Stream of Conscious

Since I'm in the Law School cafe, I'm listening to a study group talk about whatever final they've probably got coming up.

I'm considering going to law school (my boyfriend is in law school) and I'm feeling a little torn right about now. I know that I am not at all interested in doing an MA or MFA anymore (even before my dreadful class), but I'm also a little nervous about law school. Specifically, I'm nervous about applying. Not to mention the four-hour exams they seem to have (my boyfriend has been in that classroom for two hours now while I wait for him, and he takes exams quickly).

At the moment, I'm feeling pretty drained. My presentation was more of an emotional drain than anything else, not to mention kicking myself is tiring work. I'm just wondering if law school is what I really want to do.

Since I've been keeping my readers waiting, I thought I'd post an excerpt from the upcoming Chapter 12.

( Chapter 12: The Cacophony of Chaos )

:) enjoy.

So! Wow, hi guys :) its been a while, hasn't it?

So I decided that I wanted to start updating this thing again. I didn't realize how helpful it was for me until I spent about half an hour earlier ranting about how much I hate being an English major in graduate school. Sound impossible? I know, me too. Doesn't sound at all like me but there it is. If you've got me friended under skulljuggler then you can read it ;) otherwise, I'm afraid you're out of luck.

The reason I'm writing again? Well, first is that I went looking for a Semagic program to put on my computer. When I had it on my old computer, I updated LJ pretty much every day. But when I looked for it, I discovered that Semagic isn't available for Macs. Foiled!, I think. But nay, I discover that there is a solution to my problem. And that solution is called Phoenix :) an awesome little program that, while not as pretty as Semagic, works just as well.

So, gentle reader, here I am again! And hopefully posting more often without having to log into the site.

More soon, I need to buy another cup of hot chocolate before things progress.

 I wrote a blog for Alpha Female in Training after I read a rather disturbing Yahoo article:

Tell me what you guys think - the article in linked in the page. The link above is actually written by me :p

 http://youonyourwebsite.com/FSA_2008/Natalia.html

*blush* this is the video I did for Skull Juggler: Disenchanted. I read an excerpt from the first chapter and uh, if anyone is curious to know what I look and sound like, go ahead and check it out. Next stop for that video is youTube.

EEEE!!! *hides* tell me what you think! And um, be gentle?

 *yaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn*

Okay. So. Last night I did not go to sleep. As in, at all. Why, you might ask? I was writing a 10 page research paper (very detailed, at least five sources) because I thought it was due today. When I had completed this endeavor, I happen to glance at my clock. Why, it is now 4 AM and I must awaken and go hence at 7 AM to take my loving mother to the airport. So, I decide to stay awake.

I go take a shower at 6 AM, water becomes freezing towards the end (better than two minutes in), get dressed, and go downstairs to mooch some coffee off my dad. He is extremely surprised to see me up and chipper at such an unholy hour. Mother eventually comes, acting like a squirrel on speed because she's moving around but not really doing anything. Take said mother off to the airport (yay for stealing her car for a day!) and then I come home. I then go to my old high school and finally give some people a copy of my book. Their eyes practically pop out of their heads and they want to know EVERYTHING. I am trying not to develop a big head but then start getting annoyed when a certain person presses YET AGAIN that she thinks I should go to law school. Even though I say six times I will not go down that road. Point out that a PhD in Literature/Creative Writing sounds like fun, she counters with the fact that I'll probably get bored because I have a "brain with SO much potential!" I counter with "it is very pink and squishy." Get desired laugh, lighten topic from life-or-death, decision of a lifetime, DO NOT SCREW THIS UP OR YOU WILL BE POOR AND MISERABLE FOREVA.

Moved into other topics. Plugged nanowrimo. Plugged FSA (Florida Speakers Association). Plugged my mom's bestseller :D

Gave a copy to my old English teacher - she fangirled on me hardcore. It was awesome :D when I came back after class to sign it for her, plugged nanowrimo again and explained a little more about publishing in general. She wants to get one of her students, a pretty serious writer from the sounds of it, to speak with me because she thinks I can help :D!!! YAY MENTORING!!! It made me SO happy ^_^

And umm, yeah, the fun part. Drove to the university, took a one hour nap in my boyfriend's dorm (he is a warm pillow!) and then went to class. And guess what? Miracle of miracles, the damn paper wasn't DUE today! Now isn't THAT great? I only wasted my entire night working on it and didn't get even a LITTLE sleep! How great.

Now I am home. Tired after a two hour nap (how can this be!?!??!?!) and writing ANOTHER essay for tomorrow. This one had better be due tomorrow. Or I shall kill someone.

 What is love?

It's such a generic question. I'm starting to wonder about it. For most of my life, I've been analytical and firm about most of my beliefs. Love is this, hate is that. Things are easier when they're black and white. I used to have strong opinions about what is acceptable love and what isn't.

Now... I'm just not sure. People have told me things in confidence that I won't reveal... but I can't help thinking on them. I've accepted homosexual love since, well, forever. My uncle is gay - both of them in fact, on both sides of my family. I love them with all of my heart and it never occurred to me to think there was anything wrong with that.

Not saying I have a problem with that. I'm saying I'm starting to question my OTHER values, things I thought were cut-and-dry wrong or unacceptable. But... well, so many of my friends now have been in complicated relationships. So I'm starting to question myself - what is love?

 I swear to God... if the teachers continue to lecture us about how amazing it is that Obama was made president and damn anyone who voted otherwise... I will kill someone. Keep your damn opinion to yourself if I'm paying you to teach me!

 I voted for McCain. I have my reasons. Under Obama's plan, my family would be taxed 60% of their income so trust me, I have my reasons for voting for him.

It seems that Obama has pretty much won. I'm going to be pissed tonight. I am going to use that anger and annoyance to write as much as I can. Then tomorrow I will be over it and I will shift my thoughts to hoping Obama will be a good president and surprise me. I want him to surprise me and do great good. If he can do that, I don't care if people tell me I was wrong or what.

But I will say this: John McCain deserved to win. He is a truly good man and I know this will not stop him from helping this country to the best of his ability. I wish him the very best.

 Hello all! I know I've been gone for a while but school has been kicking my ass, namely because I've been dealing with the regular school stuff and dealing with graduation problems at the same time. The bureaucracy in the school is really shameful but everything has finally gone through, mostly because I strong-armed and pressured the advisors to get my stuff done so I don't have to worry about it anymore.

So :) news.

First, I will be participating in nanowrimo for the very first time this year. My screen name is "SkullJuggler" so friend me if you're interested in being writing buddies and seeing excerpts of what I come up with! I will be writing Skull Juggler: Columbarium (book 2) in my series. I'm also upping my word count to 100,000 words instead of the 50,000 words required. So, friend me! :)

Second, there are now officially eight chapters left of Vocare Prabia. I mapped out the end already and I'm... not sure how to feel. Relieved, sad, ecstatic... lots of things. I've written this story for so long but it really needs to end at this point. It isn't the story it once was and a lot of the stuff I'd always thought the story would hold have disappeared in my memory so that I can't even remember what the story was once meant to do. But the point is that it's almost done and I can only say "Thank God." I'll miss the reviews :)

Third, Lunar Expedition will be put on hold until after nanowrimo. I was actually planning to write Lunar Expedition for nanowrimo but I thought I should write Skull Juggler first because it's been calling me since I realized how the first chapter would go (it will be so much fun to write!).

Um... nothing much else. I've been moody lately, probably because I'm not allowing myself to write until nanowrimo. Someone distract me!

 IT IS HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MY BOOK IS ON AMAZON!!!!!!!!!!!


I AM IN PERMANENT CAPS LOCK HAPPINESS!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.amazon.com/Skull-Juggler-Disenchanted-Natalia-Locatelli/dp/1933437154/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220890312&sr=8-1

Go!

Awesome news :) I just sent all of my materials to BookSurge and I shall be getting a hardcopy proof of my book in the next few weeks. Once I approve it, my book will almost immediately be up on Amazon! I'll post a link for it here and elsewhere for anyone who's interested. Also, I'm going to start a facebook community for any fans of the book so if you're there, watch for it :)

I am very excited about all of this! I even have a to-do list of what I need before my book comes out. Query letter, media page... all in the next three days. Woot, go me! :D