I haven't written anything aside from the New Orleans log, and there's surprisingly a lot going on in my usually-uneventful life. Might as well make an update.
I still haven't gotten ahold of the New Orleans trip pictures, but rest assured they will appear should they fall into my hands. I'm somewhat doubtful they'll turn up, but we'll see what happens.
My 1st kyu brown belt test is less than 48 hours away (Saturday morning). Assuming I pass, the next belt will be 1st degree black. That's still at least ten months away, so I've got plenty of time to prepare. Black belt tests are said to be the stuff of nightmares, and though I certainly want to become one, I'm not eager to go through the pain just yet.
Most Shoto-Jitsu brown belt and black belt tests have written tests that go along with them. My first written test was pretty easy - just answer some martial arts facts and trivia, and so long as you did your homework, you passed that part. This one was a bit trickier, and I can tell Sensei Mike and his notorious double-take-worthy questions had something to do with that. While some questions were joking ("Why was Bruce Lee unimpressed with board breaking?" - to which I'm pretty sure the answer is "boards don't hit back," a line from Enter the Dragon), some really caused me to stop and think ("When has someone of a higher rank said something to you that made you want to train harder?"). One absolutely stumped me for ten minutes or so, and it reeked of Sensei-Mike-ness. I can't remember the exact question (must have been too traumatizing), but I receive the test results after the real test on Saturday, so perhaps I'll update then.
Mom has asked to record the test, so a video or selection of videos will probably appear around the test date. A lot of things will probably look goofy (stances and traditions, for instance), and I'll try not to screw something up. I believe I'll pass, and I'm not really worried about it. There's always some apprehension involved, but I know I'm ready for it.
I've started writing a novel, though all I have is a handful of paragraphs. Creating something from absolutely nothing and making it seem real and engaging is difficult to say the least. It'll probably go smoother once I lay the foundation down, but I've run into numerous roadblocks I hadn't considered already (what measurements do they use in this new universe? What would the main character's house look like given the location and circumstances? What are his motivations?). All will come in time, and even if it takes twenty years, this novel will get published.
I got a job as a housekeeper where my mom works - a nursing home called Sheldon Health Care - and enjoy being able to make regular money. The job is...well, a job. I don't exactly think I want to clean toilets and empty trash cans at 6 in the morning my entire life, but it's not a stressful job so far.
That's about all I have to say. I'll probably update again Saturday or soon afterwards.
- James
Don't forget to take the Mary-Sue Litmus Test for your novel. ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure the main character isn't a Mary Sue, but it would help nonetheless. I also don't like anti-Mary Sues - characters that are noticeably terrible in everything, except for perhaps good looks (think Bella Swan from Twilight). It's an overused concept that, at times, is just as destructive as a Mary Sue itself.
DeleteAt least I've gotten to the spoken dialogue. Things get a little easier from there because you're done introducing the background and get to work with the characters more. Any way you look at it, it's coming along.