Writing, eavesdropping, and general good times

[xaara]

Wrote another few poems, here again in draft form, and posted a drabble to open_on_sunday. Also, I talked to thepodsquad for a long time with regards to very strange pairings. I mean, I thought I had some crazy ideas...

I have a long time to work on my NaNoWriMo outline tomorrow at school, so that's probably going to be the most important part of my day. I started another journal, wordly_woman for my novel and notes, so I can keep it all online and in one place.

I heard the most hilarious conversation today between two thirtysomething women on the Metro:

"So, let's review: we're single, and we live in another state."

"Yeah, and no kids."

"Pets?"

"No pets."

"What about hobbies? Do we have hobbies?"

"Sure - like I don't know, snowboarding or something."

"I have no idea how to snowboard."

"That's okay - it's not like we're going snowboarding."

This went on until the train reached Metro Center, at which point I exited the train and they stayed on. I couldn't help giggling a little, though; I wonder what their boyfriends think they're doing?

The people who sit with me in my Creative Writing class are the absolute best most smartass writing buddies I've ever met. I love the fact that they're so straightforward with my work, and that I feel like I can be straightforward with theirs. Like today, "Joe" wrote a character saying "What am I to do?" and I told him the phrase sounded like tea and little sandwiches. What I was going for was more along the lines of "cultured," but he knew immediately what I meant and started to revise accordingly. They always give constructive criticism, and it's just thrilling to have my work reviewed by a group of other people who are actually there, realtime.

I have appropriated Mom's leather jacket and have started wearing it to school. It garnered five comments on the first day, and more on the following days. It's fun - I can be all Swaggery!Carmen and slouch around and sort of drawl out of the corner of my mouth. I should so be an actress.

So yeah, lots of random happenings, loads of homework, hours of sleep, and still no epiphanies.

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Assignment: Write a dramatic monologue from the POV of a person you've never met or a person you create.

Masks

You think you know me, I’m sure.
You see my face pancaked onto billboards,
my hands modelling the most costly rings,
my legs uncovered by the latest
in short short skirts.
If you’ve kept up-to-date
with the tabloids in the checkout lane, you’ll know
that I fall in and out of love hourly,
that I’m richer than some small countries,
that I wear my outfits once (and only once),
that I just released my memoirs.
And then, if you’re really interested,
you’ll buy my book, read the startling story
of how a poor street girl made it big
in the bright white light of America.

And so you think you know me.
But when you see me in the grocery,
eyeing the dubious "fresh ground turkey,"
selecting the least offensive loaf of whole wheat bread,
poking peaches in the produce aisle,
you never speak to me.
You approach haltingly, a silly grin on your face,
and ask my image to autograph your cereal coupon,
or you shy and walk away.