Monthly Archives: January 2023

Student Blogs

Año nuevo, nuevas metas, nuevas escrituras y un nuevo respiro:

HE DESAPARECIDO, así me escribían mis amigos cercanos y alguno que otro conocido. Me perdí por un tiempo, dado que mi salud mental se ha visto afectada (gravemente aunque no lo quisiera) pero aquí estoy empezando este nuevo año e intentando seguir y terminar mi tesis. ¿qué ha pasado con ella? Me propuse la meta de elegir 20 recursos bibliográficos que me permitieran ahondar en mi tema del memoir y el perdón, ha sido dificil, porque mientras leía pensaba ¿realmente he perdonado?, muchas veces llegaba a la conclusión de que no, pero otras veces sentía tranquilidad dentro de mí y sé que esto está ligado al perdón, claramente me duele escribir y leer, pero ese dolor es una muestra de que somos humanos y todos cometemos errores, por ende es importante perdonar. También, he encontrado en mi archivo de fotos muchos momentos con mi familia, mi casa y esto estará en mi tesis, así que van a conocerme más, en mi ambiente, en mi salsa. Estoy asustada for sure, pero el miedo también es una muestra de que soy humana. Aquí voy emocionada por un nuevo semestre y nuevas metas de escritura. Dato: ya va dando más forma lo que he estado escribiendo. 

Primeras veces 

Rechazo 

Un paso al lado y adelante 

Estos son los apartados que por ahora han dividido lo que quiero decir. 

Student Blogs

New Semester, New Goals

My plan for this semester is to write my novel. That’s it. But I do have plan to make it easier, sort of. I’m going break down my novel into smaller parts.

Each month (Feb, March and April) I will write 4 chapters. Each week I will dedicate one day to research (at least in February) and one day to writing. Throughout the week, I will work on planning, outlining, research, writing, and editing so that not everything happens on just one day.

So on Sundays I may do the bulk of my research, then Monday-Friday I will do more research or planning/outlining and writing. And on Saturdays I will do the bulk of the writing. Towards the end of April I will also be heavy on editing chapters. I will also edit as the days go. Fridays may be dedicated to editing. That way I can edit a lot on Fridays and let my weekends be lighter.

A breakdown of my goals:

  • February
    • Figure out Anixa’s plan
    • Figure out Traxel’s plan
    • Write 4 chapters
  • March & April
    • Write 4 chapters
  • Follow the W Plot structure
  • Outline chapters (1-10, 12 & Epilogue)

I know there’s a chance for more chapters but for right now, I only have 12 chapters left to write and that is what I will focus on. Until the book is done (and even after that), there is always room for more or less chapters.

Student Blogs

New Semester. Last Semester. Time to Organize

Feeling excited and absolutely panicked.

As my MFA applications get sent out (due Feb 1) I am going to be diving headfirst into my thesis and be able to make that my main focus (outside of classes etc).

I have a lot of words already in my thesis but I really want to beef it up before I start to revise and cut it down. So the next month will be focused on writing and from there I will move into editing which will require writing as well as I realize plot holes and things that just don’t make sense.

I created a spreadsheet to map out my plan for the semester that focuses solely on Thesis classes and mostly on my thesis.

Is it feasible?…I hope so (I really think so). I am also going to find ways to incorporate more accountability, especially in this month of writing, to keep my butt in the chair.

Feel free to leave comments on the spreadsheet for things that you think might help, things that you think might take longer, etc. Any feedback is helpful and encouraged!

Here is the spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cVsy2hm1M9q67jnL-qjJIxxaSkqWHUJIN57jcD90NGA/edit?usp=sharing

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Part 2 of your thesis in now officially underway!

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I am glad we are back to business, and that the second part of your thesis process is now officially underway. I spoke with you all about the plain fact that there is less time in front of you now. Remember how critical it is to prioritize your MA thesis work in order to make it to the proverbial finish line. You official due date for the work is May 4th, so please have that bolded in your calendars. Here is our Course Calendar (with your presentation dates) for your reference. ***Please remember to keep up your weekly blogging as progress reports on your work each week.

For your future professional development & planning:

Kean University Research Days are slated for April 24-26th! – Please consider sharing some of your thesis work with the broader Kean University community. Since the Research Days schedule coincides with the deadline for your submission (your deadline is shortly after Research Days), some students feel that the Research Days forum really pushes them to refine and complete their thesis effectively on time. One goal helps motivate, for the success of the other. By participating you will gain some professional experience, and it will also showcase the unique work we do in our MA in Writing Studies program! https://www.keanresearchdays.com

For writerly inspiration:

James McBride is an American writer and musician, and he is the recipient of the 2013 National Book Award for fiction for his novel The Good Lord Bird. He will be coming to Kean on Thursday February 4th for the Kean University Distinguished Lecture Series. Tickets to this event are free for all of you. You can register to attend here.

Our class slides:

Next week we will have a group check in, and then one-on-one conferencing about your current progress. I look forward to speaking with each of you about your work!

Sincerely,

Dr. Zamora

Student Blogs

Welcome Back!

Hello again! My last semester (unless its not, but its IS, right?)! I’m pretty excited to work on this project, and the professional wrestling world seems to be rejuvenated as well after what was a most tumultuous 2022. I mean, on January 4th Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay perhaps put on one of the top… say, ten greatest matches that I’ve ever seen. That could have to do with a bit of recency bias but it certainly was *****/*****. 35 minutes of pure bliss, I was engrossed for every single second.

As for my actual thesis, It’s just a matter of mapping out now. I have a good chunk of it well-drafted, I’m over the hump, now its just time to roll down the hill. I’m a body in motion kind of guy. Rest bores me out and boredom depresses me and depression makes me tired, so the more social and active that I am and force myself to be the more productive and happy that I am! So this project will be a good way for me to stay uplifted, because I intend to make it somewhat of a collaborative effort, or at least a good compilation of various corners of my life.

So yeah, here’s to Spring 2023, and whatever may come after!

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Welcome back!

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Here we are at the second half of your thesis journey.  Last semester was filled with doubts, discovery, research exploration, some false starts, reading and vetting, and writing.  This semester you will gain the momentum necessary to complete a meaningful thesis project by May 4th.  That is the formal date set for your final thesis submission.

A reminder to all of you: Please remember that writing a thesis is inherently not “easy”. As I have already mentioned in other contexts – there are many twists and turns in the road, roadblocks do come up, and there are unforeseen landscapes that cannot be imagined until you cover ground and truly travel. That said, the more time you have on the road, the more of a chance you will have to discover.

I look forward to continuing this work with all of you.  As you know, thesis class is really an accountability mechanism, keeping you going in the midst of a large writing process, and providing that sense of a writerly community that is key to assuaging the writer’s isolation in reflection. And as always, I am here to provide suggestions, feedback, resources, and insight; to prompt you to refine your thinking and take your work to another level. As you have experienced already, sometimes you surge forth in the process and cover good distance “on the road” due to insightful feedback. And sometimes you surge forth due to the “deeper” drill down of your own engaged/independent reading & research. And oftentimes, inspiration hits at the most unlikely times ;).

We will use our weekly gathering on Monday evenings to “conference” and revise.  We will start off in person on Monday Jan 23 in person (CAS 314) to reconnect and plan. Thereafter, we will resume our weekly conferencing in our Zoom room. I look forward to seeing you all on Jan. 23rd! 

Sincerely,

Dr. Zamora