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Lessons learned
Nov. 3rd, 2011 11:55 pmNever try to start two intense, intellectually demanding tasks at the same time. At least, if you're me, don't try it.
Nano is a wash this year. I've gotten maybe 600 words written so far, and it's very much pulling teeth getting that far. I just don't have the mental energy to give the attention to it that it would take to write. Not with my new job.
Speaking of said new job, I'm now most of the way through my first full week working as an Americorps member. Which means I know finally know a little bit about what exactly it is that I'm supposed to be doing, once we get logistics straightened out.
In essence, I'm a tutor. I spent today job-shadowing another Academic Advocate in the program, and her day was spent working one on one with the kids who have the most trouble keeping up in the larger classes. If all goes well, I should soon start doing that in my own assigned county.
Things are kind of up in the air in my assigned county because 1) the school we were supposed to be working in pulled out last minute, and one of the other county members actually had to scout out and find a second school to go to. And 2) when she was scouting out, I hadn't been hired in, nor had the other missing JA leader. So the girl who scouted out this school got brought in pretty much on her own, and is now working on bringing us into that school.
Now, judging by the way the teacher's eyes lit up when she heard what my role was supposed to be, I should be able to get on the ground relatively quickly. But in the meantime, I'm at a point where each day I'm not exactly sure what will happen and where I'll be the next. It's definitely a work in progress.
And in the meantime, I have no mental energy left to figure out the lives of my characters. I'm getting little bits of worldbuilding accomplished, and I have broad parts of the plot figured out, but the rest of it just isn't ready to come out yet.
Nano is a wash this year. I've gotten maybe 600 words written so far, and it's very much pulling teeth getting that far. I just don't have the mental energy to give the attention to it that it would take to write. Not with my new job.
Speaking of said new job, I'm now most of the way through my first full week working as an Americorps member. Which means I know finally know a little bit about what exactly it is that I'm supposed to be doing, once we get logistics straightened out.
In essence, I'm a tutor. I spent today job-shadowing another Academic Advocate in the program, and her day was spent working one on one with the kids who have the most trouble keeping up in the larger classes. If all goes well, I should soon start doing that in my own assigned county.
Things are kind of up in the air in my assigned county because 1) the school we were supposed to be working in pulled out last minute, and one of the other county members actually had to scout out and find a second school to go to. And 2) when she was scouting out, I hadn't been hired in, nor had the other missing JA leader. So the girl who scouted out this school got brought in pretty much on her own, and is now working on bringing us into that school.
Now, judging by the way the teacher's eyes lit up when she heard what my role was supposed to be, I should be able to get on the ground relatively quickly. But in the meantime, I'm at a point where each day I'm not exactly sure what will happen and where I'll be the next. It's definitely a work in progress.
And in the meantime, I have no mental energy left to figure out the lives of my characters. I'm getting little bits of worldbuilding accomplished, and I have broad parts of the plot figured out, but the rest of it just isn't ready to come out yet.