Introducing Perspective
Hey everybody, welcome to my site. Here, I’ll mostly be blogging about my attempts to make it in the writing field, not to mention the writings themselves. I’ve always loved reading about people’s processes and the mechanics of their storytelling, so there’s a pretty good chance that’ll come up as well. It’s also VERY likely I’ll end up writing about movies, just because I’m never not interested in them. Maybe I’ll even write a short story or two to go on here. In short, this is my site for everything.
With that in mind, I’m absurdly happy to introduce my first book Perspective, soon to be released on Amazon via self-publishing. I’m really happy with this book, and have high hopes that those who read it will be reminded of their time in high school, the good, the bad, and everything in between, and maybe have some fun while doing so.
We all knew that kid who was terribly concerned with “the plan.” With the idea that by the end of high school, you need to have a very strong idea of what you’re gonna do for the rest of your life. That you need to have great grades. That you need to have a good relationship that could possibly lead to marriage somewhere along the line. Hell, you may have been that kid. In some ways, you might still be preoccupied with those kind of thoughts.
Perspective is about one such teen, Peter, entering his senior year of high school in the year 2011. Peter’s been doing pretty good in school so far. The girls may not be coming his way, but he has a fantastic relationship with his three closest friends, Becca, Zeke, and Brandon. To say that the four of them are nerds would be something of an understatement. They’re always looking for the next movie, book, video game, anything fun, anything that allows them to enjoy themselves. They also have a tendency to fall over and make idiots of themselves, but we don’t need to dwell on that. They genuinely love being with each other, and, thankfully, they’ve had plenty of time to do so. However, problems are starting to pop up in Peter’s head. With the end of school just around the corner, Peter is becoming increasingly concerned that he’s not ready. He wants a good relationship. He wants to focus more on grades. He wants to find a job. He wants to end his childhood properly, to set himself up for college and adult life. It’s all he’s thinking about, and it’s starting to majorly throw his groove off. As Peter starts to find himself more and more preoccupied with doing something about these concerns, he begins to alienate those he cares about the most, those he wants to be with, those he won’t have much longer with… his friends.
This book was a labor of love. It’s written in a fast-paced, nerdy style that reflects the personalities of the four main characters, with more references to movies, books, games, and music than I can count (maybe I should try that… I wrote the thing, I should probably know). Structurally speaking, this story is told across three days in 2011, three days in Peter’s senior year, one in August, one in October, and one in December. This allows the reader (that’s you!) to see how the characters grow and change across this pivotal year.
This subject is one I feel passionately about. It’s very easy to become so preoccupied with concerns ahead of you that you start to forget about what’s next to you. It’s something I deal with all the time, and, from what I can tell, I’m far from alone in that regard. But don’t think this story is all doom and gloom. Even at their grimmest moments, these characters are still trying to have fun. Think of it as John Hughes by way of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s brilliant Scott Pilgrim series. The aim was to write something warm, something fun, something funny, something contemplative, and something a little bit nostalgic. I truly think that many people could get something out of this book, so I absolutely cannot wait to put it out in the world for anyone who’s interested in giving it a read. Further details on publishing will be forthcoming, but expect it sooner rather than later!
From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who reads this post. Actually, no, let me go bigger: Thank you for visiting this site in the first place! I really appreciate it, and can’t wait to keep posting on here. Hope everyone has a wonderful day, and thanks again.