Shortest Summary of a Week Ever
a.k.a. Why I haven't updated all week and Why FG will be late in coming:
On Sunday: I reminded Slim and the boys that if we wanted to get a movie done, we should probably meet up to film it. Slim and I discussed the movie online until the wee hours, but arranged no meeting time.
On Monday: I spent all day trying to get a hold of the boys to convince them to meet me on Tuesday afternoon.
On Tuesday: Chatted with Lyxie about vomit. Vented my OMINOUS FEELING that the guys would not arrive on time. OMINOUS FEELING was confirmed. Was prompted by Lyxie to call the guys and threaten them bodily with steel-toed boots. Called Slim first, realised he was getting his arse over as soon as he was done doing the dishes. Called Rick and PB. Got no answer from PB, but Rick confirmed he'd be there... three hours late.
At this point PB instant messaged me and freaked out. He'd only just read my emails and would not be able to make it. I told him not to worry about it.
Slim showed up and we fooled around talking about videogames (Slim speedran Portal and finished it in 46 minutes; it was impressive), until Rick showed up. It was already dark out. My brother suggested preparing supper. This prompted an enthusiastic reaction from my visitors, as my brother is quite the cook.
So we slacked off in my basement while my brother cooked, discussing the movie and finding out that the only reason Slim made out with Renee that night at the casino was because he was in (desperate, but he denies my use of this adjective) need of a rebound. I rolled my eyes. Rick took Slim's side. Slim assured me he was not interested in Renee. I pursed my lips and refused to believe him. He rolled his eyes and dropped the subject.
Rick suggested that I learn to play Dota. Slim insisted that I add it to my repertoire of games as well. I suggested we add that to my list of games to learn.
PB called Rick and offered to go see the Bucket List with at least ten other people. I tagged along and returned early the next morning.
Wednesday: I spent it rather quietly, until I got an instant message from Rick at 10:30PM that went roughly like this: "Come over to my place tonight. Slim and I are playing Dota."
So it was that I slept over at Rick's place. We played Dota until 3:30AM, then Rick went to sleep in his room upstairs and Slim and I curled in our respective sleeping bags in Rick's basement after talking about traveling in Europe.
Thursday: I woke Slim by smacking him with his own pillow. He refused to speak kindly to me for the rest of the day. I didn't care. After eating breakfast at Rick's, we piled into Rick's car and fetched PB, then returned to my house. We filmed the movie until 4:00 (much laughter was had and I got to see PB play a vampire and Slim pretend he's a hypnotizingly murderous bloody-knife-licking maniac), when we decided to go to the mall so I could grab a bite before my evening shift at work.
And I got an indigestion from A&W's usually delicious Teenburger.
Thank you, A&W. You caused the guys to laugh at my weak stomach, got me nearly hurling, and had them take enough pity on me to drive me back home.
I went to bed at 8:30. Like a baby, I slept thirteen blissful hours.
Friday: I woke up and realised I had to make a card and buy Prophet's birthday gifts. I did so, then picked up Scarlet and we headed to Prophet's from 1:00PM to 10:30PM, after playing our own version of Monopoly (by replacing all properties names with hot anime males--we are geeks) and heading to the movies to see 27 Dresses (predictable, but a nice chick flick nonetheless).
Then I went home and went to sleep.
Saturday: Woke up in time to get to work at 8:00AM, and did overtime. Came home, and realised my whole week went without a single word being written on FG.
... Need I say more?
The first chapter of FG will not be released in February. Do not think I've dropped it. I'm just not moving as fast as I wish I would, and as Lyxie wisely suggested more than once, it is best not to hurry to release something before one is comfortable with their progress.
And in the long run, it'll be better for all of us.
Love,
CM
Showing posts with label Fighting Gravity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fighting Gravity. Show all posts
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
First post of the year
And Only in Hyrule has reached the whooping bar of the 60 000 hits, making it by far the most popular story I ever wrote.
Bad Start, on its part, hasn't gotten a bad start at all; 3 days in and it's already got nothing but good feedback, so I'm pretty glad.
And so, in between planning my trip to France, preparing myself mentally for my fourth and last term in college, freaking out about my university applications, earning money at Sears, and trying to finish my 9000 piece puzzle (did I mention this? We had to stick three tables together in our basement just to cover the final surface), I try to fit in some FG writing time. Obviously the oneshots I released for New Year's ate a few hours of that writing time, but I'm crossing my fingers for a February upload of the first chapter.
Then again, that's subject to change as well, for all the reasons stated above.
I'm also cursed with a new time-suction application called Facebook, which my brother forced me to join on the 31st, and while I appreciate that my circle of friends is confirmed by a spam-like website, I also realise that my time is utterly wasted on it. Hurrah.
Then again, I got to see everyone's vacation pictures. My aunt, uncle and cousins went down to Cuba, and recent bathing suit shots confirm that yes, I am the only pale person in my family. They also confirmed that my male cousins are suited to be underwear models (my eldest cousin Matt, 22, has a particularly well-developed glutteus maximus, as well as washboard abs that would intimidate professional athletes), which is more than a little disturbing. To me at least. Their two thousand Facebook friends ―majority female, of course― seem to think otherwise, however.
Also saw Rick and Slim's vacation pics to DisneyWorld. No pictures with Goofy, but a good couple with the Power Rangers, which was just as entertaining. I have to admit that Rick and Slim's goofy faces make up for the lack of actual mascots, so I forgave them their slip-up. And who wouldn't pay to see Slim riding a motorbike on Star Wars' planet of Endor? Exactly.
Notice that I've added a video bar to my navigation, below the Twitchy Links. They're the vids I've made, based on Twilight Princess. If you kept up with my blog of late, you probably saw them already, but hey, I might as well post 'em here if I can.
I've considered making a list of my priorities, but I then figured that I never actually follow my lists anyway and that it was, in actuality, nothing but a subconscious way to procrastinate.
With that, I bid you a temporary farewell as I force myself back into writing mode. I figure a little bit of violent self-coaching should get it done.
Love,
CM
Bad Start, on its part, hasn't gotten a bad start at all; 3 days in and it's already got nothing but good feedback, so I'm pretty glad.
And so, in between planning my trip to France, preparing myself mentally for my fourth and last term in college, freaking out about my university applications, earning money at Sears, and trying to finish my 9000 piece puzzle (did I mention this? We had to stick three tables together in our basement just to cover the final surface), I try to fit in some FG writing time. Obviously the oneshots I released for New Year's ate a few hours of that writing time, but I'm crossing my fingers for a February upload of the first chapter.
Then again, that's subject to change as well, for all the reasons stated above.
I'm also cursed with a new time-suction application called Facebook, which my brother forced me to join on the 31st, and while I appreciate that my circle of friends is confirmed by a spam-like website, I also realise that my time is utterly wasted on it. Hurrah.
Then again, I got to see everyone's vacation pictures. My aunt, uncle and cousins went down to Cuba, and recent bathing suit shots confirm that yes, I am the only pale person in my family. They also confirmed that my male cousins are suited to be underwear models (my eldest cousin Matt, 22, has a particularly well-developed glutteus maximus, as well as washboard abs that would intimidate professional athletes), which is more than a little disturbing. To me at least. Their two thousand Facebook friends ―majority female, of course― seem to think otherwise, however.
Also saw Rick and Slim's vacation pics to DisneyWorld. No pictures with Goofy, but a good couple with the Power Rangers, which was just as entertaining. I have to admit that Rick and Slim's goofy faces make up for the lack of actual mascots, so I forgave them their slip-up. And who wouldn't pay to see Slim riding a motorbike on Star Wars' planet of Endor? Exactly.
Notice that I've added a video bar to my navigation, below the Twitchy Links. They're the vids I've made, based on Twilight Princess. If you kept up with my blog of late, you probably saw them already, but hey, I might as well post 'em here if I can.
I've considered making a list of my priorities, but I then figured that I never actually follow my lists anyway and that it was, in actuality, nothing but a subconscious way to procrastinate.
With that, I bid you a temporary farewell as I force myself back into writing mode. I figure a little bit of violent self-coaching should get it done.
Love,
CM
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Yo-ho-ho...
A Pirate's Life Merry Christmas for thee!
No go buy yourself Pirates of the Caribbean underwear/boxers like the ones Slim showed me the other day.
All joking aside, I hope you have a wonderful day, with plenty of laughter. Don't let yourself be won over by the materialism of this holiday; visit family, send cards, give hugs (not awkward ones, though. You should stay away from those if they're just going to ruin the mood).
I myself will be spending the day visiting my grandpa, then coming home to start my nine thousand pieces puzzle (:D) and entertaining my little cousins with my regular antics. They, like so many of my acquaintances, seem to think I am a bundle of hilarity. I prefer to leave them to their delusions.
And before you start throwing rocks at me, note that I will most likely release a new lemon on the Twitchy Site sometime before New Years, as soon as I find a good title for it. I hate finding titles so very much.
As per Fighting Gravity, never fear, it's coming along still. Seeing as I've planned the writing segments while keeping a detailed track of an actual story timeline, I'll publish the first chapter once I reach the story's 27th of Quintember (May). For reference, I'm at the 24th. And if you think that means it'll be published sometime very soon, I'm sorry, but no. In a hundred pages, I wrote the equivalent of ten story days (starting on Quintember 17th). A very busy ten days. And the story is planned to continue through to September (in the story, this means July, or the seventh month of the year), and maybe even more. You do the math.
That said, I'm very pleased with how it's turning out, so I will continue to work on it diligently, hopefully while keeping in mind a release date in February.
Love and kisses,
CrazygurlMadness
No go buy yourself Pirates of the Caribbean underwear/boxers like the ones Slim showed me the other day.
All joking aside, I hope you have a wonderful day, with plenty of laughter. Don't let yourself be won over by the materialism of this holiday; visit family, send cards, give hugs (not awkward ones, though. You should stay away from those if they're just going to ruin the mood).
I myself will be spending the day visiting my grandpa, then coming home to start my nine thousand pieces puzzle (:D) and entertaining my little cousins with my regular antics. They, like so many of my acquaintances, seem to think I am a bundle of hilarity. I prefer to leave them to their delusions.
And before you start throwing rocks at me, note that I will most likely release a new lemon on the Twitchy Site sometime before New Years, as soon as I find a good title for it. I hate finding titles so very much.
As per Fighting Gravity, never fear, it's coming along still. Seeing as I've planned the writing segments while keeping a detailed track of an actual story timeline, I'll publish the first chapter once I reach the story's 27th of Quintember (May). For reference, I'm at the 24th. And if you think that means it'll be published sometime very soon, I'm sorry, but no. In a hundred pages, I wrote the equivalent of ten story days (starting on Quintember 17th). A very busy ten days. And the story is planned to continue through to September (in the story, this means July, or the seventh month of the year), and maybe even more. You do the math.
That said, I'm very pleased with how it's turning out, so I will continue to work on it diligently, hopefully while keeping in mind a release date in February.
Love and kisses,
CrazygurlMadness
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Fighting Gravity news
Before anyone freaks out, like, "OMG SHE HASN'T SPOKEN ABOUT FG IN SO LONG, SHE MUST HAVE GIVEN UP", I'd like to say, "No," and, "Slap yourself for even thinking that."
In fact, as Lyxie might attest if she happens to lurk around here, FG is still going strong. In fact, if she finds to time to play witness, she'll probably assure you better than I could that LoZ futuristic fiction works (this time around) which is immensely relieving because I was worried it simply could not be done and that I was shooting myself in the foot.
I personally divide FG into main parts (so far I'm planning 5, but a 6th might be necessary if I can't properly conclude with part 5), which are divided into chapters (these are the divisions I'll use for posting the story online), which are then divided into scenes (as such, a chapter can contain one to three scenes; typically: two).
At the moment I'm working on scene 18, where I get to mix elements from the Oracle games with a Twilight Princess boss. Exciting. Scene 17, right before it, is one of my favourites as it contains some Midna goodness, some Zant insanity and my beloved Dark's frustration. The story is picking up and steadily rising; in other words, it's finally found its slow cruising speed.
I don't know if I'd mentioned these things, but I might as well repeat it for the newcomers.
Fighting Gravity, while completely different from Only in Hyrule, follows the same don't-invent-material-if-you-can-borrow-it-from-the-series concept. Basically, all characters are from the games and all places/objects/situations will be connected to canon somehow. I do this mostly to entertain myself, so yay for me.
Additionally, the characters, because they're just not numerous enough (this is sarcasm, by the way), are sometimes multiplied. I mean that Zelda, Sheik and Tetra exist as seperate entities. That isn't unusual, but I also took the liberty of dividing Link's personas into seperate characters too, which might lead to confusion.
Let's just say that Link, Young Link, Dark Link, Fierce Deity Link, and Wolf Link all make an appearance in the story, and they are all different characters leading different lives with different objectives. For convenience and originality, I gave them new names, but you can guess that they won't be very far-fetched. ; )
And here I think I'll resume posting main character profiles, but since it's a batch update, you're better off just seeing them on the Twitchy Site under Fighting Gravity's page (... Upcoming Stories\Fighting Gravity).
Actually, I did a few changes to the site, so you might as well go check them out today and tomorrow.
Okay, enough. Time to go.
Love,
CM
In fact, as Lyxie might attest if she happens to lurk around here, FG is still going strong. In fact, if she finds to time to play witness, she'll probably assure you better than I could that LoZ futuristic fiction works (this time around) which is immensely relieving because I was worried it simply could not be done and that I was shooting myself in the foot.
I personally divide FG into main parts (so far I'm planning 5, but a 6th might be necessary if I can't properly conclude with part 5), which are divided into chapters (these are the divisions I'll use for posting the story online), which are then divided into scenes (as such, a chapter can contain one to three scenes; typically: two).
At the moment I'm working on scene 18, where I get to mix elements from the Oracle games with a Twilight Princess boss. Exciting. Scene 17, right before it, is one of my favourites as it contains some Midna goodness, some Zant insanity and my beloved Dark's frustration. The story is picking up and steadily rising; in other words, it's finally found its slow cruising speed.
I don't know if I'd mentioned these things, but I might as well repeat it for the newcomers.
Fighting Gravity, while completely different from Only in Hyrule, follows the same don't-invent-material-if-you-can-borrow-it-from-the-series concept. Basically, all characters are from the games and all places/objects/situations will be connected to canon somehow. I do this mostly to entertain myself, so yay for me.
Additionally, the characters, because they're just not numerous enough (this is sarcasm, by the way), are sometimes multiplied. I mean that Zelda, Sheik and Tetra exist as seperate entities. That isn't unusual, but I also took the liberty of dividing Link's personas into seperate characters too, which might lead to confusion.
Let's just say that Link, Young Link, Dark Link, Fierce Deity Link, and Wolf Link all make an appearance in the story, and they are all different characters leading different lives with different objectives. For convenience and originality, I gave them new names, but you can guess that they won't be very far-fetched. ; )
And here I think I'll resume posting main character profiles, but since it's a batch update, you're better off just seeing them on the Twitchy Site under Fighting Gravity's page (... Upcoming Stories\Fighting Gravity).
Actually, I did a few changes to the site, so you might as well go check them out today and tomorrow.
Okay, enough. Time to go.
Love,
CM
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Whoopee!
It's my birthday today. Nineteen years. It's like being an adult all over again.
Maybe some countries are right to put the legal maturity age at 21. At least you're looking forward to stuff for another three years after 18. But Canada has it at 18, and after that you have nothing to look forward to but voting in the upcoming elections/referendums.
Oh, and the legal drinking. If you drink, which I don't.
Anyway, I think 19 years is more fun than 18. Why? Because everyone puts so much pressure on the ages of 16, 18 and 21. But you never hear anything about the age of 19. It's like the Ninja Age. You know, it's there, but you don't see it, you don't hear it, and you don't know when it came and when it went.
Verdict after less than 24 hours:
19 years old and lovin' it.
It'd be nice if my friends (I don't mean you, Scarlet and Prophet and Lyxie and all) remembered that today is my birthday.
But they don't.
Well, Slim mentioned it, but the only one who actually accepted to have a birthday lunch with me (at A&W, for heaven's sake, we're not talking about Linguini's) was Guy.
Thank you, Guy! You don't read this blog but I appreciate it!
As per others remembering my birthday and sending me at least a happy birthday email, nothing. Thank you for that, Eva, Kitty, Josie, and others. You are all a lovely bunch.
But if you ever get the mental signals I'm sending you, at least consider that I know that your birthdays are as follow:
Liz: November 9th
Slim: March 7th
Josie: March 20th
Kitty: March 26th
Eva: May 16th
... Guess it's just me. XP
Love,
CM
P.S. Got to write a good three pages of FG during the weekend! Whee!
Maybe some countries are right to put the legal maturity age at 21. At least you're looking forward to stuff for another three years after 18. But Canada has it at 18, and after that you have nothing to look forward to but voting in the upcoming elections/referendums.
Oh, and the legal drinking. If you drink, which I don't.
Anyway, I think 19 years is more fun than 18. Why? Because everyone puts so much pressure on the ages of 16, 18 and 21. But you never hear anything about the age of 19. It's like the Ninja Age. You know, it's there, but you don't see it, you don't hear it, and you don't know when it came and when it went.
Verdict after less than 24 hours:
19 years old and lovin' it.
It'd be nice if my friends (I don't mean you, Scarlet and Prophet and Lyxie and all) remembered that today is my birthday.
But they don't.
Well, Slim mentioned it, but the only one who actually accepted to have a birthday lunch with me (at A&W, for heaven's sake, we're not talking about Linguini's) was Guy.
Thank you, Guy! You don't read this blog but I appreciate it!
As per others remembering my birthday and sending me at least a happy birthday email, nothing. Thank you for that, Eva, Kitty, Josie, and others. You are all a lovely bunch.
But if you ever get the mental signals I'm sending you, at least consider that I know that your birthdays are as follow:
Liz: November 9th
Slim: March 7th
Josie: March 20th
Kitty: March 26th
Eva: May 16th
... Guess it's just me. XP
Love,
CM
P.S. Got to write a good three pages of FG during the weekend! Whee!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Poll results
So I polled blog readers on the following question:
"Should some of my more mature stories (i.e. never-before-released lemons) be available on the Twitchy Site?
And the results were as follows:
52 (55%) said "Yes, without conditions."
39 (41%) said "Yes, with appropriate warnings and splash page."
2 (2%) said "No, it's tasteless and unecessary."
What should we conclude from this?Well, for one, you are all sneakier than I thought. I should have requested to know the age of each voter. The majority of you want lemons to be available without so much as a warning that they're lemons!
So what's going to happen now? Let's say that an innocent reader stumbles onto my Twitchy Site and decides to visit my Stories section. And they see a story that they didn't see listed on FF.Net. Oh joy, oh glee, they'll think, not suspecting their forthcoming trauma, let's click!
And then, without warning, you get a description of Link and Zelda getting it on. Oh dearie, the poor reader will be scarred for life!
Another large number of you thought about it and considered that it should be right to let readers know about it thanks to a splash page. Perhaps I wasn't being clear on this, but the splash page would not in any way prevent anyone from reading the story. It would just give the innocents a way to turn back.
But 55% of you don't want that. Oh well.
As for the 2 people who voted against my posting lemons, I'm afraid the majority wins. Of course, I can easily remedy your fear of finding a lemon by simply telling you not to read those I will mark with the Lemon warning.
So here's what I'll do.
To please everyone, I'll make the lemons available on the Twitchy Site (not FF.Net, for fear of making it a little too accessible and to avoid getting warnings about unsuitable material, not that I think anyone would report me), with text warnings in the summary and at the beginning of each story. That way, there will be warnings, albeit subtle and un-annoying ones, to protect those who are sensible enough to keep away from them until they're ready, if ever they want to.
Does that please everyone?
In the meantime, I'd like to reiterate my apologies for my utter lack of presence in all manners of activities online. I've been doing my best to catch up on writing in my very limited spare time, though I can't foresee any free moment in the future for me to get posting.
At any rate, I'd like you to know that I think about you all every day and have not forgotten you in the least. I've just forgotten to have a life, that's all. It happens to the best of us.
To cheer you all up, I have an announcement:
Fighting Gravity, which I've divided for convenience into five distinct parts, is not dead. In fact, I have finished part one, which spans 7 chapters, and am somewhere in the middle of part two. It's a long process, but at least parts 2, 3 and 4 are mostly planned out, with a vague idea for the final part which I don't want to spoil for myself. As things are, parts 2 and 3 should be the longest, spanning roughly ten to fifteen chapters.
Yeah, you calculated that right. It's a bloody long story.
Anyway, the point of this is to say that, to give myself a little bit of incentive to continue, I might post chapter 1 on the first of January, which might seem a long way off to you, but is frightfully close to me. My vision of space and time has somewhat distorted in the past few weeks. I don't get the feeling I have enough time to do anything.
For sure, though, you're going to get chapter 1-1 sometime at the end of this year. Whooo!
If I ever get the time, I'll also resume character profiles and city informations.
But you know what "if I ever get the time" means at this point.
I hope you'll stick with me as I struggle to keep reins on my hectic schedule and that you're looking forward to Fighting Gravity with as much enthusiasm as I have when I write it.
And to finish, here's a very short excerpt from the latest chapter I've written:
He’d gone for the hand. Oh yeah, and it had felt good to shoot something right then. He wasn’t the kind to get sentimental and control his impulses, or even censor his thoughts. He was feeling righteously murderous, and the Twili psycho had deserved every jolt of pain he’d felt when the bullet had burst into his gun-wielding hand.
That bitch ―or princess, same difference― Midna had a way of pissing off all kinds of bad people. It was uncanny.
And pathetic, he reminded himself. Just pathetic.
It didn’t really matter that he’d shot the male Twili ―whoever he was― on sight, just because he’d been pointing a gun in her direction. The surge of bile that had risen in his throat he attributed to his anger that his next victim was going to be killed by a vicious nobody.
And Midna Black was entirely his to kill. Nobody would torture, injure, threaten or murder her on his watch. Her life was his to dispose of now.
I'll keep my stick on the ice, alright? You should too.
Love,
CM
P.S. Happy Halloween!
"Should some of my more mature stories (i.e. never-before-released lemons) be available on the Twitchy Site?
And the results were as follows:
52 (55%) said "Yes, without conditions."
39 (41%) said "Yes, with appropriate warnings and splash page."
2 (2%) said "No, it's tasteless and unecessary."
What should we conclude from this?Well, for one, you are all sneakier than I thought. I should have requested to know the age of each voter. The majority of you want lemons to be available without so much as a warning that they're lemons!
So what's going to happen now? Let's say that an innocent reader stumbles onto my Twitchy Site and decides to visit my Stories section. And they see a story that they didn't see listed on FF.Net. Oh joy, oh glee, they'll think, not suspecting their forthcoming trauma, let's click!
And then, without warning, you get a description of Link and Zelda getting it on. Oh dearie, the poor reader will be scarred for life!
Another large number of you thought about it and considered that it should be right to let readers know about it thanks to a splash page. Perhaps I wasn't being clear on this, but the splash page would not in any way prevent anyone from reading the story. It would just give the innocents a way to turn back.
But 55% of you don't want that. Oh well.
As for the 2 people who voted against my posting lemons, I'm afraid the majority wins. Of course, I can easily remedy your fear of finding a lemon by simply telling you not to read those I will mark with the Lemon warning.
So here's what I'll do.
To please everyone, I'll make the lemons available on the Twitchy Site (not FF.Net, for fear of making it a little too accessible and to avoid getting warnings about unsuitable material, not that I think anyone would report me), with text warnings in the summary and at the beginning of each story. That way, there will be warnings, albeit subtle and un-annoying ones, to protect those who are sensible enough to keep away from them until they're ready, if ever they want to.
Does that please everyone?
In the meantime, I'd like to reiterate my apologies for my utter lack of presence in all manners of activities online. I've been doing my best to catch up on writing in my very limited spare time, though I can't foresee any free moment in the future for me to get posting.
At any rate, I'd like you to know that I think about you all every day and have not forgotten you in the least. I've just forgotten to have a life, that's all. It happens to the best of us.
To cheer you all up, I have an announcement:
Fighting Gravity, which I've divided for convenience into five distinct parts, is not dead. In fact, I have finished part one, which spans 7 chapters, and am somewhere in the middle of part two. It's a long process, but at least parts 2, 3 and 4 are mostly planned out, with a vague idea for the final part which I don't want to spoil for myself. As things are, parts 2 and 3 should be the longest, spanning roughly ten to fifteen chapters.
Yeah, you calculated that right. It's a bloody long story.
Anyway, the point of this is to say that, to give myself a little bit of incentive to continue, I might post chapter 1 on the first of January, which might seem a long way off to you, but is frightfully close to me. My vision of space and time has somewhat distorted in the past few weeks. I don't get the feeling I have enough time to do anything.
For sure, though, you're going to get chapter 1-1 sometime at the end of this year. Whooo!
If I ever get the time, I'll also resume character profiles and city informations.
But you know what "if I ever get the time" means at this point.
I hope you'll stick with me as I struggle to keep reins on my hectic schedule and that you're looking forward to Fighting Gravity with as much enthusiasm as I have when I write it.
And to finish, here's a very short excerpt from the latest chapter I've written:
He’d gone for the hand. Oh yeah, and it had felt good to shoot something right then. He wasn’t the kind to get sentimental and control his impulses, or even censor his thoughts. He was feeling righteously murderous, and the Twili psycho had deserved every jolt of pain he’d felt when the bullet had burst into his gun-wielding hand.
That bitch ―or princess, same difference― Midna had a way of pissing off all kinds of bad people. It was uncanny.
And pathetic, he reminded himself. Just pathetic.
It didn’t really matter that he’d shot the male Twili ―whoever he was― on sight, just because he’d been pointing a gun in her direction. The surge of bile that had risen in his throat he attributed to his anger that his next victim was going to be killed by a vicious nobody.
And Midna Black was entirely his to kill. Nobody would torture, injure, threaten or murder her on his watch. Her life was his to dispose of now.
I'll keep my stick on the ice, alright? You should too.
Love,
CM
P.S. Happy Halloween!
Monday, September 17, 2007
Peace at last! (And FG surprise)
Hey everyone! By some uncanny miracle, I should be free in the next three days (well, aside from school, but that doesn't count because college is really more of a sabbatical than anything), so expect my replies to finally come into your inboxes! I know, I'm so relieved I'm hyperventilating.
To celebrate my joy, I'll present some more FG City details (I know I could be forthcoming with character profiles, but they're not as numerous as cities, and besides, I decide what I want xþ), as well as... Well, wait and find out.
Full name: Sky City Celestia
Leader(s): ******** *******
Town Centre: Platforms B-1 to B-4.
Founded: End of the Third Age
Current political orientation: Neutral/Hylian Alliance
Location: Skies south of Hyrule, north of the Waker shores
Geographical advantage: Accessible only by air; unimpeded view for miles around.
Climate: Atmospheric
Weather: Blown by strong winds, otherwise sunny and warm.
Economy: Bordering on bad; the Guardian Alliance has damaged a few infrastructures and some debts still need to be paid.
Technology: Advanced.
History: A very recent city. Built as a challenge, its main purpose was to defy critical minds, ones that argued that a floating city was impossible. Starting with the simple platforms A-1 to A-5, which were built first to become resource docks, it expanded to include the much larger and more impressive structures B-1 to B-4 (the city core), and, recently, structures C-1 to C-3 and platforms D-1 to D-6. Platforms E-1 and E-2 are still in construction. The obsessive engineer who mapped it out is its leader and the Sky City continues to expand. For now its main population consists of engineers, mechanics, sustenance teams, and aristocrats rich enough to afford living there.
Main races: Hylian, Oocca, Rito
Layout: While the city originally fed off the lower Platform A blocks, it's actually centered around Block B, which hovers higher. Block C, D and E are attached to Block B and one another as an interconnected web.
Architecture: The Sky City Celestia floats thanks to its massive hovercrafts (the largest in the known world as of yet). Under the huge city blocks is a maze of large steel rafters and structural beams, as well as tubes, wires, cables that form a jumble of functionality and strength. Above the city, however, the buildings are clean, white, and gardens are flourishing, a result of hidden complexity.
And now, because you were all so patient and because I'm feeling so generous, here's an excerpt from FG.
That's right, an excerpt from FG. Rejoice!
And that's that for the excerpt. ...You didn't think I'd introduce characters just yet, did you? ;)
Love,
CM
To celebrate my joy, I'll present some more FG City details (I know I could be forthcoming with character profiles, but they're not as numerous as cities, and besides, I decide what I want xþ), as well as... Well, wait and find out.
Full name: Sky City Celestia
Leader(s): ******** *******
Town Centre: Platforms B-1 to B-4.
Founded: End of the Third Age
Current political orientation: Neutral/Hylian Alliance
Location: Skies south of Hyrule, north of the Waker shores
Geographical advantage: Accessible only by air; unimpeded view for miles around.
Climate: Atmospheric
Weather: Blown by strong winds, otherwise sunny and warm.
Economy: Bordering on bad; the Guardian Alliance has damaged a few infrastructures and some debts still need to be paid.
Technology: Advanced.
History: A very recent city. Built as a challenge, its main purpose was to defy critical minds, ones that argued that a floating city was impossible. Starting with the simple platforms A-1 to A-5, which were built first to become resource docks, it expanded to include the much larger and more impressive structures B-1 to B-4 (the city core), and, recently, structures C-1 to C-3 and platforms D-1 to D-6. Platforms E-1 and E-2 are still in construction. The obsessive engineer who mapped it out is its leader and the Sky City continues to expand. For now its main population consists of engineers, mechanics, sustenance teams, and aristocrats rich enough to afford living there.
Main races: Hylian, Oocca, Rito
Layout: While the city originally fed off the lower Platform A blocks, it's actually centered around Block B, which hovers higher. Block C, D and E are attached to Block B and one another as an interconnected web.
Architecture: The Sky City Celestia floats thanks to its massive hovercrafts (the largest in the known world as of yet). Under the huge city blocks is a maze of large steel rafters and structural beams, as well as tubes, wires, cables that form a jumble of functionality and strength. Above the city, however, the buildings are clean, white, and gardens are flourishing, a result of hidden complexity.
And now, because you were all so patient and because I'm feeling so generous, here's an excerpt from FG.
That's right, an excerpt from FG. Rejoice!
It had taken centuries to build the Hylian Alliance. Eight countries had banded together and sworn to defend each other from outside forces if need be by forming economical and political trades. For ages, the Hylian Alliance had done all it could to survive the test of time. It had suffered civil wars and been threatened more than once, but it had stood strong nonetheless.
The eight countries ―Twilight and Calatia to the north; Hyrule in the middle, flanked to the west by Holodrum and to the east by Termina and Minish; Labrynna to the south of Holodrum, and the Waker Islands archipelago to the far south of Hyrule― had until then been so powerfully linked that no outside force had dared to attack them.
Was it any surprise that the threat had come from the inside?
The Guardian Alliance had started off as an underground revolutionary movement. It rebelled against the stable, unchanging nature of the Hylian Alliance; mostly, it willed itself the ‘Guardian of the Future’.
It was lead by a strong military man. Ganondorf Dragmire, born in the arid lands of western Hyrule, was a mercenary. He’d gathered strong followers and his inherited fortune had assured him a choice spot in Hyrule’s military ranks. He’d grown to the level of Air Commander in the Hylian Alliance ranks…
Until the Scission.
Convinced that he would get nowhere with mere military advancement, Dragmire had slowly begun to make ripples in the Hylian political pond. In his wake, many leaders had chosen to join him. Queen Ambi of Labrynna, Princess Midna Black of Twilight, Prince Komali, lord of West Waker, and the titled princess Ruto Watters ―though her rule was soon annulled by the rest of Hyrule’s court who feared Ganondorf’s rise.
This last event had caused the Scission. The rogue self-proclaimed Admiral had cut off his ties with the Hylian Alliance altogether, and had sworn to reclaim it for himself. To make it stronger, he said. He'd pronounced an incendiary speech soon after the final decision to divest princess Ruto of her rule was made. Revolts had spawned; the injustice propelled Ganondorf Dragmire to new heights of popularity. The countries of Twilight and Calatia declared themselves his ally; Holodrum and Labrynna were soon to follow.
Civil war, though undeclared, had broken.
At the frontier, Hyrule and the Waker archipelago struggled to maintain their composure. Waker was torn between the followers of Prince Komali ―who approved of Ganondorf and his ideals― and the followers of the recently deceased Laruto, whose ideals for peace and cooperation her daughter Rutela sought to uphold.
Hyrule was in the worst situation. As the political centre of the Hylian Alliance, it was nearly surrounded by the Guardian Alliance. The capital ―the city of Castleton― was the place where all would be decided. Its Citadel of Time, which had been the host and guide of the Hylian Alliance for ages, became the command centre for military and political leaders.
War was raging, and already a large part of Labrynna was devastated.
Thousands had died and thousands more would die soon.
The western islands of Waker were heavily fortified and threatened the east.
Calatia was waging a war on Hyrule’s northern border and had invaded a part of Minish’s territories.
Slowly, parts of the country were getting eaten away. The people lived in fear. The Hylian Alliance was in shambles. The Guardian Alliance seemed unstoppable. Ganondorf Dragmire seemed to gather supporters wherever he went.
The future of the Hylian Alliance seemed bleak and dismal. They were going to fall.
But not without a fight.
And that's that for the excerpt. ...You didn't think I'd introduce characters just yet, did you? ;)
Love,
CM
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Still no mailing goin' on... (And FG City Info)
... because I'm still overworked. I'll make an effort, people, to reply as soon as I possibly can. In the meantime, know that my situation hasn't changed much since my last update. My classes are still a little wacky, and we're still watching an hour of movies (with lotsa sex in 'em) per each French class, which is kind of entertaining, I suppose.
If you don't have to keep worrying about coming home in torrential rain, that is.
But whatever. I've decided to put such a sopping experience in the past and focus on the tasks at hand:
If you don't have to keep worrying about coming home in torrential rain, that is.
But whatever. I've decided to put such a sopping experience in the past and focus on the tasks at hand:
- finish (start, actually) reading La Petite Fadette, by George Sand (for Thursday);
- finish re-writing the *$#%&! scenario for film class (as soon as humanly possible);
- re-write the same scenario as soon as Dom, our producer, disapproves of it (after he sends it back, before next Tuesday);
- stop thinking about how amazing Slim was in the movie we saw today (one of last year's movie teams had him as main character, and his performance was jaw-droppingly, gut-wrenchingly good, which really stunned me for the rest of the day, because I never thought Slim could play so wide a range of emotions, from boredom to doubt, curiosity to fear, excitement to joy, contentment to love, disappointment to anxiety, panic to madness, and render it in a way that actually captured everyone's attention and caused many intimidated, anxious laughs from people who saw what they were up against ―I'm so glad he's on my team, even though he won't be making an onscreen appearance) (effective as of now);
- take ultra-specific pictures for Photography class (for Thursday);
- therefore, learn how to use Dad's camera in manual mode (hopefully before Thursday);
- do my relaxation homework (for Friday);
- do my Philosophy homework (for tomorrow... OH SHIT);
- stop eating my brother's food (he's into cooking, lately, and he's good at it) (effective as of now);
- stop eating my brother's girlfriend's food (I think she's to blame for my brother's incursion into the kitchen) (ditto);
- DO THE RESEARCH FOR THE TRIP TO FRANCE (and rent an apartment in Paris!) (as soon as humanly possible);
- Write FG, write oneshots, write blog, write mails, write Twitchy Site material, write drabbles for the Drabble Contest on LxZ forums (as soon as humanly possible);
- Find out when I work next (as soon as humanly possible);
- Schedule lunch with my abandoned friends to pretend I still have a social life (eventually);
- Don't panic (effective as of now).
Freaking out? Now whyever would you think that?
And I'm aware that today is 9/11. As it were, though, a poll has recently revealed most people have forgotten what year 9/11 even happened in to begin with. I don't know what to make of this. Considering that my story regarding the events of 2001 is of little significance and frankly quite boring, I thought I'd skip the repetitious litany of "I remember exactly where I was that day..." and express my condolences (again) to anyone who lost someone at the time.
I'd also like to avoid starting a political debate on the subject, as that would be irrelevant for now.
Full Name: Ocean Town, Crescent
Leader(s): Mayor Tokay
Town Centre: Crescent Town Square
Founded: Start of the Third Age
Current political orientation: Guardian Alliance
Location: Labrynna shores, on the Waker Ocean
Geographical advantage: Proximity to the ocean allows for various forms of resources, as well as an easy access to Waker from the mainland.
Climate: Coast, ocean.
Weather: Even, pleasant and warm; not often subjected to storms.
Economy: Bad. The war has taken a heavy toll on this oceanside town whose infrastructures are quite damaged and badly maintained.
Technology: Average.
History: Since its foundation, it has been a fishing town known to offer shelter to a great number of orphans. Though it sought independance when the war loomed, the Guardian Alliance forcefully took it. The people of Crescent have yet to forgive the Guardian Alliance the treatment they received during the seize: the hospital and their many orphanages were razed to the ground without question and great many died. Rumour has it a resistance movement has been festering there, though Guardian Alliance occupation militia has found no solid trail.
Main races: Hylian, Rito, Zora, Sheikah
Layout: A typical town, its main square is the centre of activity, around which many houses are built. The docks on the ocean are connected to the main square by the main road.
Architecture: Pleasant until it was ravaged by the war, Crescent's architecture relies on stone walls with colourful slate rooftops. Houses don't go above three of four stories high, most of them being extensive summer houses and private establishments. Many curves are worked into walls and roofs to preserve coolness and shade in the bright, warm days. Of late, a lot of the buildings have grown decrepit and tired.
That's it for tonight. Again, I apologize for the delay in mail replies. I'm terribly, horribly sorry. I know it must be very frustrating to y'all (see, Lyx? I'm putting your lessons to use!). I can't apologize enough. : (
Love,
CM
Friday, September 07, 2007
FG City Info (and new links)
Okay, as if you didn't suspect that school/work life is complete heck already, I'll confirm it for you: it's heck.
With nary a free day (oooh, vocab) in my week, and most of my evenings spent putting children's clothes back on their hangers because so many stressed parents refuse to do better than throwing them on top of random clothing racks as opposed to, I don't know, at least dropping the hanger and the piece of clothing in the same place to make my job easier, I find myself quite unable to
a) answer my mail (thus forcing me to look like an ungrateful and solitary wretch);
b) plan out my trip to France for next summer (thus forcing me to lie to my friends about doing my part of the work);
c) write at a decent pace (but you'll be happy to know it's still getting done, by some uncanny miracle... France and friends bedamned an' all);
d) catch up on my reading (because, um, so many books, so little time);
e) keep every aspect of my life, in general, up to date (but that's nothing new, really);
f) get sidetracked.
I'd have to say that for the inveterate procrastinator in me, clause f) is probably the hardest to handle. Because it means I can't fool around with Adobe Premiere, or play a LoZ game (whichever I'm feeling up for at the moment), or bake a cake (because so far I'm the only one in the family who's yet to make herself handy in the kitchen ―not that I don't know how to cook. I do, and quite well, may I add. It's just that I don't have the bloody time), or watch movies, or play Minesweeper (I'm so good at Minesweeper, it's embarrassing) or even download great ebooks and just waste my time reading witty action/romance.
Nevertheless, I thought I'd share a few things with you people. First off, to anyone who's looking for hilarious fun at the expense of cheap card-games-market-oriented animes, I highly recommend watching Yu-Gi-Oh: The Abridged Series. Not because it's educative and intelligent, because objectively it isn't. It's juvenile and full of dumb jokes... But it's one of the few online things that I actually laugh to tears at because it's full of amazing one-liners that have, I think, the right to become instant classics. Screw the rules, I have MONEY! Definitely worth a watch if you hadn't already.
Also, notice the new links on the side. Notably Pure Pwnage and KH Insider. Now, Pure Pwnage is quite possibly the best regular live-action series I've ever seen online. Basically, it's the story of Jeremy, a pro(fessional) gamer, going by the name of The Pwnerer, whose life is filmed by Kyle, his camera-obsessed brother. Pure Pwnage starts off as a documentary on a gamer's life, but quickly turns into a twisted if highly entertaining series with memorable characters like FPS Doug, the Masterer, and many others, backed up by some pretty decent CG effects and a hilarious new form of martial art based on gaming: using the über micro. Notably, you'll encounter musical classics such as "World of Warcraft is A Feeling", "Feel Like Pwning N00bs", "Get Outta Myspace". Plus, it's Canadian, and you get to visit Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and more Canadian cities with Jeremy and Kyle as they attend various events and live out their surprisingly entertaining lives. RL is like FPS, except better graphics. Warning: only for those who think they have a basic mastery of the videogame universe.
As per KH Insider, it was, oddly enough, a send from Slim, who isn't known for his generous appreciation of anime or anything pertaining to Final Fantasy/Kingdom Hearts. What attracted his attention, clearly, wasn't the host so much as the content. You'll notice after perusing the site a little that a lot of soundtracks for videogames and animes are available there when they're impossible to find elsewhere. Not all of them are there, but it's definitely an admirable shot. I'd like to point you in the direction of the Last Exile soundtrack most particularly. If you have the chance to give the tracks (and maybe even the series itself) a download, do so. You won't regret it. Besides, the music is related to a LoZ style track, a little medieval but still quite modern and movie-like. It's also the virtual soundtrack to FG. If you try out the track called "Naval Affair", you'll know what I mean, though every song is worth being heard.
Speaking of FG, here's a new city for you to think about.
Full Name: Dragon Roost Beacon of the Gods
Leader(s): Prince Komali Feathers
Town Centre: The Volary
Founded: Start of the Third Age
Current political orientation: Guardian Alliance
Location: One of the larger islands in the West Waker, south of the Forsaken Fortress.
Geographical advantage: Its tall peak offers a perfect view on the ocean for miles and miles around.
Climate: Ocean
Weather: Generally good, windy. Sometimes prone to mild rainstorms.
Economy: Good. Focused on trading and transport.
Technology: Average.
History: A relatively young city, Dragon Roost was founded by the Ritos, who desired a place to call their own; it was partnered with Windfall, but due to recent circumstances, all trade with the east has broken off. It has become the stronghold of the Guardian Alliance in Waker.
Main races: Rito, Gerudo, Hylian
Layout: The city is actually a large and elaborate set of galleries and carved caves inside a high, towering, dormant volcano. The highest point, at the peak, is used as a launching pad and beacon. Take-off and landing platforms extend out of the huge needle-like mountain in all directions.
Architecture: In spite of its almost troglodyte form, Dragon Roost is quite elegant and well decorated. A lot of light enters the galleries at all times, giving it a daylit look in spite of its cave origins. The outside structures are a mix of metal and cement, well-armed but still surprisingly delicate-looking, extending over the sea in arches and curves.
... I think that's all I had to say for now.
Love,
CM
With nary a free day (oooh, vocab) in my week, and most of my evenings spent putting children's clothes back on their hangers because so many stressed parents refuse to do better than throwing them on top of random clothing racks as opposed to, I don't know, at least dropping the hanger and the piece of clothing in the same place to make my job easier, I find myself quite unable to
a) answer my mail (thus forcing me to look like an ungrateful and solitary wretch);
b) plan out my trip to France for next summer (thus forcing me to lie to my friends about doing my part of the work);
c) write at a decent pace (but you'll be happy to know it's still getting done, by some uncanny miracle... France and friends bedamned an' all);
d) catch up on my reading (because, um, so many books, so little time);
e) keep every aspect of my life, in general, up to date (but that's nothing new, really);
f) get sidetracked.
I'd have to say that for the inveterate procrastinator in me, clause f) is probably the hardest to handle. Because it means I can't fool around with Adobe Premiere, or play a LoZ game (whichever I'm feeling up for at the moment), or bake a cake (because so far I'm the only one in the family who's yet to make herself handy in the kitchen ―not that I don't know how to cook. I do, and quite well, may I add. It's just that I don't have the bloody time), or watch movies, or play Minesweeper (I'm so good at Minesweeper, it's embarrassing) or even download great ebooks and just waste my time reading witty action/romance.
Nevertheless, I thought I'd share a few things with you people. First off, to anyone who's looking for hilarious fun at the expense of cheap card-games-market-oriented animes, I highly recommend watching Yu-Gi-Oh: The Abridged Series. Not because it's educative and intelligent, because objectively it isn't. It's juvenile and full of dumb jokes... But it's one of the few online things that I actually laugh to tears at because it's full of amazing one-liners that have, I think, the right to become instant classics. Screw the rules, I have MONEY! Definitely worth a watch if you hadn't already.
Also, notice the new links on the side. Notably Pure Pwnage and KH Insider. Now, Pure Pwnage is quite possibly the best regular live-action series I've ever seen online. Basically, it's the story of Jeremy, a pro(fessional) gamer, going by the name of The Pwnerer, whose life is filmed by Kyle, his camera-obsessed brother. Pure Pwnage starts off as a documentary on a gamer's life, but quickly turns into a twisted if highly entertaining series with memorable characters like FPS Doug, the Masterer, and many others, backed up by some pretty decent CG effects and a hilarious new form of martial art based on gaming: using the über micro. Notably, you'll encounter musical classics such as "World of Warcraft is A Feeling", "Feel Like Pwning N00bs", "Get Outta Myspace". Plus, it's Canadian, and you get to visit Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and more Canadian cities with Jeremy and Kyle as they attend various events and live out their surprisingly entertaining lives. RL is like FPS, except better graphics. Warning: only for those who think they have a basic mastery of the videogame universe.
As per KH Insider, it was, oddly enough, a send from Slim, who isn't known for his generous appreciation of anime or anything pertaining to Final Fantasy/Kingdom Hearts. What attracted his attention, clearly, wasn't the host so much as the content. You'll notice after perusing the site a little that a lot of soundtracks for videogames and animes are available there when they're impossible to find elsewhere. Not all of them are there, but it's definitely an admirable shot. I'd like to point you in the direction of the Last Exile soundtrack most particularly. If you have the chance to give the tracks (and maybe even the series itself) a download, do so. You won't regret it. Besides, the music is related to a LoZ style track, a little medieval but still quite modern and movie-like. It's also the virtual soundtrack to FG. If you try out the track called "Naval Affair", you'll know what I mean, though every song is worth being heard.
Speaking of FG, here's a new city for you to think about.
Full Name: Dragon Roost Beacon of the Gods
Leader(s): Prince Komali Feathers
Town Centre: The Volary
Founded: Start of the Third Age
Current political orientation: Guardian Alliance
Location: One of the larger islands in the West Waker, south of the Forsaken Fortress.
Geographical advantage: Its tall peak offers a perfect view on the ocean for miles and miles around.
Climate: Ocean
Weather: Generally good, windy. Sometimes prone to mild rainstorms.
Economy: Good. Focused on trading and transport.
Technology: Average.
History: A relatively young city, Dragon Roost was founded by the Ritos, who desired a place to call their own; it was partnered with Windfall, but due to recent circumstances, all trade with the east has broken off. It has become the stronghold of the Guardian Alliance in Waker.
Main races: Rito, Gerudo, Hylian
Layout: The city is actually a large and elaborate set of galleries and carved caves inside a high, towering, dormant volcano. The highest point, at the peak, is used as a launching pad and beacon. Take-off and landing platforms extend out of the huge needle-like mountain in all directions.
Architecture: In spite of its almost troglodyte form, Dragon Roost is quite elegant and well decorated. A lot of light enters the galleries at all times, giving it a daylit look in spite of its cave origins. The outside structures are a mix of metal and cement, well-armed but still surprisingly delicate-looking, extending over the sea in arches and curves.
... I think that's all I had to say for now.
Love,
CM
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
FG Character Bio
Thought I'd drop in with a little bit of new stuff. Here's another profile. Whee!
Name: Colin Blade
Age: Seventeen
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Residence: Wherever the job takes him; ********, ******.
Skills: Sharp navigator; keen tactician.
Occupation: Hylian Alliance Air Force soldier.
Origins: ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****. His understanding of coordinates and more intellectual matters helped him become one of the youngest navigators in the Air Force, and he was soon taken under the wing of Link and Sheik.
Personality: Reserved and shy, he doesn’t have a speck of evil in him. While he understands the limits he imposes on himself, he aspires to become stronger and looks up to Link and Sheik, whom he considers brothers, but not if it involves holding a gun to someone with the intent to kill. He notices a lot but doesn’t act on what he notices, mostly out of prudishness and respect for other peoples’ problems and secrets. He is kind and patient before all.
Family / Friends: His father Rusl, his mother Uli / His captain Link, and their mechanic Sheik.
Likes: Quiet, flying, being near friends.
Dislikes: Confrontation, feelings of inadequacy, violence.
Hopes: To become like Link and Sheik.
At some point I guess I'll upload all these profiles to the Twitchy Site (EDIT: Done; go visit for a little surprise extra!), but for now they'll just stay here. It should be noted that if I'm posting these here, it's because I'm still writing Fighting Gravity, obviously, and haven't dropped it.
School is making me a lot busier than before, but I still try to devote some time to FG, so never fear. It's still going to come your way at some vague point in the future.
Love,
CM
Name: Colin Blade
Age: Seventeen
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Residence: Wherever the job takes him; ********, ******.
Skills: Sharp navigator; keen tactician.
Occupation: Hylian Alliance Air Force soldier.
Origins: ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****. His understanding of coordinates and more intellectual matters helped him become one of the youngest navigators in the Air Force, and he was soon taken under the wing of Link and Sheik.
Personality: Reserved and shy, he doesn’t have a speck of evil in him. While he understands the limits he imposes on himself, he aspires to become stronger and looks up to Link and Sheik, whom he considers brothers, but not if it involves holding a gun to someone with the intent to kill. He notices a lot but doesn’t act on what he notices, mostly out of prudishness and respect for other peoples’ problems and secrets. He is kind and patient before all.
Family / Friends: His father Rusl, his mother Uli / His captain Link, and their mechanic Sheik.
Likes: Quiet, flying, being near friends.
Dislikes: Confrontation, feelings of inadequacy, violence.
Hopes: To become like Link and Sheik.
At some point I guess I'll upload all these profiles to the Twitchy Site (EDIT: Done; go visit for a little surprise extra!), but for now they'll just stay here. It should be noted that if I'm posting these here, it's because I'm still writing Fighting Gravity, obviously, and haven't dropped it.
School is making me a lot busier than before, but I still try to devote some time to FG, so never fear. It's still going to come your way at some vague point in the future.
Love,
CM
Monday, August 27, 2007
FG City Info (and first TV class, kekeke)
Had Fiction TV class today. You read that right. My class is basically a historical study of major tv series in Canada (Quebec, more specifically). This is your cue for major jealousy fits. Go on, I'll wait.
And, as Gabie exclaimed when I entered the cafeteria before class, "Oh my god, CM, you have TV now, don't you?"
That's right. That's right. Whoop whoop.
"Yep."
"Oh my god," she gushes. "I had it last week; you will so love it."
I raise a brow. "Is the teacher any good?"
She sighs (she has a boyfriend but she ain't blind) and says, "Yeeesss. Oh, you won't hear a word because you'll be focusing on how gorgeous he is."
And gorgeous he is indeed. I entered the class with Slim (who is in my every specific class, by the way, and would have also been in my French and Gym classes if I hadn't changed my schedule) and saw that Gabie had it spot on. Our TV teacher is handsome. Not in the clean-cut way that I usually like, but most definitely in that casual just-outta-bed and not showered way. A bit like Aragorn with paler (but still long) hair. Very nice.
I sit in the back, and Slim sits next to me. Amazingly, ever since I stopped pining for him, it's like we get along a billion times better. No expectations, no disappointments. It's great. I started chatting with Liz, who sat on my other side, and we commented on a few of the class' other students. I showed off my newest shoes, heeled open-toe things that get me a few flattering looks, and she wholeheartedly agrees that sometimes, new shoes are absolutely essential to keeping a girl's spirits high.
When at last Luke (our teacher, who doesn't want to be called Sir or Mr. whatever his last name is) closes the door, he looks around as us and decides to sit on one of the desks at the front of the class rather than take his chair. He has the whole casual young adult thing going on. His voice is a little hoarse from, he says, a disappearing cold. I glance at Slim, who suffered two weeks ago from a major case of bronchitis, and he nods sagely.
"Soooo," Luke says, rocking back and forth slowly on his desk, fixing us all with lazy but all-seeing stares, "hey everyone. I'm Luke. You can call me Luke. I'm twenty-eight and studied in communications. Which means we might have the same cultural references. Which is great for me and you."
Slim turns to me and asks, in a low whisper, "Did you see this guy last year?"
I purse my lips. "Nope."
But Luke answers our questions as he continues speaking. "I went on a trip around the world last year, and it was great. But we can talk about the world some other time. We're here to talk about sitting on a couch, immersing ourselves in an important cultural icon: la télé ('TV', in French)."
Liz and I exchange glances and grin.
"Soooo... any questions so far?"
It went on like this, until he got to the class requirements. Slim and I took out our agendas and Luke said, to the whole class, "I hope you all have, like, recorders at home or something like that. Because you'll need to record episodes and... yeah. Though," he says, sitting up a little, "I won't hide I'm a bit of an inveterate downloader, so if you like dee-elling episodes, you go on right ahead, I don't mind at all."
I shoot Slim a large grin, and he smirks right back. Slim and I enjoy downloading stuff from the net; I never thought I'd find a guy with a greater addiction to d/l-ing than I, but there he is, sitting right next to me with the authorization to indulge in his little habit. We exchange a sinister chuckle that sounds not unlike "kekekeke" causing a few scared glances from Liz and Max (who was sitting behind us).
But whatever.
Somewhere during the presentation, Slim pulls out a pocket-size bag of chips, and I stare at him wide-eyed.
"Slim, oh my god, you can't eat during the very first class of the term. Save it for exams or something."
He glances at me with the open aluminum bag in his hand, crunching nonchalantly on a mouthful of potato chips. He blinks, then asks, "Want some?"
I look down into the bag and see a dozen delicious potato chips, Original flavour, my favourite (Slim and I share many tastes, turns out, which is a little creepy after a while).
"Well... yeah, I guess."
Slim nods and fetches into his backpack and hands me an unopened bag, identical to his, with a smirk.
My eyes widen. "Whoa, you're giving me the whole thing? How many packs do you have in there?"
He shrugs but doesn't answer me, eagerly eating more chips. So I open my bag and we sit back in our chairs, listening to Luke as he goes on to talk about soap operas. Between mouthfuls, I hear Slim whisper, "I can't believe we have a class almost exclusively dedicated to our favourite TV shows."
I almost choke on my mouthful as I hold back a laugh. When he finishes his bag of chips, he starts digging into mine. I shoot him a violated pout, and he raises both brows, whispering, "Hey, don't give me that. They're MY chips to begin with."
So I shrug and let him dig in all he wants. Whatever.
"And now," Luke says, "Enough talking from me. Let's do a practical exercise. Get in teams of four or five, and invent me a TV show by a Quebec firm for a Quebecer viewing public. Your goal is to get a concept that will interest the biggest number of people possible while lasting the longest possible time. Get in teams."
I shoot a glance at Liz, then at a Slim, then the three of us turn to look pointedly at Max, who bursts out laughing. When Max laughs, the whole world knows, because he laughs in sharp, loud bursts. Like 'AAAA-HA-HA-HA". No point saying that, just thought I'd share. It's funny.
We gather round. Before any of us can get a word in, Slim says, "Okay, so here it is: the whole province of Quebec is attacked by natural disasters, which cause an undead riot."
Me (wondering how it could possibly be that Slim is as much as disaster movie fan as I): "Not to burst your bubble, sweetheart, but I doubt that concept will appeal to every viewing public category."
Slim (disappointed): "But... zombies...!"
Liz: "We should go for issues that are really important to Quebec society at the moment. Like reasonable accomodation or the fall of the Parti Québécois, you know?"
Me: "It's true. You know why André Boisclair fell, though?"
Max: "Do tell."
Me: "He was gay and an ex cocaine consumer. Urban stuff, you know? You'll never find those in the rural areas. But the PQ's main supporters were in the remoter regions. Suddenly they didn't identify with him. Wonder why."
Slim: "Zombies."
Me: "Oh, shut up, Slim. We can't have zombies."
Slim: "But―"
Me: "Isn't the third Resident Evil movie coming out anyway?"
Slim: "EXACTLY, let's do RE meets The Day After Tomorrow, except in Montreal!"
Max: "Disagree. Everyone wants sitcoms to happen in Montreal because it's the only major city of Quebec. Let's be different. The majority of the viewing public doesn't have to be in Montreal anyway. Let's give them something new. La grande séduction meets... I don't know, something with general issues."
Me: "An inheritance."
Liz: "Pressures from the United States and Ontario― the English-speaking world chokes Quebec."
Slim: "And shady stuff."
Me: "Five appealing main characters, all different, all related in some way."
Liz: "All dealing with different themes and issues."
Max: "Wait! Slow down, I can't write that fast!"
Slim (smirking at Max, who is struggling to jot everything down): "AndzombieswithResidentEvil andlotsofbloodandgore, probablywithafewtornadoes andearthquakesandtsunamis."
Me: "Don't write that down, Max."
Max (sarcastic): "Oh gee I hadn't realised. Gosh how silly of me."
We had fun. TV class will be awesome.
Oooh, did I promise a city profile? Well, here it is (I'm still writing, by the way. I'm on page 73... slowly but surely...).
Full Name: Castleton, Capital of Hyrule
Leader(s): Princess Zelda Harkinian, Admiral Auru Mage and High Priest Rauru Luz
Town Centre: Citadel of Time
Founded: Start of the First Age
Current political orientation: Hylian Alliance
Location: Central-north of Hyrule, south of the Calatian mountain range
Geographical advantage: In the middle of fields, its visibility range is unhindered in every direction for miles.
Climate: Plains
Weather: Temperate, generally sunny and warm, prone to storms brought on by the mountains in the north and east.
Economy: Bordering on bad. The war has indebted the city and weakened it greatly. Focused on agriculture and aerial trade.
Technology: Medium-advanced.
History: One of the earliest cities, it was a gathering of farmers before turning into an important market town, where eventually merchants became bourgeois, then aristocrats. The most powerful were named monarchs, and the influence of Castleton became the country of Hyrule. Its focus has always been to keep power and protect its people. The Citadel of Time itself is a relic of the ancient temple that is spoken of in legends.
Main races: Hylian, Sheikah, Gerudo, Goron
Layout: Circular, with outer protective wall and inner fortress (Citadel of Time)
Architecture: A mix and match of all kinds of architectures, it has no style and could be considered rather ugly. Cobblestones mix with metallic panels and grates, cement with slate, brick with glass, steel with wood. The Citadel is the only homogenous-looking building of Castleton, its tall tower visible from miles and miles anywhere in the plains of Hyrule.
So that's that for today. Tomorrow's my dreaded dinner-date with Bass, who just called to confirm. Darn. But that's okay. I'll take it coolly and be honest.
Or, as Karl from my job said, "Be so blunt you break his heart so bad he'll remember his whole life to never call anyone 'doll' again."
On a side note, I'd like to congratulate Lyxie for her entry in the UFO Awards!!! I'm so proud of you, girl (and I feel very privileged to be allowed to read your stuff before everyone else ―hush hush)!!
Love,
CM
And, as Gabie exclaimed when I entered the cafeteria before class, "Oh my god, CM, you have TV now, don't you?"
That's right. That's right. Whoop whoop.
"Yep."
"Oh my god," she gushes. "I had it last week; you will so love it."
I raise a brow. "Is the teacher any good?"
She sighs (she has a boyfriend but she ain't blind) and says, "Yeeesss. Oh, you won't hear a word because you'll be focusing on how gorgeous he is."
And gorgeous he is indeed. I entered the class with Slim (who is in my every specific class, by the way, and would have also been in my French and Gym classes if I hadn't changed my schedule) and saw that Gabie had it spot on. Our TV teacher is handsome. Not in the clean-cut way that I usually like, but most definitely in that casual just-outta-bed and not showered way. A bit like Aragorn with paler (but still long) hair. Very nice.
I sit in the back, and Slim sits next to me. Amazingly, ever since I stopped pining for him, it's like we get along a billion times better. No expectations, no disappointments. It's great. I started chatting with Liz, who sat on my other side, and we commented on a few of the class' other students. I showed off my newest shoes, heeled open-toe things that get me a few flattering looks, and she wholeheartedly agrees that sometimes, new shoes are absolutely essential to keeping a girl's spirits high.
When at last Luke (our teacher, who doesn't want to be called Sir or Mr. whatever his last name is) closes the door, he looks around as us and decides to sit on one of the desks at the front of the class rather than take his chair. He has the whole casual young adult thing going on. His voice is a little hoarse from, he says, a disappearing cold. I glance at Slim, who suffered two weeks ago from a major case of bronchitis, and he nods sagely.
"Soooo," Luke says, rocking back and forth slowly on his desk, fixing us all with lazy but all-seeing stares, "hey everyone. I'm Luke. You can call me Luke. I'm twenty-eight and studied in communications. Which means we might have the same cultural references. Which is great for me and you."
Slim turns to me and asks, in a low whisper, "Did you see this guy last year?"
I purse my lips. "Nope."
But Luke answers our questions as he continues speaking. "I went on a trip around the world last year, and it was great. But we can talk about the world some other time. We're here to talk about sitting on a couch, immersing ourselves in an important cultural icon: la télé ('TV', in French)."
Liz and I exchange glances and grin.
"Soooo... any questions so far?"
It went on like this, until he got to the class requirements. Slim and I took out our agendas and Luke said, to the whole class, "I hope you all have, like, recorders at home or something like that. Because you'll need to record episodes and... yeah. Though," he says, sitting up a little, "I won't hide I'm a bit of an inveterate downloader, so if you like dee-elling episodes, you go on right ahead, I don't mind at all."
I shoot Slim a large grin, and he smirks right back. Slim and I enjoy downloading stuff from the net; I never thought I'd find a guy with a greater addiction to d/l-ing than I, but there he is, sitting right next to me with the authorization to indulge in his little habit. We exchange a sinister chuckle that sounds not unlike "kekekeke" causing a few scared glances from Liz and Max (who was sitting behind us).
But whatever.
Somewhere during the presentation, Slim pulls out a pocket-size bag of chips, and I stare at him wide-eyed.
"Slim, oh my god, you can't eat during the very first class of the term. Save it for exams or something."
He glances at me with the open aluminum bag in his hand, crunching nonchalantly on a mouthful of potato chips. He blinks, then asks, "Want some?"
I look down into the bag and see a dozen delicious potato chips, Original flavour, my favourite (Slim and I share many tastes, turns out, which is a little creepy after a while).
"Well... yeah, I guess."
Slim nods and fetches into his backpack and hands me an unopened bag, identical to his, with a smirk.
My eyes widen. "Whoa, you're giving me the whole thing? How many packs do you have in there?"
He shrugs but doesn't answer me, eagerly eating more chips. So I open my bag and we sit back in our chairs, listening to Luke as he goes on to talk about soap operas. Between mouthfuls, I hear Slim whisper, "I can't believe we have a class almost exclusively dedicated to our favourite TV shows."
I almost choke on my mouthful as I hold back a laugh. When he finishes his bag of chips, he starts digging into mine. I shoot him a violated pout, and he raises both brows, whispering, "Hey, don't give me that. They're MY chips to begin with."
So I shrug and let him dig in all he wants. Whatever.
"And now," Luke says, "Enough talking from me. Let's do a practical exercise. Get in teams of four or five, and invent me a TV show by a Quebec firm for a Quebecer viewing public. Your goal is to get a concept that will interest the biggest number of people possible while lasting the longest possible time. Get in teams."
I shoot a glance at Liz, then at a Slim, then the three of us turn to look pointedly at Max, who bursts out laughing. When Max laughs, the whole world knows, because he laughs in sharp, loud bursts. Like 'AAAA-HA-HA-HA". No point saying that, just thought I'd share. It's funny.
We gather round. Before any of us can get a word in, Slim says, "Okay, so here it is: the whole province of Quebec is attacked by natural disasters, which cause an undead riot."
Me (wondering how it could possibly be that Slim is as much as disaster movie fan as I): "Not to burst your bubble, sweetheart, but I doubt that concept will appeal to every viewing public category."
Slim (disappointed): "But... zombies...!"
Liz: "We should go for issues that are really important to Quebec society at the moment. Like reasonable accomodation or the fall of the Parti Québécois, you know?"
Me: "It's true. You know why André Boisclair fell, though?"
Max: "Do tell."
Me: "He was gay and an ex cocaine consumer. Urban stuff, you know? You'll never find those in the rural areas. But the PQ's main supporters were in the remoter regions. Suddenly they didn't identify with him. Wonder why."
Slim: "Zombies."
Me: "Oh, shut up, Slim. We can't have zombies."
Slim: "But―"
Me: "Isn't the third Resident Evil movie coming out anyway?"
Slim: "EXACTLY, let's do RE meets The Day After Tomorrow, except in Montreal!"
Max: "Disagree. Everyone wants sitcoms to happen in Montreal because it's the only major city of Quebec. Let's be different. The majority of the viewing public doesn't have to be in Montreal anyway. Let's give them something new. La grande séduction meets... I don't know, something with general issues."
Me: "An inheritance."
Liz: "Pressures from the United States and Ontario― the English-speaking world chokes Quebec."
Slim: "And shady stuff."
Me: "Five appealing main characters, all different, all related in some way."
Liz: "All dealing with different themes and issues."
Max: "Wait! Slow down, I can't write that fast!"
Slim (smirking at Max, who is struggling to jot everything down): "AndzombieswithResidentEvil andlotsofbloodandgore, probablywithafewtornadoes andearthquakesandtsunamis."
Me: "Don't write that down, Max."
Max (sarcastic): "Oh gee I hadn't realised. Gosh how silly of me."
We had fun. TV class will be awesome.
Oooh, did I promise a city profile? Well, here it is (I'm still writing, by the way. I'm on page 73... slowly but surely...).
Full Name: Castleton, Capital of Hyrule
Leader(s): Princess Zelda Harkinian, Admiral Auru Mage and High Priest Rauru Luz
Town Centre: Citadel of Time
Founded: Start of the First Age
Current political orientation: Hylian Alliance
Location: Central-north of Hyrule, south of the Calatian mountain range
Geographical advantage: In the middle of fields, its visibility range is unhindered in every direction for miles.
Climate: Plains
Weather: Temperate, generally sunny and warm, prone to storms brought on by the mountains in the north and east.
Economy: Bordering on bad. The war has indebted the city and weakened it greatly. Focused on agriculture and aerial trade.
Technology: Medium-advanced.
History: One of the earliest cities, it was a gathering of farmers before turning into an important market town, where eventually merchants became bourgeois, then aristocrats. The most powerful were named monarchs, and the influence of Castleton became the country of Hyrule. Its focus has always been to keep power and protect its people. The Citadel of Time itself is a relic of the ancient temple that is spoken of in legends.
Main races: Hylian, Sheikah, Gerudo, Goron
Layout: Circular, with outer protective wall and inner fortress (Citadel of Time)
Architecture: A mix and match of all kinds of architectures, it has no style and could be considered rather ugly. Cobblestones mix with metallic panels and grates, cement with slate, brick with glass, steel with wood. The Citadel is the only homogenous-looking building of Castleton, its tall tower visible from miles and miles anywhere in the plains of Hyrule.
So that's that for today. Tomorrow's my dreaded dinner-date with Bass, who just called to confirm. Darn. But that's okay. I'll take it coolly and be honest.
Or, as Karl from my job said, "Be so blunt you break his heart so bad he'll remember his whole life to never call anyone 'doll' again."
On a side note, I'd like to congratulate Lyxie for her entry in the UFO Awards!!! I'm so proud of you, girl (and I feel very privileged to be allowed to read your stuff before everyone else ―hush hush)!!
Love,
CM
Thursday, August 16, 2007
FG Character Bio
Today we find out about one of Link's partners, his mechanic.
Name: Sheik Strike
Age: Mid-twenties
Hair: Pale blonde
Eyes: Brownish red
Residence: Wherever the job takes him.
Skills: Talented mechanic; good pilot.
Occupation: Hylian Alliance Air Force sergeant.
Origins: Not much is known of Sheik’s past, only that he was ****************************************. His natural talent for building and repairing things soon got him a job as assistant mechanic around the age of eleven. He spent the next few years gathering enough money to build his own aircraft and start participating in races to make more money. It was during this time that he met Link and they became friends and partners. Ever since ***************************************, he follows Link on his errands, which usually involves fixing things.
Personality: Quiet, usually, though sometimes his overall calm can be broken by spurts of annoyance or anger. He knows his exact worth and doesn’t make a habit of overstepping his bounds. He keeps a brotherly eye on those close to him, providing flawless loyalty and reliability. He makes a point of staying one step ahead of everyone else, and is irritated by those who sweep the carpet from under his feet or those who doubt his capacity.
Family / Friends: No known relatives / His captain Link, their navigator *****.
Likes: Making predictions, fixing machines, races.
Dislikes: The Guardian Alliance, arrogance, unexpected turns.
Hopes: To destroy the Guardian Alliance.
Whoops, storm's coming (must turn off computer, as power lines are quite unstable in this neighbourhood) and I'm off to see Stardust, so that's it for now. ;)
Love,
CM
Name: Sheik Strike
Age: Mid-twenties
Hair: Pale blonde
Eyes: Brownish red
Residence: Wherever the job takes him.
Skills: Talented mechanic; good pilot.
Occupation: Hylian Alliance Air Force sergeant.
Origins: Not much is known of Sheik’s past, only that he was ****************************************. His natural talent for building and repairing things soon got him a job as assistant mechanic around the age of eleven. He spent the next few years gathering enough money to build his own aircraft and start participating in races to make more money. It was during this time that he met Link and they became friends and partners. Ever since ***************************************, he follows Link on his errands, which usually involves fixing things.
Personality: Quiet, usually, though sometimes his overall calm can be broken by spurts of annoyance or anger. He knows his exact worth and doesn’t make a habit of overstepping his bounds. He keeps a brotherly eye on those close to him, providing flawless loyalty and reliability. He makes a point of staying one step ahead of everyone else, and is irritated by those who sweep the carpet from under his feet or those who doubt his capacity.
Family / Friends: No known relatives / His captain Link, their navigator *****.
Likes: Making predictions, fixing machines, races.
Dislikes: The Guardian Alliance, arrogance, unexpected turns.
Hopes: To destroy the Guardian Alliance.
Whoops, storm's coming (must turn off computer, as power lines are quite unstable in this neighbourhood) and I'm off to see Stardust, so that's it for now. ;)
Love,
CM
Sunday, August 12, 2007
FG Character Bio
As some of you may know (or not know, depending on what proportion you're part of), Fighting Gravity's plot will be divided between several groups of characters. While it is true that Link and co. are the main focus, a lot of characters gravitate around that group and affect the bigger picture.
One such character is Midna.
Name: Midna Black
Age: Twenty-seven
Hair: Orange
Eyes: Gold
Residence: Palace of Nightfall, Twilight.
Skills: Great leader; good manipulator.
Occupation: Princess of Twilight.
Origins: Midna, like Zelda, was raised to become the leader of Twilight, but she has been at the head of her country far longer than the Hyrulian princess. She had her reasons to join the Guardian Alliance.
Personality: Confident, manipulative, and a real opportunist, she was cursed with a true desire to help her country. The only thing is that she uses more twisted paths to accomplish her goals. Her loyalty is always questionable, as she tends to act for her own profit and those she cares for, even if that implies sacrificing a few people on the way. Her mask of laughter hides a more brooding dark side and a grim outlook on the world, something she constantly tries to change.
Family / Friends: No living relatives / No current friends.
Likes: Twilight, mind games, being right.
Dislikes: Surprises, withheld information, being mistreated.
Hopes: To restore peace to Twilight.
I'm quite fond of Midna's character, not because she has spunk (which she does), but because it's very easy to keep her on the fence between good and evil, and that particular balance is way too fun to play with. What side she tips into by the end of the story is still up in the air right now...
Also, please note that my previous update (August 10th) was the one-year anniversary of this blog! I hadn't even noticed. So there. :D
Love,
CM
One such character is Midna.
Name: Midna Black
Age: Twenty-seven
Hair: Orange
Eyes: Gold
Residence: Palace of Nightfall, Twilight.
Skills: Great leader; good manipulator.
Occupation: Princess of Twilight.
Origins: Midna, like Zelda, was raised to become the leader of Twilight, but she has been at the head of her country far longer than the Hyrulian princess. She had her reasons to join the Guardian Alliance.
Personality: Confident, manipulative, and a real opportunist, she was cursed with a true desire to help her country. The only thing is that she uses more twisted paths to accomplish her goals. Her loyalty is always questionable, as she tends to act for her own profit and those she cares for, even if that implies sacrificing a few people on the way. Her mask of laughter hides a more brooding dark side and a grim outlook on the world, something she constantly tries to change.
Family / Friends: No living relatives / No current friends.
Likes: Twilight, mind games, being right.
Dislikes: Surprises, withheld information, being mistreated.
Hopes: To restore peace to Twilight.
I'm quite fond of Midna's character, not because she has spunk (which she does), but because it's very easy to keep her on the fence between good and evil, and that particular balance is way too fun to play with. What side she tips into by the end of the story is still up in the air right now...
Also, please note that my previous update (August 10th) was the one-year anniversary of this blog! I hadn't even noticed. So there. :D
Love,
CM
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
FG City Info
Again, at random, I picked a new city from FG to explore. Today, we visit Nightfall. OMG, you'll say, what is that??
Well, read on and find out.
Full Name: Nightfall, Capital of Twilight
Town Leader(s): Princess Midna Black
Town Centre: Palace of Twilight
Founded: End of the First Age
Current political orientation: Guardian Alliance
Location: Middle of Twilight, northwest of Hyrule
Geographical advantage: Isolated, in the middle of vast barren lands; good energetic and mining resources
Climate: Desertic, plain
Weather: Cool, dry, windy.
Economy: Good. Focused on selling Sols, the energetic minerals found only in Twilight underground.
Technology: Advanced.
History: Originally named 'The City of the Exiles', Nightfall was a place for those who were banned from ever returning to Hyrule. It was considered a fate worse than emprisonment, and for a long time the slowly growing city would leaderlessly cower in shame. When a prideful ruler decided to declare himself leader of Twilight and set his foot down in Nightfall, the exiles and the natives, the Twili, gladly accepted it. Over time the country felt a sharp turnabout, becoming disdainful of the world and confident in the hold of the Black royal family, who have become a respected and somewhat feared set of monarchs in the world.
Main races: Twili, Hylian, Gerudo, Sheikah.
Layout: A disarray of houses in the plains, it has little organization. Most streets and avenues lead to the Palace of Twilight, in the middle of the extensive city.
Architecture: Dark, black stone ―the common rock― make angular buildings with geometrical designs in bright colours (mostly red, green and yellow). Many buildings are hover-based and float above the ground. It seems mostly austere and unwelcoming.
It seemed absurd to me that the Twilight would have only one palace and nothing else. There isn't much place for the Twili to live in, after all. So I figure that beyond the clouds that float under the Palace of Twilight is a capital city over which Midna would rule.
I also find that the city's looks themselves remind me of Midna in many ways, of her personality. It seems fitting, at least.
More as time goes. :)
Love,
CM
P.S. Remember, you can always consult the world map for FG here.
Well, read on and find out.
Full Name: Nightfall, Capital of Twilight
Town Leader(s): Princess Midna Black
Town Centre: Palace of Twilight
Founded: End of the First Age
Current political orientation: Guardian Alliance
Location: Middle of Twilight, northwest of Hyrule
Geographical advantage: Isolated, in the middle of vast barren lands; good energetic and mining resources
Climate: Desertic, plain
Weather: Cool, dry, windy.
Economy: Good. Focused on selling Sols, the energetic minerals found only in Twilight underground.
Technology: Advanced.
History: Originally named 'The City of the Exiles', Nightfall was a place for those who were banned from ever returning to Hyrule. It was considered a fate worse than emprisonment, and for a long time the slowly growing city would leaderlessly cower in shame. When a prideful ruler decided to declare himself leader of Twilight and set his foot down in Nightfall, the exiles and the natives, the Twili, gladly accepted it. Over time the country felt a sharp turnabout, becoming disdainful of the world and confident in the hold of the Black royal family, who have become a respected and somewhat feared set of monarchs in the world.
Main races: Twili, Hylian, Gerudo, Sheikah.
Layout: A disarray of houses in the plains, it has little organization. Most streets and avenues lead to the Palace of Twilight, in the middle of the extensive city.
Architecture: Dark, black stone ―the common rock― make angular buildings with geometrical designs in bright colours (mostly red, green and yellow). Many buildings are hover-based and float above the ground. It seems mostly austere and unwelcoming.
It seemed absurd to me that the Twilight would have only one palace and nothing else. There isn't much place for the Twili to live in, after all. So I figure that beyond the clouds that float under the Palace of Twilight is a capital city over which Midna would rule.
I also find that the city's looks themselves remind me of Midna in many ways, of her personality. It seems fitting, at least.
More as time goes. :)
Love,
CM
P.S. Remember, you can always consult the world map for FG here.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Whoops...
"Are you angry?" My brother asks as he sits at his desk. Our computer desks are adjacent, so he can see my face by looking just a little off his computer screen. He looks confused.
I blink and look up. "What?" I'm confused too. "Angry? No."
"You look angry."
I blink again, slowly, and then I glance at my computer screen. My main document for Fighting Gravity is open there, in the middle of a scene where two characters violently argue. Before my brother snapped my attention away from it, I was trying to figure out how to describe the facial expression for one of the characters.
Awkwardly, I look back at my brother, who's still looking a little confused. "Oh. Um. Sorry. Got carried away."
"Oh. Writing again?"
"Um. Yeah."
"Oh. Okay then."
... Whoops. :x
Love,
CM
P.S. Note the change of colour. I couldn't resist. I mean... It's green! :D
I blink and look up. "What?" I'm confused too. "Angry? No."
"You look angry."
I blink again, slowly, and then I glance at my computer screen. My main document for Fighting Gravity is open there, in the middle of a scene where two characters violently argue. Before my brother snapped my attention away from it, I was trying to figure out how to describe the facial expression for one of the characters.
Awkwardly, I look back at my brother, who's still looking a little confused. "Oh. Um. Sorry. Got carried away."
"Oh. Writing again?"
"Um. Yeah."
"Oh. Okay then."
... Whoops. :x
Love,
CM
P.S. Note the change of colour. I couldn't resist. I mean... It's green! :D
Thursday, August 02, 2007
FG Character Bio and a Half
I figure it's been a while since I posted something exclusively dedicated to Fighting Gravity and that seemed blasphemous enough, so here's more news.
I'm writing still. The story is moving along at a steady pace. It's not very fast, but it's still a good speed, considering my job takes up precious hours of potential progress. At least I haven't had an occasion to get tired just yet. I'm at 62 pages of a story I'm extremely pleased with (very roughly: six chapters) and I personally find that it will be very well-tied and full of things to keep you interested, like action and tension of all kinds and all the fun things in between.
At the moment, I'm done planning half of it and have a vague idea of the second half. The first half, as things are going, will probably be around two hundred pages long, so... probably the second half will be, too.
That's a lot of pages, but I'm optimistic. I love the work I'm doing right now, and I only hope that it's worth it in the end. It's likely I'll start posting once I'm ¾ done, so again, I apologize for the delay, but having many buffer chapters worked for Only in Hyrule and I intend to stick to the concept.
Here's, therefore, the profile of another character from FG (also one of my favourite characters!):
Name: Dark Knight
Age: Twenty-eight
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Residence: Most Guardian Alliance Marine Forces battleships.
Skills: Impressive sense of deduction; great marksman.
Occupation: Guardian Alliance Marine Force captain.
Origins: Dark doesn’t talk much about his past. He has little standing and appeared on the doorstep of the Military Academy one evening, with no words about his story beforehand. His tactical abilities and marksmanship ensured him a position as captain, and he befriended a fellow trainee, *******, while turning into a seducer and brilliant officer.
Personality: Cynically cheerful and a real libertine, he tends to contradict himself, notably by joining the army. He has no defined sense of self, but he thinks highly of his capacities and acts as though he’s driven by ambition, though he aspires to no set goal. He allows people to tell him what to do, mostly because he doesn’t consider he has anything better to do ―he’ll grouch about it plenty, though. His thoughts are only revealed in bits and pieces, at whim, only to a select few.
Family / Friends: No known relatives / A fellow captain, *******.
Likes: Physical satisfaction, lazing around, his reflection.
Dislikes: Feeling weak, politics, responsibilities.
Hopes: For nothing definite; perhaps a good bout of sex.
So that's Dark, also known as one of the very fun characters to write. And I'll throw in another profile, though it's not as elaborate as the others.
Name: Wulf
Age: Four
Species: Canine
Fur: Grey and white
Eyes: Blue
Residence: Citadel of Time, Castleton, Hyrule.
Skills: Biting, digging.
Occupation: Princess Zelda’s pet
Personality: Protective, perceptive, and all-around trustworthy.
Likes: Food, sleep, Zelda.
Dislikes: Hunger, threats, cold.
Isn't he awesome? You know he is. At first I hesitated in including that incarnation of Link, but I figured, with all the incarnations of Link I'm going to― oops. Getting carried away here. ;)
Love,
CM
I'm writing still. The story is moving along at a steady pace. It's not very fast, but it's still a good speed, considering my job takes up precious hours of potential progress. At least I haven't had an occasion to get tired just yet. I'm at 62 pages of a story I'm extremely pleased with (very roughly: six chapters) and I personally find that it will be very well-tied and full of things to keep you interested, like action and tension of all kinds and all the fun things in between.
At the moment, I'm done planning half of it and have a vague idea of the second half. The first half, as things are going, will probably be around two hundred pages long, so... probably the second half will be, too.
That's a lot of pages, but I'm optimistic. I love the work I'm doing right now, and I only hope that it's worth it in the end. It's likely I'll start posting once I'm ¾ done, so again, I apologize for the delay, but having many buffer chapters worked for Only in Hyrule and I intend to stick to the concept.
Here's, therefore, the profile of another character from FG (also one of my favourite characters!):
Name: Dark Knight
Age: Twenty-eight
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Residence: Most Guardian Alliance Marine Forces battleships.
Skills: Impressive sense of deduction; great marksman.
Occupation: Guardian Alliance Marine Force captain.
Origins: Dark doesn’t talk much about his past. He has little standing and appeared on the doorstep of the Military Academy one evening, with no words about his story beforehand. His tactical abilities and marksmanship ensured him a position as captain, and he befriended a fellow trainee, *******, while turning into a seducer and brilliant officer.
Personality: Cynically cheerful and a real libertine, he tends to contradict himself, notably by joining the army. He has no defined sense of self, but he thinks highly of his capacities and acts as though he’s driven by ambition, though he aspires to no set goal. He allows people to tell him what to do, mostly because he doesn’t consider he has anything better to do ―he’ll grouch about it plenty, though. His thoughts are only revealed in bits and pieces, at whim, only to a select few.
Family / Friends: No known relatives / A fellow captain, *******.
Likes: Physical satisfaction, lazing around, his reflection.
Dislikes: Feeling weak, politics, responsibilities.
Hopes: For nothing definite; perhaps a good bout of sex.
So that's Dark, also known as one of the very fun characters to write. And I'll throw in another profile, though it's not as elaborate as the others.
Name: Wulf
Age: Four
Species: Canine
Fur: Grey and white
Eyes: Blue
Residence: Citadel of Time, Castleton, Hyrule.
Skills: Biting, digging.
Occupation: Princess Zelda’s pet
Personality: Protective, perceptive, and all-around trustworthy.
Likes: Food, sleep, Zelda.
Dislikes: Hunger, threats, cold.
Isn't he awesome? You know he is. At first I hesitated in including that incarnation of Link, but I figured, with all the incarnations of Link I'm going to― oops. Getting carried away here. ;)
Love,
CM
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
FG City Info
Much like character profiles, I thought I'd do fact sheets about cities, since cities play a large part in FG. I will continue posting character profiles, but I prefer not to use them all up too fast, and also avoid revealing too much too soon.
The setting of FG is composed of eight countries, each of them populated by different peoples and races. Most large population gatherings have their own particularities and I'll try to give a portrait of a few important cities in Fighting Gravity. Here is the profile of... *random draw* Samasa.
Full name: Desert Town of Samasa
Town Leader(s): Crime lords
Town Centre: The market
Founded: End of the Second Age
Current political orientation: Guardian Alliance
Location: East of Holodrum, south-west of Hyrule's town of Gerudo
Geographical advantage: Overlooking the desert pass from Holodrum to Hyrule; large underground complexes and caves
Climate: Desertic, mountain
Weather: Windy, very hot; sandstorms are common.
Economy: Good; mostly a centre for reselling and purchasing stolen goods.
Technology: Medium-advanced.
History: Originally a small hideout for a group of thieves, Samasa grew into a large burg of black market trade and illegal activities. While considered a town of Holodrum, it doesn't recognise leaders or politicians. The civil war is beneficial to Samasa.
Main races: Hylian, Gerudo, Twili, Rito
Layout: Sprawling from the dry desert to the mountain cliffs above, hubs are connected by narrow strips of needle-turn roads on the cliffs; the rest of the city is relatively flat. The underground complexes are extensive.
Architecture: Stone, cliff-side formations; ground-level buildings are a mix of metal and rock; many mountain-level buildings were carved straight into the cliffs. Basic and utilitarian, they do not focus on beauty, but rather on practicality.
And that's that, for now. :)
Love,
CM
P.S. Remember, you can always consult the world map for FG here.
The setting of FG is composed of eight countries, each of them populated by different peoples and races. Most large population gatherings have their own particularities and I'll try to give a portrait of a few important cities in Fighting Gravity. Here is the profile of... *random draw* Samasa.
Full name: Desert Town of Samasa
Town Leader(s): Crime lords
Town Centre: The market
Founded: End of the Second Age
Current political orientation: Guardian Alliance
Location: East of Holodrum, south-west of Hyrule's town of Gerudo
Geographical advantage: Overlooking the desert pass from Holodrum to Hyrule; large underground complexes and caves
Climate: Desertic, mountain
Weather: Windy, very hot; sandstorms are common.
Economy: Good; mostly a centre for reselling and purchasing stolen goods.
Technology: Medium-advanced.
History: Originally a small hideout for a group of thieves, Samasa grew into a large burg of black market trade and illegal activities. While considered a town of Holodrum, it doesn't recognise leaders or politicians. The civil war is beneficial to Samasa.
Main races: Hylian, Gerudo, Twili, Rito
Layout: Sprawling from the dry desert to the mountain cliffs above, hubs are connected by narrow strips of needle-turn roads on the cliffs; the rest of the city is relatively flat. The underground complexes are extensive.
Architecture: Stone, cliff-side formations; ground-level buildings are a mix of metal and rock; many mountain-level buildings were carved straight into the cliffs. Basic and utilitarian, they do not focus on beauty, but rather on practicality.
And that's that, for now. :)
Love,
CM
P.S. Remember, you can always consult the world map for FG here.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Bitching against writing
Okay, seriously, who decided that epic stories had to be so complex? I get that you need to keep people interested, but it's like I'm on a whole new level here. Seriously. By my recknoning, I only just finished the beginning of FG and I'm past 50 pages.
Oh, sure, now I can get into the fun stuff, but come on. Something's gotta give.
Maybe that's what I get for trying to make it "epic". OiH was so much easier to plan out. It was so straightforward. But FG has multiple stories going parallel and intertwining at crucial moments and all that. You can SO NOT plan that out without like, a thousand diagrams.
But that's okay. I'm okay. I'll show that bloody story who the master is here. I'll show it.
*pulls out hair*
Love,
CM
P.S. Seriously, though, I'm fine. Just giving a heads-up.
Oh, sure, now I can get into the fun stuff, but come on. Something's gotta give.
Maybe that's what I get for trying to make it "epic". OiH was so much easier to plan out. It was so straightforward. But FG has multiple stories going parallel and intertwining at crucial moments and all that. You can SO NOT plan that out without like, a thousand diagrams.
But that's okay. I'm okay. I'll show that bloody story who the master is here. I'll show it.
*pulls out hair*
Love,
CM
P.S. Seriously, though, I'm fine. Just giving a heads-up.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Exclamation points!
Before I get into the massive hyperactivity attack that usually captures me at this time of day (thank you, one AM), LOOK AT THIS!
LOOKIT ALL THOSE HITS!!!!
I KNOW!!!! I'M TOTALLY SHOCKED TOO!
*fans self*
Sooooo... As a thank you for all your amazing feedback and lurking (I'm grateful, even for the lurkers), I published a Zelink oneshot. It seems, though, that ff.net is being annoying and not sending alerts, so here's my alert.
Thank you so much, everyone.
Love,
CM
Edit: Why... I'm quite sure that...
Wait. Hang on. Ah. Yes, indeed, it seems FG will be, like, fifty billion times longer than OiH. How exciting.
*weeps*
Back to writing, then. Rome was not built in one day, and it was built by anti-procrastinators at that. Imagine what it is for me.
(Am currently at page 52, in the part where the following phrase is spoken: "I didn't know they still made attractive mechanics." Am incidently loving my inane wit and hilarious dialogue. ... Hah.)
LOOKIT ALL THOSE HITS!!!!
I KNOW!!!! I'M TOTALLY SHOCKED TOO!
*fans self*
Sooooo... As a thank you for all your amazing feedback and lurking (I'm grateful, even for the lurkers), I published a Zelink oneshot. It seems, though, that ff.net is being annoying and not sending alerts, so here's my alert.
Thank you so much, everyone.
Love,
CM
Edit: Why... I'm quite sure that...
Wait. Hang on. Ah. Yes, indeed, it seems FG will be, like, fifty billion times longer than OiH. How exciting.
*weeps*
Back to writing, then. Rome was not built in one day, and it was built by anti-procrastinators at that. Imagine what it is for me.
(Am currently at page 52, in the part where the following phrase is spoken: "I didn't know they still made attractive mechanics." Am incidently loving my inane wit and hilarious dialogue. ... Hah.)
Friday, July 06, 2007
FG Character Bio
I realise updates are slow in coming, but seeing as I'm juggling my job (my boss gave me plenty more hours! Money!), writing, revising, reading most excellent books (Meg Cabot, Michelle Jaffe, and many more) and fanfics... (*looks pointedly at Lyxie's Chance*), and shopping (it's sidewalk sales weekend! Bargains! Promotions! Sales! Cute shirts and capris!!), I'm a little short on time to update as often as I'd like.
Still, I'd like to dedicate this post to Hunk Boy 50194875, whom I saw yesterday when I came to work, and I would like to ask him (assuming Jedi Mind Tricks have an impact on guys who don't even know me) "WHY DID YOU HAVE TO JUST WALK OUT?"
I work in the children's department, you know, Hunk Boy 50194875, so why didn't you slow down a little so I could marvel at your godliness and so we could pick out clothes for our future children? I also wanted to know if I was hallucinating or if there really was a wind machine in front of you. Because you were totally amazing-looking.
But no, Hunk Boy 50194875. You just had to walk out, striding along, with those square shoulders, snug tee-shirt and your head held high like you were a man on a mission. LEAVING ME IN YOUR WAKE, DROOLING. How could you wreak such damage on me and leave me like that? Do they not tell you handsome bastards to care for the women you debilitate with your mere presence?
Obviously not, since you just walked out of the store.
Well, see if I care. You go on right ahead and ignore your hunkiness. Ignore that you make girls' jaws drop and weaken us in the knees. Go on. Like I care.
Where was I? Oh. Yes. Character profile.
Name: Zelda Harkinian
Age: Twenty-three
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Residence: Citadel of Time, Castleton, Hyrule.
Skills: Convincing public speaker; bright tactician
Occupation: Princess of Hyrule
Origins: Zelda was raised to become queen for the whole of her life. After her father’s death, she was brought to the throne without a coronation to keep the country as steady as possible. It was a difficult time for her, and instead of flourishing, she withered a little from the stress and pressure. While she formed many friendships with other leaders and monarchs, the war strained her relationships with the few friends she had.
Personality: Gentle, with strong aspirations for peace and good. She tends to overanalyse or push off decision-making for fear of choosing the wrong path. She fears the immensity of the world, and is introspective enough to understand her flaws, which is all the more frustrating, as she is confident everyone else can see them, so glaring are they to her. She reactively crafted a cool, collected mask, one that covers up a frightened and slowly crumbling self.
Family/Friends: No living relatives / her fellow Hyrulian politician Renado, and aristocrat bookkeeper ****.
Likes: Learning new things, children, her pet Wulf.
Dislikes: Condescension, emergencies, posing for portraits.
Hopes: To restore peace to Hyrule.
It occurred to me that profiles would have to be seriously altered at some point because I could be giving away plenty of spoilers, especially in the upcoming ones. But hey, don't mind me.
Love,
CM
Still, I'd like to dedicate this post to Hunk Boy 50194875, whom I saw yesterday when I came to work, and I would like to ask him (assuming Jedi Mind Tricks have an impact on guys who don't even know me) "WHY DID YOU HAVE TO JUST WALK OUT?"
I work in the children's department, you know, Hunk Boy 50194875, so why didn't you slow down a little so I could marvel at your godliness and so we could pick out clothes for our future children? I also wanted to know if I was hallucinating or if there really was a wind machine in front of you. Because you were totally amazing-looking.
But no, Hunk Boy 50194875. You just had to walk out, striding along, with those square shoulders, snug tee-shirt and your head held high like you were a man on a mission. LEAVING ME IN YOUR WAKE, DROOLING. How could you wreak such damage on me and leave me like that? Do they not tell you handsome bastards to care for the women you debilitate with your mere presence?
Obviously not, since you just walked out of the store.
Well, see if I care. You go on right ahead and ignore your hunkiness. Ignore that you make girls' jaws drop and weaken us in the knees. Go on. Like I care.
Where was I? Oh. Yes. Character profile.
Name: Zelda Harkinian
Age: Twenty-three
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Residence: Citadel of Time, Castleton, Hyrule.
Skills: Convincing public speaker; bright tactician
Occupation: Princess of Hyrule
Origins: Zelda was raised to become queen for the whole of her life. After her father’s death, she was brought to the throne without a coronation to keep the country as steady as possible. It was a difficult time for her, and instead of flourishing, she withered a little from the stress and pressure. While she formed many friendships with other leaders and monarchs, the war strained her relationships with the few friends she had.
Personality: Gentle, with strong aspirations for peace and good. She tends to overanalyse or push off decision-making for fear of choosing the wrong path. She fears the immensity of the world, and is introspective enough to understand her flaws, which is all the more frustrating, as she is confident everyone else can see them, so glaring are they to her. She reactively crafted a cool, collected mask, one that covers up a frightened and slowly crumbling self.
Family/Friends: No living relatives / her fellow Hyrulian politician Renado, and aristocrat bookkeeper ****.
Likes: Learning new things, children, her pet Wulf.
Dislikes: Condescension, emergencies, posing for portraits.
Hopes: To restore peace to Hyrule.
It occurred to me that profiles would have to be seriously altered at some point because I could be giving away plenty of spoilers, especially in the upcoming ones. But hey, don't mind me.
Love,
CM
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