Okay, so, I’ve done more research and even managed to buy a few books (which should be coming in from Amazon any day now. Roughly $70 later and I have two books that will actually help me and one book that might help me, but mostly is extremely cool looking and sounding–Alice in Tumblr-land. Cool, right?) to help me along in my process.
I even emailed Amanda (my… adviser? I think that’s right? I don’t know, I’ll have to ask her) and found out that:
A) my [8-page] proposal (that I don’t know how to format because I forgot to ask Carol–who is in my class and I know and she’s doing a creative thesis too-in class last week and she won’t be here this week for me to ask her) is due by the end of the semester, which is technically the last week in April. But my goal is to finish it by April 15th. I’m going to hate myself in April with all the papers I have to do IN ADDITION to this proposal
B) I’ll have basically all of the summer to actually work on the project. Which means I’ll have to 1) pay my brother serious dough (or just the PS4?) to insure I have an illustrator, 2) begin narrowing down exactly what my plans are for expanding this universe, 3) get all my lesson plans for the school kids done before the summer so I’m not dying, 4) RESEARCH THE HELL OUT OF THE THINGS NEEDED FOR THE RATIONAL PORTION soon, and 5) find a way to bind everything. That last one’s going to be the trickiest.
C) I’m going to a meeting to discuss how much I’ve done (not done) in regards to my proposal… the day I’m writing this, actually. I’ve done minimal research so far on things like Book as Object and Convergence Culture and Fairytales (in Convergence Culture) and created a small start to my bibliography of things I can use, but I haven’t even begun to form a coherent thought as to how to write these things.
D) I’m completely clueless to doing this crap and there’s no guidebook to read to understand it better. Or YouTube video. AND AND AND trying to talk to someone about beginning a thesis (let alone one I’m pioneering) when most of them are finishing up their own thesises (sp?) is EVEN HARDER because they’re all tired and probably sick of thesising and the last thing I know I would want to talk about while finishing my thesis is how to begin a thesis. But I would still do it. I just wish there was someone I could talk to about what I want to do that has done it before. And yes, I know I’ve got 80 pages of it completed already in the form of my Capstone, BUT that one didn’t include a rational and proposal and all that jazz AND ALSO IT WAS A CLASS I TOOK SO I FELT MORE URGENCY FOR IT. I hate this and also love it. It sucks. I don’t wike it.
Ugh. Just ugh.
Send help I want off.
Can’ t they just be like, “create your project and we’ll judge it from there, yo” so I can be done? I don’t mind the research and all–it’ putting it into academic writing that kills me. I hate it. I’d rather it’d be as causal as a Facebook post. But damn. Not every part of something fun can be fun. Actual work must go into it.
For instance, here’s a sample of a (non-MLA style) Bibliography I’m working on:
Foley, John Miles. Oral Tradition and the Internet (book)
Bacchilega, Cristina. Fairytales Transformed (book)
YouTube. Cinderella 2.0: Transmedia Storytelling (video)
Waugh, Patricia. Metafiction (book)
Manley, Tim. Alice in Tumblr-land: And Other Fairy Tales for a New Generation (book)
Finkelstein, David and Alistair McCleery. The Book History Reader (book)
Stewart, Kristy Gilbert. Blogs, Books, & Breadcrumbs: A Case Study of Transmedial Fairy Tales (PDF/Thesis)
Adema, Janneke. Bookfuturism: Visions of the Future Book (Blog post)
And I’ve only spear-read most of them. I feel like a disappointment sometimes with myself.
Mostly because I want to do this, but my drive; my ambition is lacking. Terribly.
So, my advice for people who aren’t naturally inclined to be ambitious or productive everyday without weakening that want to further their education beyond a Bachelors?
WAIT. TAKE SOME TIME OFF.
OR ELSE YOU’LL BURN OUT.
Especially if your Bachelor college experience completely killed the passion you once had for things. Like writing.
Dead. It’s dead. I had a funeral for it and everything.
More poor, poor enthusiasm died my third year of undergrad. RIP, enthusiasm.
…
Okay, enough ranting. I should probably do something else productive, like post the questions I need to ask within this proposal (I think I’m suppose to be doing this, I’m not sure). And I think I’ll do it as a Q&A with myself. And my alter-ego reporter. Here goes.
AEQ: So, Sami. You’re starting your creative thesis soon. The first on in the CHL department in over 6 years! How does that feel?
ME: Thrilling and exciting! I’m really happy on how much control I’m going to have over this thing! I know I probably won’t be able to do a creative thesis again for my dissertation (which is okay, I want to write about Meg Cabot and the YA “chick lit” scene anyway. Maybe Captain Underpants and why there aren’t more girl things like it) so I’m really grateful that I get to do it!
AEQ: Cool! You’re extending your undergrad Capstone project, correct?
ME: Yes! The Scholarly Corps of Myth, Tales, and Lore (SCMTL)! It’s a thing that basically says any myth, fairytale, and lore/legend you’ve ever heard of is real! It’s like a cross between Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, except more inclusionary?
AEQ: How?
ME: Well, I began this project as a way to combine what I’d learned in both Children’s Lit and Creative Writing. Then I expanded it to include the idea of how there’s really nothing that encompasses people completely within something where they could be included without being magical or a demigod or “the chosen one”… or, you know, the protag of a book. Literally anyone can be apart of this thing. You don’t have to have a certain type of blood to join. You just have to have an open world view and then BAM! Letter sent. You can accept or deny to learn (and those who deny, which are many, get their mind erased, MIB style). Sort of like college. Except for ages like, 10-100.
AEQ: That’s pretty exciting! So, what do you think you’ll change by doing this creative work?
ME: Well, the dream is to get it published. And then my actual goal will be set in motion: that is to create a world where something could actually be plausible to achieve outside of a book of fiction. Where you can physically get books and “take classes” and learn about this… school. I mean, the section on internships would be hard, but that’s where I could combine the best of both HP and PJ. In layman’s terms, I want to make my own Hogwarts and Camp Halfblood. Except with fairytales, etc. HP deals with Fairytales, PJ with myths. I’m going with Lore/Legend.
In academic terms, I’m hoping to both open up the doors for creative projects in the CHL department, create a world in which I explained the above, and to make an interactive book fun and exciting–combine a story with puzzle pieces. I hope… that’s a good/correct answer.
AEQ: I’m sure after some discussion you’ll be able to get around by it! Now, what exactly are you trying to do? Why?
ME: Make an interactive book. Because kids like to interact with things. And it creates this love of computer-like technology with books, essentially. You can feel like you’re apart of the story; that what you’ll do will actually matter. That you’re the protag in this story and you matter. To show how cool books are. That stories are more than just words on a page and that you can help to create this story you’re reading. So, essentially, a Captain Underpants for everyone.
AEQ: Captain Underpants?
ME: Jouissance and Plaisiar. I’m doing Convergence Culture, Metafiction, Book as Object, and Jouissance and Plaisiar. I think I’ve got it. I do. I think I’ve got it. Thanks, AEQ! I think I’m getting ready to have something to talk about with Amanda! I just hope I don’t loose this spark!
AEQ: I hope you don’t either! I hope this blog helps you! Good Luck!
ME: Thanks! I knew this was a good idea!
Well, I hope that idea(s) are sufficient. I hope it gets Amanda’s approval! Wish me luck!
I hope I can get through this!
Until next time,
Sami
A Plethora of Demiurgic Imagination 