novel.  The words on this cloud are what I use the most throughout the book.  Kinda embarrassing really, but it is still fun :)

 

Explanation on some of these puppies:

• Ryo is NOT the main character, but the main character's lover.  The book is written in first person and the word "I" is eliminated (as are all of the most common words in the English language).
• The main character uses the word "really" and "pretty" and "just" an awful lot in his narrative.  I felt self-conscious about it for a bit, but whatever.  I use them a lot when I talk too, so I suppose it is just normal.
• "One"?  I have no clue.  I must've said it a lot, but I can't think of a single instance.  Can't think of (wait for it) ONE instance.
• "Know" and "knew"- that's more from things that avoid omnipotent narrator stuff.  "I knew he was upset because he was crying," except not that lame.  Same goes for think
• "Anyway"is on there twice.  He says that a lot.  "Anyway" and "real" were speech habit choices, as were "really" and "pretty," so I don't feel one bit bad.
• Lily is also a character.
• "Blood"- ha!  Oh dear.  I don't want that on my word cloud. 

Feel free to ask away. I am curious as well!!!

Towel thief!

The unimaginable happened at the gym yesterday.  The UNTHINKABLE.  The everyone's worst nightmare at the gym ness.  For reals.  Someone stole my towel while I was in the shower.

Now I knew they were plotting against my towel, vicious childlings.  I could hear one say she had forgot her towel, then the other say to just take one on the other side.  So I kept checking my towel and glaring at the girls.  But then, when I went to check the last time, it was GONE. 

Okay okay.  While it isn't pleasant walking across locker room's in one's birthday suit, I sucked it up (and sucked it in, if you know what I mean).  I got a few weird looks, which I am now going to reinterpret as ogling and appreciative looks.  But it was more or less okay.  I am not scarred for life.

The trouble is, I think I've probably caught my death.  I couldn't dry off, you see.  So, of course, I couldn't put on my fancy outfit and get them all soaked.  I put my somewhat soggy workout pants, that became more soaked by my general wetness.  Then put on a clean tshirt.  And went out out out into the cold as ass night.

I am sure I was mere seconds from having my hair freeze to my head.  Being soaked and out in freezing weather is pretty much the coldest thing you can ever imagine.  I STILL feel cold, and it's been twenty-four hours! 

Suffice to say, I got a hot chocolate to warm myself up.  But if I ever see those punks again, they are GETTING it.  By which I mean, I will glare at them some more and keep my towel in the shower with me.  Wet or not, it's better than getting freezing and walking across the locker room naked at peak hours all in the same day.  Rawr.

hands

hand
fingers spread
only mountains
growing steeper

getting closer
becoming more
than simple beat
syncopated

interesting sounds
childhood blankets
empty diaries
suddenly filled

hopeful noises
at a disco beat
surprisingly sweet
fingers clasped

hands.

Not applying to stupid Berkeley!

Yeah, Berkeley can kiss my Latina booty. 

Somehow I missed it, but those you-know-whats apparently require the GRE English Literature test.  Note on the "English" part, okay.  For I shall tell you many reasons for why this is a very good reason to not apply.  Another reason is that awful sentence.  But I digress.

Why the GRE English Literature Test can crawl in a hole and die:

1.  This test is in addition to the GRE general test, which is already quite awful.  I'm not sure if I complained on this blog (in addition to my other), but the ETS pretty much denied me disabilities accommodations.  They didn't "actually" do it- just requested a very unreasonable (and my disability advisor says illegal) amount of paperwork.  That test is ableist, sexist, racist, and other "ists" in a bad way.  It is also super expensive- $160.  So, how much is the English subject test, you ask?  Oh my, an addition $140-$160 according to ETS.  Which puts my Berkeley application at about $300 to apply to.  Yuck.
2. The English subject test is described as follows: "Each edition of the test consists of approximately 230 questions on poetry, drama, biography, the essay, the short story, the novel, criticism, literary theory and the history of the language" (emphasis mine).  By "the language," I assume they mean English.  Yet one of the texts they claim to draw from is "the Bible."  I wonder- which Bible?  I assume not the Jewish one.  Oh, and what language was the Christian Bible written in originally?  English?!  That is certainly the suggestion.  But if we are opening it up for works in translation, I'd sure like to see some secular literature.  
3. The test, like so many things in US society, is divided into British, U.S. American, and "other."  Nice.

Well, I got tired.  But I am not applying to stupid Berkeley anymore.  They can suck my clit, punks.