Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Bucket List -- Eve

While working on my second YA novel, I tend to think a lot about "Bucket Lists," you know, the list of things one wants to do before he or she "kicks the bucket" (Jack Nicholson's phrase, not mine). My main character is coming to terms with her own mortality, but in an effort to be more spontaneous and less meticulous about her life she kind of creates an anti-bucket list, and spends her days doing random things she never even dreamed she'd enjoy.

When researching peoples’ bucket lists on the internet, I noticed that certain things pop up regularly. Why does everybody want to grow a vegetable garden? Experience weightlessness? Spend an entire day lounging in pajamas, eating only junk food? Okay, that one I get, but it doesn’t count as a bucket list item because I pretty much do that every single day.

I think bucket lists say a lot about people. Though I’ve never committed mine to paper, there are definitely activities or adventures that I’ve always secretly (or not so secretly) wanted to partake in.  Although I’ve still (hopefully) got another 100 years to live, I’ve been taking stock lately, and I realized I’ve almost checked off my whole mental list! Not sure what that means. Either my life’s almost over, or it’s time to make another list.

My bucket list so far in no particular order:

Live on an island. X
Spend time in the rainforest, living off the land. X
Swim with dolphins. X
Jump off a really scary cliff. X
Visit Fiji (to see where The Blue Lagoon was filmed!) X
Attend the Olympics. X
Teach young children. X
Paint and show the art in a real gallery. X
Meet the President. X (Not the current one, the good one before him.)
Learn to ballroom dance. X
Drive America coast to coast. 3X
Run a marathon. ½ X
Meet Duran Duran. X (Woo-Hoo!!)
Be featured in People magazine. (For doing something cool, not for being a murder victim or anything.)
Write a novel. X
Publish a novel.

Any other bucket listers out there willing to share? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

- Eve

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Get immortalized in someone's pb like SOME people.

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1790000379/post/950026495.html?nid=3713

Disco Mermaids said...

WOW! Thanks, Tammi. I never would have seen this if you hadn't sent the link.

If you cannot see the entire link on the comment above, you can go to
www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog and type in "Mermaids On Parade" or Melanie Hope Greenberg. We are immortalized in MHG's new picture book! Woo!

Is that really on your Bucket List, Tammi? If you want, I can write/illustrate a PB called, "Tammi On Parade"...I'm sure lots of people would buy it. You are very picturesque! (Check out the pic of Tammi on her website...hello, supermodel.)

Eve

Anonymous said...

OOH!

Maybe we should pitch the idea to our agent at the SCBWI Summer Conference.....!

Disco Mermaids said...

No doubt!

I'm SO glad you'll be at this summer's conference, Tammi...and also glad that I can hang with the ABLA peeps as a "family" member this time, rather than a lonely outsider looking in.

I wonder what the strangest "Bucket List" item ever created is. My husband wants to swim with great white sharks in South Africa next (with NO shark cage, mind you). I think that one's a little odd (and ironic, considering the danger involved).

:)
Eve

Anonymous said...

I don't have a bucket list. Yet. But if I did, having my book featured in PW Weekly might be on the list - and if it's on Jay's list, then he must be doing a happy dance today, because there's a highly favorable column on his book there. Way to go, Jay!

Joey said...

To catch DD live, before its too late.

jenn said...

13 Reasons Why was mentioned in this article in Newsweek http://www.newsweek.com/id/136961/page/1 so Jay can cross that one off his bucket list too, if it was on there.

Disco Mermaids said...

Wow! Jay's having a good week. Time for him to start a new bucket list.

Joey! You must see DD live. Have you really not done this yet? If you don't do it soon, I'll fly out to Arizona and take you with me. They are not to be missed. And you are the second biggest fan next to me. Can't wait to see you (and listen to the new album together) this summer!

Eve

Anonymous said...

Evie, I am so amazed at how complete your list is. Also, I'm excited that I have participated in many of them with you since I don't have a bucket list of my own. The only thing I can think of is to go skydiving on a bull named "Fu Manchu." BTW, I really believe you'll be checking off another of your bucket list items really soon. Love, Lamy