Getting Back to Writing...

And no, I'm not referring to the blog so much as I am my books! Sigh...it's been so long since I've had the time to work on them that I began to worry I'd lost my touch. Once I finally had time, I just couldn't seem to come up with what to write. But after much struggle, I'm back, and have finally gotten back into writing! Working on The Legend of the Staff: The Marvel of Matanu. Thus far, it is definitely one of the most involved books I'd say, and certainly the darkest. I'm about half of the way through it thus far, and it has been intense--and will only be getting deeper if all goes according to plan! In this book the hero has a bit more of a dark past than other Staff Bearers, and with the mysterious cult, the dreaded Revelation, things just get more and more interesting as I go along. And now that I'm finally finding inspiration to work on it again, the story will only be getting better! Hurray for free time!

Random Happenings

First off, I suppose I should apologize for not writing for so long. You see, going to college can definitely be...time consuming, to say the least. But now after my six week hiatus, I'm back and better than ever (well, that's the hope, what with finals in a month). Getting started on this is difficult, because it seems like life can be so monotonous while here at the Y, but I'm going to attempt to at least write about something. So...let's pick a theme!

Coming to mind at the moment (that I could actually write very much about) is my physics class. I figure I haven't given appropriate attention to my Physics 220 class as of yet, especially considering that it really is one of those classes that brightens my day. The class itself is quite interesting, and thankfully our book is very easy to follow and so reading assignments don't seem to drag on like they could. Probably one of the best parts of the class, however, are the demos. Every day it seems we have some kind of demonstration to help us understand what we're learning, and some of the demos can be very interesting. And thanks to my pocket-sized digital camera, I've been able to record various demos, and hopefully once I hook my camera to my computer I can post some of the better videos to share the physics phun.

Anyhow, that's pretty much it for now. Hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you enjoy the videos (once I get them uploaded)!

- The L.o.t.S. Writer

DOUBLE MAJOR!!!

It's now official--I am a full-fledged Physics-Mathematics major! The whole thing took around two hours or so, mostly over the last two days. It actually started several weeks ago when I got the application, but really began when I filled it out yesterday (a fairly uneventful process of figuring out my plan for the rest of my time as an undergraduate), but the real test came yesterday. So, nervous as I ever had been about it all--after all, the application didn't make it sound very encouraging of taking a second major--I went in for my various interviews.

Interview number 1: I go into the the advisement center in the Eyring Science Center, take my form to the secretary in the advisement center, who then proceeds to point me to a door to the right. I go in, greetings are exchanged, and I take my seat. The interview begins quickly. "So you want to take a double major in Physics and Math?"
I nod.
"So why do you want to add Mathematics?"
"Well, I'm hoping to go into particle physics, and I've heard that takes quite a bit of math."
"Alright, well let me check this."
Several moments slowly pass by as the lady at the desk looks at the computer screen, then at the paper, then back, scrutinizing every bit.
"So why are you taking French? Are you planning on a French minor?"
She's noticed the four semesters of French classes I've written down. In my mind I know that it's not REALLY necessary, but it will help me fulfill a G.E. while I get to learn another language (learning Spanish just wasn't enough--rather, it made me want to learn more languages). "It's for a G.E. Well, and my sister went to France on her mission, which gives me that much more incentive to learn the language."
"I see. Now, there's a requirement for an additional six hours of math classes. Were you planning to take any classes over the summer?"
"Oh, I guess I'd missed that. But if I need to then I could certainly take some classes over the summer."
"Alright, I'll just write that in for you."
Another pause as she finally comes to a final conclusion.
"Well, I think I can sign this. Now you'll need to talk to the Chairs of the Physics Department and the Math Department, then come back here and I can take your form to the Dean of the college. Good luck."
"Thank you," I reply and head off, ready to talk to the Chair of the Physics Department.
Wandering upstairs leads me to the secretary's office. I recognize the secretary here from earlier in the semester. I introduce myself and explain that I'm trying to apply for a double major. She checks for the Chair for a few moments, but at last has to tell me to come back after 2:30. I smile politely and take my leave, heading for the Talmage Building.
A few minutes later I arrive at the offic where the receptionist and I have the conversation which is quickly becoming all-too-familiar. The Chair is there in the next room, but he's talking to a professor. After assuring me he should be just a few minutes I wait for twenty minutes or so until I finally am able to speak with the Chair.
Of course, the result here was certainly unexpected. Upon hearing of my request he takes the paper and remarks "Oh, we always sign these", he signs the paper, and I'm on my way.
So, a few hours later I'm back in the Eyring Science Center, this time waiting for the Chair to get back. As last time, I end up waiting nearly half an hour before he finally arrives. At last, though, I'm allowed in to go talk with the Chair.
"So why do you want to add a second major?"
As earlier, I reply by informing him of my ambitions to study particle physics.
"Yes, you'll want a lot of math for that one."
He looks over my application, taking note of my schedule for Fall 2010. "Oh, that's going to be a tough semester."
He continues to look over the paper for another few minutes until at last proclaiming that he feels good about signing it. "You'll definitely want a lot of math for particle physics," he adds before sending me on my way with just one signature left to go.
I hurry down to the first floor where I again meet with Darlene Willey to give her my almost-complete form. She quickly checks to see if the Dean is in, only to inform me that he won't be back until the following afternoon. Still, she takes my form, saying she'll send me an email when she finds out what the Dean says.
The next morning was, of course, spent with me wondering what the final result would be. I could no longer defend my case personally, but with three signatures on my application I was feeling fairly at ease. When the email finally came, however, I was still quite excited--Mathematics had officially been added to my major!

So there's the story. I hope it was at least vaguely interesting. If not, at the very least I enjoyed writing it, and now I'm quite excited about my upcoming college career. Though I had had thoughts of it before, my dream is now solidified as I prepare for the next three and a half years of school as a Physics and Mathematics Major.

~The L.o.t.S. Writer

Looking Forward to a Double Major (and Other Random Happenings)

Hey all! First off, sorry for the hiatus--midterms last week were pretty crazy, and when you add General Conference last weekend (okay, so I did get a little distracted beating Super Metroid for the first time, too...) I was really short on time for sitting down and writing a full blog entry. I'm back though now, and hopefully I won't be that busy (/distracted) again for a while.

So, aside from the distractions, things have been going fantastic since my last entry. To enumerate just a little bit on what's happened since last time briefly, my past week or so has included my 3rd anniversary since I started dating Julie, General Conference, and now figuring out a plan for the rest of my college career! I'll try to go through each one chronologically here.

So first off: anniversary. Julie and I had a wonderful time, spending most of the day together and sharing gifts. We had lots of fun having dinner together at Cafe Rio here in Provo, and of course we kept each other entertained. It really wasn't too much special, but the day was amazing all the same.

General Conference was also good--very uplifting as always. As usual, it was very nice to hear the Prophet speak to us, and the Spirit was strong as always. As I watched this weekend I got the impression that there was an increased emphasis on becoming better people all around, and it helped me to reflect on some of my own shortcomings and on things I could do to be a better person. It was also nice to hear some things that I felt good about, and really the Conference reminds me of a Book of Mormon scripture stating that the things of the Lord are hard for the wicked to bear, but are a delight for the righteous. I really feel I felt some of both--a bit of praised, mixed in with things to improve. Overall: brilliant.

And now last of all, I've finally come up with a plan for my undergraduate education. Most exciting of all of this was the discovery I made this morning that by adding a mathematics major (something I've thought of since coming to the Y) I would only be in school for a semester longer than if I just took a physics major. This is especially encouraging, since the paper I need to fill out to apply for a second major makes it sound a lot more plausible to get a double major if it only adds an extra semester. Considering that I'm looking to get a Ph.D. in Particle Physics, I figure the extra semester would prove very helpful, and just taking an extra semester to be able to say that I essentially got two B.S.'s couldn't hurt, right?

So there you have it. Until next time!

~The L.o.t.S. Writer

P.S. - Enjoy the Halloween colors!

The Joys of Linear Algebra...and Why I'm Going into Physics

Have you ever had a class where you go in and learn something, something that may even make total sense, but then be left wondering, "But...why did I need to learn that?" One might think of earlier times when things such as Calculus, Statistics, or maybe English class seem irrelevant. Looking back, however, there's almost some potential for application. Well today I had one of those moments. We learned about Factorization--basically, a matrix A can be separated into two other matrices, L times U (a lower and an upper triangular matrix), and after the fact I just had to ask myself: "Why did we just learn that?" Just a funny little thought, and I don't mean to sound irritated--really, I thought it was quite funny. Still, I couldn't help but think to my Physics classes where it seems that you never learn anything without obvious implications. Ha ha, I guess you could say I'm glad that that's what I'm going to. Don't get me wrong; I love math and all, but sometimes things can seem a bit...over the top. I'll definitely be interested to see what comes of this class in the future...

~The L.o.t.S. Writer

BYU Devotional: President Monson

Wow, what a great devotional! It was wonderful to be able to hear from our Prophet, and it was amazing to feel his spirit as he spoke. Alas, I was unable to go to the Marriott Center due to 9:00 class (I figured the place would be packed), but even over the air it's amazing the Spirit that President Monson brings. For those who missed it the talk was entertaining, as is typical of President Monson. The messages taught were excellently woven into stories of the prophets during President Monson's lifetime, making for a devotional which was both educational and uplifting, and really a good reminder of the power of the Prophet's calling.

Almost there...

Life is so good. It's Thursday and I've only got an exam left before the weekend! It's always so good to get the week's work done, and with Friday left I feel like I can get a head start on my next week. One thing I'm realizing now is that after really trying to break you the first week or so, things seem to be slowing down. And with that slowing, it's finally starting to feel like I can have some time to myself. And of course that means, time to work on Lett's Legacy. With the story written and edited, I'm hoping that soon I'll get the time to get to the BYU Publications Lab and learn some more about publishing my book. With any luck I'll be well on my way to a published book by the end of the year! (well, I hope so anyways).

- The LotS Writer

One Week Down

Alright, so after a several-week hiatus, I'm finally writing again. Life's been pretty crazy as of late, and with school at the Y starting I've hardly gotten a moment to myself (or at least a long enough moment to worry about anything like writing a blog). But now, with a three-day weekend commencing, it's about time I add another entry. So here we go!

Things over here have been going fairly well--I've been chugging along, trying to keep up with my classes. Of course, it didn't help that all three of my Monday classes gave me a double load of homework. Their usual line was: "You should have read that before class, but you can read it along with today's assignment." Evil, considering that lead to probably around 100 or so pages to be read in two days. So yeah, it's been busy, but now it's the weekend, meaning three days to try to get ahead. My classes have generally proved interesting thus far--I'm really looking forward to learning about electricity and magnetism in Physics 220 and about linear algebra in Math 313, though I wish I could remember all the math I forgot in the last two years. There's also CS 142--Intro to Programming--which is turning out a lot simpler than I had anticipated, and really should be quite enjoyable. The Tuesday and Thursday selection is decent, with a very engaging New Testament teacher who is very passionate about what she teaches. I wish I could say the same for my Psychology class, however. Now, I don't want to rant about it, but the professor for that class seems a bit...lacking, in the enthusiasm department, though perhaps that's just my perception, considering I've learned a lot of the material we've covered already through high school psychology and statistics classes. We'll see where it leads. Anyways, I've probably rambled on enough, so perhaps I'll describe Social Dance and Computer Physics Lab at a later point. For now, let's move on, shall we?

Now I'm sure after last entry that somewhere out there there's someone who wants an update on my book, right? Well, I've finished the editing I wanted to do--now on to publishing. Of course, upon looking into the topic I was quite overwhelmed, and with school looming closer at the time I decided to leave it for the time and see what I could find over in Provo. If you haven't guessed it yet, I haven't had any time to deal with that yet. Don't lose hope yet, though--as soon as I've got the classes under control my next goal will be to start searching for a publisher! In fact, perhaps to see if anyone will give me a response (or if anyone has even read this far), I'd welcome any and all suggestions as for places to look into for publishing or any general ideas whatsoever. I hope to hear from you all (or at least those who care much about it) and I'll sign off for now. Until next time!

To Fincaldon and Beyond

To commemorate reaching Fincaldon in my editing of Lett's Legacy I am...making a blog. Well, it's the best I can do, really. But why should I celebrate reaching the continent of Fincaldon? Fincaldon really opens a new phase in the book, as it is in Fincaldon that ties to earlier books in the series begin to form and be hinted at. Take Grimham, for example. Just your regular crazy guy, right? But he leads on that he actually knows a lot more about Lett and his destiny than has previously been revealed. Add on to that, in this part we get another tantalizing hint that there's more to Lett's old instructor than meets the eye. What is that something? You'll have to wait and see when you read the book, but I've got to say that reaching this part is exciting for me as the writer because this is also where another major nemesis of Lett is introduced in Ferandie, who later grows to be one of the antagonists of Lett that the reader gets to associate with the best, and he's just the right person to be the villain that you just can't help but hate.

For a brief review of the plot (without ruining the storyline, hopefully), our hero, Lett, is discovered as the first human wizard, and very shortly in the book we learn that he has the legendary Master Staff, an ancient weapon that supposedly has "the power to destroy armies". Lett, led by an intense curiosity, an appetite for adventure, and a developing sense of responsibilities, takes the reader through various adventures where he makes various friends, including the lovable Rallin and the ever-loyal Swilt, and gets into plenty of predicaments as he begins learning to be the Staff Bearer that he must become in a world of increasing dangers as threats from an army of dark creatures, at the command of the mysterious "Dark One," come to destroy all who would oppose them, from the Bavaroh Forest to the Armanose and Aquidian Kingdoms. Throughout this first portion of the story Lett collects the various Elemental Staffs, aiding him in his magical abilities of things ranging from flight to moving the very ground he walks on. And all of that is packed into just the first half of the story, only to have the plotline continue to thicken as we proceed into the second half of Lett's exciting adventure. Will Lett be able to stop the armies of the Dark One and save the world? Well, if I told you that there'd be no point in reading the story, would there?

So yeah, I'm excited. But that's enough rambling. Wanna know more? Leave me a message or send me an email!

The L.o.t.S. Writer

The Trouble with Work

Has anyone noticed that whenever you have something you really want to do that about ten minutes into doing that thing you start to feel distracted, like there's something else you want to be doing. Heh heh, I guess that something else right now is this blog. I've thought about making a blog for a while as a way of keeping friends and family updated on my life, and now I've finally gotten around to it. Sure, there are plenty of tools like facebook, myspace, email, and telephone calls that could work, but the former two seem a bit...lacking, in the details area, while the latter two can be time consuming (especially phone calls), and honestly sometimes it can be difficult to try and express things to meet people's individual means. And mass emails can just be obnoxious, forcing people to read about your life even if they don't want to--or missing people who want to hear about you that you DON'T think to email. So I figure a blog may be a good remedy to that problem.

So, the reason for the title of this blog is mostly to announce that I've now gotten over one hundred pages of The Legend of the Staff: Lett's Legacy edited, and now I've just got a little over 200 pages left to go. I thought originally that it would go faster, but that's the trouble with work--distractions. And since coming home from Minnesota two months ago there have been plenty of those. But I'm still hoping to finish editing in good time, though my goal of finishing before school starts is quickly slipping away from me. Alas, but what can you do, really?

Anyways, that's my blog for now. Go ahead and post comments or email me or whatever, and I'll try and get back to you. If I've neglected talking to you, it's probably just because I've got so many things that I want to do that I miss out on talking with people. But hey, send me an email and we'll chat. Until next time!

The L.o.t.S. Writer