Emma is back in school!

Hello, dear readers!

Yes, the title is true.  I am back in school!  When I "graduated" in 2008, I did walk in the graduation ceremonies.  I remember my feet hurt and no one knew the words to the school song, but we all knew the words to "Country Roads."  There was even a girl sitting behind me questioning why we weren't singing "Country Roads" and that she didn't know the words to the other one (I had never heard it before graduation, either.).

It was only after graduation that I found out that I did not complete all requirements.  Nice little graduation present there.  There I am, surrounding by family, my feet blistering in my shoes, and a nice little note in the envelope that was supposed to hold my diploma:  "You have not completed the required coursework..."

I was livid.

I took this class in high school, but the credits were lost in translation somewhere along the way between transfers.  I did not know this, and neither of my advisors (yes, I had TWO) caught this.  Neither did I.  I thought everything was finished and I was going to leave with my diploma and student debt in tow behind me while I went off in the adult world.

Some of that happened.  I did leave school behind, and I took my student debt with me, but no diploma.  One class short.  Luckily, this semester, I was able to enroll in that class so that I can finish my degree.  Woot woot.

My first paper is three pages long.  Three pages.  The last paper I wrote was thirty pages long.  I have a feeling that this class is going to go well.  And it's online!  I didn't have to change my work schedule at all to take this class!  It's pretty awesome.  :)

Now I just need to figure out my first paper topic....

Ideas

Hello dear readers!

Ever have so many ideas that your only hope was to snatch a notebook and write them all down because you didn't want to forget them?  I have woken up with ideas, had ideas show up during a shower or while I'm washing dishes (plot bunnies are hydrophilic little critters), while I'm in dance class, while I'm driving - well, you get the idea.  They show up all the time, and usually when I have no notebook available.

I am currently sitting on two great ideas for fanfiction.  One takes place after the Final Battle in Year Seven, and the other takes place during...and after the Final Battle.  It's kind of hard to explain that one.  :)  All the same, they're both awesome stories.  The first is full of reconciliation between characters that make all my feels go a little psycho.  The second is more of an exploration of a situation.  In other words, characters are put in an impossible situation and I kind of sit back and watch.

They're both AMAZING ideas (if I do say so myself...).  I just haven't had time to really put them down on paper, and I know that some of you might actually lynch me if I start new stories without updating the old ones.

My current count of original fiction ideas stands at thirty-one.  Yes, thirty-one.  Three and one together to form a number that matches my age.

Some of them are awesome, others are close to my heart, and some are annoying little idiots that can't seem to keep themselves out of trouble.  One of the characters, Michael, is in the hospital at the moment.  It's not a bad injury, but he did just get over an illness.

They're all in a bit of trouble at the moment.  Cathy just got kicked out of classes...again, Kal is having some issues with a dark wizard, Jade is, well, hiding, and a few others are running.  There is a lot of running.  It's like Doctor Who in my head.

Yes, this does signal the end of the Illness-That-Can't-Be-Named.  Updates are coming!

Lacking Inspiration and Other Tales of Desperation

I cannot name the dread disease that has befallen me in the last week, my dear readers.  To name it is to claim it, and if I claim it, then it will hang around for a while and make itself at home.

I try everything I can to dissuade this unwelcome visitor, every tip or trick other writers have taught me to be rid of it.  I wish that there was a spray of some kind to rid myself of this little pestilence. 

I can't even finish a blog post because I lack the inspiration.  Can't get much more pathetic here....

Just can't....