I'm still waiting on my co-writer for IR2, so I put out another chapter of Earthbound. Things are moving on dramatically, and the openings for more action and romance are rapidly approaching. Also, with a tangle with the law, things get more dangerous for Rob and Sera.
I'll post more later this week with the next chapter. For now, check it out!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Friday, January 01, 2010
New Short Story - Twenty
I had another dream that I made into a story. This one, unlike A Dance in the Twilight, was not from a daydream, but rather a sleeping dream. Dreams make for interesting short stories, I think. This one happened to be a sci-fi sort of story with a strange ending. Hope you like this sample. Look up the rest on my website.
"TWENTY"
It was like waking up from a bad hangover, times fifty. First, came the headache, brought on mostly by light sensitivity. Even his eyelids seemed too thin to adequately close out the light. He’d not seen light for years, not really. Although, he knew the machines had opened his eyes periodically to flash lights in his eyes to cause his pupils to dilate and keep his eye muscles toned.
Next came the dry mouth. Again, he knew he’d not really drank anything in years, but the mask he wore should have kept him and his mucous membranes well moisturized. Still, theory and practice were often miles apart. Slowly, he lifted his arms and peeled away the mask. That was an epic in and of itself.
His arms were weak. All of his muscles had atrophied despite the electric pulses that had periodically stimulated his body to exercise his body during deep sleep. He pulled the mask off his face in a fit of spasms and flailing. It was the best he could manage after twenty years asleep.
Sitting up was agony. Like in the summer when sticky, sweaty flesh stuck to leather upholstery, he peeled himself away from the machine alcove that had been specially engineered to fit his body and his alone. Each of the deep sleep pods had been fitted to their recipient and could only be adjusted to a different body painstakingly.
"TWENTY"
It was like waking up from a bad hangover, times fifty. First, came the headache, brought on mostly by light sensitivity. Even his eyelids seemed too thin to adequately close out the light. He’d not seen light for years, not really. Although, he knew the machines had opened his eyes periodically to flash lights in his eyes to cause his pupils to dilate and keep his eye muscles toned.
Next came the dry mouth. Again, he knew he’d not really drank anything in years, but the mask he wore should have kept him and his mucous membranes well moisturized. Still, theory and practice were often miles apart. Slowly, he lifted his arms and peeled away the mask. That was an epic in and of itself.
His arms were weak. All of his muscles had atrophied despite the electric pulses that had periodically stimulated his body to exercise his body during deep sleep. He pulled the mask off his face in a fit of spasms and flailing. It was the best he could manage after twenty years asleep.
Sitting up was agony. Like in the summer when sticky, sweaty flesh stuck to leather upholstery, he peeled himself away from the machine alcove that had been specially engineered to fit his body and his alone. Each of the deep sleep pods had been fitted to their recipient and could only be adjusted to a different body painstakingly.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Earthbound updates
Since my co-writer for In-Roam 2 is busy working through the holidays, I've decided to focus my efforts over my vacation break on Earthbound. On one other note for I-R, I've been discussing taking another of the setting's original player's character and placing her into the story. In-Roam was originally a role-playing environment I designed, and as such, some of the player characters have been inserted into the stories. It would be nice to add this character into the 2nd story, but it'd have to be handled right. It could, however, be interesting.
As far as Earthbound goes, things progress fairly quickly, I suppose. I just knocked out another 6000 words in the last two evenings. Those two chapters were pretty fun to write, the one about Robert's friend, Phil, especially. Phil is a scheming nerd that feels very protective of Serafina, and it might make things interesting in the next few chapters. He's sort of a comic relief character, as well. It's nice to maintain a balance between drama and action, between serious plot development and comedy.
Anyway, I may not post too often over the holidays, but I'll try to get another one in before the new year. Have a good one!
As far as Earthbound goes, things progress fairly quickly, I suppose. I just knocked out another 6000 words in the last two evenings. Those two chapters were pretty fun to write, the one about Robert's friend, Phil, especially. Phil is a scheming nerd that feels very protective of Serafina, and it might make things interesting in the next few chapters. He's sort of a comic relief character, as well. It's nice to maintain a balance between drama and action, between serious plot development and comedy.
Anyway, I may not post too often over the holidays, but I'll try to get another one in before the new year. Have a good one!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Short Stories
I've been playing around with some fantasy/horror stuff again, short stories though. One, I wrote with one of my classes. They had to write a story using the following: A Monk, A Bag, A Compass, Grandparents, A Monster Attack, A Mysterious Disappearance, A Season, and a Camp. It all lended to a pretty interesting story.
Prior to that, I was working with a group of kids and had a moment to daydream (it happens), and I imagined this story about a viking sort of fellow who stumbled into something unnatural, perhaps supernatural. It grew into a story of temptation, death, and despair of a spiritual kind. It reminds me a lot of my Afterlives stories actually, or some of my older short stories.
I'm almost tempted to assemble a short story collection, reworking some of my old stuff. I'm just not sure I have enough. I'd really have to consider the order in which they were assembled, the themes I allowed in, and so forth. Frankly, a lot of my unfinished stuff wouldn't work. Nor would I devote much time to finishing it. However, there is something to be said for some of my short stories. It'd probably have to be a paperback, if anything, and it'd be short. Things to think about I guess.
In the meantime, until I work more on In-Roam or Earthbound, here's a sample of 'A Dance in the Twilight':
Again, the light flickered among the trees, and the very trees seemed to waver uncertainly. His hand went to his belt, grasping for the sword he’d lost when Dyre and Egil had fallen, feathered with arrows. He had no weapon left to him save for his knife, which was notched from use and dull after all he’d been through.
Anger surged through him and helplessness with it. Tears flowed from his eyes unrestrained. His nephew and brother were both gone. Perhaps Jens, his own son, had escaped, as he had. Perhaps it would have been better to die beside his kin, cradling his son’s body in his arms as they hacked him to pieces. In that end, at least, there was honor.
Not knowing what other course to follow or perhaps seeking a swifter end with all the misery he’d endured, Geir went toward the lights, which grew stronger now. They pulsated and danced among the trees, blue, green, and yellow spheres of radiance. Spirits, he thought, and perhaps helpful ones.
His folk were a superstitious lot. Some would have turned from wisps and fey forest spirits, but Geir recalled stories his grandmother had told, stories where the spirits had aided a wounded man or a lost hunter. Could it not happen to him?
Under his feet, he crushed rings of toadstools, fairy rings. He thought he saw minute creatures scurrying beneath them, hiding in the gills of the great fungi, some the size of his hands or larger, but he wasn’t certain. The lights ahead were more intriguing anyway.
Owls watched overhead with their large, unblinking, yellow eyes as he staggered forward to where the trees seemed to undulate and hum. As he leaned upon one, he saw eyes and a face turn to look at him from within the ridges of bark. A silvery birch beside it smiled cunningly at him.
Prior to that, I was working with a group of kids and had a moment to daydream (it happens), and I imagined this story about a viking sort of fellow who stumbled into something unnatural, perhaps supernatural. It grew into a story of temptation, death, and despair of a spiritual kind. It reminds me a lot of my Afterlives stories actually, or some of my older short stories.
I'm almost tempted to assemble a short story collection, reworking some of my old stuff. I'm just not sure I have enough. I'd really have to consider the order in which they were assembled, the themes I allowed in, and so forth. Frankly, a lot of my unfinished stuff wouldn't work. Nor would I devote much time to finishing it. However, there is something to be said for some of my short stories. It'd probably have to be a paperback, if anything, and it'd be short. Things to think about I guess.
In the meantime, until I work more on In-Roam or Earthbound, here's a sample of 'A Dance in the Twilight':
Again, the light flickered among the trees, and the very trees seemed to waver uncertainly. His hand went to his belt, grasping for the sword he’d lost when Dyre and Egil had fallen, feathered with arrows. He had no weapon left to him save for his knife, which was notched from use and dull after all he’d been through.
Anger surged through him and helplessness with it. Tears flowed from his eyes unrestrained. His nephew and brother were both gone. Perhaps Jens, his own son, had escaped, as he had. Perhaps it would have been better to die beside his kin, cradling his son’s body in his arms as they hacked him to pieces. In that end, at least, there was honor.
Not knowing what other course to follow or perhaps seeking a swifter end with all the misery he’d endured, Geir went toward the lights, which grew stronger now. They pulsated and danced among the trees, blue, green, and yellow spheres of radiance. Spirits, he thought, and perhaps helpful ones.
His folk were a superstitious lot. Some would have turned from wisps and fey forest spirits, but Geir recalled stories his grandmother had told, stories where the spirits had aided a wounded man or a lost hunter. Could it not happen to him?
Under his feet, he crushed rings of toadstools, fairy rings. He thought he saw minute creatures scurrying beneath them, hiding in the gills of the great fungi, some the size of his hands or larger, but he wasn’t certain. The lights ahead were more intriguing anyway.
Owls watched overhead with their large, unblinking, yellow eyes as he staggered forward to where the trees seemed to undulate and hum. As he leaned upon one, he saw eyes and a face turn to look at him from within the ridges of bark. A silvery birch beside it smiled cunningly at him.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Fight Club - Earthbound Style
I just wrote the first true action scene of Earthbound. Sera gets a visit from another woman from her planet, and it quickly turns into a brawl. He's a selection from the fight scene...
Oriana licked her lips and leaned forward to whisper secretively. “And your mother? Celia, wasn’t it? Did she know of me, of my time with your father?”
Sera’s fists swung at Oriana’s face almost of their own volition, first the right and then the left. The right nearly connected, but Oriana’s forearm came up to block it. The left grazed the redhead’s chin, but then Oriana’s right fist came up to meet her chin.
She wasn’t certain, but it felt as if she’d just left the ground. She crashed down on a table, but it collapsed beneath her. Bottles smashed around her, and glass rained around her as stars danced before her eyes. Slowly, she picked herself up off the floor.
Her eyes blazing, she stepped forward to meet Oriana. If she truly was who she said she was, she’d had years to get used to this world, and she’d not just been through the pylons. On a good day, it might have been an even match, but now, only the fires of her anger gave her any chance.
They met with a thunderclap of punches, both striking each other with elemental energies behind their fists. Fire lent Oriana a heat that scalded as she connected her fists to Sera’s body, but Sera’s body was surrounded by a cushion of air that deflected some of the blow. Her own knuckles were wrapped in light that cut through the dimness of the bar like a brief flash of light across the sea when the sun finally dipped below the horizon.
Oriana licked her lips and leaned forward to whisper secretively. “And your mother? Celia, wasn’t it? Did she know of me, of my time with your father?”
Sera’s fists swung at Oriana’s face almost of their own volition, first the right and then the left. The right nearly connected, but Oriana’s forearm came up to block it. The left grazed the redhead’s chin, but then Oriana’s right fist came up to meet her chin.
She wasn’t certain, but it felt as if she’d just left the ground. She crashed down on a table, but it collapsed beneath her. Bottles smashed around her, and glass rained around her as stars danced before her eyes. Slowly, she picked herself up off the floor.
Her eyes blazing, she stepped forward to meet Oriana. If she truly was who she said she was, she’d had years to get used to this world, and she’d not just been through the pylons. On a good day, it might have been an even match, but now, only the fires of her anger gave her any chance.
They met with a thunderclap of punches, both striking each other with elemental energies behind their fists. Fire lent Oriana a heat that scalded as she connected her fists to Sera’s body, but Sera’s body was surrounded by a cushion of air that deflected some of the blow. Her own knuckles were wrapped in light that cut through the dimness of the bar like a brief flash of light across the sea when the sun finally dipped below the horizon.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Excerpt from Earthbound
Here's an excerpt from a recent chapter of Earthbound
As she fumbled with the folding chair and a device called a radio that somehow share music, news, and weather, she pulled Rob’s house key out of the small bag he’d given her. She’d only just put the key into the slot when footsteps came up behind her and a loud voice exclaimed, “Holy hell, is that my bathing suit?”
Sera spun around quickly and found herself staring at a girl about her age that bore a strong familial resemblance to Robert. The chin was similar, and the nose was a bit too large to be called pretty, but she had long, flaxen hair that was nearly as long as Sera’s own. A bag was slung over the girl’s shoulder, and her hands were on her hips in a pose that was definitely disapproving.
“What the hell?”
“Pardon?” Sera replied, once again feeling insecure about her ability to interact with this world’s people. At home, she’d not have thought twice about talking back to a younger girl who dared reproach her, but here, everything was different.
“Well, it certainly didn’t look that good on me.” Rob’s sister said wistfully, looking her up and down.
“I apologize for not seeking your permission to use your garment.”
“Eh, it was last year’s anyway. So who the heck are you and where did Rob find you? You’re certainly not his girlfriend. You’re too pretty,” Rob’s sister frowned at the fading bruises on her side, “although you do look as if you’ve been in a fight.”
“I am Sera, Rob’s friend.” She answered. She supposed it was only right that she identify herself, but it struck her as strange that people continually demanded to know her name without offering their own. “What do you mean by girlfriend?”
“The girl he’s sleeping with.”
“Oh. We are not sleeping together. He stays in the other room.”
“Psh. I knew he couldn’t get a girl like you. No way, no how.” The girl said smugly, shaking her head.
Sera laughed. Rob’s sister certainly didn’t have a favorable opinion of her older brother. She’d never had a brother, so she didn’t know how it was, but she’d had an older cousin, and she’d always treated him with deference. “He is a nice man, but we just met.”
“And already you’re wearing my old clothes and sleeping at his place? This, I’ve gotta hear.”
As she fumbled with the folding chair and a device called a radio that somehow share music, news, and weather, she pulled Rob’s house key out of the small bag he’d given her. She’d only just put the key into the slot when footsteps came up behind her and a loud voice exclaimed, “Holy hell, is that my bathing suit?”
Sera spun around quickly and found herself staring at a girl about her age that bore a strong familial resemblance to Robert. The chin was similar, and the nose was a bit too large to be called pretty, but she had long, flaxen hair that was nearly as long as Sera’s own. A bag was slung over the girl’s shoulder, and her hands were on her hips in a pose that was definitely disapproving.
“What the hell?”
“Pardon?” Sera replied, once again feeling insecure about her ability to interact with this world’s people. At home, she’d not have thought twice about talking back to a younger girl who dared reproach her, but here, everything was different.
“Well, it certainly didn’t look that good on me.” Rob’s sister said wistfully, looking her up and down.
“I apologize for not seeking your permission to use your garment.”
“Eh, it was last year’s anyway. So who the heck are you and where did Rob find you? You’re certainly not his girlfriend. You’re too pretty,” Rob’s sister frowned at the fading bruises on her side, “although you do look as if you’ve been in a fight.”
“I am Sera, Rob’s friend.” She answered. She supposed it was only right that she identify herself, but it struck her as strange that people continually demanded to know her name without offering their own. “What do you mean by girlfriend?”
“The girl he’s sleeping with.”
“Oh. We are not sleeping together. He stays in the other room.”
“Psh. I knew he couldn’t get a girl like you. No way, no how.” The girl said smugly, shaking her head.
Sera laughed. Rob’s sister certainly didn’t have a favorable opinion of her older brother. She’d never had a brother, so she didn’t know how it was, but she’d had an older cousin, and she’d always treated him with deference. “He is a nice man, but we just met.”
“And already you’re wearing my old clothes and sleeping at his place? This, I’ve gotta hear.”
Monday, November 16, 2009
1 vs the other
Kind of interesting writing two books at once. On one hand, I have In-Roam 2, a story about a brooding badass with a foul mouth, a strong desire to whoop some ass, and some bizarre world-hopping adventure. On the other, I have a dramatic tale of 20-somethings with sexual tension, action, and some fantasy/sci-fi tones to it.
They're totally different veins, but both pretty fun. For the most part, I'm alternating weeks on each book, but Earthbound is coming more quickly, because I'm writing it by myself. In-Roam 2, I'm collaborating on with Levi Justice, so I wait for input and suggestions from him after each chapter or two.
I'll post something from In-Roam or Earthbound in my next post this week. Until next time...
They're totally different veins, but both pretty fun. For the most part, I'm alternating weeks on each book, but Earthbound is coming more quickly, because I'm writing it by myself. In-Roam 2, I'm collaborating on with Levi Justice, so I wait for input and suggestions from him after each chapter or two.
I'll post something from In-Roam or Earthbound in my next post this week. Until next time...
Thursday, November 12, 2009
New Chapters Always Free
Just went for a couple more chapters in IR2. As always, it's available online at my homepage. Check the links to the right.
Some people find it odd that I just offer free chapters of books that are still in development. You get to see things as they progress, naturally, rather than waiting forever and seeing only carefully edited selections. I rarely delete chapters entirely, and even when I decide to rework something, I try not to do it from the ground up. Although, rewriting the first 8 or so chapters of the Sworn Lands to change the perspective from 1st person to 3rd person was a chore.
Anyway, I've always put all of my stuff up online. Hopefully, people like it enough to buy a book eventually. If not, there are no hard feelings about wasted time and money, right?
So, please keep checking out new chapters for Earthbound and In-Roam 2. They come out a few times a week, though lately I've been alternating weeks for which book I work on.
Some people find it odd that I just offer free chapters of books that are still in development. You get to see things as they progress, naturally, rather than waiting forever and seeing only carefully edited selections. I rarely delete chapters entirely, and even when I decide to rework something, I try not to do it from the ground up. Although, rewriting the first 8 or so chapters of the Sworn Lands to change the perspective from 1st person to 3rd person was a chore.
Anyway, I've always put all of my stuff up online. Hopefully, people like it enough to buy a book eventually. If not, there are no hard feelings about wasted time and money, right?
So, please keep checking out new chapters for Earthbound and In-Roam 2. They come out a few times a week, though lately I've been alternating weeks for which book I work on.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Updates to Earthbound
Kind of focusing more on Earthbound this last week, but I plan to hit In-Roam next week, especially over the wednesday holiday off.
As far as Earthbound goes, I'm definitely trying to ease into things. Whenever you have a character from another place, the whole newness can only last so long, but it's a cool phase as the character adjusts. Even in TV shows, you see this. Often, the interest in that character wanes as that character becomes more like everyone else.
The regular world through different eyes is not something I want to necessarily get past very soon. It's not that I don't have action planned, and there are definitely books where I hit the action in like the 1st chapter or two, but this one is more about the growing relationship between the two main characters, which will suffer and endure through strains both mundane and otherworldly. So, while action (hopefully great action) is planned, I don't mind walking easily through the normalcy of a regular life and this fish out of water's reactions to what we consider everyday.
See you next time!
As far as Earthbound goes, I'm definitely trying to ease into things. Whenever you have a character from another place, the whole newness can only last so long, but it's a cool phase as the character adjusts. Even in TV shows, you see this. Often, the interest in that character wanes as that character becomes more like everyone else.
The regular world through different eyes is not something I want to necessarily get past very soon. It's not that I don't have action planned, and there are definitely books where I hit the action in like the 1st chapter or two, but this one is more about the growing relationship between the two main characters, which will suffer and endure through strains both mundane and otherworldly. So, while action (hopefully great action) is planned, I don't mind walking easily through the normalcy of a regular life and this fish out of water's reactions to what we consider everyday.
See you next time!
Monday, November 02, 2009
Earthbound - Something Different
When writing Earthbound, I constantly have to put myself in the mind of someone not of our world. If an intelligent young woman from a place with technology probably around the Roman Empire level arrived in modern America, how would she cope? I think most intelligent people would pick up on some things very quick, even if they didn't understand the technology behind them.
Refrigerators, for example, shouldn't be that hard. They're cold. They hold food. Why does it work or how? Who cares. They keep food fresh.
Similarly, sinks and bathrooms shouldn't be too hard.
Technology devices like cell phones - good luck. Other than a few rote commands like pressing #2 and quickdialing, it would take a lot of practice to learn.
Of course, this is all supposing they could speak our language (which in Earthbound Sera can).
Anyway, I'm having fun exploring the mundane stuff about a college kid's everyday life from the viewpoint of an alien girl. Albeit, she's a hot blonde, but still an alien.
Refrigerators, for example, shouldn't be that hard. They're cold. They hold food. Why does it work or how? Who cares. They keep food fresh.
Similarly, sinks and bathrooms shouldn't be too hard.
Technology devices like cell phones - good luck. Other than a few rote commands like pressing #2 and quickdialing, it would take a lot of practice to learn.
Of course, this is all supposing they could speak our language (which in Earthbound Sera can).
Anyway, I'm having fun exploring the mundane stuff about a college kid's everyday life from the viewpoint of an alien girl. Albeit, she's a hot blonde, but still an alien.
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