Tuesday, August 28, 2007

On Hideously Rude People and Adorable Diagrams!!

I'm glad everyone loved the photos! I use a Fujifilm FinePix S700 (10x zoom and 7.1 megapx), for those of you who wanted to know. For those pictures of Robespierre, I used natural light and a macro setting on the camera. That's right: I was horribly brave. To get that sort of shot, I got about two centimeters away from him, careful that the wind did not blow him into my face. Now that I think about it, I sort of shiver.

Also, I'll post about all my classes tomorrow once I'm done! :D

Bri Meets Two People With No Manners and a Mean Streak
Today was the most outrageously rude day I think I may remember. When I went to my science fiction writing class this morning, all ready for a great day of creativity, two people were standing outside of the Writing Center. I realized fairly quickly that they were discussing the Center and how "blanking useless" they thought it was. Of course, my first thought was sophomoric. Nuh-uh, your mom is useless. But instead, this was the conversation:

Dude: "Yah, and you know the Writing Center is so f-ing useless."
Girl: "Yah, I agree. The people who work there are so-"
Me: "Excuse me? Yes, um...pardon...but I work there, by the way."
Girl: [sneering] "Yah? Well, it's f-ing useless."
Dude: "Absolutely."
Me: [O.o]

I know. I was amazed that someone could be so monstrously rude and horribly ugly. The tutors at the Writing Center are paid at or less than minimum wage and students bring in papers that need catastrophic amounts of corrections or direction. I make sure that the students I work with leave, happy. And most of them request me for future sessions - CONSTANTLY. Needless to say, I was offended. All through class, those two ignored the rest of us and made friendly with the professor.

The line to the Caff (the pit of hell where we eat :D) was out in the street, so I went to the C-Store . But they had no soda or sandwiches (I guess it wasn't lunch time at the C-Store). So I came to my room and had turkey, grapes and cheese - but no bread. We're out. All of fifteen of us on my hall are out. But, enough about the day! Look below for an adorable diagram!

A Cute Diagram for Explaining My Story

As far as Sweating with Sven goes, I'm coming up on the last scenes of Act II, so I have made it through the Wastelands of the Middle. While I know how the end comes, I'm a little nervous.

The thing is, I view a story like a series of flooded hallways. Weird, I know. This is how it works. The first part of the story is not so tense and your characters are in about ankle deep. But then there is an event that pulls the characters in. They can't turn away, so they make a choice - and I usually think of that as them opening the first door.

Instead of finding relief from soggy boots or their problems, our heroes find themselves up to their hips in deeper, darker waters and darker problems. So they scramble for a decision; because there is no going back, they open the next door...And so on, until you get to the end. By this point, the tension is so high you could snap and your characters are almost drowning.

Beware, Sven!! I approach the last door!
How's the week going for you guys?

So say we all.
Bri

7 comments:

MommaBoo said...

We should casterate all rude people!

Love thos "adorable diagrams"!

Anonymous said...

Liked your diagram! As for the rude people--really they were very insecure. The best way people hide insecurity is to make fun of what they are insecure about.

So you go on and do your best to tutor those that are eager to listen--and let those two wallow in their insecurity. Let the fact that they'll most probably never write anything of note because they won't open themselves up to new ideas give you a bit of pity for them.

Anonymous said...

I love the metaphor of the hallway and doors -- I think looking at it that way might help me with the swampy middle I'm trying to figure out right now. And the diagram is great. May I print it out and hang it over my desk? ;D

qualcosa di bello said...

i just wonder what their mothers would say if they heard that disgusting dialogue?

what comes around, goes around...

Dixie Belle said...

Your diagram was terrific! You shoulda ask those two if the writing center is useless, why were they there?

Unknown said...

Pooh at rude people, but hooray for most hilarious diagram :) Love it!

Kait Nolan said...

I really love the diagram!