Comic, Stress, and Future grumpypants

Alright. So I was going to upload my comics. Keyword "was" should tell you that after trying every format and document under the sun blogspot.com doesn't like my comic. I guess it just doesn't have a sense of humor.

In other news I'm now taking a Creative Writing class and loving every minute of that. I'm also taking a Chemistry class which I am failing...sigh..I guess you really can't beat nature. I never was really good a science and math. What on earth possessed me into thinking I could actually become a highly paid, respected, and fully professional PT? (For those not familiar PT=Physical Therapist) To add insult to injury my mother decides to just now inform me that I had always been too happy to learn how to sit down and seriously study. Thank you mom.

So the question now is, do I push through years of torturous school full of subjects I have no talent for or do I go to my plans B,C,D, etc?

Ideally with my life I'd like to get married, write from home as a stay-at-home mom and also work part time as a PTA, personal trainer, or some other fitness related position.

To achieve this I could switch back to an English major, finish my degree, then go to a two year vocational college and get certified as either a PTA or a personal trainer and live close to the poverty line until I add another income to my family. Or I could cut my losses here and go to a PT school NOW while at the same time losing all my chances at the wonderful men at BYU-I and the clean English classes provided....sigh.

My gut says to do the above because I am a firm believer that whatever your career is, you should be passionate about it,and I for one am not passionate about chemistry. But I am passionate about personal health and wellness and the creative writing field.

I don't think old people remember or appreciate how difficult being twenty is anymore. It's a slow, painful morphing process from childhood to serious adulthood that can either churn out respectable young men and women or worn out basement living slugs who can't bring themselves to the realization that high school will never happen again.

Oh, what to do!

There and Back again

I can't seem to let this story die. It's basically about a boy from the normal universe being transported to the dimension of Fae, or Faerie as the myths tell it, and I've been over the plot over and over for years, but I've never been satisfied.

Now I'm going over it again. Only this time I'm only allowed to look at basic note documents and I'm never to even touch the old revisions as this will be a completely revised plot. I guess I'm just too fond of it. Its one of the only books I've ever actually completed, its a good story idea but the logic in it was just too....blah. If I keep the new script pure I might actually be able to pull this story off.

On a side note. The comics are going well. I've already drawn up 6 strips and I just have to find time to ink them over and scan them in. And then hopefully there will be no technical difficulties posting them here.

New Media

Lately I've caught the bug to branch out into a new field of creative writing. My school has a paper that encourages students to send in comic strips whenever they feel like it. So over my four week break between semesters I'm going to compile a comic strip. I already have basic story lines and strip ideas. When I have access to a computer scanner, I'll post my comic for your enjoyment.

Creative Famine is Over!!! And new goals

Here's a poem I made up in English class. It's almost like a haiku.

Time is fleeting
And flies even faster
From grasping hands
Begging it to stay.

Stew on that one for a second. Maybe I should concentrate on poetry while in college. They're short sweet and easy. Hmmmmm.

PS: I've decided to not worry about publishing anymore. In the spirit of Emily Dickinson I write for myself, and maybe my family members who do read this blog. If I'm discovered, I'm discovered, if not I still have a place where I can release my pent up writers energy and enjoy the good hormones that come from it.

Did you hear the buzz?

I have come to the conclusion college is not a good creative environment for me. That or the stresses that naturally come to youth of my age are jamming my creative circuits. I've also rediscovered how much my childhood friends would act as my muses. I was having a conversation with such a friend the other night, while simultaneously coming up with a story brain storm on a completely different subject after months of drought writing.

It felt good to feel the buzz again. Creating a fresh story line is like drinking from a mountain spring.

So, with this practice story I'm going to try something new. It's going to have several inter-lapping stories and characters that center around an event. So I should be able to complete small pieces of it at time, something that could be do-able with a college schedule. And since it's a practice story, I think I'll be posting bits and pieces of it on here. Never the whole thing, that's just stupid to do online. But maybe a summary, actual story, summary type of format. I'll ask my knowledgeable brother-in-law and see what he says.

Treasure Hunt

Last night I watched Mr. Magoriums Wonder Emporium. A brilliant movie full of child-like wonder and a great cast. The plot was just a little bit off, but still really good.

The movie reminded me of a another reason why I want to write. I never have to grow up through my writing. I can be whatever age I want to be from 7-70. Writing is just an extension of pretend games I used to play as a child. And I've always been rather stubborn about this whole growing up nonsense anyway. Growing up is such a hassle.

The movie also reminded me of a book idea I had had a few years back. I went my files and found some chapter ideas, scenes, and notes on it. It's a wonderful story about how powerful a child's imagination can be. Its full of friendship, adventure, suspense, and maybe a romantic twist. (that has yet to be decided) The over all message was that imagination is essential to child-hood development, inventions, crafts, and over all adult happiness. Never, never, ever try to squash someones imaginations or dreams. It's those dreams that shape everyone's futures. We wouldn't have light-bulbs without them.

I think I might try and finish this story idea along side revising my other story. It was always meant to be a short story and the plot isn't very complicated. Hmmm, maybe I should switch my goal to publishing two books this year? Naw, but hopefully at least one of them does get published.

Why money? Couldn't it have been cake?

A long time ago in Northern Europe those with literary, vocal, and instrumental talents were the leaders of the community. We've all heard of the Vikings and their natures. What underscored their violent epic deeds was that if an artist were to put them to song they would, in a sense, become immortal. Such was the power of artists in the old days. A warrior's eternal existence depended on them.

It's kind of ironic to know that and then look at the life of an average artist today. Many are scrapping just to pay the bills and are looked down upon by other "more intellectually inclined" professions. In other words, being an artist rarely pays.

On that note, I am announcing a change in my college plans. Reluctantly, I am letting the English-creative writing major go. Instead, I'm looking at an Exercise Physiology major so that I can become a physical therapist and pay the bills. It's not so bad. I love working with people, I have a growing passion for personal health, and it would be a steady well paying job.

It's just that my dreams to become a novelist seem to keep being pushed to the back burner for some reason or another. I may never actually publish, but I know there is a reason I was given the gift of writing and creating new ideas. I just need to be patient and eventually find it out.

I'm not totally giving up either. I still intend to attempt to publish before the year is out. I'm going to minor in English so I can still take the classes I need to improve my skills. Actually, they're clusters (two clusters = a minor) one in creative writing the other in professional writing. Professional writing will boost my major and creative writing will still give me what I went to college for in the first place.

Wish me luck. A lot of it.