West Texas Silhouettes

Two photos I’ve taken recently of some landmarks here in my home state. You know you’re in west Texas when you can’t drive more than 20 minutes without seeing one or both of these:

Oil Field (my front yard). Not as smelly as you’d imagine and pretty cool considering there’s lots of wildlife that can live in the undisturbed landscape around the rigs. Lubbock Country Club, Lubbock, Texas.

And, off course, a High School Football Stadium. It wouldnt be West Texas without those friday night lights. Shallowater HS, Shallowater, Texas.

A Little Less Silver

She was silver. Sleek and shining, she stood only a few yards from me, making some obscene honking noise that was disturbing the entire parking lot. I wondered who would just leave her there all alone-shrieking and beautiful-without even caring to check on what was wrong.
“Turn it off!” my dad said, amused at my bewilderment. He handed me the keys. She was mine.
I quickly quieted her alarm and ran over. There was nothing wrong. It was only a trick, a ploy by my parents to grab my attention, and it worked. I slid inside her, giddy with anticipation to see how well she rode. Driving home, I pressed every button I could find, adjusting every setting until we molded together. We were perfect.
She was a Dodge Charger, a 2006 model-the first year they brought the Chargers back since ’87, though those were the Shelby editions and almost everyone only remembers the muscled up Chargers from ’66-’78. The black interior contrasted her glossy silver body, and the little V-8 engine was just enough for 16-year-old me to handle without getting into trouble.
I got her home, took her to my softball game that very night, and driving back with her already covered in dust from the fields, I decided she should be a “he”. The next day I hung a baby blue bow on the rearview mirror, piled all my CD’s in the console (I wasn’t cool enough to have an iPod) and named him something that must not have been very memorable, seeing as I’ve long since forgotten it. Whatever it was, I knew we would be thick as thieves, best buds, partners in crime.
There was never any telling who would be in the passenger seat. One day it was my softball teammate explaining how blasting the heater would get rid of the smoke smell faster than the air conditioner. We burnt up in 100 degree heat that afternoon so she could smoke a Marlboro Light. Senior year my best friend would ride shotgun as I sped down the highway to a Subway in the next town so we could eat sandwiches during our lunch hour. The summer of 2007, my boyfriend sat in that seat and cried with me the day he moved to a college two hours and a heartbreak away. Then, he dried his eyes and got out of my car for the last time.
Somehow, my Charger drove me through the tears, the laughter and the memories of my senior year in high school. I drove him to my first job, then my second, and a third shortly after that. He took me to college and, for the first time, I scarred his silver paint, running into a log of firewood that tumbled down the freeway while I was on my way home for Christmas break. Now he was cracked and I couldn’t afford to fix him, but I figured it wasn’t that big of a deal.
It wasn’t until a few weeks after my twenty-first birthday that I really let him down. After having a few drinks, I hit a curb on my way home and broke his axle. He slumped on the side of the road as I waited for a ride but the only one I got was straight to jail. My charger got towed and ended up with ugly shoe polish writing on his windshield, sitting in car jail until I got released and could bail him out too. Since he wasn’t drive-able anymore, he got loaded onto a too-narrow trailer, and was left to sit until almost a year later when I finally got my license back.
When I did see my Charger again, I smiled exactly the same way I did the first time I had seen him 6 years before. He wasn’t shiny, stunning, or even completely silver anymore, but he was still beautiful and he was still mine. The trailer he had been transported on left long, deep scratches down both sides and the bumper would need to be completely replaced. Now, there was black and white and shades of grey where everything had once been that shimmery silver. I took him that day to get inspected, washed, and the title transferred to my name. Legally mine, a little worse for wear, but my charger all the same. I may have been a little reckless, and I certainly didn’t always treat him like I should, but he was always good to me.
Right this moment, he’s sitting outside waiting on me to get in and drive, just like the old days-but with a little less silver.

lovelove
kembra.

Chuck Palahniuk Essay Collection

-Chuck Palahniuk

Greetings, readers! I have an interesting link to share with you today, especially my many fellow NaNoWriMo’ers. Some of you may know that Chuck Palahniuk began a series of essays on the craft of writing in 2005. He ended up posting 36 of these mini-workshops with his tips, advice, and lessons learned through his career. Now, his site no longer has the posts, and the only place they’re supposedly found is http://www.litreactor.com. However, I take pleasure in announcing that you don’t have to become a member of LitReactor-although the site does seem helpful for hopeful authors-because there’s a free version of Palahniuk’s collection here.

You’re welcome 🙂

I’m starting to read through his essays, and am already intrigued by the first one on establishing authority as a narrator. There’s homework at the end of each of his lessons, so I’ll probably post mine here. More prep for November! Let me know if you all try out Palahniuk’s suggestions; I’d like to compare results of the “homework” assignments and get some constructive criticism. How lucky are we to get a mini-workshop from a master?! Take advantage, folks.

lovelove
kembra.

The Game We Play

Well readers, I got a lot of pre-writing and planning done for my novel today! Some character development, introductory setting, basic outline and plot points all came together very well and gave me a strong sense of the story I’m going to tell. Here’s a short synopsis:

Harry Bleake, a young college graduate, finds himself out in the world with a Liberal Arts degree and not much else. To earn a living in a bad economy and fulfill a lifelong dream of travel, he picks up a job as a freelance writer for a little known American destinations website. After landing a gig visiting and documenting “The 10 biggest party schools of America”, Harry gets a second chance at the college experience he never had. Harry Bleake changes his name to Harrison B. and dives headfirst into a second life revolving around a world of sex and drugs. He gets very good at the game of pretending, but will he ever quit?

Let me know what you guys think! Mind you, it’s literally the first draft I’ve ever written for this book so don’t judge too harshly 🙂

Still, is it too cliche? Sound like something you could find in about 300 other self-published books floating around amazon? Be honest here-I know this isn’t going to be a bestselling masterpiece but it’s an idea; it’s a start. Plus, I think any story is as good as you tell it. Add a fast moving plot, realistic situations, and a wide range of emotions evoked from the reader, and a mediocre story can be great. At least that’s what I’m aiming for.

I think I’ve become a little obsessed over NaNo. I spent all day today reading forums on the site, checking out other webpages with writing tips that people suggested, and bought a $10 app just for writing novels. Yeah…I’m crazy.

In the meantime, I submitted my app to the grad school and went there in person to turn in a transcipt. I was literally breathless as I walked through the door. The administration building on Texas Tech’s campus is beautiful inside.

Anyways, got all that shizz turned in so now it’s just a waiting game.

And praying, if you’re into that kind of thing 😉

Last but not least, you’ll love these tips on how not to get shot in the depot district. Thanks to my buddy Big at KissFM for helping out my fellow Lubbockites who just can’t figure out how to avoid trouble. Apparently that’s an issue these days…

lovelove
kembra.

T-minus Twenty

That’s right…today is October 11th which means exactly 20 days until National Novel Writing Month. To start getting myself prepared for such a ridiculous task as writing 50,000 words in a month, I’m going to be completing short excercises on my blog through October. Today, I figured I’d start with something pretty basic, and all-too-obvious. It’s also something I think many amateurs don’t often consider when starting their first book: what do people want to read about? What keeps them interested? What makes people shut a book and forget they ever started it?

Here’s some of my opinions:

Format: I love a book that doesn’t follow a predictable, day-by-day, strictly chronological format. Rather, I find it more interesting when various character’s perspectives overlap through time. See the Game of Thrones series and Colum McCann’s “Let the Great World Spin” for excellent examples of character’s point of views intersecting over time. Keeping the perspective limited and specific helps to avoid repetition in events that both characters experience.

Description: I’m a wordy writer…too wordy probably. But I can really appreciate a vibrant description that pulls a reader into a scene. On the other hand, too much wordiness can do exactly the opposite: detract a readers attention. One thing I’ll try to keep in mind for November: write enough to make them feel like they’re actually there, but not so much that they get bored, and do it in a way that they can only experience the scene through you. Everybody has walked through a garden; it’s your job to point out the roses that the reader never stopped to smell. Let your audience discover the scene with you.

Introduction: This will probably be one of my weaker points, I fear. As if writing 50,000 words isn’t already a formindable task, beginning a novel in way that will not only capture the reader’s attention but also keep it for another few hours is equally as daunting. Where to begin?!?! I’m afraid I might panic at this point. I’ll probably (unsuccessfully) try to start in the middle or something. Let’s keep an open mind about my introduction at this point, and in the mean time check out the 100 greatest first lines of novels for inspiration.

Since I’m about to leave work, I’ll leave you with just those three topics for now. Maybe after my delicious fried pork chop dinner I will think of some more pre-writing tips for myself (and you guys of course). Or maybe my brain will turn to mush in a food coma. The latter is kinda what I’m hoping for, not gonna lie.

In the meantime, share your personal tips. What do you guys think about before you write? And what turns you on, or off, in literature and technique (no 50 Shades of Grey comments, please). Give me your advice!!

lovelove
kembra.

Personal Statement

**UPDATE**-I recieved my acceptance letter to Texas Tech’s Master of Art’s in Sociology program on October 19th, 2012. So this personal statement/letter of intent worked for me! Good luck to any of you who are working to get into a program. If you have any questions I would be happy to answer them. Also note that there are some grammatical errors in my statement below, but I did one more revision before actually turning it in.

I will be submititng my application for a graduate program soon, and part of the required material is a personal statement or letter of intent. This is mine. I figured I would let some objective readers judge my letter so please let me know what you think. Even if you don’t know me, neither will some of the committe members who will be judging my application. Especially if you’ve been accepted to a graduate program before, please give me some constructive criticism! Thank you guys.

lovelove

kembra.

Respected Dr. Johnson and Sociology Graduate Committee:
I am submitting my application for enrollment in the Sociology graduate program at Texas Tech for the Spring 2012 semester. Having a sociology major in my undergraduate studies, a continued knowledge of theory and applications in the field would greatly benefit my future research and career goals. These objectives include studying criminology, violent crime, substance abuse, and socoiology of religion. Eventually, I would like to teach and continue to contribute research at a leading insitution of higher learning. The past four years of my life as a Red Raider have convinced me that Texas Tech is the ideal insitution for me to continue my education and recieve my master’s degree in sociology.

I entered my undergraduate degree program with a sociology major, criminology concentration, and forensic sciences minor hoping to find work in a field where I could help society reduce crime and rehabilitate criminals in a more efficient way than was standard at the time. I was extremely interested in violent crime and did most of my research on this topic. These papers, including “Social Disorganization and Violent Crime in America” and “Disastrous Duos: An Analysis of Violent Criminal Partnerships”, always received above average grades. To get hands-on experience with criminals and learn more about criminology, I interned under Assistant District Attorney Tray Payne at the Lubbock County Prosecutor’s office. During this time, I was able to attend various trials and see some inner workings of the judicial system. Mr. Payne exclusively tried cases involving violent crime, so this internship specifically brought to life the lecture hall lessons I had been most intrigued by through my first year of college. I would like to build on this experience by furthering my studies into the criminal mind and deterrence techniques for aggressive or especially vicious crimes.

I also found myself continually drawn to the assessment of criminals with substance abuse problems. Though I grew up in a strict no drug and alcohol tolerance family, I have worked for over 3 years in various bars around Texas Tech’s college community. To say the least, these bars make for a captivating, albeit unofficial, sociological laboratory. Because of my first hand experience with observing people under a wide range of effects of alcohol, my interest in society’s varying tolerance for harmful or illicit substances has increased. By studying how society responds to alcohol and drug use, I would like to determine a method for reducing substance abuse related crime and injury.

Additionally, I have resided in one of the most conservative parts of America for over 20 years and have witnessed many different consequences of the “Bible Belt” mentality. I have determined that high levels of religiosity sometimes have adverse effects on children and young adults. Issues like drug use, teen pregnancy, and domestic violence were common in religious households in the town I grew up in. I would like to find the relationship between these, and other, problems and parental religiosity.

These facets of my background have all contributed to and strengthened my commitment to pursuing continued education, specialized research and a career in sociology. After hearing about Texas Tech’s graduate program in sociology through my professors and advisors, I determined that it was a program who’s courses, intensive workload, and faculty and their research interests well suited my own learning style and goals. I believe it is an excellent program that will help me to help society by contributing new knowledge in the areas I have previously specified. Though my undergraduate GPA may be lower than some applicants, my grades in sociology classes were often much better than in other areas of study, and my sincerity and commitment to the sociology graduate program may be seen in my GRE scores and various letters of recommendation from my undergraduate sociology professors.

I have worked full-time continuously throughout my four years at Texas Tech in order to fully support myself and help pay for my degree. I also received various scholarships due to excellent grades and academic performance. As a freshman, I was a founding member and officer of the Texas Tech Criminology Club. I enjoyed promoting the sociology porgram through this organization, which brought in various guests from the criminal justice system and planned off campus trips that helped sparked the interest of students who might not have considered sociology or criminology as a subject of study before.
With some free moments between work and school, I find time to read many genres of literature and keep a public blog which allows me to subjectively comment on sociological issues like family and parenting, drug use, and sub-cultures. I currently have over 60 individual subscribers from all over the world and enjoy creating diverse conversation about topics that affect people universally.

Between my sincere interest in sociology, my extra curricular activities, and my complete commitment to success in Texas Tech’s sociology program, I feel that the graduate school is a perfect fit for me. Obtaining my master’s degree, and continuing my career as a Red Raider, would be a monumental experience and would also allow me to give back to my school, state, and society through important research. I hope that you find my qualifications commensurate with your standards and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Wreck ‘Em!
Kembra Gerner
; ; ;

NaNoWriMo

I think I may have made a mistake. Yesterday, in the ecstasy of typing on my new keyboard and getting back to blogging, I also happened to sign myself for National Novel Writing Month. The purpose of this annual event, sponsored by The Office of Letters and Light, is to give everyday people the motivation, tips, and pressure it takes to sit down and write a novel-all on a 30 day deadline. People from all over the world participate, and there’s a kids version as well.

It sounds cool and is a great way to network with other writers in your community, but where in the world am I going to find the time to write a 50,000 word book?! If you finish the entire thing within the month of November-no head starts, either!-you get a certificate, web-badge, and after verification of your work, you are put on the “winner’s wall” of the official writing month website. Some winners have even been published. 

Various activities are planned in each community by a liaison; events may include all night “write-ins”, meetings to discuss plot development, and coffee shop dates to escape the dark and isolating cave that the writer’s office so often becomes. I doubt that I’ll make any of these activities, but who knows-with a little focus maybe I can finish my first novel. I already know the basic premise of the plot I want to write, so with a little more tweaking I can definitely have a solid foundation to build on come November 1st. 

Feel like supporting the cause? There’s a link to donate on www.NaNoWriMo.org. All profits go to support the non-profit foundation that puts on the program and pays for things like staffing and kid’s writing camps. Who knows, while you’re there maybe you’ll feel inspired to sign up and commit to this crazy contest. If you do, my username is kgerner….find and buddy me! There’s nothing to lose, save a month of sleep.

Also, you may support my personal NaNoWriMo cause by sending me copious amounts of sunflower seeds, Advil, and wine.

T-26 days until National Novel Writing Month!

lovelove.
kembra

High Diving

Well, hello world.

I haven’t blogged in a while but now I have this fancy new keyboard for my iPad and I can’t help but want to type on it. Plus I’m sitting at my “job” which I would rather call a “joke” but “sitting at my joke” doesn’t really make much sense. Anyways, I guess I’ll just spill whatever is on my mind right now since I love this keyboard and really, quite literally, cannot stop typing on it. AWESOME

Kyle is in the office behind mine, separated by only a window. He’s listening to his own voice. Seriously. I guess he had a customer call recorded so he’s listening to how he handled the call while air drumming on his desk to no discernible rythm. 

“Welcome Home” by Radical Face is playing on my Mumford & Sons Pandora station at the moment. Appropriate since I’m coming back to my blog sweet blog after so long. Actually, I have no idea who this band or what this song is but I’m digging it. It’s at least a hundred times better than the “neon Trees” song that came on earlier. Since when is teeny-pop that you can hear every hour on an FM station associated enough with Mumford and Sons to be played on their pandora station? Strange. 

I think I might seriously get into Grad School. From the beginning, I thought it was a less than great chance that I’d be accepted, but things are really moving along and going in my direction. That’s a strange feeling. Since when do things happen in my favor? I don’t know what it is, honestly, but all of a sudden I’m making a list of goals (long and short term, at that), writing in my blog again, keeping a journal. It just feels like things are really right at the moment. 

Or maybe it’s just the cool keyboard.

 

lovelove

kg. 

Dear Karen

Dear Karen,

If you’re reading this, it means I actually worked up the courage to mail it. So, good for me. You don’t know me very well, but if you get me started I have a tendency to go on and on about how hard the writing is for me. But this… this is the hardest thing I ever had to write. There is no easy way to say this, so I’ll just say it: I met someone. It was an accident. I wasn’t looking for it, It wasn’t on the make. It was a perfect storm.

She said one thing and I said another and the next thing I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life in the middle of that conversation.

Now there is this feeling in my gut that she might be the one. She is completely nuts in a way that makes me smile, highly neurotic; a great deal of maintenance required. She is you, Karen… that’s the good news. The bad news is that I don’t know how to be with you right now, and that scares the shit out of me. Because if I am not with you right now I have this feeling we will get lost out there. Its a big bad world full of twists and turns and people have a way of blinking and missing the moment. The moment that could have changed everything.

I don’t know whats going on with us and I can’t tell you that you should waste a leap of faith on the likes of me. But damn, you smell good-like home-and you make excellent coffee…that has to count for something, right? Call me!

Unfaithfully yours,
Hank Moody

I’m an alien

I am an alien; there are none like me. Nor with me. Nor by me. Nor can there ever be. I am an alien.