Why I Read

Fiction, in particular. I thought I'd write another post in the same vein as my last one. I have a number of friends who don't read fiction, or don't read at all. I'll explain my own interest in the genre, and maybe it will inspire someone to start. 

Some people say the only reason people read fiction is escapism. Life is hard, and the only way to enjoy it sometimes is to live in a different one. This may be true at times for me, but it is by no means the main reason I read fiction. This morning I read the introduction to a short story anthology, Stories: All-New Tales, edited by Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio. Gaiman has hit the nail on the head for me. He says:

"When I was a child ... I wanted stories, and I wanted them always, and I wanted the experience that only fiction could give me: I wanted to be inside them. Television and cinema were all very well, but these stories happened to other people. The stories I found in books happened inside my head. I was, in some way, there. It's the magic of fiction: you take the words and you build them into worlds."

He then explains that for him, the joy of fiction comes down to four words:

"...and then what happened?"

In the introduction, Gaiman also says:

"G. K. Chesterton compared fantastic fiction to going on holiday--that the importance of your holiday is the moment you return, and you see the place you live with fresh eyes."

It is not about escaping this world. It is about coming back to it.

For me, it is about the beauty of the imagination, and being able to see my own life, my problems and blessings, in a new light. Sometimes a story can remind you how lucky you are that your life is the way it is. Sometimes it can help you understand something you couldn't before. It's less about learning something practical and more about learning something about yourself, something philosophical. Sometimes it can inspire you to do something. Quite often, good fiction makes me want to write.

And at times, fiction helps you not take life quite so seriously. We all need a bit of that sometimes.

"There is something waiting for you. So turn the page."

Why I Write

Yet again, I felt like I've been patted on the head and told, "How cute, you write!" It's inescapable as a writer. When it happens, I'm more bothered than I probably should be, and so I'd like to explain my thoughts on the matter. Perhaps it'll help clear my head.

Let me first say that when you have a friend that writes, encourage them. It does not matter how good they are, or what they write. The simple fact is that if they continue writing--and reading--they'll get better. If they persevere enough, they may even go somewhere with it. I believe it is a noble hobby, a way to bring something of your own to the world, whether to brighten someone's day or benefit society as a whole.

It is not a simple thing. Writing is hard work, no matter what it is. And the publishing industry is brutal (except self-publishing is getting easier with things like ebooks). It's no wonder there are so many people who dream of it, one day, but never do it, or don't end up trying hard enough. Writers should be respected for this perseverance.

That is not to say that no one writes for the sole reason to be famous. This is not something I agree with, but sadly, it does happen, and some people get away with it. Their writing is not particularly amazing, but they get the marketing part down and are lucky enough to succeed, and the rest of us are left grumbling and writing angry blog posts.

There is of course some part of me that would love to be famous for my writing, but I know it is not something I can count on. It is insanely difficult to not only be published, but also well-known. This is why I do my best to let that dream go and instead write for the experience. After the fun of playing with words and putting them in an order you think is pleasing, when a friend or mentor reads your work and tells you you're getting better, it's an incredible feeling. It doesn't matter that only one person has read it. It doesn't matter if no one else in the world knows you like to write. The feeling of doing something right is incredible. It's on par with the feeling of fixing a coding bug.

Not to mention the thrill of playing God. You decide what people look and speak like, where they go, who they meet, what happens to them (in fiction writing, anyway). This sort of thing takes practice, like exercising an "imagination" muscle. I believe everyone has the possibility, but not everyone has the time, interest, or self-confidence to do it.

Particularly if you see a writer in person, know that it took courage for them, at some point in their lives, to even admit to themselves that they like to write, and that they're good enough--or they can be good enough one day--to be read.

Nothing can be created without first being dreamed, and these dreams are precious things. I believe a good life is one in which someone follows their dreams, and their happiness. This does involve being realistic, which is why I did not get a degree in creative writing; I knew that I didn't want to depend on writing for income, and I had another love, logic and computers, which helped the realistic end of things (of course I also don't believe you need a degree in writing to be good at it). But my hobby and other love is writing, and nothing will ever change that.

First Impressions

The first week at work, and first full week at my new flat, has been great. I can tell I'm going to be spoiled living here, I won't want anything less when I find a new place at the end of the summer. I had a flatwarming party last night, mostly with friends from university, which was excellent. Good food, good drink, good banter. Not to mention good cookies. I'm probably a bit too proud of them, I should stop mentioning them...

Despite the longer commute than I expected, work has been good and I can tell will continue to be even more enjoyable. After a couple of days being my quiet self, I finally had lunch with my team, met some people from other teams, and was invited out to a couple of different weekly outings. They're all great people. There are even a few guys on an exchange from Japan in our team! I may not have a lot of time to be social in the evenings when I get home, but at least I can be social at work.

The work itself is a bit slow, but it is only the first week, and I'm still learning all the new technologies. I think by tomorrow though, I'll be able to start working on something more concrete. I'll have to skip the details (which may be uninteresting to a lot of you anyway), but suffice to say, the end products the company produces are pretty impressive!

On the long commute I've gotten a lot of reading done, so look out for another book review in the next few days (I hope). And very soon, I'll be showing my parents around Scotland, and finally graduating!

Post-University

My post-university life--new flat, new job, new friends--has started to take shape (though I won't officially "graduate" until the end of June). I moved out of university accommodation yesterday, and have spent today finishing unpacking and taking full advantage of my very own kitchen. I bought sesame bagels yesterday on a whim, and for lunch today had one toasted with cheese, pepperoni, and salami. I also went shopping for baking tools like measuring spoons and mixing bowls, and finally made a batch of my favorite chocolate chip cookies, for the first time in at least a year. I've mentioned these same cookies before in my blog. The recipe is from a spiral-bound book given to me when I was little called Cookie Capers. I make the "Chocolate Chip Valentine" recipe, but instead of using a heart-shaped pan, I make individual cookies. I should probably branch out and try some other recipes in the book, but this one is so tasty and I bake so infrequently, it's the only one I bother with. Maybe that will change, now that I have all this time to myself in the evenings and on weekends. And of course a lovely kitchen!

One more leisurely day tomorrow, and then I start work on Monday. I'm more excited than nervous! I have a friend who has the same commute as me and started work last week. He says the commute is fine so far, a good way to wake up in the morning and wind down in the evening. Other than that, I don't know how similar our work situations will be, since my job is only an internship. My hope is that it will be enjoyable enough that I wake up in the morning and look forward to working, and that I'll meet many new potential friends, and start creating more of a social circle for myself in the area. Only time will tell!

Also, my classmates and I have finally received our degree classifications. In the British system, this is essentially a GPA. Mine is a 2:1, or an upper second class degree. This is what most companies ask for from computing science graduates, and anything more is essentially bragging rights. It could be considered a B average, but honestly, it is much more difficult to get a B in Britain than it is in America. I'm very relieved at how well I did, since I was only on the edge of this average at the end of last year. Only the few people at the very top of the class get the degree classification higher than a 2:1, which is a 1:1, or a "first." Now I just have to wait for my grades for the individual classes to be released, which have only been delayed because of a technical problem that's lasted for days. My classmates and I are all quite annoyed. But at least I know I did well overall--I can start my new job with confidence that I'm qualified!

Holidays

Summer has come to Glasgow. Surprisingly, it's not just a day, but a week of blazing sun. I've been out to the park frequently, and so has everyone else. The place is packed like a beach, with people tanning, reading, kicking around footballs (soccer balls), getting ice cream from a van that must be making a fortune, and playing music whether the people around them enjoy it or not. I've enjoyed it, but since I got a bit of a burn a couple of days ago I've been avoiding direct sunlight. Today it's finally cloudy, but it's still quite warm. I wonder if we'll get much more heat like this over the next few months.

Now that I don't feel compelled to go outside and hang out with friends, I've started to think about what projects I might take on. I have a book that needs editing, several books that need reading, and Project Euler problems to continue. After two years of hard work at university, it seems I can't be satisfied playing video games and watching TV for very long. I've only been finished with exams for a week now, and I'm wanting to work on something.

I move flats in two weeks, and start work a few days later. I'm looking forward to it, but it's a bit scary thinking that from then on, I won't ever be off work except for one month a year, and if I'm ever unemployed. At least I'll have weekends and evenings to myself, guilt-free.

Book Review #6: Winter Is Coming

Book 6: A Game of Thrones, by George R. R. Martin

I have to admit, the main reason I was drawn to this author was the title of the most recent one in the series, A Dance with Dragons. I love anything that has to do with dragons. So I looked up the first book, read some reviews, asked some friends--and was surprised at the amount of encouragement they had for me to read it.

I was gripped from the start. The prologue was exciting, haunting, and a hint that this book wasn't just kings and courts and castles--there was magic, too. Just enough to be intriguing, not so much that I've seen it all before. It was clear this book also wasn't going to just be another "chosen one goes on a quest to find magic item X and destroy/use it for good/evil, and in the process learns of their own magic powers." No, I haven't read anything quite like this.

There are quite a few characters, but I didn't find it as confusing as I've seen some reviews suggest. Many of them I've grown close to, even ones I didn't like at first. Martin is very good at making every character three-dimensional, and this is aided by having chapters written from many different characters' heads. This sort of thing has to be done carefully for it to be good, but I think he's done a fantastic job. I get annoyed when the reader is put in one character's head, then thrown into another, then another in the same scene, but Martin's avoided that. The reader can fully understand events from many different characters' perspectives.

It is truly a story of epic proportions. This book alone is about 800 pages, and there are 5 books published, with at least 2 more planned. But don't be dismayed. There were times when I was reading this that I would sit back and think of all the story to come, and be glad there was so much of it. Hopefully I won't tire of it... for now, I just want more!

I've watched the first season of the HBO series as well, and I think it's very well done. There are scenes left out--there always are, when a book goes to the screen--but I'm amazed that they've fit so much in 10 episodes. However, I would suggest reading the book first, like I did! It's so much more exciting when you don't know what's going to happen.

I've started the second book and will likely post a review on it as well, when I finish. My last exam is this Thursday, and then I'll have all the time in the world to read. In fact, that will be me, completely done with university. I still can't believe it.

A Full Education

A lot has been happening. I'm taking my final exams, I've had 6 and have 3 left. Two this Friday, and the last one the following Thursday. I had 9 exams in the spring last year as well, but somehow this year it feels even more dragged out. When I was about halfway through them, I never wanted to see an exam again... but I've been dealing with that feeling by doing equal amounts of studying and playing Skyrim. It's only a few more, and then, I'll never take a university exam again. I'm graduating in June.

Sometimes, I think about the idea that I'm coming to an end of a full university education. Yes, I don't have anything beyond a Bachelor's degree, but in my subject, what I've gathered is that you only go further if you're interested in academia. A Bachelor's degree is a full education. I've been taught everything that my university believes is important for me to know, to be able to work proficiently in the field of Computing Science.

This struck me particularly when I was browsing free online classes with video lectures on Coursera--really worth checking out, tons to choose from and run by Stanford, Berkeley, Princeton, and more. All of their Computing Science classes I've either already taken the equivalent of, or I was given the option to take it and I decided I wasn't interested. (Apart from a class on compilers, which I attempted to start a couple weeks ago and realized exam time was a bad time, if I wanted any time to goof off when I wasn't studying.) There is actually very little more that a university can teach me about my degree, apart from cutting-edge research. It's a thought I can't quite grasp yet.

And the future is looking even brighter than just graduation. I've got a promising internship lined up for the summer in Edinburgh. I'm very much looking forward to my first foray into adult working life: an interesting job, having my evenings and weekends all to myself without guilt, and of course, a paycheck.

Now, if I could just get through these last three exams a bit more quickly...