I haven't been posting but this time there's a reason!

I moved last weekend, and I started a new job on monday, so lots of things have been going on.

Especially because... well I think I've joined a cult. Or been hired by a cult? Is that a thing?

Seriously, everyone I work with is so nice and open and friendly and this is DC where people don't do nice and open and friendly. Politically correct and politely evasive? Yes. Say hi to you on the elevator? They must have mistaken you for someone else.

So when everyone at work greets me in the hallway; when strangers strike up conversations with me in the elevators; when my new boss hugs me after knowing me for a week, I have to wonder. Is there something in the water? Or have I joined a cult?

Maybe - and this is the really crazy thing about where I work - maybe people just freaking love their jobs. Which is the strangest explanation of all.

I mean, I LOVE my job so far, but I'm still in the honey-moon stage, so my judgement can't really be trusted.

All this is to say that I haven't posted in a while cause I've been caught up with things. I've also not written in a while, but this weekend is a long one (four days) so I am going to devote it to being a LEGIT writer.


PS - if you are bored/want to read more short stories, check out Internet Troubadours - they have The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe up. Read it here: http://internettroubadours.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-pit-and-pendulum-by-edgar-allan-poe.html

An update about the podcast! It's been going on! We've been learning stuff!

Namely that a certain someone COUGHMattCOUGH makes a terrible host when he is slightly disinterested in the topic.

We had another podcast in which we were supposed to talk about narratives in general, but I didn't really communicate what it was supposed to be about, and it didn't go very well. It ended up with me babbling a lot and getting off topic. EVEN THOUGH WE HAD A DOCKET.

Long story short, I'm going to be a better communicator next time about our new topic: ZOMBIES.

I am super into this now because my Work in Progress (WiP) is about zombies - not necessarily the way you're thinking. There's really only one zombie in the story, but he's an important zombie.

But not a romantic zombie. Let's be clear.

Anyway, I've been reading up on Vodou and African myths about zombies and anthropological theories so I'm all fired up to talk about that aspect of it. Add to that the fact that none of us really like zombie narratives but want to know why they are so prevalent in the past couple of years and we're gonna have a good time! 

Maybe even a special guest. (Insert suggestive eyebrow waggling here)

OH! And in keeping with the theme of this month, you should check out Shawn T Anderson's short story on Internet Troubadours - Kill Tokens and Taffeta - It's great! All zombiefied and whatnot.

I'm still not sure if I'll post the final edited version of Life: Narrated Episode 2 - it depends on what happens during the editing process which I am scared even to start.

Also: I just finished the first edit run through of my WiP y'all! I'm excited!


Whew. That's all the updates for now. A real post is forthcoming, promise.

If you have a suggestion for what we should talk about in our zombie podcast, leave a note!

The two microphones I ordered off of Amazon arrived today, because apparently this month is the month I start doing ALL THE THINGS.

I have had an idea for a podcast for a while, and it's slowly taking shape. Studying anthropology makes you appreciate the way we tell a story; the narrative of life. So I thought I'd have a podcast about life's narratives. The stories we tell ourselves.

This won't be actual stories being read aloud, like This American Life, but it will tackle questions like: why are zombie narratives so popular? Why does Game of Thrones have so much sexism when it takes place in a fictional world? Why do Americans throw out food that is perfectly fine everyday? Is representation important in popular media? Is fan fiction a good or a bad thing?

All of these things have to do with how we tell stories to ourselves and each other (yeah, even the one about the food).

Anyway, this is still in infant stages so I'll definitely let everyone know what we start doing it. I'm hoping for it to be a discussion format with me, my brother, and our friend Lauren, because we always have the best discussions.

If you have any topics you'd like to suggest, please do. We need all the help we can get.


In other news, there's a new story up on Internet Troubadours so check it out! This one is called the Secret of Room 404 and it's by Andrea S who has no online presence as she is a technophobe. I feel confident saying this as she WILL NEVER READ IT. I may, however, tell her about it, as I am incapable of keeping a secret. C'est la vie.

Alright! First short story of Internet Troubadours is up! And it's The Victory Rule by the amazing Libby Heily! Check it out here.

In other news, I came home from my two week vacation of family time to find that someone had done a hit and run on my parked car. Nothing but cosmetic damage was done - I guess unless you count the left side mirror, which has pretty much given up on life.

Still, it drives and now it's clear I've committed to this Penniless Writer thing. You think we could petition to have Writer Discounts at stores along with student discounts? I mean, writers are students of LIFE, people.

And now to clean my room and binge watch Bob's Burgers. Like an ADULT.

I'd like to dedicate this post to Libby who was kind enough to feature me on her blog yesterday, and is keeping me honest about things I'm supposed to be doing.

Which brings me to the point of this post: MY STORY BLOG.

I am very excited about this, and I imagined that I would be able to tweak it all through my two week holiday and break it out on January 1st. I imagined this despite all previous empirical evidence to the contrary.

No worries, though! Enthusiastic Me has set up most of this blog when I was in the throes of excitement, so all that's left for Lazy Holiday Me to do is create the look for the blog, which I will spend the next year and a half tweaking furiously, anyway.

(this is not to be confused with twerking furiously because that's something you have to ask YouTube about).

So, to the point: This blog will have short stories from me and writer friends, mostly from twitter. It was started with the idea that if I had this blog, the pressure for me to actually write short stories would be more and it would actually happen. Because short stories are good for you, people. Like apples, and exercise, and a good, ugly cry.

There will be a blurb at the bottom of the every story about the author that will contain links and what not so everyone can get meet new people and network. The stories will be between 1,000 to 5,000 words, but I will consider shorter and longer works.

If you are interested in participating, please email me (emilyincarolina [at] gmail dot com). We're going to start with two stories a month, and will do more once I get the ball rolling.

Here is the URL so you can check it out before the first story is posted at midnight:

 http://internettroubadours.blogspot.com/


First story will be posted January 1st*! So stop by and comment!

*this is probably true.