Where Wings Wander
Apologies once again for the slight delay in posting this entry… but welcome to the next blog update! It may be a little short and sweet but I shall be saving the more exciting news for the end of this month - so be sure to keep an eye out!
So, what have I been up to over the month of May? The answer to that is quite simple really - writing! This is a given, really, but this past month my house has been especially filled with the relentless clacking of fingertips against the keyboard. The second semester of my Masters finished with four assessments spanning the month, meaning that my writer brain hardly stopped over this time as we jumped from one essay or creative project to another. But a few weeks and roughly 10,000 words of separate assignments later, and they are finally finished! I still have my dissertation and accompanying reflection to complete for September - more on this below - but I feel much more relaxed in the knowledge that this is the only part of my postgraduate degree left to be completed. With the results coming out in a few weeks, I am confident that I have met each criteria to the best of my ability and successfully completed each task with a quality that I am proud of. I am especially proud with the short stories used for my portfolio work and I am looking forward to editing and perfecting these pieces in the near future to send off to literary journals. It would be especially nice to be doubly rewarded for the work I put into them by seeing them in a print or online collection, but one goal at a time!
On a similar note of closure, May saw me attend my last Creative Writing workshop. It remains bizarre to me to have completed an entire degree online, having not been to Lincoln once over the span of the year. Apart from the notorious connectivity and technology issues, mostly on my end, I must say that efforts were definitely made to deliver a quality of learning that was not too hindered by the effects of isolation within the pandemic. Of course I would have loved to see my class mates in person, whether it be within workshops or meeting up afterwards for social nights and such, but I’m thankful that we were still able to have a sense of community through the aid of the internet and Facebook group chat. It was especially nice for the last half of our session to be devoted to a chilled talk between lecturers and students. It just proves how creative minds are a strong community regardless of university of educational ties. I really cannot wait to see what my fellow cohort accomplish and especially cannot wait for us all to finally meet up over the summer! Again, it’s a peculiar world we live in where we meet those on our course at the end, but I am thankful that this opportunity remains.
As mentioned earlier, the remaining assessment for my degree is my dissertation. Currently my novella is totaling 9800 words, meaning that I am well under way of reaching my 15,000 word target by the end of this month. I love the storyline and I can so clearly see the characters and the world within my mind. I can’t wait to see where it takes me next! With the rest of my assessments finished and submitted, I honestly believe that it has lifted a very heavy weight from my mind, meaning that I can easily write 1000 words a day where normally I would struggle to sit down to write 300. It is definitely much better to write with a head that is clear and focused rather than struggling to balance more than you are able to. This is definitely something I have come to realise whilst attending this course, especially during a global pandemic. At the end of the day the mind is where the story lives, so you must tend to it if true creation is going to flow. Reaching goals is one thing, but you must not forget the goal of keeping yourself positive and happy along the way!
As an aside, I will be the first to admit that at many points during my developing writing career I have pushed targets on to myself that are impossible to complete, thereby affecting my mental health in an adverse way when I believe myself to be behind. There are many times when I ignore the advice to rest given to me by others in favour of believing that constantly working shall grant me an advantage within my writing. Inevitably, taking a few days away from university and writing demands altogether and spending time with loved ones, one in particular, over this past month has been the oasis appearing within a desert that I didn’t realise I so desperately needed. It’s so important to connect with others, especially in the current circumstances. For me, it has allowed me to reflect on what really matters. As such I am extremely positive with the progress I am making, both with my dissertation and the forging of a routine that both benefits my career and state of mind.
This is where I leave my entry for this week. As mentioned before I am aiming to have much more exciting developments in the next update, but I hope that you still enjoyed reading this light-hearted reflection of my current writing and university situation. I wish everyone the best and hope that the summer brings with it especially joyous times.
Until next time,
Emily