If you bite into an eyeball, it's chewy.

I read from an author I respect (Jennifer Weiner, if you're interested, and okay FINE, technically it's chick lit) that all writers should have a blog, to practice writing for an audience. Add in the fact that I love the pure physical act of writing and will talk off anybody's ear who will listen--well, this was sort of inevitable.

So! Introduction time, yes?

My name's Melanie. I'm a print journalism student, which is an English student with a practical, "Oh, so, I'm going to actually need, like, money after they graduate me..." streak. Of course, I'll still be living in a cardboard box, but I'm preparing for that, too. Newspapers make excellent insulation, ha.
Here's the writer facts of me:

• I've been writing fiction since sixth grade (thank you, Mrs. D, for making English class so glassy-eyed stultifying that you forced me to find something much better to do with my blank notebook paper and full pen)
• Something like 90% of my output is short stories, the first batch of which were illustrated by my best middle school friend. Neither one of us were any good.
• My high school newspaper teacher teased me into showing him one of my stories. He liked it, had good editing suggestions (scariest words in the English language: "About your short story..."), and sent a later bunch of them to a friend of his in NY publishing. She and I have formed a tangent-prone email friendship.
• The story I showed my newspaper teacher ended up placing 30th in Writer's Digest's 77th Annual Writing Contest.
  
• I wrote my first novel last year (age 18, freshman year of college) during NaNoWriMo. How the hell did I pull 50,000 words out of my ass about anything? I still don't know. But apparently November truly is made of magic because it was during one of my numerous 2am stakeouts of my current roommate's dorm lobby that I met my (not-so-distant) future boyfriend.
• In same said dorm, I've started reading my poetry on Variations Of Mostly Interesting Talents nights.
• This year, I've collected three rejection slips from three different literary magazines, two with actual handwriting on them and one with really encouraging handwriting bits from two distinct, separate editors. Apparently I was in the top ten of Alligator Juniper's annual short fiction contest. Woo!

Current Project:
Working on "The Vacation Bed." Almost done--I think one more scene, a nice awkward messy sex scene, which will lead into pillow talk about abortion. Keep it nice 'n light, ha. Should be able to finish the writing between lunch and robotics meeting tomorrow afternoon. Typing, too, actually. Fuck, I'll have like four or five hours. And sheets to wash, and a shower to take (with our newly resurrected water pressure, huzzah), and legs to shave, and clothes to unpack from last weekend at home, and history notes to study.

I might have to tell Sean that his beige ankle-length trench coat and almost-but-not-quite-the-same-shade-of-tan quasi-fedora make him look like a little kid playing dress up as a private eye.