Hungry for Death and Power?

Recently, I bought an E-reader at a discounted price. What was the first book I bought for it? The Hunger Games. I had heard so much about how great it was, and how people were psyched for the movie version. The book did not disappoint.

While I won’t spoil it for anyone who hasn’t read it, the basic premise is that the story is set in a dystopian future, where a central government rules over twelve districts following a great war. Every year, as a reminder of the district’s disobedience of the government during the war, the government holds the Hunger Games, which pits one male teen (12-18) and one female teen from each district against the others in a death match. Only one of the kids can survive. That kid ensures his district a steady stream of supplies, and becomes a celebrity, and a mentor to future Games “contestants” from their district. The thing that brings this all home to readers is the fact that the Games are televised as a reality show, and are “produced” as such. If the “contestants” are too boring, and are not fighting enough, the Gamemakers can try to kill the “contestants” themselves with traps and tricks, or force them to battle each other. The “contestants” also have sponsors that can give them gifts in the arena that can help them.

The brilliant author, Suzanne Collins, got her idea when flipping channels and saw both coverage of the Iraq war, and reality shows. How far away are we from a situation like the Hunger Games? How far are we from a situation like 1984? We already have a show on TV that follows people living in a house for three months and having to vote to evict each other (Big Brother). In the international versions of the show, the audience chooses who to evict. They choose who is deemed unworthy. While it is all fun and games, and no one gets hurt, how far away are we from a situation where someone does get hurt? Society’s fascination with reality shows can only last so long with the way they stand now. How long until something happens that makes reality shows too real?

I’m not saying that we’re going to have an all-powerful all-knowing government, ala Big Brother in 1984. Do I think that really could happen though? Absolutely. Nothing that Orwell wrote about was impossible. And nothing that Collins wrote about is either.

Writing

Writing.

It is something that... I have given up to be completely honest.

I shouldn't say that. I haven't given it up completely. I just don't write as I had envisioned myself doing. By this time in my life (age 25), I had pictured myself spending weekends in the park with a notebook or my laptop just writing or typing away. Instead, I spend my weekends studying business ethics and accounting practices as an accounting major, and dreading going to work the next day. I still write, but I have ideas that just don’t seem to come out.

I had this grand idea for a series of novels all revolving around one town, and one central group of friends. It was a bit of a soap opera to be honest. It would follow mainly one character from the age of 15 to around the age of 40. It would contain stories of his parents, siblings, and friends, but he would be the central character around which the others orbited. I have his biography written out up to the age of about 28. I know how I want his life to go. I know what song I want playing on the stereo the first time he makes love with his true love. I have this all planned out in my head. Why can’t I write it all out?

I have started keeping a journal. A journal of my history. I am writing it so that my future children can look at it and say, “This is our dad the way he saw it”. Not what my friends or family tell them. Yes I know, I could just tell them myself with my voice, but what if I forget something? Or what if I don’t live long enough to tell them?

That’s what has me worried about my writing. I feel like I need to get something published in my life. It is my goal. I gave up on being an English major because I knew I needed a career. So therefore, I’m an accounting major. Oh I like it, don’t get me wrong. Numbers come easily to me, and I like managing money. But, I still want to be a writer, and I still want to create, and I still want to be recognized for it.

I keep having a recurring dream where I just quit work, and focus on writing for six months. I know a true writer should give it more time than six months, but in my dream, that’s all I can afford. And in that six months, I tell myself, if I don’t write something that I consider worthy to be published, then I’ll never write again. I don’t know if I should give myself that ultimatum or not, but it is something that I’ve been thinking about a lot.