So it's been nearly 3 months since my last blog. I'd planned on doing one a few weeks ago to coincide with my 18th birthday, but for some reason that didn't happen.
Not okay.
However, that's all in the past, so I'm gonna make it up by producing a quasi-long post for everyone right now.
I've offically been a senior in high school for about 2 months, and so far this school year has been crazy. At Junction City High School, the school year is divided up into 6 six-week grading periods; right now we're about halfway through the 2nd six-weeks. And let me just say that the 1st six weeks was a whirlwind. Not only did I have to get adjusted to all my new classes, I had to somehow find a way to cope with having 2 AP classes. I thought AP Government would do me in, but thankfully I've found a balance between the two. I'm also taking Trig this semester, which was hell in a classroom at first. I was worried that I was gonna fail that class; by the second or third week of school my grade was a low B. And then we took a test, and by some miracle I got a 98% on it, bringing my grade up substantially. From there it's been getting a little easier, something that I'll hopefully carry with me through the rest of the semester.
I also had to adjust to being the Editor-in-Chief of our school's newspaper. At first I was so overwhelmed, doubting the abilities of both myself and my staff. But we all pulled through, producing our first issue in mid-September, a feat the Blue Jay hasn't accomplished in my previous two years as a member. I've also really bonded with my staff, and I'm confident that with our easy-going and creative personalities we can get one issue out per month. We're currently near the end of constructing our second issue, one I feel will be even better than our first.
There was also personal drama that occurred during this first grading period; relationship became frayed and then obliterated into chaos. My hope is that it's all behind me now and everyone can move on to new ventures this year.
Perhaps one of the biggest adjustments I've had to face is that of being the "oldest" kid in my house. With my sister Elizabeth away at college, I've had to step up to the plate in the big brother department. It was weird at first, but I feel like my family and I have adapted to her absence. She stil comes home every few weekends, and we talk just about every day. It's nice to know that she's only a phone call away.
Like I said before, I turned 18 a few weeks ago, a fact I'm still getting used to. For the past few birthdays I've had I haven't felt much different; when I turned 18, though, I did, though. I'm not saying 18 is old, but I felt old. I looked back on the last few years leading up to that day, of all the things I wished to have accomplished before I turned 18, and was slightly disappointed that a few of those things I hadn't yet achieved. Primarily speaking, I still have yet to find someone in the publishing industry who wants to represent the book I've poured so much into; I'd always wanted that to be an achieved goal of mine before I turned 18, or even before I graduated from high school. But time keeps speeding up, and sometimes I think that there won't be any left. I know there has to be someone out there who'll love my work as much as I do. I just have to keep looking.
So, did you get all of that? I know it was a lot; just imagine living it. My hope now is to go through the rest of this semester without as much negativity surrounding my life (Trig's enough stress) and to just have fun being a senior and to keep writing. I'm also working on college stuff that I'll get into here once everything's more concrete. All of this should keep me busy, which results in more posts that will captivate you until the last word. If I stop being a slacker and actually write them. :D
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Vacation!
Tomorrow morning my family and I leave for Escanaba, Michigan for our annual summer vacation. And when I say "morning", I mean 3 A.M. tomorrow morning. That part I'm not really excited about; I'm the kind of person that actually has to be in a bed in order to sleep, so I imagine I'm going to be very tired for most of our trek up North. But despite the impending exhaustion as well as the discomfort of sitting inside a car for who knows how many hours, I'm very excited to get this day over with and get in that car tomorrow morning, because I love Escanaba.
If you don't already know, the state of Michigan has an Upper and Lower part to it, and Escanaba falls in the Upper part of the state. It's a small town, even smaller than Junction City. It's the town my mom grew up in, the place where my grandparents live. We try to go up there every few years during the summer, and every time we go it feels as if our time there disappears before it even starts. I seriously hope it doesn't happen like that this time around, as it's been 3 years since I've been up there.
Out of all the places our family goes on vacation(we even went to Disney World once), Escanaba has always been my favorite place to go. That's probably because it never feels like some place that's foreign; the sights and sounds of Escanaba have been so engraved into my memory that it feels like home every time I go there. I love being with my grandparents because they're always so happy to see us all and are eager to spend time with us. I also love the weather there. In Junction City it seems like there's been this never-ending streak of blistering hot weather, and up in Escanaba the high is somewhere in the mid-80s! It's gonna be so great to get a break from unbearable Kansas weather.
However, our visit to the Upper Peninsula will be marked with one sad event. My great-grandmother, Kitty, passed away in December, and due to intense snow storms going on during the time, we were unable to make it up there for her funeral. So while we're in Michigan we will be visiting her grave. I'm not really sure how it's going to go; I've never known a world without her, and she's the first big family member that I've lost. I just know it's going to be a sad occasion for us all.
I'm also really excited for this vacation because our time there will pretty much take up the rest of July. By time we return to Kansas and get settled back into normal life, only 2 weeks will remain of this seemingly unending summer and we'll all return to school. I'm looking forward to getting the year started and getting back on schedule. But of course, there are some drawbacks that will come with going back to school: homework (mounds of it, I'm sure), waking up early, and the departure of my older sister Elizabeth as she leaves for college...
But these are topics for another post. Right now I'll revel in the fact that in a few short hours we'll be leaving for a vacation I'm sure will make my summer!
Make sure to get some sleep for me tonight, my faithful followers, because I know I won't be getting any. :)
If you don't already know, the state of Michigan has an Upper and Lower part to it, and Escanaba falls in the Upper part of the state. It's a small town, even smaller than Junction City. It's the town my mom grew up in, the place where my grandparents live. We try to go up there every few years during the summer, and every time we go it feels as if our time there disappears before it even starts. I seriously hope it doesn't happen like that this time around, as it's been 3 years since I've been up there.
Out of all the places our family goes on vacation(we even went to Disney World once), Escanaba has always been my favorite place to go. That's probably because it never feels like some place that's foreign; the sights and sounds of Escanaba have been so engraved into my memory that it feels like home every time I go there. I love being with my grandparents because they're always so happy to see us all and are eager to spend time with us. I also love the weather there. In Junction City it seems like there's been this never-ending streak of blistering hot weather, and up in Escanaba the high is somewhere in the mid-80s! It's gonna be so great to get a break from unbearable Kansas weather.
However, our visit to the Upper Peninsula will be marked with one sad event. My great-grandmother, Kitty, passed away in December, and due to intense snow storms going on during the time, we were unable to make it up there for her funeral. So while we're in Michigan we will be visiting her grave. I'm not really sure how it's going to go; I've never known a world without her, and she's the first big family member that I've lost. I just know it's going to be a sad occasion for us all.
I'm also really excited for this vacation because our time there will pretty much take up the rest of July. By time we return to Kansas and get settled back into normal life, only 2 weeks will remain of this seemingly unending summer and we'll all return to school. I'm looking forward to getting the year started and getting back on schedule. But of course, there are some drawbacks that will come with going back to school: homework (mounds of it, I'm sure), waking up early, and the departure of my older sister Elizabeth as she leaves for college...
But these are topics for another post. Right now I'll revel in the fact that in a few short hours we'll be leaving for a vacation I'm sure will make my summer!
Make sure to get some sleep for me tonight, my faithful followers, because I know I won't be getting any. :)
Monday, June 20, 2011
Boredom
I'm seriously so bored right now. Summer feels as if it's going by at a glacial pace, something I wouldn't mind if there was more to do in Junction City, Kansas. I want to explore, go out into the world and be entertained by something alien and exciting.
It may be because I'm a schedule type of guy. I like knowing I have things to do and when I'm doing them. If there's a space in between events, that space seems so far away even if it's just a few days away from happening. I read, but there's still so much time to be filled up. I write, but sometimes I draw a blank with my creativity that prevents me from producing any decent kind of writing.
I wish July would hurry up and come. So much else seems to be happening then; there's the Fourth of July weekend, followed by the last Harry Potter movie. Then a few days after that I head off to Michigan for a week and a half vacation. By then July will be almost over and August will come, which will mean to return of school and the departure of my sister Elizabeth as she heads off to Emporia for college. I'm not gonna lie when I say I'm kind of ready for August to be here. Call me lame, but I've really missed going to school since it disbanded a month ago. I'm just ready to be doing something, even if it is mounds of homework. I know I won't be saying this once it's here, but for right now, I'm so bored the thought of that moment being here sounds so sweet.
It may be because I'm a schedule type of guy. I like knowing I have things to do and when I'm doing them. If there's a space in between events, that space seems so far away even if it's just a few days away from happening. I read, but there's still so much time to be filled up. I write, but sometimes I draw a blank with my creativity that prevents me from producing any decent kind of writing.
I wish July would hurry up and come. So much else seems to be happening then; there's the Fourth of July weekend, followed by the last Harry Potter movie. Then a few days after that I head off to Michigan for a week and a half vacation. By then July will be almost over and August will come, which will mean to return of school and the departure of my sister Elizabeth as she heads off to Emporia for college. I'm not gonna lie when I say I'm kind of ready for August to be here. Call me lame, but I've really missed going to school since it disbanded a month ago. I'm just ready to be doing something, even if it is mounds of homework. I know I won't be saying this once it's here, but for right now, I'm so bored the thought of that moment being here sounds so sweet.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Frustration/Motivation
It's been a while, I know this. That's mainly due to the fact that nothing has really happened in my life recently that has compelled me to blog about it. It's also partly due to the fact that I've been busy writing other things, a book I thought would've have taken me places by now.
I don't understand this. I get good feedback; with every positive comment my belief that landing an agent is a phone call from happening feels that much more real. I'm grateful for the feedback I've gotten. With every revision, every revisit to this manuscript I feel myself growing more as a writer. Every time I think about the project I'm working on, the characters I've put more thought into than most real people I interact with on a daily basis, I'm reaffirmed that being a writer is the right path for me. The passion is there; the motivation is there. The dream is there.
The opportunity to make it a reality is right there.
This is where my motivation lies. I've been working hard on this manuscript. For over a year I've dedicated myself to it, getting the feedback and making the changes I need. I've grown so much as a writer and a person because of this project. You might think this is the only book I've attempted writing, so therefore I should just write another one and see if I have luck with that one. But that's not the case. I've written other books, and with none of the others have I felt this much passion for. I have such an emotional tie to this particular manuscript, and I've had a close enough offer with this one that I refuse to give up on it. No matter what the market says, no matter how many rejections lie in my wake, I can't give up on this manuscript. I love it too much, and want people to read it and feel what I feel when I read it too much to let it rest away on my hard drive.
Just today I got a reply from my test reader about the first part of the manuscript. Her first impressions were very positive, and as I was reading the email I couldn't help but smile with pride. Someone else--not me, the author, or an agent--was reading what I had written, and they liked it. I couldn't help but feel like I was doing something right. Not only that, but my enthusiasm over her enthusiasm is helped to further reassure me that this is the life for me. An offer may not come tomorrow, or in a week, a month--who knows. But I do know that it's coming. One day it'll come and I'll think back to this post with a smile and think to myself, "You were right".
Later. I've got a dream to keep shooting for.
I don't understand this. I get good feedback; with every positive comment my belief that landing an agent is a phone call from happening feels that much more real. I'm grateful for the feedback I've gotten. With every revision, every revisit to this manuscript I feel myself growing more as a writer. Every time I think about the project I'm working on, the characters I've put more thought into than most real people I interact with on a daily basis, I'm reaffirmed that being a writer is the right path for me. The passion is there; the motivation is there. The dream is there.
The opportunity to make it a reality is right there.
This is where my motivation lies. I've been working hard on this manuscript. For over a year I've dedicated myself to it, getting the feedback and making the changes I need. I've grown so much as a writer and a person because of this project. You might think this is the only book I've attempted writing, so therefore I should just write another one and see if I have luck with that one. But that's not the case. I've written other books, and with none of the others have I felt this much passion for. I have such an emotional tie to this particular manuscript, and I've had a close enough offer with this one that I refuse to give up on it. No matter what the market says, no matter how many rejections lie in my wake, I can't give up on this manuscript. I love it too much, and want people to read it and feel what I feel when I read it too much to let it rest away on my hard drive.
Just today I got a reply from my test reader about the first part of the manuscript. Her first impressions were very positive, and as I was reading the email I couldn't help but smile with pride. Someone else--not me, the author, or an agent--was reading what I had written, and they liked it. I couldn't help but feel like I was doing something right. Not only that, but my enthusiasm over her enthusiasm is helped to further reassure me that this is the life for me. An offer may not come tomorrow, or in a week, a month--who knows. But I do know that it's coming. One day it'll come and I'll think back to this post with a smile and think to myself, "You were right".
Later. I've got a dream to keep shooting for.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
The Next 3 Months
Wow--it's really been 2 MONTHS since my last post? Sorry about the delay, blogreaders. School, writing, and family/social affairs have taken up a lot more of my time than I thought.
In the two months since I have posted I have started a new semester of school, asked an awesome girl to prom, lost a friendship, and gained a few in the process. I've also caught up on my writing, reading, and have been buliding on my patience skills.
As if all of that doesn't seem eventful, the next three months are going to be pretty epic. One thing I'm really stoked about is spring. It has snowed way too much this winter (we now have to go to school 14 minutes earlier to make up snow days), and I'm overall just ready to see my shadow on the pavement again.
April will definitely be an exciting month. I get to go to junior prom, my first prom ever (this should be obvious, but there are freshman that go the proms down here). It's going to be a blast because I'm going with a great group of people, including my date. Also, SCREAM 4 finally comes out, a movie I've been waiting a long time for. I hope it lives up to my expectations!
As great as April sounds, I'm sure May will take the cake. Some of my family is coming down for my older sister Elizabeth's graduation. Not only is it going to be awesome to see them again all at once, but to be brought to together for such an unforgettable occassion. I can't believe my big sis is graduating! And she just got accepted into her dream college this week, and I'm really proud of her. Sure, the thought of her moving an hour and a half away come August when I've lived with her my whole life is overwhelming, but she deserves all the good things coming her way!
And of course with her graduation comes the end of my junior year of high school. Next year I will be the senior; next year it will be my turn to walk across the stage. That's something I don't think I will be able to wrap my head around even after I get the diploma next year.
These next three months are going to be great. There are other things I'd like to get accomplished that I won't mention here, but I hope your next three months are just as awesome as mine will be!
In the two months since I have posted I have started a new semester of school, asked an awesome girl to prom, lost a friendship, and gained a few in the process. I've also caught up on my writing, reading, and have been buliding on my patience skills.
As if all of that doesn't seem eventful, the next three months are going to be pretty epic. One thing I'm really stoked about is spring. It has snowed way too much this winter (we now have to go to school 14 minutes earlier to make up snow days), and I'm overall just ready to see my shadow on the pavement again.
April will definitely be an exciting month. I get to go to junior prom, my first prom ever (this should be obvious, but there are freshman that go the proms down here). It's going to be a blast because I'm going with a great group of people, including my date. Also, SCREAM 4 finally comes out, a movie I've been waiting a long time for. I hope it lives up to my expectations!
As great as April sounds, I'm sure May will take the cake. Some of my family is coming down for my older sister Elizabeth's graduation. Not only is it going to be awesome to see them again all at once, but to be brought to together for such an unforgettable occassion. I can't believe my big sis is graduating! And she just got accepted into her dream college this week, and I'm really proud of her. Sure, the thought of her moving an hour and a half away come August when I've lived with her my whole life is overwhelming, but she deserves all the good things coming her way!
And of course with her graduation comes the end of my junior year of high school. Next year I will be the senior; next year it will be my turn to walk across the stage. That's something I don't think I will be able to wrap my head around even after I get the diploma next year.
These next three months are going to be great. There are other things I'd like to get accomplished that I won't mention here, but I hope your next three months are just as awesome as mine will be!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)