Roughly two months ago I set out to take the time and really think about the world of the Unintentional Calamity and define a plot that I could follow. With two weeks to go, I have almost accomplished every task I set for myself. Next week I will be polishing off ideas for the magic system. The week after, I will develop some of the artifacts to appear in the main plot of the story. After that I will officially begin writing the first draft (again). Before I take this deep dive into the fantasy world that I have built in my head for the past four years, I would like to reflect on the journey thus far.

The Barn

As I mentioned in my first post, this whole idea was conceived after watching Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. After I was inspired I went out to The Barn, a building on Champlain Campus, and started writing whatever came to my mind. While it was good to get the ideas out of my head onto a piece of paper, I had no idea where the story was going. Four years ago I was a less experienced writer, but I do not think that lack of experience was necessarily a weakness. I have always believed that inexperienced professionals have just as much to offer as veterans of the field. The juxtaposed nature of creativity and learning have always been apparent in my mind, and while I feel I have grown as a writer I do believe that my imagination has narrowed. My education not only showed me what is possible, but also what is not possible. Although I have no scientific evidence to back this gut feeling, I have always suspected that children’s imaginations are much grander than adults because of the lack of experience in general.

Regardless of how I have changed as a person since I started this project, I still cherish those first moments I remember of letting my mind go wild as I painted a blank canvas with beautiful ideas. For me personally, Champlain College will always be the place I associate with this project. The campus was always inspiring creativity within me that I never knew existed.

My Mentors

Over my time at Champlain College I did have some people who helped me out. Erik Shonstrom played a significant role in encouraging my writing, as he was the advisor for Chivomengro in which I contributed to, as well as my teacher for the Bodies: Dance class. My second year I convinced Shonstrom to read the first half of my very first draft of this book, and he encouraged me to continue writing. In my senior year Shonstrom also met with me to just discuss the book further and was there for me when I needed someone to bounce ideas off of. Despite his laid back and intentionally lazy appearance, Shonstrom is by far on one of the smartest people I know. He taught me not only what good writing is, but also about what the future of education should look like.

One person who had a significant impact on my writing goes by Robsmy on an online writing community called Critique Circle. While I have never meet this person, Robsmy was gracious enough to give a very detailed critique of the first couple of chapters of my second draft. To this day, he is the only person who has given me such honest and harsh feedback far exceeding any detailed evaluation a professor has given me. While this was literally just one small exchange on the internet, it gave me a huge boost in confidence that I needed to continue with this story.

A Decision

When I initially was admitted into Champlain College, I was a Computer Science & Innovation major. When it came around to second year, I was seriously contemplating switching into Professional Writing. One of my closest friends cautioned me about switching, as I was spending a lot of money to go to college. Many of my college friends encouraged me to switch as I was obviously happier writing than programming. My professors advised me to do what felt right, and validated both my feelings for writing as well as receiving a stable income.

Data Science was my third option; a balance between writing and programming. Unfortunately, this balance did not include creative writing which turns out to be what I really enjoy (hence the Unintentional Calamity). At the end of the day, I do regret not following my gut instinct rather than logic. Looking back on the past, I wish I had pushed harder to go to a college that was more focused on creative writing and journalism.

What I haven’t realized until recently is that a major decision in life will only control life for as long as you let it. It’s true that I decided to major in Data Science, but it is also true that I decided to start this massive project on the side. Even though I accepted a full time position to work as a Data Scientist, this does not mean I cannot also make the decision to continue this project. My past actions do not decide my future, they only influence it.

The Future

As I start a new chapter (both literally figuratively), I am excited to see what unfolds. My initial dream of becoming a writer definitely never included the path I am now on, but when has anyone ever predicted the future with precision? In reflection, I cannot think of a scenario where I would not have regrets. My interests vary too much for me and I will always have wished I tried everything. Unfortunately, college doesn’t allow you to try everything which means at some point I was going to have to make a choice I didn’t want to. Now that I am in control of my time, I can go at my own pace and make a choice when I am ready. Right now, I think I’m getting close to making that choice and I am excited to do so.