PROJECT PROPOSAL
Project Proposal:
Connecting the "Breaking Points"
For my final project as part of the course Integrative Activities, I will be writing a novella called “Breaking Point.” The piece will refer to the course’s theme “connection” in a way that it “connects” with my personal life through the inspiration that came from the unfortunate events of 2020 and 2021 that have happened to me. It will also show the importance of connections within relationships, and the importance of self-awareness achieved through the making of connections with one’s identity. “Breaking Point” will cover literary themes such as prejudice, homophobia, loneliness, anxiety, friendship, self-denial, and the comfort zone.
The completion of this project will help to connect my passion for creative writing, a discipline I had the chance to perfect a lot through my studies in the program of Arts, Literature, and Communication, to my personal growth through my college years at Dawson. Below is the synopsis of the story:
[SPOILER ALERT]
Mark, Jackson, and Ten are roommates. They are three foreign students in South Korea. While Mark came to South Korea to follow his Korean American girlfriend who wanted to learn more about her parents’ culture, the two others show greater interest in the country as the culture shock is not as big coming from Asian countries. Mark’s lack of Korean speaking skills and appreciation for his new country’s culture results in him feeling lonely and left out amongst the three. His life starts going south when minor annoyances start to add up: he struggles with school, loses his job, and slowly but surely realises that he might not be as in love with his girlfriend as he thought. Mark feels like all of it was a mistake. Through his hardships, the only person he confides in becomes Jackson. As they become closer, Mark is shocked to find out that his friend is bisexual. Before he knows it, he develops strong feelings that he tries to repress for his roommate who is now in a relationship with another man. Mark’s jealousy and difficulty to come to terms with his own sexuality make it seem like he despises the couple, eventually causing the loss of his most precious friendship in Seoul. After a fight between the two, Jackson feels the need to move out from the toxic environment which was their shared apartment and move back to his native Hong Kong. By then, Mark is getting deeper and deeper into depression until he reaches his own “breaking point” where absolutely nothing matters anymore. Upon finding out through Ten that Jackson had always hidden his feeling for the American with the impression that the latter was heterosexual, Mark impulsively flies to Hong Kong, invalidating his long-term visa and thus his chances at graduating, and puts everything on the line to confess to Jackson who pretty much hates him by then. The story finishes with them deciding on moving back to Mark’s native California to pursue their studies together.
[SPOILER END]
The project will be uploaded on my final project’s blog as a link to download a Word doc. I aim for my story to be between 17 000 to 40 000 words long. As I progress through the making of this project, I will not be following a schedule other than forcing myself to write more than a thousand words every day. No research or specific material is required for the completion of this project.