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Originally posted by fathounddawg:
Aw, geez...if I wasn't nervous before...

I think people create competition even where it doesn't exist. I'm not a cut-throat kind of person, it's just not in me. I hold myself to a high standard, but I find I get discouraged if I compare myself to other people so I just compete with myself. Easier said than done, sometimes. It's hard to resist cutting someone else down to make you feel better about yourself. Which is part of the problem - too few people resist the impulse.

Heh...I like that way of figuring it. Which means I can put it off completely until after the weekend. Sounds good to me! Thanks!

Nope, no agricultural college here. One of the reasons I decided to come here was because we had an equestrian team, but that way VERY expensive and I wasn't able to ride half as much as I would have liked. Then this year they got rid of it entirely. There are barns and things where I could ride, but they're outside the city and since I don't have a car it's not really an option. My general habit in the summer is to go home and work at a barn (an upside to living in NJ - horses everywhere), just do some physical labor all summer. Gives my mind a chance to rest and keeps me busy. By the time the summer is over, I'm exhausted and ready to head back to school. Not going to happen this summer, sadly, but I do really love my job so I guess it all balances out.

The way the stories work is everyone in the class (about 15 people) turns in one long story, about 8 or 9 pages. Then everyone reads each other's stories and we write up a one-page critique of it - what we liked, what worked well, what didn't work, what was confusing, etc. From here to the end of the semester, we're focusing on two stories every class session, which takes us right up to the last day of class. I thought I would hate it, but it's actually really interesting to see what other people think of your work, what they liked, what they thought needed to be looked at. Now I find myself wishing that we got to do it more often. Sadly, I'll have to wait until my last semester to take another fiction writing class, but hopefully I can find a writers' group in the city and get the same sort of feedback through them.

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Originally posted by est120:
What a bummer that your equestrian team got the boot, even if you did not get to ride as often as you would like. Oh well. I suppose it happens. Are sports a big deal at your university? They were really not all that important where I went to college. I can understand the physical labor thing. After months of using your brain all the time, it is nice to exercise other "muscles" in the body and not think so much. Kind of like watching an action movie after hours of documentaries. Okay, maybe not qutie the same thing.

I am glad you can get some useful criticism concerning your writing. That is always helpful. What are these writer's groups? I have never heard of that before.

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Originally posted by fathounddawg:
Yeah, it was pretty heartbreaking when that last little bit of horsey involvement got taken away. My horse died last January, so I didn't have anything to ride (or even visit) when I went home, either. A friend of mine is opening up his own barn, though, so hopefully I'll get to go ride his horses when I go home. Who knows, if his place is still open after I graduate, maybe I'll make some money.

A writers group operates in the same way my class does - a bunch of like-minded people come together to hear or read each others' work and offer encouragement and criticism. I was a part of one in high school through my church and I really enjoyed it. I don't personally know of any in Pittsburgh, but it's a decent-sized city and fairly artsy in some areas, so I imagine there has to be something. Well, I hope so, anyway. If not, I'm sure there are online communities for that sort of thing. That might even be easier - I don't have to look them in the eye when they rip apart my stuff.

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Originally posted by est120:
Oh. I am sorry your horse died. :( That is sad. :( I have a friend who has a horse. He is about 17 now, I think. I was told horses live around 30 years so he is just a middle age guy right now.

See, you have an inside track on a job already. Maybe the real world is not so scary. I am assuming your friend's horse barn is in New Jersey, right?

I see. Sounds like a good idea. Hopefully you can find a writer's group in town that you can go to. Online is nice, but there is just something about dealing and interacting with people face to face. Perhaps one of your professors knows of a group in the area (or maybe even on campus!) that would be a good fit for you.

I do not know Pittsburgh very well. The only thing I know is Mount Washington. My goodness that is a big hill! I went to a Pirates game once when I was in graduate school. That was fun. They lost, though. Pretty typical for them. Hope springs eternal though, perhaps they will be better this year.

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Originally posted by fathounddawg:
Yeah, horses can live a long time if they're well cared for. Most of the horses that taught me how to ride were in their late 20's/early 30's when I met them and all of them lived for at least a few more years after that. My boy was 17. He hurt himself pretty bad and there was nothing we could do about it. I was devastated anyway. Still am.

I think his place will be in north Jersey, but it could be in New York near the border. I'm not 100% sure, to be honest. I'll have to look into that. A lot can happen between now and then, so we'll just have to wait and see. You're right, though - it is less scary knowing there's at least the possibility of reliable income, doing something I love and am good at.

I don't think there's anything on campus - we do have a literary magazine, which I work for - but there may be something at a neighboring school. There are a million as-yet-undiscovered treasures here, perhaps that is one of them. Who knows, I may find my writer's deli somewhere.

Heh...the Pirates have lost every game I've ever been to, too. My cousin has a theory that in big cities with more than one sports team (Detroit for him, Pittsburgh for me), only one team can be doing well at any one time. Since the Steelers had such a good season, the Pirates and the Penguins are pretty much screwed. Better luck next year, I guess.

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Originally posted by est120:
Anytime you can do what you enjoy and earn a living, you are probably a lot more fortunate that most people. So, the typical question is what do you see yourself doing 5 years from now?

That is nice that you are part of the school's literary magazine. Have you gotten any of your work published in there?

Perhaps that is so. I guess no one can have it all. Of course, your cousin in Detroit has two good teams (Pistons and Red Wings) versus two rather bad teams (Lions and Tigers). Down where I live there is only one professional sports team and they are doing pretty well this year. I live in college basketball central, though, so everyone pays attention to that more than anything. Do you have any favorite teams or are you not much of a sports person?

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Originally posted by fathounddawg:
Hm...well let's see, 5 years from now I'll be 26, done with college and grad school. Rocky will be 13 and still kickin', I hope (it's his birthday on Saturday, by the way). Right now in five years I'd like to see myself with one book published, even if it's not a big commercial success, working a job that I enjoy where I can do some good. Of course, this changes every day, so I'll have a different answer tomorrow. How about you?

Yup - I've had two photographs published in the last two issues and this issue one of my short stories is going in. Pretty exciting stuff. It's fun work, too. I really enjoy it.

I'm not a huge sports fan, no. If I'm ever flipping channels and I come across a horse show or a rodeo, I stop to watch. But, otherwise, I don't really go out of my way. Well, that's not entirely true. I did watch a lot of football this year, which I've never really done before. I do really love baseball, but I have a hard time sitting through a game if I'm not at the stadium. It's cliched, I guess, but I like the Yankees - my favorite player in all of baseball plays for them, Tino Martinez. Hockey I watch sometimes with my dad. Basketball, not at all. I'd probably be considered a heathen in your parts.

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Originally posted by est120:
You are such a youngin'. Hahaha. Sounds like a nice future you have planned out for yourself. For me? I achieved one goal with the purchase of a new car last year. I am happy about that, though my bank account sure did not enjoy it. I would love to be at an actual permanent position (not like this post-doc I am doing which is intended to be temporary). I am saving up to buy a house (almost have enough money!) because I want a garage and a yard. Maybe get in one nice vacation at some point. Of course, I could go into more boring detail, but who wants to hear that?!

That sounds great that you have some things published in your school magazine. So how did it feel to see your work displayed and your name in lights? I felt really good when I got my first paper published.

I guess living in Pittsburgh you cannot avoid the football aspect. I love baseball too. My sister would take issue with you since you are a Yankees fan (she lives in Boston) but being from New Jersey, at least there is a geographical allegiance that makes sense. Sometimes I have a hard time figuring out why someone who has lived their whole life in Oregon is a Yankees fan. :\ My team is the Cleveland Indians. This year I am quite hopeful they can make the playoffs. I can understand your fondness for Tino Martinez. He seems like a nice guy. Not like other baseball players who take steroids or get into trouble or act like jerks. Your distate for basketball would not make you a heathen in this area. I do not really like college basketball either. Too many teams. Though this time of year, with the Tournaments and everything, it is hard not to get a little caught up in it.

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