the list lengthens, or, back to the written word

it was only a few weeks ago that i discovered google reader's awesome capacity to consolidate my incidental and sporadic blog reading, and since then i've been hooked. (looks like that's an on-going theme.) to date, i have 30 blogs listed, which seems like an over-the-top number, but i got a little carried away in my eagerness... ah well.

but today the list went to 31 as i discovered the creative writing blog of one of my new acquaintances at school. a few weeks ago, she had mentioned during small group the start of a blog for her in-progress young adult fantasy novel - that off-hand comment immediate set a bell ringing in my own head. how many young adults (20-35) are writing young adult (12-18) fantasy novels? i used to know one (myself, in high school), but now i know two. !!

i actually haven't mentioned this little-known fact to her, mostly because it's remained little-known to most people since i started college. i did do some creative writing at columbia, but mostly in the form of short stories that i allowed few outside of my class to read (maybe keigo and a couple others). since then, it's been studiostudiostudio, although the writing bug has never left me, and the editing bug still surges back every once in a while (mostly to edit my friends' various school applications).

the other day, i was thinking about my long-ago writing project and how one of my major writing mentors had passed away about a year or so ago. no one has read that manuscript since her eyes laid on it. this was a semi-bizarre realization.

but now, after stumbling on this blog and going through anu garg's faithful word-a-day emails (which, unfortunately have a tendency to clog my box with hundreds of unread messages)...maybe those are the piques of inspiration needed. this summer's already been too ambitious in terms of summer projects i've wanted to embark on but that never left the ground*, but maybe this one will take flight in some form.

* unaccomplished goals left out in the rain (but holding an umbrella, waiting for a future sun):
learning the guitar, improving my spanish, learning dreamweaver and flash, doing a design competition

** in-progress goals that are already enjoying the good weather:
playing the flute again, joined an a cappella group, finding God through music, redefining my architectural goals, learning more about community development, working w/ real materials and expanding my masonry horizons