In Retrospect...

I’ve grown a lot writing wise from my past. I kept all of my writings in a binder and recently found them while I was cleaning up. You can find a piece of my embarrassing work here:

Adrenaline by Derrick McCain
It’s chasing me. I have to run at maximum speed. One stop and I’m dead. My heart’s racing, my mouth’s dry, and another great feat lie ahead I could look forward to, a waterfall! I’ll be at the falls in 2 minutes. Not too much time to thing, but it’s still time to think. If I stop, I die, if I jump, I have a 5 percent chance of living. I’ll take that chance.
Here comes the waterfall. My only hope, my fate, my last chance. Is this the series finale or back by popular demand? “You can do it, you can do it.” I told myself, but I wouldn’t buy it. Where are the cheap car dealers when you need them!
I leap into mid-air. It looked like I was traveling through an endless wind tunnel. Follow the blue light, follow the blue light. Then it hit me again, they’re not lights, you’re just coming closer!
Should I use the ever-so-popular cannonball dive? No, that’s death on impact. If I do a jackknife, I’ll knock myself unconscious. And there is no way I’m doing the Nutcracker! I’m getting closer so I have to think of something. Then it may not have been the smartest idea, but my feet out like a marine and SPLASH!!!
Am I dead? I opened my eyes and see a bright light! I thought for a while it was hard to determine because I wasn’t breathing. But then I realized that I’m not dripping, so I’m still under water. I’m Alive! So great. My legs went from stinging to numb so I couldn’t run! But maybe it’s gone and I’m danger-free. I lift my head out of the water. It was a nice, sunny day. An island was close and a palm tree was blowing in the breeze as if welcoming me to paradise. But then I heard growling. I know that growling. It seems to me now like the palm tree was waving goodbye. I turned around and saw a shadow. Not only am I fearing for my life but my feet are numb so I can’t run, and I can’t hide!
To be continued…

It’s gotten so much better ever since my brother blog has been around. However, there’s even work on there that I don’t find flattering. But I keep all of this stuff so that I could see how much I’ve grown. I think I’m going to kick off the New Year with a new story. Its premise is the Y2K hysteria with the aptly titled name 1999. Three teenagers are going to be the focus, named Dax Yourba, Matilda ‘Til/Tilly’ Grey, and Claus Pohl. Also, if you’re reading this, I’m going to tell you something that otherwise, you wouldn’t know. Claus’ last name ‘Pohl‘ comes from Frederik Pohl sci-fi author who wrote the story Tunnel Under the Earth which inspired this.
Also, this may be one of my last short stories for a while in which I write from a teenage perspective. I realize that from this perspective, there tends to be limitation of knowledge and the factors are different. While it’s not bad, I continue writing in it which isn’t helping me broaden my talent. I however did write in a woman’s perspective in scalpel and am considering picking it back up.
Anyhow, these are the last five or so months before I’m out of school and get to head on out to college. I plan on having the best time ever, and all in all, this break was pretty decent. I plan to make it even better with all of my friends this summer and hope to leave Pittsburgh with a bang. Anyhow, there’s going to be a lot to reflect on with everything including the coming of the new year, but I’m always looking forward . January 1st, 2011, expect a new story.

To Anybody Curious

There are a lot of posts on my brother blog (you know, the short story one?)lately. Its because I'm taking all of my previous blogs from the Overlook and my Tumblr and posting them there. Several reasons. 1. I'm deleting my Tumblr, It's not for me. 2. I'm adding to my portfolio as a whole because that blog means a lot to me.

In conclusion: Thank you, that is all

Lorem Ispum

I don't know how it got this way, but all of the sudden, zombies have become the new vampires.

I by no means,however, will abandon the creatures, however, because I've had a deep love for them for about 5 years. And without a doubt, some of my favorite songs, movies, and books have been inspired/related/revolved around zombies. I've always liked the concept because they stood for something more than they seemed. The creators would take a horde of undead and spin them into metaphors for slavery,oppression, social standings,ect.That's why I always favored them, over vampires, who to me, seemed always like beautiful creatures, where if there where a metaphor in there, it'd be completely irrelevant due to their romanticized view. I needed dirt under the fingernails, the look of normal people turned into something more, hence the preference.

Who knows why zombies are the next big thing now. Perhaps, and this is what i hope, its simply because they're just a great subject and hopefully, as their popularity increases, the stories will still end up turning out great as they have so far. The latter, however, is what I absolutely fear: that it will soon be a marketing strategy that 'works great with the kids' and spawns the sound of facepalming nationwide as new, lame ideas get a 'zombified view'.

In conclusion, I am no way saying that I own the right alone to like them. Hell, I know for a fact that there were people like me who watched zombie movies, who read Max Brook's survival guide and put it into serious consideration, and who have played zombie games copiously (Plants vs. Zombies and Resident Evil 4 where both very HUGE parts of my life), and to those people, I say that's awesome and I hope to see them at the next Zombie Walk. But otherwise, all i can do is cross my fingers and pray that this whole Bandwagon dies and doesn't become the next Hot Topic niche.

-Derrick


Pic Related: I was there when we broke the record :). 2010 though, not 2006

November

I can't stop counting down to the month. November. 50,000 words. My first novel.
National Novel Writing Month. I've made an outline, and I almost finished part one, but that's for my eyes only :). However, here's some concept art for a main character in the book that you'll barely notice- the androids. Hovering around each and every human, their function is to assist humans and keep the peace- by whatever means necessary.

This will probably be in the book if I ever publish it. We won't know until Nov. Until then, I'll have to just keep on drawing and outlining.

The 17 year old void

One more year.
I'm 17 as of 3 days ago and all I can think of is one more year.
One more year and I'm an adult. I'm off to college. I'm not living at home anymore. And nothing is as I predicted it. All the age expectancies I anticipated when I was little has been shattered. I didn't right a book at 16, I don't think 15 was my best year ever and I'm damn sure not anticipating my 18th birthday.
One more year I find out truly the meaning of growing up.

I'm breathing in defeat right now.
I didn't get the job and I didn't good ACT scores
HOWEVER, they did tell me that I should pursue what I've wanted to pursue my whole life, which I guess is good for a test that could be pretty dream crushing.
So I'm doing exactly what they told me to do for now. I'm going to write and continue to do the best I can.
Not be miserable.
Whatever I do I can't be miserable.
Goodbye

Stifling

I didn't know the answer today and I paused and I looked stupid in front of my peers.
I'm glad

Hello all,

I'm going to take a more formal approach at this post and mention some things that have going on with me lately.

Lately, some thoughts have reoccurred from freshmen year. My novel ideas have been screaming in my head to be resurfaced. Living Lines and an unnamed sci-fi story I've started have been on the back burner, but eventually,I will begin typing them once I find the beat up copy of my novel xD

Currently, me, Jonathan Melchert, and Kayla Mento are all working on comics, where they both serve as artists to their respective comics, and I write/ provide simple guidance. Me and Jon have currently been working on Fade to Black (http://fadetoblack.thecomicseries.com/comics/1/), but because I am so far on the script, I may start working on a story I've already touched on before on The Overlook: titled "The Sanctuary". It will be renamed, re-scripted, put through different points of view from other character's eyes. Kayla's unnamed comic will also see its page very soon.

The Overlook has been put on a hold, but there may be a new post coming soon :p I haven't written short stories in a while, but cogs are moving in my head, and hopefully I can act on them.

We got this book called Strange Pilgrims today. We get to keep it and write inside of it, and I think it's going to create a lot of inspiration writing-wise. Job for a Cowboy's tomorrow, so that should create some inspiration music- wise. Other than that, I have nothing else to say, so I'm off to work

-Derrick

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