what's wrong with writing a good fantasy?

Or really, what is wrong with a person who enjoys writing in that field.  The stipulations and prejudices around the word alone, fantasy, lends to a certain light being shone on you.

Miasma Angels in my own words is a Bildungsroman.  Because yes, it's a story about a girl from her birth to adulthood to wherever her life there after.  The problem first arrives when others find out she's of supernatural origin, at least that's how it seems to me.  I love the people who HAVE read Miasma Angels.  In return, I think all of them deserve respect and support for being the way they are.

Jennie is born.  She grows up and she looses things.  That in itself is the genre.  But it's too vague to still garner the fantasy-type.  Spoiler Alert!!  Jennie is an Angel.  Born of two humans bathed in mists that altered them to a quasi-angelic state.  Who was given a very unique chance to play a pivotal role in the changing of the nature of her world.  She is sot after for this unique disposition by a Cult from a world already dead and long forgotten by it's own people.  These people are actually the descendants of those from my last posting, yep, those from the Generation Ships.

I suppose it says something about me that I build a group who are so sad and backwards facing that they try to rewrite the past and the futures of every person that lives now by altering the events of said past and attempting to reconstructing time from times inception.  It also might say that I might have grabbed at too much when I went to this length to write the plot of my antagonists.  You know, to make ones enemy convincing you cannot make things black and white, well you can but that isn't the nature of men.  It's a hodgepodge of things, ideas and emotions.  Situations and consequences, the past and the ideals we strive for, to protect a future that might not even exist.

Alright, to get back to the original topic is to clarify some things, while I use the coming-of-age as a crutch to build Jennie's world.  I do fall back on normal fantasy conventions.  Yes, there are Elves (Alfar), who in my work are about twice the height of the average man, they don't involve themselves in human affairs and generally hate mankind and their numbers are dwindling down to nothingness.  Their are dwarves (Zwerg) who I only wrote 1 in the entire story.  They are even more secluded then any other race, living in the earth.  The other are classified under either the Fir Bholg or Fomorii.  Those could be a blog in and of itself. 

travel within a Generation ship

So I came to realize that when I began Miasma Angels it was a fairly naive tale to try and convince a girl to date me or at least consider it.  The beginning of the stories 9th year since I began it.  A few things have stayed the same, one is the idea of a ship that can take humanity to another world.  I back then believed I was breaking new ground, but like most ideas I was one of hundreds of thousands before me.  Sir Arthur C. Clarke coined the best version, I think.  Calling them Generation Ships.

This is all information a person might want to know eventually but in the grander scheme of my book this was a pivotal and saddening part of the back story, so information not even valid to the portions of where I have been writing about.

In an unmentioned year, Earth had become nothing more then a husk, a desert planet drained of all natural resources; man had taken too much, no renewal plans made a difference, they just continued to take and take and take.  The Peregrination series of ships were built taking between 50-75 years to build and prepare. These 7 space fairing behemoths had a daunting task before them to travel in seven different directions following the bread crumbs of the hope at finding the Goldie Locks worlds, a message from the stars told them to travel, or at least that's what they'd tell the children that only knew the space life.

The Peregrination IV, carried 7 generations of post-earthlings before it reached the world it would call home.  7 generations lived and died within the time it took to traverse from Terra-firma to the new world.

Fallcon, why did it change?

So last weekend, I have had such luck with this but I was able to go to Fallcon, my sister drove my car and he headed out early.  Starting at 5:30 am we got something to eat and left the house at 6 I gassed my car up and we ended up stopping in Long Prairie because someone forgot to use the toilet before we left... *eyes sister*.  Well, the majority of the drive was pretty uneventful, we talked about our works and what are plans our for our different stories.  She has a few that sound good to me (her blood witch one or the vampire soul-searching thing), but others didn't hit the mark (orge bros. detectives...) but she tells me I'm dragging my feet and should be focusing in on Karl and doing more Angry Spirit stories...

So around 8:30 am we hit the first detour heading into St. Paul well, this was a mislead and we ended up in Little Canada, turned around and by a Hamm's Brewery.  We found a Cub Foods and I bought a road map, who knew I'd need one... got directions because I'm a man, but I can admit when I need help.  We were off again and in less then 30 minutes made it to con.  We pull up and see no lines, no one outside... I notice the doors open and I have a small freak out.  My sister outdoes me and follows up also freaking out.  We park the car and hustle to the doors, why was it open?!  They opened it up because people complained it was too cold, we live in Minnesota people, know your home and dress appropriately, YES, I'm talking to you Ms. Donna Troy and plethora of Supergirl's maybe a miniskirt appears sexy, but you have to either own that choice or have the foresight to rethink your cosplay.  Anyways, we pay and are lead to an inspiration for a Saw film... a big open dungeon like area by the bathrooms...

Then Con opens and the horses were released.  People patiently are led to the con and everything sort of blurs, until I picked up a friends birthday present, a steampunk inspired Pokéball!  Met up with my friend that came and we perused the venders.  By the time I looked at my cell I see that it was 11:45 and everyone in the party was feeling pretty hungry so we headed to the traditional Arby's on Snelling where another member joined us and we had a D&D perfect party, 4 team-members.

We went back to con and with the other fellow book savvy friend talked about books, characters and how weird it is DC restarted their entire universe... But the interest didn't last and the friends noticed that there was a book swap and enormous garage sale.  My sister and I stayed a while longer but finally decided to leave, catching up with my friends and we proceeded to the last place on our trip... The Source, much to the chagrin of our fellow party members.  The source felt like it was much longer because at this point we'd been up about 12 hours... and I'm just realizing age comes with certain things... well, besides, Con had it's ups (laughing my ass off at some of the older books, one of which I bought Saga of the Super Sons) and downs (being lectured about pop culture by one of my icons.)

The Mage with the Rings

*spoiler alert*  If you want to watch Kamen Rider Wizard visit TV-N and contribute to their awesomeness and appreciate good fansubs.

So to have something to write about I started the latest in the Kamen Rider franchise, Kamen Rider Wizard (or if you're saying it in Japanese Uizarudo).  It opens with an explanation that magic is the precursor to science and many have forgotten magic but few still know of it and those are, yeah, wizards.  Which leads to us being introduced to Haruto as he looks out at the city atop a streetlamp and through a doughnut before taking a bite.  He is quickly interrupted by one of his familiars, a fire spirit, called Garuda. Who informs him of some Phantom activity, so he pauses his snacking to summon his motorcycle and ride off into the city.

Next, the scene changes to what appears to be a sting operation.  With two detectives being informed of the situation, the male a man named Amino asking, his partner a women named Daimon Rinko if she is comfortable with doing this operation to which she replies, "Protecting people is a cop's duty." which seems to annoy her partner.  Inside construction workers are being overwhelmed by the monsters of the series called Phantoms, these particular grunts are called Ghouls.  The police are quickly overwhelmed and Rinko comes face to face with a more powerful Phantom, Minotarous.  And like many Rider's before him, Wizard literally comes driving through the wall, tripping up some Ghouls as he doughnuts to a stop.  Spinning as he steps off his bike he materializes his weapon a gun that fires silver bullets, totally pulling a Wanted moment as the bullet passes right by Rinko striking Minotarous' and blowing one of his horns off.  Who comments that his opponent is a Wizard, as he attempts to blow-him-up with a spirit bomb-like fireball.  Much to everyones surprise Haruto is fine, his ring of fire, absorbs the blast in his transformed state.  {The thing I loved about this is that it goes right into a cold-opening of the theme song, Magical Showtime by Rider Chips} 

The next bit showcases the awesome stunt work of Mr. Seiji Takaiwa and the other actors in the Ghouls outfits.  The costume design reminds of a mix between Agito and Den-O with a shred of Ichigo mixed in there, the grunts look like Ultra from Ultraman Mebius with devil horns added to the heads.  The swordplay is VERY good and impressed me on the level that Shinkenger's Shinken Red opening fight, cold-opening did. {One thing that kind of annoys me about his weapon, not the fact that it changes from a sword to a gun, vice versa, it's that to do his finisher he's got to shake hands with his weapon...}  Title card pops up then the promotional stuff.

Haruto calls his hangout to inform one of his partners a girl named Koyomi, there is also a scene with an eclipse, Haruto watching people explode and demonic wings burst out of him.  Rinko appears and talks to Haruto who mentions some thing, like, the people being attacked are possibly Gates which means, a person with large magical potential.  The purpose of the Phantoms are to create despair and break that persons spirit releasing the magic stored inside them hence creating a new Phantom.  Her response is one that you'd expect, but she does him one up and handcuffs him.  Needless, to say, I was colored impressed by the latest installment and while it doesn't stray to far from the convention, I have hope for it.  It seems more exciting then the last season which I can't seem to get the enthusiasm to finish.

work time lag.

Seems like this is most of what I write about as of late...  I didn't think this place would be as much of a stress point as it is, allergies have gotten to me, of course, it might be an infection judging from the crap coming out of me.  Motivation is not my friend lately, I'm motivated at work, sure, but once I step through the door at home it all disappears.  This includes being apart of some weight loss group, it's true I probably don't need it but I'm still losing weight as is so having a group to converse with and with any luck my weight loss will slow down a bit but since I'm only loosing 2 1/2 pounds a week it's a normal amount to loose.

Why do I wait so long to start these things?  I have to get ready for work again.  I've tried to work on MA at work which doesn't usually pan out for me but here's to trying again.  This stalemate in the progress of the book is sad for me and MA needs to make progress if not by me then maybe I should let the book go, give  it to someone who can do it justice...  that's food for thought.

Things, they be happening.

So I'm blogging a little before work, if anyone else were up right now they might think I'm a little off, which wouldn't be too far off... I was just practically making myself cry thinking about this horrible game I tried when I was up north a few weeks ago.  The Bible Story and how you can make your character spin, for no good reason, other then to just do it.

On the sentai front there are new rumors about next season and I'm excited probably a little preemptively but ANOTHER dinosaur season, I could dig it.  This post will be short because I mostly just wanted to get the word out... that and finish getting ready.  I'll probably post again when I get home tonight... and I'll hopefully have more to talk about!

Miasma Failures

I had a thought that maybe that should be the name for any works existing within the Miasma Universe but not necessarily with Jennie and co.  Also, I've been playing with the idea of the Tri-trilogy, if many didn't know that was the original concept I played around with, but that is even older then MA, I was in 9th grade science class and had this crazy (very idiotic) idea to make a 9-part movie about... ... .... ... ...  Golf.  Each film would roughly be about a pair of old friends playing 18 holes and either remembering their hectic, action packed lives or Dude, where's my car?! type situation happen.  Either way, the idea never took EXCEPT the fact I wanted to do something of that magnitude.  Maybe Star Wars had something to do with it also?

But speaking of MA, so over the last few nights, I've had something of a reoccurring dream.  It's the book, of course, in a grand sort of way, being told to me as Stronger by Kelly Clarkson plays in the background.  But it gave me an insight to something I could definitely use.  I don't want to go to far into it for the simple reason that it could ruin a few things but along with the bit of foreshadowing, it showed many of the other characters as they evolve throughout the universe.  Some more than others.