... a young boy sat on the worn blue-gray carpet of the living room. All about him were strewn the remains of a make-believe battle. On the television screen before him were images that would inspire him for decades to come.
That boy was me, and the movie on the television was Star Wars. I can't help but get a little nostalgic when I hear the opening theme. And I am a little jealous at those "weirdos" who spend so much time and money making replica costumes and attending conventions. I'll admit it, it would be fun. Especially since it is thanks to Star Wars that I started writing.
In 1999 a new Star Wars novel was published. Now, I had read all the Star Wars books in the school library by that point, and a number at the public library. So, when this new book came out I pounced on it. Maybe that's why I didn't do so well in 7th grade math...
Anyway, the book that got me hooked on storytelling was Vector Prime, the first in the "New Jedi Order" series. Immediately I start doing what any self-respecting 12 year old boy would do: daydream. I tried to figure out how could I make a story to fit into George Lucas' playground. Well, being a fan of World War II aviation, I tried to take that route, combining it with bits gleaned from various sci fi and fantasy "bits" I had been exposed to. I got to high school, and found opportunities to write, mostly at the expense of English free-writing time. I wound up filling a composition book with fiction, so much that I needed a second. And that one I filled half way. (Most of my fellow students barely got a quarter of the way through.) This "manuscript" was practice in how to create characters and plots and actually get them to work. Well, the "New Jedi Order" continued on without me, and when I got to the end I realized that I couldn't simply insert myself into an already ongoing story line.
But I also realized that my interest in fiction exceeded Star Wars. It was in 7th grade that I read The Hobbit for the first time. I have read it twice since then, and cannot wait until the movie arrives. I also branched out, starting with two Star Wars authors that I knew: R. A. Salvatore and Timothy Zahn. The former wrote about a half dozen fantasy novels that I rather enjoyed, and was inspired to change his college major based on reading Tolkien. I am not quite that dedicated. The latter author has written a number of sci fi books, one of which (Icarus Hunt) I am trying to find a copy of. After moving down to Seward, I got a Barnes and Noble card, which may be one of the best investments ever. I have now read numerous books that have helped "break" me of my Star Wars habit. These range from fantasy, to sci fi, to steampunk, to a strange mix of fantasy and mystery. Like my taste in music, my choices of fiction has become more eclectic.
All of this has inspired me in my own writing. I have roughly a dozen developed story ideas, and another half dozen still in the "growing" process. Some are a little heavy on the "fantasy" side, while others are very much science fiction. I have a few, though, that are a little more "normal," well, as normal as you can get when it comes to my imagination.
I'm debating on posting bits of my work, but after my "Big E rant," I hesitate to put so many words online again. (Which makes me a hypocrite, since that's what I'm doing right now.) Maybe if I get enough feedback I'll post something. Whatever. I'm just amazed at how far I've gotten since picking up my first Star Wars book.
Happy reading, and May the Fourth be with you.
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