Valpo Road Trip, Part II

So, running late, of course, I headed out to my car with about five minutes to go before I was due to meet Professor Byrne. I took his short story class in college--the very first time I ever finished a piece of fiction, which was huge for me. He encouraged me, which gave me first real bit of confidence in writing fiction.

Fortunately, Valpo traffic is nothing like Chicago suburbs traffic, so I didn't have any problem making it to campus on time...or pretty close. I used the Eastgate Entrance and took Chapel Drive to get to Huegli so I'd also get a look at the new library. I was a little worried because I've always loved the look of the Chapel and I thought a new building so nearby might spoil it. But no. The new library is gorgeous and it complements the architecture of the Chapel, in my humble, non-expert opinion.

I parked across the street from Huegli, gathered up all my stuff and walked over. Huegli is exactly the same. It still smells like school to me. Paper, old building, dust. Love that smell.
(Tangent: anybody else remember when Ryan Arnold cracked his head open by hitting it on the low ceiling in Huegli hall stairwell?)

I found Professor Byrne's office without any trouble, and we settled in for a nice chat before the event. It was kind of funny. I've been out of school for almost eight years now, but I still got nervous talking with him and, later, my other former professors. They're still so smart. I feel sometimes like I'm actually losing information as I get older instead of gaining it. Plus, I've always respected them, so their opinion of me and the stuff that I'm writing is really important to me.

But talking first with Professor Byrne in that more casual environment really helped me relax a little. He commented on my confidence, how different that was from when I was in his class. I don't remember going through classes as a quiet or shy person, but knowing me, that's probably how it looked. It also occurred to me how much my day job has changed me in that respect...in a good way. I still get nervous talking to people I don't know, but I can do it. I can present my work in front a crowd and talk them through it. In fact, I do it so often (or used to, but that's a whole other story) that I don't even think about it too much anymore. I've learned a lot in the last eight years, I guess, so maybe then I don't feel so bad about losing the other information!

We headed downstairs after a bit, where some students were already waiting. (They served refreshments--big cookies and punch! Remember the big cookies?) I couldn't help commenting quietly to Professor Byrne on how young all the students looked. They're only a couple of years older than my sister! But I don't feel any older than I did when I sat in those very same chairs.

Professor Byrne introduced me to the group of students, and after a few minutes of shyness, they started asking questions. In the background, I could see a few more professors had joined us, which made me a little jumpy. I was afraid I'd see them wincing at something I said or grimacing at some grammatically incorrect sentence. But it wasn't like that at all. They were very cool! Interestingly enough, they have some new professors that I didn't know--a couple of them probably close to my own age, which was really weird.

I'd brought with me samples of a query letter, a synopsis, a rejection letter and an acceptance letter. So I passed those around the room so people could see. The rejection letter was kind of hard, as it was one of the more detailed ones I ever recieved. But rejection is a part of the process, ugly as it is, I thought it was important for them to know that getting rejected doesn't kill you...it just feels like it. : )

We took a small break between the question and answer session and the reading. My advisor, Professor Feaster, came up to say hello, and I saw Dr. Uehling, too. Two very scary-smart people. I learned so much from both of them while I was in school. Dr. Uehling is the one I called when I finished my first book (before The Silver Spoon) and didn't know what to do with it next. He introduced me to the idea of literary agents, and it's all history and a bunch of query letters from there.

After the break, I told them I'd read a chapter from The Silver Spoon and also a chapter from Bitter Pill, my work in progress. I'd been invited by Professor Byrne to bring a work in progress, which I thought was so cool. It's interesting to get that live feedback particularly with something you can still make changes to.

So I read the first chapter of The Silver Spoon and by that time, I'd relaxed enough to have some fun with it, drawing more on Zara's voice instead of just reading the pages. When I finished, I asked them if they wanted to hear chapter two or if I should move on to Bitter Pill. Someone in the back, I'm not sure who, requested that I keep going. That was so neat!

So I read chapter two and switched to Bitter Pill. With Bitter Pill, I was a little worried. I'd never read it out loud before, not even to myself, I don't think. So, I knew I'd be stumbling a little more than I had with my other excerpt. But, oh, it was so wonderful! Yeah, I tripped over some places and actually stopped to scribble a note at one point. But hearing the words out loud, feeling the rhythm of the sentences again...it made me remember how much I loved writing that story. Bitter Pill has, unfortunately, been languishing lately on the side as I don't know what to do with it. It's too short really, as it is, and I've been loathe to add another subplot in (a paranormal element) as I think it will change the tone too much. But reading it aloud and hearing people's reaction to it (they laughed in all the right places!) gave me such motivation. I want to see it published in some fashion because it was so much fun to write! I decided right then that I'd try revising it to make it longer (adding in the subplot) but if that changed it too much, I'd make a serious effort to getting it published as is.

Okay, this is going to have to be another "to be continued" because this entry is already HUGE...Three parts to this story, I guess!