Archive for category College
Life Just got Interesting
Well folks, once again my apologies, there really has not been anything of interest for me to post on here. However, a few days ago I twisted my ankle, causing me to walk with a cane for a few days, and I came down with a dreadful cold in the same day. So I’ve been stuck doing nothing for the last few days, but tonight I’m starting to feel better. Last week was a killer as it was the end of the quarter. I’m almost entirely sure I ended with a college GPA of 4.0, but this does not include my non 100s level class which would probably bring me down to a 3.6. But that doesn’t count to my college GPA.
In other news, I ended up watching the twilight film. Not so much because I’m interested in the story, but because it’s set in forks. I live in Sequim which is not too far from Forks. It was the coolest thing to have people talking about the Olympic Peninsula in a real movie. The funny thing was that if forks was really how they represented it in the movie, then everyone would want to live there! Heck I would want to live there. I’m not saying that if there were vampires and such, just the visual aspect of the town, and the people. Understand I’m not saying that forks is bad, I’m just saying that if any town were as cool as they made it out to be in the movie, then everyone would live there.
After watching the film I became increasingly interested about the author. As I am an aspiring author myself, I wanted to know how she got her foot in the door. After reading Stephanie Meyer’s bio on how she wrote her first book and got it published, I was instantly inspired. This best selling book, now turned into a movie, was turned down eleven times! Even J.K. Rowling was turned down several times. So really I came to the decision that anyone can get their book published as long as they just keep sending it to different agents.
This sudden surge of inspiration has given me a great deal of motivation to start working on a book that I have been rolling around in my head for what feels like months now. So tonight I started to outline the plot and really figure out what I have in my head. I really love writing books, even though I’ve only written one and it’s only a first draft, it’s still a great deal of fun. You create characters and then you throw what ever obstacles at them you want, then decide how you want them to react. Lots of fun!
In other other news, I’ve finished working on the home page of my new website and I hope to have it online by the end of spring break. There I will be posting updates on my untitled book.
J. Lewis Simmons
Current Affairs
Posted by J.S. Lewis in All, College, Film, Life, Sedition, Writing, preordained on February 7th, 2009
It’s been a long time since I updated my blog because I really haven’t had anything to write about. I’ve just about finished my fourth week of college and currently have a 4.0 which I’m very happy about; however, this could easily slip away if I don’t study for my upcoming math test on Wednesday. Right now I’m taking three classes, all of which I find interesting. My Human Development class is fascinating. We learn about human interaction in the work place. My math class is just as interesting as it always has been. But the best thing I’m taking right now is my Web Authoring class. Programming is perfect and logical in every way. Sadly it’s only twice a week, but it’s still lots of fun.
Starting earlier this week, a friend of mine and I starting working on a few songs. He fiddles away, and I tickle the ivory keys. We’re still sounding rather rusty but in his words, “Perfect practice, makes perfect.” Yeah yeah, i know, millions of people have said it before, but it’s very true.
Now, I regret to turn my thoughts towards filmmaking. I had a movie planned for this years film festival; however, things fell though and I’m not going to be able to make the film “Sedition” which more recently was renamed to “Laws of Anarchy”. The idea was, we were going to put in a prequel called “The Order of Anarchy”, but not all of our plans are meant to pass. By no means does this mean my filming career is over, I plan to return to the melancholy feeling of writing a script, filming with friends, and editing long nights for weeks straight. I wish I could say when, but I have no idea when I shall return to this place of creativity.
In the mean time, I plan on working on my book, which is still untitled. I’ve decided to change a few things around in the beginning. For starters it’s going to be set on the border between Sequim and a world of magic. For those of you who have not heard the synopsis here it is…
Drostan, a twenty-three year old college student, currently living in Sequim, WA, lives a normal life. One day, when trying to inject some sort of fun into is otherwise dull existence, he follows some friends up into some woods where there is said to be ghosts. From there he is sucked, unwillingly into a world of war. Magic is present but not so prevalent. Worried more about his grade and spouse on the other side of the time boundary, Drostan tries to find some possible way to get back to his small town; however it will be a journey that will send him through a war of immeasurable proportion.
A little cliche I know, but I’m working on that, I just haven’t had enough time to work on it. I’m hoping when I get more settled into my college routine, which has been fluctuating day to day for the last four weeks, ugh! I’ll get around to it sooner or later. I still have my previous book (Preordained) I need to rewrite the beginning too, and sum it up in two to three chapters instead of just two pages. I’m hoping to have it completed by summer when I take English 101. This way I could hand it to my teacher for reading.
On the topic of books, I just finished the most amazing audio book series, Star Wars:Legacy of the Force. I’m telling you, the audio book was like a movie, just with out the moving images. Sound effects, Music, actors (well just one guy reading the book, but he was so good you would forget that their were not two dozen different actors playing his own role). If I ever get a massive amount of star wars fans together and about $30,000-$100,000 I would most certainly attempt to make the first movie of this nine book series. It would have to be turned into three movies, and someone would have to do an amazing job of rewriting the books into script format, and then their is the issue of not having the original actors, Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher. But these problems could probably be worked around. I would even drop $150,000 to make this film if there were enough people out there willing to make it. It would be a massive undertaking, BUT THE TALE IS JUST SOOOO EPIC!!!!!!!!!!! Everyone, please, I’m begging you, listen to the audio books! Right, I know I’m just going nuts here, but If I found 50 committed people, and I mean committed. I would definitely save up $250,000 to make this film. Sure it would take a long time but if we could pull it off, in a quality fashion. It would be extremely worth it. This is a semi-possible concept, because the job I’m going to be doing when I graduate will pay quite well.
Alright, I’m calming down now. Well, I think I just about summed up what has been going on in the last few weeks, nothing particular save but for college. So, talk to you in another month? Nah, just joking. I think I’ll have some stuff to post on here in the next week or so.
Yours,
J. Lewis Simmons
Chirstmas - High School - College
Posted by J.S. Lewis in All, College, Life, Other on December 21st, 2008
So many things are on the horizon these days, it’s unbelievable. Christmas is just around the corner, I’m going back to school in two weeks, and I’m going to be moving out in a few months.
I’m extremely excited to go back to college and High School. I’ve been out of the educational loop for so long I’m starting to get “absence of school” fever. At the High school I will be taking an advance media class which will be very fun. At the college I will be taking another media class that focuses on programming.
Yours,
Jack
Filmmaking again? Addict.
Posted by J.S. Lewis in All, College, Film, Writing on November 14th, 2008
Yeah, yeah I know, I was going to put filmmaking down and never pick it back up again until I graduate from college with a bachelor’s of science (computer science to be precise) approximately five years from now. However, as things would turn out, that is not happening. From the pure genius of my friend and co-director, comes a new film from Lewis Pictures, unlike anything you have scene before. It takes place around the end of 2029. America is no longer a free country and has become the United Federation of Soviet States (U.F.S.S.). In case your wondering “soviet” means: it often does refer to the Soviet Union, however it’s main definition is: an elected governmental council in a Communist country. America has not been taken over, it has more less been handed off to a corrupt leader who wishes the complete annihilation of all freedom on the planet. There is a small resistance that is lead by two courageous brothers. We cover their last fighting chance to bring peace back to the world. So my friends (I’m getting so sick of that phrase) I shall be returning to Sequim High School this coming semester to upgrade my tech knowledge with computers.
Concerning my book that of which I was writing. I have placed this on hold until I finish this Movie, and after I finish this movie I probably will not have very much time to work on it because I will be tackling High School and College at the same time; however, I think of new ideas for the story nearly every day. This also means that I have dropped out of NaNoWriMo, but their is always next year.
Yours,
Jack
Vocabulary Upgrade
Posted by J.S. Lewis in College, Writing on October 16th, 2008
I have found myself several times, trying to describe something, but did not have the right vocabulary to do it justice. I also believe that it’s very So, recently, I have started to expand my vocabulary. So I have compiled a list of: a few words that I use much to often and alternatives to them, and new words that I don’t use as often. As a side note: You have to know five words, of which roughly mean the same thing, to use one of them to describe something.
Difficult
Strenuous - Laborious - Arduous - Exacting
Awesome/Amazing
Exceptional - Extraordinary - Outstanding - Remarkable - Striking
Interesting
Captivating - Intriguing - Compelling - Enthralling
Pallid
(as in someone’s complexion)
Ashen - Pale - Wan - Cadaverous
Lurid
Macabre - Appalling - Horrid - Grim - Livid
Apprehension
Solicitude - Alarm - Anxiety - Unease - Trepidation - Presentiment - Foreboding
Important
Consequential - Essential - Noteworthy - pivotal - Significant
Abase
Degrade - Mortify - Demean - Humiliate
Very
(I use this one far too much)
Veritably - Absolutely - Hugely - Deeply - Exceedingly - Greatly - Genuinely - Eminently - Remarkably - Truthfully - Utterly
The rationality behind my sudden interest in vocabulary is twofold.
One is judged by there appearance; however, the way one communicates verbally greatly alters any prior opinion of one’s appearance.
I consider myself a writer, and when writing, it is exceedingly pivotal that I have a broad vocabulary at my fingertips tips. Consider that a Novel is composed of nothing more than words, it is rational to believe that the art of writing is in the usage of words.
Yours,
Jack