Weekly Update 52

Hello there everyone! It is that time of the week where I give you the news you can already guess.

I have yet to get representation for my debut science fiction adventure book. This news, while disheartening, is not shocking. One might even call it banal at this point. Yet still I persist.

In the realm of personal life and work, things have also remained steady. I am still working at becoming a great teacher despite the negative reviews from students and parents (juvenile and biased, you can guess). I still stare at the ceiling and think about the world I made and the embarrassing amount of time spent on a book that so far has yet to see the light of day. To distract myself I have turned to an old favorite pass time of mine; Mythbusters.

For those who are unaware, Mythbusters was a show on the Discovery Channel that ran from 2003 to 2018. The show aimed to test theories and myths from the popular consciousness to see if they are plausible or impossible (“busted”). I used to cycle between a handful of tv channels back before streaming services: Cartoon Network, Animal Planet, Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, SyFy Channel, and Discovery Channel. I spent a lot of time watching the show as a kid and watching episodes I had no way of watching before has been extremely entertaining. Aside from the show I have also played a handful of video games but I am starting to feel the familiar urge to jump between several activities… like my mind can’t seem to find enjoyment in anything. Oh well, back to staring at the ceiling.

See you all next week!

Weekly Update 51

Well what are you doing here? It is late. Yes, I am updating this blog super late. I blame the general depression of a weekend ending for my forgetfulness. I was laying in bed last night (Sunday night) and I realized I didn’t update you all. If you are new here: 1) welcome, this is the place where I update those who are curious on my journey on becoming a traditionally published author. 2) I post weekly updates every Monday… so I guess this still counts even if it is late.

I have been querying more and more agents and I am pleased (as one can be in this situation) to say that I am getting rejections again. It feels nice to finally get some emails back after all this time, even if they are “nos.” That means I have yet to receive a yes.

The weekend was fun but fast. I spent it playing new video games and reading new books (still The Way of Kings). I finally got my hands on a Persona game after years of knowing about the franchise. Persona 5 Royal is very fun, but only if you are into JRPGs (Japanese Role-Playing Games). For those who might not know the difference between a western RPG and a JRPG; just play one. You’ll understand.

Ok, I need to get to bed. Those fifth graders won’t teach themselves! See you next week.

Weekly Update 50

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Welcome one and all to my blog and the year of 2024. If this is your first time here: I wish you a wonderful 2024, and this is the blog where I update you on my journey to becoming a traditionally published author. If you are returning: welcome back and I wish you a wonderful 2024.

I have not yet received any good news regarding my book. Querying agents has slowly become arduous but still I press on. Who knows? Maybe this is the year.

My winter break from school has progressed swimmingly though too fast. I go back to work on Wednesday which feels a little unfair but I can’t explain why. I guess I like doing nothing too much.

I spent my break playing video games (yes, mostly Baldur’s Gate 3) and reading books. My mother and her wife got me a box set of the first three books of the Stormlight Archive and I have made a small amount of progress into The Way of Kings. This book is very large but that hasn’t discouraged me before. Though I am only eighty pages in I can tell this book has the same addictive nature as Mistborn.

Ok, time to get back to enjoying my ever-dwindling free time. See you all next week!

Weekly Update 49

Weekly Update 49

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPPY HOLIDAYS!

I hope you had a wonderful time celebrating your holiday this year. I celebrate Christmas, and it went very well. I got to give some very cool gifts this year but not as many as previous ones… I am trying to cut back on my spending.

I have not heard back from any agents yet. What a wonderful Christmas that would have been.

Aside from Christmas I got to spend time playing video games and planning my upcoming Dungeons and Dragons game with my family!

The Steam winter sale is here and I took full advantage of it. I got several games that I have been waiting to get and some that looked interesting. I got Elden Ring, No Man’s Sky, the Dead Space remake, and a little strategy game called Transformers BATTLEGROUNDS. Of all of them I am most excited to experience an indie game named Celeste. It is a platformer that came out in 2018 and has made an appropriate amount of “splash.” I got to play the first two levels and it is just as fun as I was expecting. I am most excited to see what happens in the story. And after that I will finally play Elden Ring.

This week I get to DM (dungeon master) a second game for my family! For all of them it is the second game they have ever played. I am very excited for multiple reasons, but the biggest one is that I made this adventure from the ground up! I haven’t done that a lot and I loved doing it. It felt very satisfying to use the DND books I bought years ago and doing all the math to make sure they have a fun time. Can’t wait for the end of this week, you will hear about it next week!

Ok, time to go get some food and query some more agents. See you all back here next week!

Weekly Update 48

Hi.

Sorry, was that intro too curt? Well, how about you make a website and your own blog then? Do it the way you want to. I’m just kidding! I like to play around here on sethoberlender.com. I’m Seth by the way.

First: any agents? Nope.

Second: still playing Baldur’s Gate 3? Yep. And it is still so good. If you want to see my “review” check out my last update. My thoughts have not changed.

This week was weird… I got sick for the first time in years and had to go see a doctor about it. I have strep throat. Yay. I also got to go see The Nutcracker with my sister and mother on Sunday! I was very impressed by the performances and engrossed in the story. The last (and first) time I saw a ballet I fell asleep during it. I was in middle school so I like to think I matured enough to appreciate the fine arts after all this time. I recommend you go see it if you can, I love seeing stuff live. I told my mom; there is something different about applause in theaters. It feels so much more alive.

Ok. Time to get back to playing Baldur’s Gate— I MEAN querying agents… yeah, like I said. See you all next week!

Weekly Update 47

Hello there (Star Wars reference)! This is my weekly update on my website… I’m Seth Oberlender. Should have led with that.

First, agent update: nope. Nothing. Yeah, I agree. It sucks.

Second, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a great game. I mentioned it in an earlier update, but I feel the need to reiterate it. The game is just… I have been thinking of the best way to say it. The game is so complex in make, and simple in execution. I have some experience playing DND on tabletop (virtual and irl), but even if I didn’t, the game would still be so accessible it is a crime it doesn’t come downloaded on all platforms. For example…

I was in an abandoned temple overrun with Goblins. I accepted a mission from a leader of a druidic circle in the area to eliminate three Goblin leaders in order to save the traveling band of Tieflings stuck in the surrounding forest. I managed to take care of two of the leaders in a sneaky manner, but the last one surrounded himself with an army of lackies. I charged at him with the help of the druid leader (in the form of a bear), ready to take him and his henchmen down.

That battel lasted for almost two hours…

It was an epic brawl! My rogue character stabbed the leader in the back, while my cleric companion healed our fighter, and our wizard was PUSHED INTO A PIT FULL OF GIANT SPIDERS! As he landed he fell unconscious, about to die. This was so scary, there wasn’t a quick way down to save him… well, there was one way. I took my rogue character and jumped in the pit to follow him! It felt so cinematic, and my risky maneuver paid off in the end. This game is so good because my wizard being shoved into the pit wasn’t “scripted,” it happened naturally. My decision to follow him down to save him was also natural (and the consequence of numerous spider bites was also natural). It is so hard to make moments like this in games, and that moment happened so… naturally. That moment and this game will live with me for awhile.

Sorry for the rant, I just really like the game. Go play it.

See you next week!

Weekly Update 46

And then I said… oh, hey! Sorry about that, I was just talking to myself. We do things very normal over here on my website. That is where you are by the way, my website. Pay no mind to the “Made with Squarespace” at the bottom of the page. That was my nickname in college.

If you have been here before, welcome! You know what the deal is. If you are new here, this is the part where I update you on how my quest to become a traditionally published author is going. The process is long and full of windy paths. The one I am going for includes an agent (of the literary variety) who can get me a great deal with a publisher. So far: I have no hits on my queries. That includes this update. At this point if I get an agent I will write in all caps the entire blog post.

Now I will talk about what my personal life looks like. This week was boring, but I am slowly… slowly making progress toward the habits I want. I have been querying more agents than the past year and I have gone to the gym! I need to query more agents, and I need to go to the gym more… but progress is being made. And I feel really good about it.

I’m not sure if I have mentioned it before, but I am a huge Destiny 2 fan. As in I have been playing the game since the beta of Destiny. Oh, how the time flies. I am getting back into the game in preparation for the last DLC coming out in June. Hopefully I can ride this “enjoyment train” all the way until the DLC, but time has shown that my interest in the game usually only lasts two months at max. We will see.

I am also on a major Dungeons and Dragons kick, mostly because of Baldur’s Gate 3. Can’t recommend that game enough by the way. I hope I can play a table top game this Christmas break! There is just something about the sound of dice rolling and the feeling of exercising your creative muscles that is hard to forget about. Again, we will see.

Ok. Time to get back at it. I will start the habits I want to see in my life. I will. See you all next week!

Weekly Update 45

Hello there! If you were looking for Seth Oberlender’s weekly update on his journey to becoming an author, then you are in the right place. If you weren’t, well, now is the time to leave if you wish, Be careful, the chairs in this room screech against the floor very loudly. Everyone will stare at you as you leave.

Ok, now that they are gone, let’s begin! Guess what didn’t happen this week? Correct: no agent replies. Guess what else didn’t happen? Correct: I did not query any new ones. But guess what I am about to do as soon as I am done writing this update? Correct: query some agents!

Now in my personal life I enjoyed a long week full of that potential energy exclusive to a school days before a holiday break. My Thanksgiving break started off rough since I got my COVID vaccine on Friday and suffered the consequences all Saturday. But now I feel like a human again and I can’t wait to see what will happen this week! I expect a lot of reading, video games, and movies.

Speaking of movies, can we talk about Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves? This is a little film released in 2023 that I was very excited about (because I am a big nerd) but didn’t see for awhile because I was busy. I finally saw it yesterday and let me tell you: it was not good. At first. I told my friend that I was not having a good time and was only watching because the characters were interesting and funny. The story was… well, to quote Sir Alec Guinness; “rather roping.” The biggest problem was the pacing: the movies “starts” almost four times before the movie moves on. It was boring and not fun. I really believed it would stay that way as I watched the characters form their crew and plan their attack on Neverwinter until the end of the fourth act. At about the middle point the story started to creep its way to becoming better until it exploded in the final act. Suddenly, I was rooting for the group of new friends to succeed, and this shocked me. I think it was because I got to see most of them grow and change over the story and by the end their struggle had greater stakes because of it. And at the end I was very happy to see them succeed! It made me think of the endings of Indiana Jones and Star Wars. I just felt very good seeing these strangers grow closer and be victorious. Part of me wants to watch it again just for the ending.

Ok. I am writing this update on the morning it will be released. Believe me when I tell you I am about to go and start the long process of querying agents again. When I think about this whole process I have decided will define my life as it currently stands I think of a video game. Hades is a rouge-like adventure where you play as Zagreus, the son of Hades in Greek mythology. You have to try and escape the underworld in rooms that change every time you die. And you die a lot. With every death you are returned to Hades and have to start all over again. But Zagreus never gives up. He goes again and again, making more and more progress every time until finally… well, you should play it yourself. I will talk about one part in particular though, so if you don’t want spoilers for the game, stop reading here.

When he gets to the surface he gets to meet his mother, but the reunion is short lived. Zagreus is of the underworld and therefore can’t stay there without dying and returning to the start of the finish line. But before he does, he makes a promise to his mom. He will return to the surface again. He doesn’t care if it takes him longer the next time, or the next time. The story of Hades has stuck with me because giving up is such an easy thing to accept. I have given up on a few things in my life, but some things are too important to give up on. Zagreus knows this. As he falls to his knees for the first time on the surface of our world he says: “However… long… it takes…”

I think that is pretty beautiful.

Sorry to get like that at the end, I just felt like sharing how I feel about all of this. I will see you all at the end of this journey. It might be next week, maybe next year, maybe even a few more years. But I will be here. However long it takes.

Weekly Update 44

Hey guys and welcome back to my website: sethoberlender.com. It is me, Seth Oberlender!

If you are new here, get ready for a weekly update wholly unique to my corner of the internet. If you are coming back, get ready for more of the same.

No agent. In fact, I got brave and checked the website I was using and all of my queries have been labeled as rejected because of the amount of time spent waiting on a reply. For those keeping track at home:

1 written book(s)

0 published book(s)

82 rejections.

I am melancholic but not surprised. I knew the road to publishing was going to be filled with moments like this, but it doesn’t make it hurt any less. Which is why I won’t stop. Not yet. Tomorrow I will submit my first query in months. So wish me luck!

Me. Getting back on the horse… get it?

In my personal life, I spent a weird weekend doing weird things. I do not have depression, but I get depression (yes those are different things) and last weekend was one of those weekends. I spent a lot of it staring at mundane things and wasting time or doing things that had the potential to cheer me up. I went to Barnes and Noble, for example. I got some books for school and a book on teaching that I am a little excited to read. I also spent an unhealthy amount of time on TikTok… which might have added to prolonging my depressive state. Who knows. While the weekend didn’t go the way I thought it would I am ready to get back up and teach some kids this week. Maybe next weekend I can enjoy myself!

Ok, time to go. I have to take some time to get ready for bed and enjoy the small amount of “weekend” I have left. See you all next week!

Weekly Update 43

Welcome one and all to Seth Oberlender’s corner of the internet! If you don’t know me, I am a writer and teacher who is attempting to get his first book traditionally published. The first thing I usually like to talk about in these weekly updates is if I have heard back from any agents.

The answer is no. I have been telling my readers I will start submitting again soon, and soon is getting sooner and sooner every day. I am slowly starting to realize that my current habits are not as helpful (or healthy) as I would like and I am starting to feel myself turning a corner so to speak. I am filled with excitement at the idea of changing myself, and I hope I can share good news with you as I progress.

In a small step toward change, I want to point out I am typing this on my special keyboard, the same one I mentioned in previous updates. The challenge that comes with the new angle and keys of this unfamiliar board is almost liberating. I feel accomplished like I am making progress.

My personal life is going well! Last week was the week of Halloween, which led to a long week for us teachers. I am glad I am past it, and I am looking forward to the next week with a sense of repetition and somberness; I am going to continue to try my hardest. Still, wish me luck. Parents man. Parents.

The weekend was fun, but also very melancholic. I didn’t do anything, but I took time just to think and seek out stuff that would make me happy. This included trying some video games I hadn’t played before and some I gave up on. Namely Alan Wake and Control. These games are made by a company called Remedy and I am starting to become a fan. I bought Alan Wake on sale so I can play it before buying the new Alan Wake 2. The game is fun but it made me want to retry Control, and I feel like I am finally ready to face that game’s… energy. If you are not familiar with Control, I urge you to watch the trailer and then Google stuff like the SCP Foundation and The Twilight Zone. The game is just as weird and mysterious as those beautiful things and I have been having a blast in it like I wasn’t before.

Ok. Time for me to get back to playing video games and taking small steps toward being what I want to be: a happy, healthy, writer. See you next week!

Weekly Update 42

Hello everyone and happy all Hallows eve eve! I am so excited for Halloween, I get to watch the classic horror movie Trick R Treat and have fun being spooked out by some new horror movies!

In agent news: there is none.

In life news: I got punched today. Yes, I forgot to prewrite my update so this one is going out late on Monday. This just happened today. The kid was on the spectrum and they couldn’t find a better way to handle their anger, so I am not mad at them at all. I am fine, and I hope they are. I’ll find out more tomorrow.

Last week was uneventful, but one highlight was playing video games with my friend for the first time in months! Today we have plans to hang out so I am excited about that.

Well, that week was very short and small, just like this update. Wish me luck tomorrow… school has thrown us to the wolves so it’s going to be a very lax day (which means I will be herding very hyper cats). I hope you have a very safe and fun Samhain!

Weekly Update 41

Hey guys, welcome back to my website! What a fun day, I am attempting to write this with a very special keyboard: the keyboard I bought myself as a reward for finishing my first book. I plan on writing my entire next book on this one, but right now, it is slooowww going.

Alright down to business. First, agent update. As you might have guessed I… wait, oh! That is right, I actually have news! I got a response to a query for the first time in months. I was hooking up the computer when I heard my unique alert sound for my author email, and I was genuinely confused about what it was. The message was a rejection, but it was so nice to hear back from anyone. Makes me hopeful for the future.

In my personal life, I got my computer! It is so much fun, and I am so happy I have one that is so modern and powerful. I have been playing several games but the one that I was most excited about was Apex Legends. When I got in my first game I was very, very bad at it. But after a handful (more like several handfuls) of games, I started to get better. Finally, after years of playing this game since week one, I got my first win! I was so happy; it made all the time spent playing it worth it in some way.

I also got Spiderman 2 on my PS5, and it is sooooo fun it is almost stupid. I will have more to say on that one when I get deeper in. For now, just know that I am constantly torn between playing Apex or Spiderman… or you know, cooking and cleaning.

Ok. Time to go back to playing video games and doing chores. See you all back here next week for more updates!

Weekly Update 40

Well hello there! If you are a returning visitor to my website, you might have noticed I missed last week’s update. For that, I apologize… again. If you are new here, WELCOME! I swear I am usually better at being consistent. Don’t ask the others.

Agents Updates: nothing. That still hasn’t changed like I hinted in the last update because my computer still isn’t here. I am expecting the email on Monday or Tuesday, and I am very excited/upset at its absence.

Life Update: This last week I was focused on catching up at work. Grades were due the previous Friday so that left the last week for redoing assignments. Which meant I had to deal with several upset parents. That might be why I didn’t update last week.

My birthday party went very well! I tortured my guests with bad movies, and everyone had a horrible great time! No one has talked to me since, but I am sure they are just busy.

Winry is good, we even went to the vet to make sure. She is a healthy little brat who refuses to be petted. As a reward for her being so good at the vet, I got her a tiny cowboy hat. As you can see from the picture, she loves it.

Well, that is it. This week at work is going to be long but hopefully, my computer will make it worth it. See you all next week!

Weekly Udpate 39

Hey everyone! I guess I better start by apologizing. I missed last week’s update because it was a super busy one. But here I am, on the horse again!

This past week was… a lot. I try not to talk about work on this website but this week in particular was long. I won’t go into detail, just know that I wasn’t doing my best and I am working every day to fix that. No matter how tiring it gets.

Camp Goddard went very well! I had so much fun, and I learned a lot. Camp is a lot more fun when you aren’t forced to do team building, make flags, create skits, and talk to people. I mean, I did most of that, but it was on my terms with cool adults. I also got to see my students in a new setting, and they got to see me. I can’t wait to go again next year!

In agent news: nothing. But I will start submitting to new agents very soon, maybe even this week! Because…

I am getting a new computer! I finally decided to pull the trigger on buying a new one and I am so excited. It should arrive this week, sometime around Wednesday. I can’t wait to jump back into the games I have been missing for several months now.

Don’t panic, but last weekend was my birthday. It’s ok if you didn’t get me anything, I didn’t tell you it was coming up. I got to see my parents and my sister which was all I wanted. I got some neat stuff I wanted, and next weekend I am hosting a party for my friends. We will be watching bad movies all night, so of course I can’t wait.

Well, that is all for this update, I will see you next week after my party and a new computer! Have a pleasant week everybody.

Weekly Update 38

Hello everyone, welcome to my website.

There’s the one chair I own, and there’s the fridge full of go-gurt, and here’s my scale replica of the Normandy SR2 from Mass Effect 2. Make yourself at home!

First, I have no good news regarding my book. And yes, it is upsetting.

Second, this week is going to be pretty fun. My school is having a field trip to a campground for three days. Think of it like Church Camp but without the church part. That is how I view it because I spent a few summers at Church Camp and boy did I not have fun.

I really tried, I swear. Okay, maybe not as a kid but later I seriously attempted to participate and have fun but there was always a gap between my fellow campers and me. This time though I am going as an adult, and even better, I don’t have to do anything! As a teacher, all I have to do is monitor the kids as a chaperone. I also can’t wait to take a very special book with me! I got a copy of Walden by Henry David Thoreau and I can finally read it while deep in nature myself. I’ve had this desire for years since I learned about the book and author in school. I also can’t wait to spend the week yelling at kids to stop messing with each other or random nature. So when you read this, imagine me doing that.

In my personal life, I have had a pretty fun few days. I went to a hockey game with my sister and her girlfriend yesterday and it was a blast! If you haven’t been to a hockey game, do yourself a favor and go as soon as you can. The seasons last forever and every game is so much fun.

I am starting to miss PC games. For those who did not know, my computer has been on the mend for a bit. It can do everything except play video games. After this trip, I am going to reach out to a computer/cellphone repair place to see if they can take a look at it. I don’t really want to replace it. Wish me luck, soon I can start popping heads and pushing C like a pro again.

Pupdate: Winry is still kicking, still chillin’, and still barking. She is getting calmer every day, so I hope she won’t giver he grandparents too much grief when I am gone.

OK, that is all for this week. Time to go and find myself in the deep embrace of Mother Nature. See you all on the other side!

Weekly Update 37

Hello everyone. This update is a little somber, but not for any serious reason. I am just feeling the absence of hits from agents. About now, someday soon, all of my queries will be too old. Then I will have had a rejection on all eighty-plus of them. It is very sad if I can be honest. Soon, this week hopefully, I will set out and find more agents to query. I am not giving up. Not yet. I even have a lead on a publisher, if I am desperate enough. Nothing against publishers, I just want to get an agent first.

It has been one calendar week with Winry as a second soul in my apartment and it has been a wild rollercoaster. I love having her, but the amount of stress she has induced on me is crazy. I thought I was ready for her but I was wrong. There was a day I felt very frustrated and depressed about all the stress but now I have taken time to relax (finally), and so far I have moved on from this minor lapse. I love having her and I can get used to getting up at 5:00 am to let her out. We are learning each other.

In other news, I have started to get back into a niche that I have had almost no experience in for years: fighting games. I used to get fighting games for their story (to the “gamers” reading this that should sound hilarious) and then trade them back into Game Stop after I beat it. I did this mainly with Mortal Kombat and Injustice, two series with rich stories (and the same publisher). But after years of passive interest, I have invested time in getting to understand the intricate and rewarding world of the Fighting Game Community, or “FCG.”

It started with the recent release of Street Fighter VI. I bought Street Fighter V on sale years ago but it felt like hitting my head against a wall when I tried to learn it. That whole experience made me think of when I got Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition for my Nintendo 3DS. Back then all I did was pick a character and try to beat the computer. I would lose because all I did was mash buttons, and then I would switch to the character I lost to and repeat the process until I was bored. SFV was the same but with the added frustration of being an adult who could understand how I was losing. SFVI is another story though. Literally. This time there is a story. It is silly but very newbie-friendly and I haven’t felt this motivated to learn a video game since seeing my first picture of Master Chief.

I am still learning, but I did manage to snag one victory in a casual game… one victory out of like fifteen. But that is the thing; even though I was losing very, very badly I felt like I knew why, and the game was approachable enough to get me to keep on playing. My favorite characters are Kimberly, JP, and Ryu by the way.

Ok. Time to get back to teaching, fighting, and waiting. See you all next week.

Weekly Update 36

Hello everyone! You might have noticed that this update is pretty late in the day and that is because it has been a very eventful day indeed.

Today was/is labor day which means I had no school, which was also very fortunate because I got Winry yesterday! She and I have spent the entire two days getting to know one another and it has been a roller coaster. I love having her though, even though it has been a little stressful.

Ok, time to make sure she gets a good night’s rest! I will see you in the next update.

PS: Here are some pictures!

Weekly Update 35

Well, hey there everyone! Wouldn’t you know it, I forgot to update you guys this week! Lately, I have been writing these on the Sunday or Saturday before and then scheduling them for Monday but this Sunday I was preoccupied with enjoying free time and studying up on something very important: how to take care of a dog.

In six days I get Winry, the Australian Shepherd I mentioned a few updates ago. I am so excited but also a little nervous. As some people very close to me will know, I wasn’t the best dog owner/caretaker as a kid. Winry is the first dog I have been responsible for in years and she is also much bigger than any dog I have had in my life. I hope I can give her a home worthy enough for her, but I am still nervous about my lack of experience. Rest assured, when I have her in my life, she will have a prominent spot on my website. I just thought of this, but several YouTubers who sponsor Square Space talk about creating websites for their pets. If I can create one for a small amount of money then I might be interested. Regardless: keep an eye out for the “Winry” tab coming soon.

Updating you at such a late time of night has one benefit! I can tell you guys about today and not be afraid of forgetting it. Today I started a tradition I hope can last for a long time. Jakob, my oldest friend, came over to my apartment for the first time and we started watching Neon Genesis Evangelion together. I have already seen the anime but I was planning on rewatching it soon, thank goodness Jakob said he would like to watch it too because I love sharing it with people. Unfortunately, it is the kind of anime you don’t show to people who are not familiar with the medium. Jakob is a season “weeb” though, so I can’t wait for him to see one of the most influential Japanese cartoons ever made.

Ok, it is time for me to continue reading my book. I am on Golden Son, book two of the Red Rising Trilogy. It is… so, so good. See you all next week at a more appropriate time!

Weekly Update 34

Hey everyone, welcome back to my blog! Let’s start with what you all want to know: no bites yet.

In my life, teaching has gone pretty well! I got my social studies curriculum and it has greatly increased my confidence in ways only “How To” instructions can.

In more fun ways, Lorcana was finally released! I got a starter deck and a slew of other cards. The game is very fun and I can’t wait to teach more people. I taught my mom yesterday and I taught my friend Jakob today. The game is rewarding and easy to start: the perfect combination for a TCG. I plan on going to a local game store for an event tomorrow, and I can’t wait! I don’t think I will win, but I want the promos they offer.

I also got to see Winry today! She was very happy to see me, as evident from all the scratches on my arm. She is very excitable, and loves pets! I can’t wait to welcome her into my home at the end of the week.

Ok, time to start the new week. See you all back here for more big news on things none of us actually want to hear.

Weekly Update 33

Well, it sure is great to see you back here again! I have some… mixed news. I got another “No!” It felt kind of nice to get any bit of news from agents, though I did stare at the email notification for a bit, afraid to open it. Schrodinger’s Cat…

Ok, now onto the news most of you have been waiting for, my first week of teaching. In a nutshell, the week went well! It started with a fair share of worrying, fretting, and general concern but eventually, I got into it. It felt like slipping into a character, “Mr. O,” and I think it came kind of naturally. My concerns shifted through the days. They went from “I hope I can do this” to “I hope I can make them think I know what I am doing” to “I hope I can survive to the weekend.” I am glad I did it, but I don’t think I can say how I really feel about teaching until I have several weeks behind me.

Outside of school, not much happened. I was a mess when I wasn’t scrambling around my classroom before (and during) students were in it. I hope to return to a normal personal life once I feel more comfortable as a teacher. Receiving that rejection was nice for that other reason: it was like a beacon of… hope? Or more like a reminder. Maybe a bat signal, summoning me to continue writing. I want to, but not until I don’t feel like I am failing the kids.

Ok guys, I will see you all next week. Wish me luck!