Just one more week and I’ll be in another city. Another few cities, actually. I will have my assignments written and downloaded onto my tablet. I’m also making it a rule I’ll make for myself the most obvious—no working on holiday. Well…of course, threaded discussion. Okay. Okay. An hour a day for my final course project but – other than that – NO REAL WORK!! Now, what will I be doing in Zealand?
So, right now, I have to edit all my short stories from my 2020 Short Story Project for my 2025 short story collection. I have to say…it has been a humbling experience to know that my stories were decent but needed much improvement. I have to thank experience and higher education for that. I’ve always been told that 20% of creative writing is taught while the other 80% is improved through experience. So? Why am I saying the obvious? Well…I’m back in school.
I have a month and a half left of school and then my students will be able to enjoy the fine relaxation of the summer holiday. Sure, I’m contractually obligated to do the summer camps, but I’m looking at the prize at the end of it all: New Zealand. That’s right. I’m planning my trip to the Land of the Long White Cloud. Or would “Middle Earth” sound better. Either way, I am beyond excited to go as it has been on my list of places to travel to.
A writer is someone who has taught his mind to misbehave.” – Oscar Wilde
Yes, indeed, that is a fact. Being a writer has allowed me to forgo the rules, break from the norms, and challenge the minds. In this day and age, it’s practically a requirement. A writer must be able to understand the rules of life to represent it in their writing. More importantly, they must understand life’s rules to point out societal problems.
I still always have a lot of work to do in my three main worlds: grad school, teacher, and author. This is the norm for me – my comfort zone. Still, life is slowing down for me. It happens now and again, and I handle myself accordingly. How? I accept and appreciate it.
Thank you so much to everybody who has read my blog over the years. 2023 has been a transformative year for me and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for me in 2024.
First and foremost, I’m finally going to be able to release the Arabic version of my Sinful Tales of Wicked Vile Delights. This also means that I need a new banner for my Twitter Page. Still, I have more milestones to obtain.
I want to finish my Master’s this year while saving for Spain. I want to ensure I am ready to teach Creative Writing to European high school and university students when I’m done with China.
I also want to finish the script of my friends’ comic series that we are going to star in. We are pretty excited about that. I already have a six-part arc planned that my friends are beyond impressed; they’re also not surprised at all.
Finally, while I’m in China, I want to get Act 1 and part of Act 2 of my LGBTQ+ Crimeverse done. I’ve realized that I want to take advantage of the LGBTQ+ conventions and book clubs to market and advertise them properly.
Oh! I still have to makeover my website to accommodate the growing trend of book trailers and teasers. I’m still researching great minds in videography and photography to bring them to life as well as a YouTube page. Oh, yeah, 2024 is going to be a good year for me. I hope it will be for all of you, too. Happy New Year!!
For thirteen days, I was in the “Comital City” and fell in love with everything about it. The people. The food. The history. Everything about Barcelona was what I was missing in China and what I wished America could be. I still do, actually. However, I will not focus on that. Instead, I will gush over what I did in the lively city. But where do I start? Oh! I know! I’ll start with my living arrangement.
Last year, China lifted the travel ban for obvious reasons, i.e., tourists make up most of their revenue. It doesn’t matter because I finally get to travel to different countries during holidays. At first, we were all hesitant about it because we didn’t really trust them (the government) so our boss volunteered as tribute. as he wanted to visit his family. He left and came back safe and sound so now we are all traveling to different places. For me, it’s Barcelona.
This day has become a special one for me. Despite all the chaos I had endured, I finished creating my midterms for my eighth graders, measuring the English Room, editing my students’ research paper projects, and decorating the board for the school’s Reading Month. Most of all, I finished typing out the first installment of my LGBTQ+ Crimeverse, and my chest is swollen with pride now!
This week has been uneventful. Not to say that nothing had happened because a lot had happened. Working with students is never boring and I love it that way. However, everything has been peaceful throughout the last two weeks…