So, what's new?

Got moved into my new house at last on 21st December, haven't thrown the housewarming yet so don't worry if you think that you missed the invite (I'm talking to my fan-base of 1 here). Things are looking good in the world of Vastian.

Doing a bit of buying and selling on the sly to keep myself in a bit of extra cash (no, nothing illegal or even remotely interesting, just mostly internet stuff) and still working away at the book.

Ok, the book thing is technically a lie. Whilst still occasionally trying to push the story forward I've realized that with 3 of 7 big chapters completed the characters are still far too two dimensional. Upon discovery that this was my main problem I did the thing that I would have done instead of what anyone sensible would have tried (ie, insert a few tidbits of backstory), I started writing about characters whom I do have an established backstory for. Long story short, I now have two new TBB stories completed in the space of a month. I've decided that rather than flog a dead donkey and continue with The Planetside Legacy (I've just been out of that world for too long to pick up where I left off) I've started with a Prologue that picks up with the planned ending for Series 7 part 4 and then jumps forward to nearly 3 years after the Legacy. Click the link below for the storyline of the Legacy:

The Planetside Legacy: Complete Storyline

The basic opening premise is that with the defeat of the Ancients on Earth and Caer'Durath by the combined factions of man the Terran Republic collapsed under the weight of the New Order struggling to assert itself. Earth and a large chunk of the galactic west is controlled by the United Terran Commonwealth formed by the VS and the Alliance; The Orion Tract is still held by the TR fleet; the Frontier is under the control of the Colonial Marshal Service; and the Corporate District is now totally independent since they no longer have to fear the TR fleet, among the ruling corporations are several remnants of the New Conglomerate. There are several other factions of note, including a hard-line VS separatist group who believe that the Regent and the Triumvirate have sold out by forming the UTC with the less technologically orientated factions. This group still maintains an ideology of the Vanu Sovereignty regardless of the fact that the Vanu almost succeeded in their attempt to exterminate mankind (see- Series 7: The Coming of the Ancients).

The beauty about this storyline is that since it is set after the Legacy I can get through without directly referencing any copyrighted material other than my own (see, writing about what I know). Plus with established characters with their own individual personalities and plenty of unused backstory I already have enough to push on (though I should point out that I have in no way abandoned my other novel, this story is just working for me at the moment).

Nothing else really new at the moment, come on BT with fitting my phone line.

Novel

'Mana: The Shadows of Destiny' is progressing quite well but through outside influences (such as trying to actually get my house in Dungannon ready to live in by Christmas) it hasn't really grown much in the past month.

In that time I have found myself thinking a lot about my paranormal mystery novel set in the Victorian era, I say 'paranormal' but the general idea was of an adventure with seemingly metaphysical factors in which investigator Jonathon Mainwaring would uncover the actual truth. The idea is to make Jonathon Mainwaring a modern day Allan Quatermain, or more appropriately to make Jonathon Mainwaring an Allan Quatermain for this century, and I am of course referring to the original novels like 'King Solomons Mines' and not the graphic novel or the atrocious film derived from it. Jonathon Mainwaring is at heart an adventurer finding the ordinary in the extraordinary situations that he finds himself in.

Anyone who knows me well enough will know that I generally jump from story to story and back again, so I should point out now that I have not actually left Mana in any way, I just haven't had the time to write. Period. I've just been having ideas for the other story and have noted them duly.

The Mother of all Updates (at the moment)

Haven't updated for a while, and since I am currently drunk I can think of no better time (though some may question my reasoning, but since this is my blog you can all go perform oral sex on a diseased warthog [if you disagree that is, if you agree then may the deity of your choice rain milk, honey and whatever rainbows and happiness of your choosing upon your household]).

So, what's new..? Not a hell of a lot really. Dublin Horse Show was as usual a blast, and I have once again drank at least my body weight in Jack Daniels whiskey (I swear that they should be sending me a medal or something by now). There have been a few ups (those responsible you know who you are, and I thank you), there have been a few downs (those responsible you also know who you are, and I may be a nice person but I am also very vindictive), and there have been those few occasions where not a lot has really been worth recording here but is worthy of mention because I am trying to fill space.

Have now not looked at a short story effort in almost a year and the novel is finally getting to the main plot (God you would not believe how much lead time you have to give a story just so you can say 'And now this happens...'), and again I am questioning my ability to write beyond sci-fi or the *cough* numerous love stories that I have (I haven't typed them up Aven because I still want to maintain some kind of credibility).

Other than that, new house in Dungannon is proceeding slowly if expensively, and the closer I get to moving back home the more I find myself wondering if the best thing in the world for me would be to buy a one way ticket to Dubrovnik and start working my way east.

Apart from all else mentioned I am still drinking my brains out and acting like some hyperactive teenager instead of the adult I am. (Plus I have the suspicion that this evening I may have inadvertently cost my father a lot of money... whoops).

Feelin' Blue

No not depressed, have been ill. Bit of a head cold really, headaches, fever, stuff like that. I blame Aven for trying to be supernatural and using his ungodly powers of ultimate pointystickedness in order to mess up my dreams but must have taken a wrong turn at the occipital lobe. Worst of all it has meant that for the last few days I have been sitting around wrapped up in a blanket, watching DVDs and drinking tea. Oh woe is me. *snicker*

Novel Update 2

The plot main plot outline and most of the sub-stories have been finished, plus I've already completed the ending. I had hoped to make a trilogy and I think that I've got enough potential storyline left over to do just that, so I present 'The Broken History' trilogy:

-Mana: The Shadows of Destiny
-Mana: Shattered in Time
-Mana: Fate Rising

Novel Update

Keeping in line with the new storyline for 'Mana: The Rising' I have changed the novel title to something a little more appropriate to the story, it's now 'Mana: The Shadows of Destiny' (somewhat cliched I know, but I'll probably whittle it down to something that's less of a mouthful nearer the time of seeking publication). The revised version has a pretty high body count already and the main adventure really hasn't even begun yet, but I'm aiming for 'bleak' so its all good.

As a small aside I have written a short children's adventure based on a historical event from the same world. This is a surprisingly good creative tool for building legends that may or may not get referenced in the main story but certainly help to add more depth to the world.

Another Joke

It's late afternoon and Miss Wilson has just started her English lesson for her Primary 7 class, today they are learning more complicated words.
"Ok class, our first word is 'contagious'. Can anyone use this word in a sentence?"
Wee Sammy at the back of the class raises his hand, "Please Miss. Yesterday our neighbour was painting his fence with a 1 and a quarter inch brush and me da' said it would take the contagious."