Today, I realized that BSU is not the be-all, end-all, of my education. I realized that I DON’T have to have an MA from them, though I will probably be getting it anyway, as at the end of this semester I’ll be over half way there.

Although, if I so choose, I can easily get the hell out of this podunk college. It is now a choice to stay here, not something that is forced upon me. I can take a year or two off if need be. But I can taste how close I am to finishing up, with just 9 grad creds next semester and I’m finished with classes and just the thesis and the exams to do next year.

Also, I finished my 40 pages of creative thesis earlier today, in the form of continuing the book. I then went on to transferring type-written papers to the computer and came out with 54 pages(dbl spaced, 12 pt font) on part two of the four part book. I felt pretty good, that means that total I have 37000 words, 131 dbl spaced pages, and not halfway through the book yet.

This evening, rather than go out and get drunk, I chose to stay in. I typed more of the story out on the typewriter, something which I dearly dearly love. Typing on the typewriter gives more pleasure in physicality and noise than any other way of writing that I can think of. I can feel the typewriter jump at each letter, each space, and each carriage return, I can hear the visceral sound of the letters hitting the ink ribbon and imprinting their image on the page, in the bell that lets me know the carriage needs to be returned to the edge of the typewriter and page. Creation lies in noise and chaos, for me, not in silence and order.

I typed up three more description rich pages, something that transfers over to an average of 800 words per page onto the computer, as things are added or subtracted in the transfer. In the space of 45 minutes this was accomplished, I was in the zone.

I find that the more I write, the more the zone is easier to find. I wish that I had the time to seek it more often. Perhaps if this book gets picked up for publishing.