Jacob Ritteman ENGL 358 Jessica Jorgensen 9/5/12

Professional Narrative I arrived at NDSU in the fall of 2008 with no decided major in sight. Countless paths couldve been traversed, but I decided to give it time. Fortunately, no friends or family members were strong-arming a profession, so I enrolled in the basic freshman class kit: math, English, university studies, etc. My fellow freshman spoke of dreams, of professions, yet I had no clue as to which direction to even place a step. The general classes in which I enrolled didnt offer any inspiration. I didnt have an illuminating moment where everything fell into place. The only thing I had was a desire to write. This desire was birthed in the midst of my junior year at Lakota High. My uninterested English teacher tossed out an assignment to pen a three page story revolving around a revenge theme; my plot spanned ten. A year after that particular uninterested English teacher slammed that particular revenge-themed story, an elder cousin of mine, Mathew, found it intriguing. After some praise and pointers, I began writing more material. It became one of my few passions, and a passion it is today. According to general definition, I am a writer. However, I wont fully self-appropriate this title until publication is achieved. At the end of my freshman year, my advisor pointed out some creative writing classes which were/are most accessible to English majors. My illuminated path finally arrived, and for the past four years Ive been working my way toward those classes as a means to hone my

creative writing skills. It should be said that my academic writing has suffered along the way, but Im hoping to get that back on track. Naturally, I found it unwise to throw thousands of dollars into a program when I only wanted to access a few classes, so I picked up a journalism minor (which fulfills a Bachelor of Science in English). This minor is more of a fallback, in case the artistic aspirations dont blossom into a career. Im not only working on personal writing projects, but Im also collaborating with Mathews youngest brother, Mark, who is also exercising his creative writing skills. Mark, being a year older than myself, graduated from MSUM this past summer. We are currently working on a film that we hope to ready for the upcoming Fargo Film Festival. Mark and I see the festival as a sort of jumping point, and an opportunity to make strides toward our intended futures. Mathew is working with Ultimate Fighter in Las Vegas, where he studied film at UNLV. He has a short film crew which has won several film festivals, and has also (marginally) worked on The Hangover, What Happens in Las Vegas, and a flick featuring Coolio. With that said, Mathew is looking to Mark and I to eventually join the film crew as writers once the opportune moment comes along. Aspirations to achieve an art career can seem quite futile at times, but modern developments have presented those interested with many options. Filmmakers no longer need to flock to Los Angeles in hopes of striking it big. Rather, they can acquire a camera, shoot something, and submit it to a festival, investors, or even Youtube and gain attention. I believe Quentin Tarantino once said something to the effect of, Dont waste your money on film school. Buy a camera, film every chance you get, and enter festivals. Writers dont need to

land a publisher or agent, but can submit work to various websites that provide services involved with eBooks or print-on-demand services where books are printed as consumers request them. Although it is interesting to consider these options, I prefer the traditional route with writing. The common traditional route is sending out query letters to publishers and agents. A query letter consists of personal information, a short synopsis of the pending literature, and a self-addressed envelope. The synopsis is meant to hook the publisher or agent and induce a request for full pages. The self-addressed envelope is provided for ease in this request, or to provide transport for a rejection letter. The easiest way to find the addresses of these publishers and agents is Writers Market. Writers Market is an annually published volume containing listings for many different genres, and it also features details with each listing. These details inform if a query letter should differ from standard format, if an agent is required (if its a publishing house), what types of writing are generally published, and other such things. I have not sent out a query letter yet, but I hope to soon. Im awaiting notes from a creative writing aficionado on a novel I finished last spring, and plan to make necessary rewrites once possible. Aside from this novel, I have a handful of others which are in progress; all are seated in a different genre. This brings up another important aspect which should concern any writer yearning to be published. A writer needs to write something marketable. If a publisher doesnt see a possible moneymaker, a rejection letter saying something about its a great book, but we cant market it right now will find its way to the writers mailbox. With this in mind, a writer not only needs to research publishers and/or agents, but also the eventual target audience. If a written piece wont hit truths among a sizable group of readers,

odds are the work wont be published, and another manuscript will sink to the depths of a desk drawer. As for screenwriting, I do have a few scripts in progress, but the most proximal project is the in progress festival film with Mark. I havent scoured Writers Market for a screenplay section, but I imagine there is similar source if one isnt provided. Either way, Im definitely taking action in attempting to ignite a future in creative/screenwriting. Graduation lurks in May 2013, and Im secure with my chosen path. An English major provides access to a sort of scattershot job market, and a minor in journalism backing it should open the door to a print writing gig if needed. I should note that the market for journalists is shrinking quite fast due to the outbreak of online media and bloggers. Hopefully my fallback plan wont evaporate if it comes to that. Writing can be practiced in most any condition. If I cant break into the market before taking on a real job, it can sideline whatever source of income is necessary. Festival films can be shot and submitted when time is allotted. My primary aspirations arent built upon a solid foundation, but thats the risk with art. Its a product of the human condition, a product of feeling and emotion things which anyone could deem unstable and unpredictable. My future is of the same accord; it is unstable and unpredictable probably erratic by nature, and I couldnt be more excited.