Cast a Wide Net

I've been thinking a lot lately about dreams, goals, and aspirations. I have a ton of them! All of these things that I want to accomplish in my lifetime that seem to get pushed back to the wayside. However, lately, I've been thinking that now is the time to make my dreams come true and that I cannot sit back and wait for them to happen. It just won't happen if I do that.

1. Be a published author. One of my goals is to get my book published and subsequent books published. I have wanted this for so many years that I cannot even remember when I didn't want it. Time to just get it done, kids. I'm working on the revisions. I think I am just going to get the first two chapters beautiful and polished and start sending out feelers to agents and publishers. Don't know until I try, right?

2. Go back to school. I have been avoiding this inevitability for awhile now, but I keep going back to it. Ever since I went into English as an undergraduate I knew that this was what I would want to/have to do. Eventually I want to get my PhD (hold your gasps), but for now I will stick with getting an Master's. I've been looking at schools and programs. Turns out most of the ones I want to go to also require a GRE. Yay. A test. Go me.

I'm looking at schools in Utah (UofU), California (UC-Davis), Missouri (St. Louis University), and Colorado (Regis in Denver). I'm still wide open as to where I will actually go, but those are the primary options at the moment. It also depends a lot on who will take me.

3. Get a new job. Even if I don't go to school in the next few months (seeing how I have to study for a GRE) I do need/want to get a new job. Regardless of going back to school, I can also get an education by living in a different culture for awhile. My heart will always be in Idaho, but I need to spread my wings and fly. I just applied to a dozen (literally) jobs through Wells Fargo just to cast a wide net and see who will bite. Wells Fargo is a good company to work for with lots of opportunity for growth. They also would be a good means to an end to get me out of here.

4. Travel. I want to get to a point where I can travel as much as I want. I want to see the world. Get a passport and start filling that sucker up. I get to go to California this year and Hawaii next year, but I've been to both those places (love them!) so I want to see some new places: Boston, Washington DC, Greenville*, Chicago, Denver, Portland (Maine and Oregon), Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, France, Italy, the list goes on.

5. Relationships. No one really wants to be lonely. While I am content being single at the moment, I would be lying if I said I didn't want to find someone.

My biggest thing lately is trying not to let myself get overwhelmed or discouraged. No dream is unattainable or too big anymore. I do not want to look back on my life in twenty years and be filled with regret.

*My wonderful cousin, Kara, if you are reading this: I am still planning on visiting you in NC, but things have been crazy so I have had to postpone. Don't hate me. :)

Dream into Novel

So...

I've taken time off Shepherd of the Damned...

to...

Chip away at another novel...

I'm crazy.

I actually wasn't going to do this at all. Wasn't even going to touch writing for a few weeks. Let things percolate.

But this idea has been bugging me for awhile. Maybe that's why I've been so stagnant with SotD.

This project is currently untitled and I'm okay with that which is odd for me. I'm getting closer to figuring out a title...I think...but for now...we'll just call it Jake's Untitiled Dream Book.

Background on the conception of this idea:

I had a dream.

Wrote it down in my little notebook. Quickly scribbled down some scenes in my computer.

Had another dream featuring the same characters.

That has never happened to me before. Weird.

Brief plot synopsis so far:

It's a post-apocalyptic world in which mankind has rebuilt a society that has reverted to a civil barbarism like that of the gladiators. High school-aged teens are either Scholars or Athletes. The Athletes are put in a series of games in which they are supposed to play to the death. If they win, they go on to the next match. If they lose, they are executed.

The story follows three Athletes: Zephyr, Skye, and Cobalt.

As of yet I'm still not sure about specifics in the plot. I'm still working on that.

A brief intro to the characters:

ZEPHYR REVENANT

This is Burak Ozcivit: the face for Zephyr. Thus far, he is a kid trying to live up to the name of his ancestor, John 'Revenant' Bullock who saved the world from utter destruction. No pressure.

COBALT NIGHTFALL

Penn Badgley is a good face for Cobalt. He is the son of the principal at his school. The principal is basically like the mayor of a city in this world. As star athlete he has pressure but eventually he is supposed to prepare to take over as principal in his dad's shoes.



SKYE TRYSTAN

Skye is team captain and must lead his team to victory every game or else they will all be sentenced to death. This is Chris Pine who would be a good Skye.



PERIDOT NIGHTFALL

This is Lea Michele from Glee. Peridot is Cobalt's sister who is left at the School as a Scholar. She is at the top of her game and may or may not be in love with Skye, her older brother's boorish friend.



LARK GERMAINE

Lark Germaine is Peridot's BFF. They soon find that the possibility of death is just as probable at the School as it is for the Athletes.


PELIAS HARPER

Sam Worthington, of Avatar, is a good face for Pelias Harper, the coach who has his own dark past as an Athlete.

KINGFREAK

Johnny Depp as the main villain. Could it get any better than that? Kingfreak is an unofficial name. I like it, but I may have to change it.

ZAYZA LAMARI

Yes, that's Nicole Kidman with black hair. Looks great. And it's the perfect look for Zayza who is another villain in the story.

There are a few more characters but I should probably just leave it at that. That's a good enough little teaser for you. It's been nice to focus on something else. No worries, though, SotD is still going to happen. I've just put it on hold for awhile so I can return to it with a fresh perspective. For now, I am going to let this other project have its time to shine.