STILL GOING: PROJECT UPDATES!

Yes, it has been a few days of me being ‘absent’, but with reason, minus the excuses.

Through the week I have been occupied. Writing at most and other life things people do with themselves than just sitting around, which is cool to do, for I can do just that too. I am a bit of a homebody. I don’t do clubs, nor do I run the streets like so many do. I am a gamer type and love a good show, and when the inspiration trickles in I sure do take notes.

But sometimes I wonder if what I learn is actually applying itself.

I suppose that is my own personal critic.

UPDATE

The Shadow Khan Project is coming along fine. Slow, but I am the type who can’t rush something I believe will be something good when truly finished in my eyes. I would throw in some sort of metaphor or other clever string of words, but I am feeling a bit raw (as always). 

Shadow Genesis is still in 3^rd draft and I am a few chapters in. However, I went back to chapter one and made a few tweaks and cut-downs in word count. Chapter one’s word total is around 8k (8,000something). Although there are no rules to chapter length, let alone having or not having chapter numbers in a novel, I have this thing that when I write, I write until a scene is done. Of course each chapter has several scenes, but sometimes the scenes are more than a few pages long. Composition thing… but it’ll sort itself out as I keep on revising. I do feel it should be shorter, but the other half of me says: “The story will reach its own limit as you write.”

Simply put, my work is freakin’ sentient.

SHADOW GENESIS INCEPTION 3^rd DRAFT PROGRESS: 20%

• SG Book II 2^nd Draft Pending
• SG Book III 1^st Draft 20%

 

 

Project Chosen One is very slow going, only because I continue to redesign (mentally) or change up plot for the script. Since I am writing in script format (like a media script but for graphic novel) I still find the style and format new to me in Scrivener. It is however a nice change of flow between projects, but in good time I’ll have everything done.

SLICKA GRAPHIC NOVEL SCRIPT PROGRESS: 15%

Project Multiverse received a change of narrative. I am looking to tell the seemingly infinite adventures of Ricven as he travels the multiverse and gets into all sorts of shenanigans and such with others, as well as the ole keeping the balance ordeal. It’s massive, bigger than any could imagine, so the first batch of stories (including those done on DeviantArt) will come in handy as planned.

PROJECT MULTIVERSE MANUSCRIPT: 10% (Revised)

 

As for Slumgarde, it is still in plotting phase. Experimenting with the snowflake method on that one.

I know things are taking awhile. People ask when the next Shadow Genesis is coming out, and I tell them like always "In due time". There is no way one can just rush a good story. Yeah one can write a book in a month, but that is just a first draft... and I've proved to myself I could do that on my own. I even went further and written a 50chapter novel out of that. That is adding twenty more chapters to a book I first drafted in a month. My schedule was early mornings if not away from home, and if occupied elsewhere I make it up at night or in between. Everyday I write, but I can no longer stress myself on it for I have overexerted myself once. Is why I do other things to keep from hitting a pit again.

I am not always-always writing, but I 'AM' writing!

I keep my blog updated just for them, those who actually support me, and for myself, since building a author blog is essential to me, and will pay off in the long run. It's not easy doing what I do, even when some say what I do is a cake walk, but it is a challenge everyday writing, re-writing, researching, note taking, all that, just so this major project gets what it deserves... for Preludes of War was my first book, my own personal achievement, and a piece of work I knew I could do better with.

Hence the reboot.

Now if you can excuse me, the Inquisition is calling.

CONCEIVED IN HIS NAME: SHADOW GENESIS: INCEPTION EXCERPT [Revised]

"I wanted Shadow Genesis to have a bit of a 'Beginning Feel' as to how the realm of Shadara, originally Shadowrealm in the first novel, was created. Being one raised under multiple spiritual and religious beliefs, I turned to Genesis I for inspiration. I am spiritual by default, but I also respect others sense of faith."

Sometime back (this old blog post) I revealed the prologue to 'Shadow Genesis: Inception' as a means to further explain my aim to relate the title and its events with the creation of Shadara itself and what is to come through the series. Pulling from the 'Greatest Book of all books', I discovered how much my work clicks with Genesis I in the bible, and how the creator brought our world into existence. What better way than telling the world through others?

Take Elder Scrolls for example. In game books provide various lore written by other entities in the world of Nirn for the player to discover and immerse themselves in. The player gets a better feel for the Elder Scrolls universe and its 'life'... catch my drift without further gamer elaboration?

Without further explanation, check out my newly revised opening to Inception. I took the 'Prologue' tag off (after much contemplation and advice from others) and made it an nice excerpt written by one of Shadara's inhabitants.

Conceived in His Name

From Darkness to light, births first twilight. It breaks, shimmers, to scatter endless brilliance. To conceive twilight’s dark, the infinite of stars. Betwixt its cradle luster, our home is born.

By breath of its maker, who roams still its watery wake, he deems his creation forever in essence, to live endless amidst its cradle of stars.

He blankets the night sky with Eos veil, and from his finger, the light of Luna. The maker saw his work with please, and he divides Luna from eternal night. Where night stirs beneath Luna’s spark, darkness stirs even, while Luna’s light breaks darkness to dawn.

The maker deems this so with please, then parts its watery seas, and within its airy gap arise land. The maker molds and erects this land; its waters recede and gather. Now land exists with sea, and the maker is pleased. He waves his hand across barren land, sprout from voiceless call. In comes the flora of life.

Our home sprouts vegetation, from the smallest of plants to the greatest of trees. All bestowed by the will of its maker, who steadies his work with please.

Then the maker waves his hand once more, and from flora comes our world’s wilds, creatures of land, sky, and sea. The maker saw this with please, but his creation respires incomplete.

From the core of his being, the maker’s flesh, the essence of life, is harvest. He waves his hand once more, and the flesh of his being seeds our home. Flesh becomes sentient, and with the wild and its creatures lives the first of his image. The maker saw this with please, and so the firsts shall rule over all creatures of land, sky, and sea.

The firsts shall soften our home with great diversity, to swell great and plenty. As the maker saw this too with please, he brings forth his last creations, the heart of the world, and its kin.

From the realm’s heart surface the true kind, kindred of the crux and overseers of our home and all that is existing. He gives them a name, “Elementai,” and all of the names of the firsts who now roam. He names our world’s crux after his own, and all that is edible theirs to consume.

Then the maker said to them. “I, Umbra Divinius of Dark, give you the world, the beloved nightrealm of Shadara, made in my image, and forever in darks twilight. Embrace its creation, and rule its eternal course. Know its creatures, the mass of Shadaran kind, and guard its crux that beats beneath its earth, for it is the reason of your existence, the life core of all that is my creation. Know the passage of time, guided by night’s Luna, and all its periods and recess.”

The elementai and the firsts of Shadaran kind follow his words, and with the last of his breath, he ignites the world. From the center of its core light rises and lives. Kindling every plant, stone, and creature of chosen.

The realm of Shadara illumes with life, as light and dark lives in harmony. The maker saw his creation complete, while into the twilight’s dark he ebbs with please.

-Ty’Ka Tikhal

(Shadara’s Genesis: First Creed)

Though Shadow Genesis Volume One: Preludes of War is out... and been out since 2010, I still suggest checking it out, as well as staying up to date on the coming of its reboot. I have been taking a good break before working on its 3rd draft while also checking out different publishing options both traditional and indie. Leaning forward towards Book Baby for that one, but then there is this interesting site called JukePop I have discovered through a fellow author name Joan Albright. I recommend checking her out!


And now I go back to note taking without OneNote, working with Evernote, and getting my gamer fix on... among other things.

Mark of Umbra | Khan Dynasty

 

The Music of Shadow Genesis [Inspirational Tunes]

So ole Odinson (Thor) can no longer lift up Mjölnir... but this one chick can.

Oh... my... thunder-god.

Any-who, aside from that new but cool shocker (other than Falcon as the New Captain America) and this whole Korra craze (which I need to re-watch all of Avatar again before tackling the new ones), I have something I have been meaning to share... but never shared... because I was not quite sure how I would go about showing it.


... so I swallow my nervousness.


Music can be inspiring, it can move one in many ways. Me, and surely many others, music is like a muse.

Before I really started writing while listening to music, I only cut on the iPod and fall out to tunes at night. This happens usually when I am resting, going to sleep, and not busy with company or out and about from home. I have said this time and time again, how music sets the scene, builds a tone that clicks with creative flow, and easily drives the writer from point A to Z, like how music in movies blend so nicely to setting and character. I try to stay simple when explaining this, and the ole brain of mine urges to push for further explanation, so I'll do one better for detail sake to describe what I mean when I say music is a muse.


Music helps one tap into emotions. When you hear a song, it makes you 'Feel Some Type Of Way'. Determining the mood will help you create a moving scene, rather it is action packed or straight up sappy. Joyful feelings, sadness, love, despair, so many to choose from--take advantage of the musical element present and make it reflect off of your writing. Long long time ago... in an rather rebellious series of long events far far away in my life, I use to listen heavily to Linkin Park. From Hybrid Theory to Meteora (and the recent ones of now). I can tell you right now that was the birth of Shadow Khan, for back then such music fueled the 'Bad-Assery' and other intense action... what I call 'Dragon Ball Z Rage'... when writing little shorts on Shadow, who at the time was an chaotic good character of vengeance... portraying my own dark-self who at the time was 'Mad At The World'.

... teenagers.

Growing up and developing an open mind, I still utilize Linkin Park as a basis for straight up action sequences in a few projects, and I do brainstorm in a fury when those beats hit my brain, but gaining experience in character progression and good story making has increased my motivation and spirit. The muse is strong indeed. Each track had some kind of special scene I will direct inside my head, from star to finish. I will also rewind to a certain part of a track just to get the scene right, or revise it over again. Sometimes the scenes make the cut, make it on paper or word document, while others swirl around in the back of my mind like a mental development hell. Their lyrics tell a hard story; me relating to some of them in small bits if not coincidental, and with how the portrait of Shadow Khan created itself, the description made the scene great... especially when one can draw inspiration from their own past.

It is a given that writers like us like to imagine our work in movie form. I have this knack of throwing my projects into such a form, creating openings, visually engaging titles, credits, even special endings after an ending (you know what I mean - we see it a lot lately). I do this at night, letting the music throw me into a dream and envision every single scene. I even created sequels.


I even included the RT2|Presents logo above as if my own studio intro... aside from this one idea of mine.

More on that later.


When creating Shadow Genesis (and re-creating, hence the re-boot project) I took the time to hunt for music on various genres from video games to epic music (like those tunes you hear via trailers and stuff). Finding them all, and new ones, I created a unofficial soundtrack to Shadow Genesis. It is commonsense to know that when and if I ever pull this off as a media adaptation, the world of Shadara and its characters will have their own official theme songs. With that said, hope you enjoy these inspirational sounds for it did me some good.



Prepare yourself, for this is going to be a big one:

Bold words beside the song title stands for what song I use the most for a specific theme when I write.

All songs are not my own (obviously). Can find them all on Youtube, or purchase most of these for they are also available by soundtracks.

R.T. II's

SHADOW GENESIS

Inspirational Music

(67 Songs)

Elementum (Dynasty - Two Steps From Hell) | Use for mock-trailer/scene montage recap

Fate of the World (Immediate Music) | Use for mock-trailer/scene montage recap

Dynasty (Dynasty - Two Steps From Hell) | Use for Shadow Genesis Title

Et Unam (Chant of ICARO - Shadow Hearts 3)

Main Theme - ICARO: Song of Spirits (Shadow Hearts)

Lavanya (Makara - E.S. Posthumus)

ICARO - Beated Version (Shadow Hearts)

Mauve (Shadow Hearts 3) | Use for Kuma Akumodo Theme

Bailar (Shadow Hearts 3)

Niveneh (Unearthed - E.S. Posthumus) | Use for Na'Kaishia Nightshade Theme

Varuna (Makara - E.S. Posthumus)

Sentius - No Choir (Dynasty - Two Steps From Hell) | Use for Lucius Allistar Theme

Sentius Remix (Dynasty - Two Steps From Hell)

Armada (Dynasty - Two Steps From Hell)

Durga (Makara - E.S. Posthumus)

Kalki (Makara - E.S. Posthumus)

Sentius (Dynasty - Two Steps From Hell)

Dead Fingers Talk (Shadow Hearts 3) | Use for Dreadspawn/Evil themes

Gestalt Collapse (Shadow Hearts 3)

Black Assassin (Dynasty - Two Steps From Hell)

Kuvera (Makara - Two Steps From Hell)

Black Assassin - No Choir (Dynasty - Two Steps From Hell)

Blade Fighter - No Choir (Dynasty - Two Steps From Hell)

Vishnu (Makara - Two Steps From Hell)

Indra (Makara - Two Steps From Hell)

Blast the Gates - Original & No Choir (Dynasty - Two Steps From Hell)

Cavalier - Original & No Choir (Dynasty - Two Steps From Hell)

Brain Hopper (Shadow Hearts)

Electric & Auditory Hallucinations (Shadow Hearts 3)

Sabbath - Demon Banquet (Shadow Hearts 3) | Use for Damned/Hellion/Scourgra themes

Magika (Dynasty - Two Steps From Hell)

Prelude (Shadow Hearts 3)

Steal Soul - Tanjou (Shadow Hearts) | Use for Shadara Realm/Bale theme

Arise (Makara - E.S. Posthumus)

Chariots of Blood Original & No Choir (Dynasty - Two Steps From Hell) | Use for Krucial Hardgrave Theme

Malice (Shadow Hearts 3)

Ghost in the Shell - Movie Theme | Use for the heart of Shadara - Prism Crux/Malice Elementai form

Awakening the Beast Choir (Shadows & Nightmares - Two Steps From Hell)

Ebla (Unearthed - E.S. Posthumus)

Bleeding Original & No Choir (Dynasty - Two Steps From Hell)

Chariots of Blood Original & Rock (Dynasty - Two Steps From Hell)

Tikal (Unearthed - E.S. Posthumus) | Use for Shadara Realm/Darkgear/Centra

Menouthis (Unearthed - E.S. Posthumus)

Harappa (Unearthed - E.S. Posthumus)

Isfaha (Unearthed - E.S. Posthumus)

Breaking Original & No Choir (Unearthed - E.S. Posthumus)

Anumati (Unearthed - E.S. Posthumus)

 Lady Tears I & II (Shadow Hearts 3) | Use for Dramatic/Fight Themes

Astral Tears (Shadow Hearts 3) | Use for climax

Dynasty - No Choir (Dynasty - Two Steps From Hell)

Krosah (Makara - Two Steps From Hell) | Use for Shadara Realm/Eden theme

Magika - No Choir (Two Steps From Hell)

ICARO - Accoustic Arrange (Shadow Hearts 3)

Dynasty Solo Vocal (Dynasty - Two Steps From Hell) | As if Malice Khan is singing (vocal switch)

Elementum - No Choir (Dynasty - Two Steps From Hell)

Opening (Shadow Hearts 3) | Use for mock-trailer/scene montage recap

 R.T. II's

SHADOW GENESIS 

(INCEPTION SPECIAL)

Inspirational Music

(17 Songs)

Owari (Asis Galvin - Final Fantasies Remixed) | Use for Aida Ju'Lune Theme

New Dawn (Dreams & Imaginations - Two Steps From Hell)

Lord of Chaos (Two Steps From Hell - Vol One)

Moving Mountains (Nemesis - Two Steps From Hell)

Procession (Dynasty - Two Steps From Hell) | Use for Etvon'Osada Theme

Aurora (Jonathan Mayer - Pulsar 2014) | Use for Shadara Realm Theme

Red Army Original & Choir (Dynasty - Two Steps From Hell) | Crimson Vale/Reigenetta Theme

Ladder to Heaven (Shadow Hearts: Covenant) | Use for Reigenetta Scarlette Theme/Fight

Vicious 1915 (Shadow Hearts: Covenant) | Use for Malice Khan Unleashed Theme/Fight

Getting Nasty (Shadow Hearts: Covenant)

The Three Karma (Shadow Hearts: Covenant) | Use for Scourgra Theme

Brain Hopper (Shadow Hearts) | Use for Dreadspawn Theme

n.d.e - Near Death Experience (Shadow Hearts)

Demon's Gig | Use for Mulundi Khalisha's Theme

Imbroglio (Shadow Hearts)

Strain (Shadow Hearts: Covenant)

Burn Baby (Ashes - Two Steps From Hell) | Use for Ozma Diredread/Dramatic Theme

 

 

That's a lot of songs.
Gotta love iPod's random shuffle feature.
And that's not even my whole iPod