Words...

Since we last spoke, I've moved in and out of a period of crippling loneliness and existential panic (as one does) and entered writing binge on full attack mode. Music's great, but I think it's words that soothe my savage beast. Yes. Beast.

I just completed a fairly coherent first draft of an essay about songs and singing in The Odyssey, and I think I really hit gold with my argument here, although I'm a little worried my tutor will interpret it as going off on a tangent... I'm not sure if I'm overestimating my intelligence or underestimating hers. Both probably. Anyhow, I'm discussing the implications of song in the epic with regard to identity and autonomy. I won't go into it much, because I'm paranoid the anti-plagiarism software will pick this up and blame me for ripping off the blog I wrote two hours after I finished the essay (because that makes sense). But I swear, it's nifty.

I've also officially officially started writing my book about my time in Kenya (one can only outline so much), which is quite exciting! I'm not really restricting it in terms of voice just yet, so at the moment it's more of a stream of consciousness than anything else. This being said, I haven't boarded the first flight yet, so any claims I make now about the whole thing are purely conjecture.

Also on the writing front, thanks to my dear friend the Mollusk, I have now been turned on to NaNoWriMo. "What is this nonsense?!" you ask. "National Novel Writing Month," I reply as I smoothly deliver the link. "Isn't the internet an absolute wonder?" I ask. Basically, you write 50,000 words in 31 days. The website is there for moral support and posting your novel in order to feel special. Also it just gives you an excuse to write a bunch. When you're a full-time student who is really paranoid about things you "should" be doing, things like this are useful. So, yeah. I'm going to write a novel this November. While also keeping up with coursework. While also writing my Kenya book.

"... What is this nonsense?!" you still ask.