Crimson Star Entertainment

I've been Asked About Traffic

2010-12-10T16:55:00.000-08:00

Yes. Its true, some people are wondering how to get traffic to their own blog.

I'm tired of the emails. Thats really not what I'm about. Good content will bring readers.

If you need something to boost you up in times when you have the block, try this Link Exchange.

5th Short Story Finished for the Year

2010-12-10T13:33:00.000-08:00

Finally, I'm complete with my first iteration of 3 short stories. If you just started reading (and I know, I'm sporadic at best); then this was my plan:

Firstly, I would write three short stories, each one focusing on a different part of my writing style that I think I needed to develop.

1) Voice: I wanted to define the mood and overall disposition with which I executed my writing. My voice constantly changes, but has some core fundamental concepts that are 90% of the time, homogeneous in my writing. A friend who read a short story stated that it reminded her of Film Noir. I would like to think that my voice alternates between that, action-intensity, and epic description typical of High Fantasy.

2) Conflict Resolution: More of a technical aspect. I've become better acquainted with myself as a writer. I'm now able to develop a source-sheet for a project, to prevent me from going on tangent, while at the same time, not being restricted to whats down in the outline.

3) Theme: A big one. My work must pass-along a greater message. Something deeper than the text itself, appealing to emotion, deep intellect, or even something more. Very small target, but I think I'm getting there in my own way.

Then, after this first series of three is complete, I would try to sum them up in one project:

4) A project that tries to combine all aspects of the first three short stories into one.

Following this; I would execute two more projects to tackle stylistic elements that can be attributed to any genre; although I would argue that the result would be a new genre or sub-genre. Both of these style elements are common in my chosen genre(s) [if it can be considered that I have one].

5) Satire. Using humor in my writing to make a social or political statement.

6) Dark. Unfortunately, far too much of my work ends up being 'dark' and my heroes find defeat easier than they do victory. If thats my standard, I shudder to think what my 'dark' is.

And finally, just a 7th project to wrap it all up.

7) Last Project. My choice. Just an open-ended project.

Now that I've finished project #3; I'm going to begin work on the Satire Piece, and maybe start sourcing for Project 4. However, I've had a concept sheet for a novel laid out for about 3 months now, and that is begging of my attention, so I may opt to start it, and work on projects 4, 6, and 7; when writer's block strikes.

Thanks for reading! Now I'm off to mail this to F&SF Magazine. Wish me luck

UFOs, Aliens, and More!!!

2010-11-04T23:13:00.000-07:00

Oh My!

Taking a Short Break; probably just until tommorrow (for a total of one week), before I begin work on my 3rd Short Story for the fall. This one is a much more in-depth character story with deep focus.

However, I don't want to get too much into that.

Are you bored? Check out my Alien Abduction Site, currently, I'm running a story, as related to me by a man in Florida, who has been having strange encounters. The episodes are revealed through regressive hypnosis, and the transcripts seem genuine (thus why I run them). So stop on by, if you can!

Gearing up for my 3rd Short Story

2010-11-01T18:39:00.000-07:00

Once again, this one is already written, as I've gotten extensive notes on it in my scratch book. The story focuses heavy on the element of theme, and emotional appeal to readers. The plot is very simplistic, and though set to a science fiction backdrop, could easily happen in any setting/genre. The idea is that a man returns to Earth (his home) to attend his father's funeral, and face personal demons.

This is quite the turn about for me, as I've never been one so serious about melodrama, but I came up with a theme that I think all people can identify with. That I know all identify with. We all want to be successful, and the vast majority fall short of what we define as such. In the end, success has an internal definition.

I think it should be a very entertaining read, and maybe more likely to be picked up because of its character focus, rather than its battle/world focus.

One More Story Bites the Dust

2010-10-28T01:35:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I finished my second short. This one is concentrated on the concept of clear establishment of conflict, and defined resolution. While the plot and theme aren't to complex, it was an easy and enjoyable write, and has very interesting action sequences.

It takes place in Kiev, and the antagonists are...Giant Ants! If it gets picked up, I'll make sure to let you guys know!

Sons of Anarchy

2010-10-20T11:51:00.000-07:00

Okay, while I'm working on my next short story, I thought I would write about this. Anyone here watch Sons of Anarchy? Its a show about an Outlaw Motorcycle Gang in Northern California. Its got elements of action, but is really centered on the inter-character drama that happens within the gang, and focuses somewhat on the criminal element of the gang.

I love the show, but it reminds me of a quote I read recently. "People read books for company, not for plot." While SoA has a great plot, and could be potentially a great action piece, or great crime bit, in only touches on those issues. In exchange, it focuses on the development of the characters.

I'd love it if it took a more Active bent, but I understand why they made it like it is. After all
, it is high-up there in ratings. However, they could achieve a better mix if they had a higher budget (BattleStar Galactica, after all was a decent mix of an active plot and drama, and was critically acclaimed). But I'm starting to think thats not where Kurt Sutter is wanting to go with this.

Still, I'm addicted.

Happy

2010-10-16T23:30:00.000-07:00

I'm about to get a soda from the store, and work on my next short story project. Hopefully have it finished before Monday morning. I think this one will be a good story.

Its focused on the Conflict & Conflict Resolution aspect that I need to develop, it has a really defined concept, and an especially defined conflict. The narrative flows like water, logically so far, and will end in a way that will support the protagonist.

However, I've already written the outline for the third project. And this one may be a bit unusual, but I had to think really hard to get a story with theme in. I came up with a theme, a very deep-seated personal one. Its conflict is not so clear cut, and no violence is involved in the story. Hopefully it will show my depth and breadth as a writer, and some publisher will pick it up.

Really...I hope all of my stories will be picked up. :) I'm confident though, there are a few gems in the rough here and there.

Lastly, on a personal note, I'm happy with life. I've had some personal problems, but I finally feel recovered from them, and that I've moved on successfully. I will soon out-pace anyone who had their chips against me.

Short Story Projects

2010-10-13T00:31:00.000-07:00

After thinking this through, I'm going to go ahead and tell you my three Short Story projects, that I have in mind to help me develop my writing. Each one is dedicated to a different aspect that I feel I personally need to work on.

Also, I would like to apologize for not updating this blog often enough, but I will make more attempts now.

Project 1: Voice

Related to my novel concept that I've written, I wrote a short story about a Necromancer who will appear in the novel. Its sort of his Origin story. It's already been written, and submitted, however, I'm doubtful if it will be accepted. I would be delighted if it was, and I shall post the results here, of course.

Project 2: Conflict/Conflict-Resolution

One of the clear things in my novels, is that sometimes I lack a clearly defined conflict for my stories. I've noticed this in at least two of my works, so I will be writing a simple short story, involving ants. I've taken, recently, to outlining the plot elements of a story, to ease in the writing process. In fact, after this blog post, I will begin working on the outline for this Short Story, in the hopes of writing it this weekend.

Project 3: Theme

My stories are generally very one-dimensional, in that they lack any themes beyond what is given directly to the story. I want to develop this very clearly, and though my writing style (and the voice I've started to define) is clearly different from Mr. Liu's; he was my inspiration to consider this.

Boss Battle 1: Combination

You like that title, don't you? Yes. I will be writing a forth short story, combining all those elements I had developed before. No, I have no clue as to the plot yet; or even the setting. But overarching plots and especially settings are my strong points.

After these are completed, I also plan a few more very specific projects, before I can feel assured that I'll do justice to the Plot/Setting that is mind for my novel.

Project 4: Chara Development

I plan to make one story very character-centric. Maybe centric on a few of them; and I shall focus on developing them as characters. As above, I have no idea what this story will be about.

Project 5: Emotional Attachment

A second story, character-centric. This one will be about providing the reader with company, as opposed to providing them with plot. It will still be fully developed, but I will be focusing on making sub-themes for the characters, that hopefully tie-in to a larger theme.

Final Boss Battle:

A last story, hopefully that I will complete and submit by January 1st, 2011; which will combine the elements which I will struggle to obtain through the next two months. After submitting this, I think I will be ready to begin work on my new novel.

While I would like some commercial success with these six works (and hopefully will at least see one published); I am not set upon it. Even if the works aren't picked up in their independent state, I will consider it a victory just to have written with focus on one topic in each project. Thus, I will go on to begin my novel, come hell or high-water. I have no clue when I'll finish the novel, though it should be much more expedient than my 'grinding' on my first zombie novel, as the plot and major conflict (as well as chapter layout) has already been done.

In truth, I expect to write a few short paragraphs for the novel even while I'm working on these smaller projects, if only to break some of the boredom. However, while I'm writing the novel, I shall continue to turn out shorter stories as I enter periods of writer's block.

Thats really all I had to say. I wrote this as much for me as for you guys. I think I'm very creative, and some of you who've read my RPG settings, know this. I want to translate this into literary ability.

Feel free to subscribe here, or subscribe to my Alien Blog. But from now on, this blog will be devoted to my efforts in writing. Hell or High-Water.

Short Stories

2010-10-13T00:15:00.000-07:00

So I just finished reading Ken Liu's Literomancer in the Sept/Oct Issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine. Its a very compelling, moving piece, and I thought I would share that with you guys.

Yes, I'm still working on my writing career, and yes I still want to do something in Movies/Television. Currently, I'm studying at GSU, while at the same time taking any spare time I have to network, and write my own short stories.

I've decided to set aside my Zombie Novel, after coming to an impasse in the story. I realized I had no overall plot arch, no theme, and my voice was ill-developed as an author. So, I'm returning to Short Stories as a means to develop my style and my voice.

I'm hoping in time that I come into my own. I have a great concept (including a plot layout and char sourcing sheets) for my first novel work. I plan to make a novel and screen play out of it, but before I attempt to do that, I'm tackling three Short Stories, each dealing with a major issue I want resolved.

Alien Blog

2010-09-08T22:46:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys! Check out my New Alien Blog!

If you have interest in anything paranormal or the like, visit it. Im trying really hard to pull if off the ground.

The first case covered?

The Guaraparinga Human Mutilation Case. As you can see the site is definately not intended for youngin's.

If you have a comment to make about the blog, send it here, please format it though, as it will be autoposted to that blog and one other!

Thanks for all your support guys!

Zombie Project Update

2010-08-20T16:03:00.000-07:00

Heya guys and girls!

Decided I would give yall a tiny update upon the future of my zombie project. You can see the original here.

Well, I am now debating whether or not to make this into a series. So I need as many votes as possible.

Here is the concept:

World Apocalypse leads to Zombie Infection; which results in a survivor society/colony springing up. The Web Series would focus upon the survivors, and their struggle for survival. My influences, rather than being Resident Evil, would be, instead...The Colony...The Road...Night of the Living Dead...

Does this appeal to you guys?

Please leave comments. I really need you guys advice.

Also, check out this blog.

New Zombie Film

2010-08-09T21:30:00.001-07:00

Alright, so my newest project is complete. We are currently looking for funding and sponsors, so if your thinking you have something that could be advertised via something so counter-culture and cool as a zombie survival web series; hit me up via email:

Emperor@CrimsonStarEntertainment.com

Here is the movie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC81uu9Ksk8

About that time...

2010-08-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

Despite several delays, I'm finally at the point to where I'm ready to release my short film to the world. I will admit though, more than anything, I am horrified at the possible range of reactions and emotions that this could illicit; everything from embarrassment over the production, to people not recognizing my talent for what it is.

Its one of those things though. I have to bite the bullet...if I don't...if I play it safe, I'll never know what could've been.

I'll repost in a few hours with the link to the uploaded video.

Searching for a Comic Artist

2010-08-01T12:46:00.000-07:00

So here I am waiting on my distribution channel for my new movie to fix itself up. They finally just got the materials in, so its only a matter of days.

So...its time for me to build the website! Yikes! Its been like...four years since I've put together more than something basic. This will require a good bit of thought on my part.

Also, I'm looking for comic book illustrators. If you're interested in being apart of a new project, please lemme know!

And, here is a referral link for Game Fly. It gives you guys a free month for signing up. I just thought I would share it with you!

Buy One Month, Get One FREE!

Movie Completed

2010-07-25T11:24:00.000-07:00

Okay guys. My short zombie film is finally complete. I'm currently holding onto it, until I get the distribution channels set up nice and good. Expect it in a few weeks or so.

So please, make sure to keep up here. Subscribe if you can/want.

I appreciate you guys bearing with me through all this!

Long Time

2010-07-06T21:19:00.000-07:00

Hey Gang!

I know, I know, its been a horribly long time since I've posted. I was just taking my sweet time. But boy do we have a lot planned for this summer.

Firstly, I'm going to start off this blog with a press release.

We at CSE, are making another movie. If you are familiar with our previous affair; you might be ready for a short film of admittedly; horribly low quality.

But thats not what your in store for!

Rather, Biohazard Zero is going to be a Short Film about the depth of human emotion; and how it can quickly turn against you in the fight for survival. The entire film is designed to be an examination of male machismo from inception, to its surprising end.

So make sure to keep on the look out!

Dont worry; I'll post again in a matter of days!

Doing those things...

2010-04-22T23:12:00.000-07:00

...you say you'll do.

I've always been the type to want to do something, and put it off forever. Well I can finally mark one thing that has been on such a list, for at least a year, if not a year in a few months.

I finally drove myself up to Trion, GA, and visited Corpsewood Manor. I even got some good pictures. Check my Ghost Blog if your interested.

But I just want yall to know, I never forget. I never quit. And I never give up if the only thing stopping me is myself. I always find a way.

So to that end, I will finish my novel. I will make CSE a major enterprise. I will bring jobs to those who need them.

I suppose now, the only thing left to worry about, is what will I do when other people quit on me...seems to be a recurring theme in my life.

Wasup?

2010-04-05T21:19:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, Im about to try, over the next two days, to revamp my website, so check back. An advisor of sorts informed me hat it probably isn't as clear as it could/should be, therefore I plan to revamp it to boost my sales ratios. Want to help?

Buy my book!

Revamping CSE

2010-03-30T12:32:00.000-07:00

Continuing my work on the novel, and working a few new deals out to get CSE a more solid foundation. Right now it feels very amatuer. Trying to fix that now. Should be a good summer for us. I will be finishing the novel this month, or towards May.

I will be able to fund alot more stuff for CSE from personal finances. Things are getting much better. :)

I hope you guys will stick with us! Im looking to pull a few new artists for work with us.

Horror Film Contest

2010-03-19T02:29:00.000-07:00

Unfortuately, things didn't go as planned. Didn't really get the outpouring from the community I wanted, but thats alright. Im going to try to re-attempt this contest over the summer, after we put out our Zombie Short Film.

Its funny, I can sense the lack of motivation from my team, as I progress, and in turn, it causes me to be un-motivated. I have to find a way to remotivate my team, and get things going again. Its like hittng a wall when your running, you have to push through it, and finish the next lap, even if its one step at a time.

Okay, so what is new? I saw Cabin Fever II. In my opinion its not even worth your purchase, everything about it is so week, and not worth the money. The plot-line is cliche, and most of the acting is bad. Sometimes it seems like that some parts of the movie were intentionally made for nudity and sexuality. Its almost funny, but it never reaches that point, and frankly, it just sucks. I'll put the link up, just in case your interested...or sadistic.

About the only redeeming quality to the whole film is the main actor. I can't remember his name, but he plays his role really well. I hope he gets picked out of ths, and goes on to mke other things.

What else? Still reading my zombie steampunk book, and working on my own. Horrible bit of anti-motivation now...

Crimson Star March

2010-03-10T14:16:00.000-08:00

Heya guys and gals. Dudes and dolls. Just a relaxing Wensday Afternoon for yours trully, the Emperor.

Okay, a bit about what is going on,and what we are doing. Firstly, the second film in the Haunted Atlanta Series, focusing on the Historic Village Inn Bed & Breakfast, has reached a major block. The owner/manager of the building doesn't seem to answer their emails often. Im going to send one more email, to try to connect with them.

Alright, so whats going on with my book? Its making good time. Currently Im conducting a little bit of research., while writing over the part that I need to research. I have a very strict deadline, being April 15th, my birthday. Hopefully Ill coplete it by that time.

What else? We are currently in the sourcing phase for our first fictional short film. I can't tell you too much about it, in muh the same way that I can't tell you guys about my book. But stay tuned, and you will get to see it this summer!

Boneshaker

2010-03-03T15:35:00.000-08:00

Haha, if you've been keeping track for some months, you know that as part of my efforts to energize my creative writing potential; I keep a very substansive reading list. For some tme now, the book "Boneshaker" by Cherie Priest, has been on the second position for said list. However, I picked up the book as a Christmas Present, and have been reading it (albeit slowly) for two months.

Now half-way done, I can give you a small peak into what I think. Its a great book, thus far. The first chapter started off a little slow; and even confused me a little bit. However, once you get to the point that the characters start their adventure into depopulated zombie-infested section of Seatte; its picked up quite nicely. Id recommend it as a read for any fan of Steampunk or Zombie-Fiction.

Lets see, what else is new? Haven't worked too much on the novel this week. Going to pick up tommorrow. Trust me on that. I've been playing Entropia Universe a bit, where I've restarted my Society. More to come on that.

Horror Film Contest

2010-02-28T12:53:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I was watching Dawn of the Dead this weekend, to try to inspire me to contine working on my novel. This month, March, I will be taking it through to completion, hopefully by Mid April, I will be finished.

Anyhow, I was watching Dawn of the Dead, and then I watched a low-budget movie that I picked up from a walmart about a year ago. And a spark of brilliance hit me, I want to have a Short Film Contest.

I call it "Two-Minute Screamer". The contest begins on March 1st, and Ends on March 15, 2010. Here are the conditions, you are to make a short film, two minutes long, of a scary/horror concept. However, youare restricted to only using props and products around the house, and volunteers as labor (if any).

Its essentially a zero-budget film, with one exception. Anything related to the actual purchase of the camera, batteries, electric bills, etc.

So what does the winner get? An autographed copy of our Four-Roses Film mailed to you, and publishing of your short film on our website! Its all the motivation any film-maker should need!

Email all questions and entries here.

Four Roses DVD now available!

2010-02-23T19:40:00.000-08:00

Get your copy here!

It will be super supportive to our company and our Four Rose Foundation (a charity we are trying to start to save the Rufus Rose House). Thanks for being a Crimson Star Fan!

Updates

2010-02-16T13:00:00.000-08:00

It seems the second half of winter is a bit of a slowing period for the company. Alot of people have returned to school, but Im still slowly but surely grinding forward to make things work. The biggest thing though, is that are budget is stretched entirely too thin.

Im still in the process of writing the novel. As I've stated many times, my goal is to be finished or close to finished by the end of March. Once again I still have the monumental task of shopping the manuscript around even after I finish it.

Given my current luck trying to get published, I'm wanting to make this manuscript as good as it can be. Though I know it is a numbers game.

Anyhow, if you want to support us, check out the website. Look at our comic and movie, maybe even buy something???

Thanks Yall

Emperor is Sick

2010-02-12T08:19:00.000-08:00

Hey all. So this weekend, I went to Ft Gordon for some Super High Intensity Training. Yeah, some of you got that. Anyhow, they gave me a shot, supposedly for Swine Flu (for the 3rd time). And now I'm sick.

So I dont have too much to say. Can't write any today or this weekend.

I do need players for a new online game I've started.

Click Here

Otherwise, wait for next week! Thanks!

Civilization

2010-02-09T11:48:00.000-08:00

Just got back from a little bit of army goodness. Had some training to do. About to go back to do some of my freelance work tommorrow, and hopefully write another chapter or two in my book on thursday.

I just wanted to inform all interested parties about new potential for an online roleplaying/strategy game that I plan to run. Its a combination of Civilization and Dungeons & Dragons. If this sounds like something you wanna be apart of, check out the site.

Novel Work

2010-02-03T10:39:00.000-08:00

I've gotten on a roll writing. I usually put in one or two hours per day, three to four days a week, of writing. It works out fairly well. Of course, the hard part will be shopping it to potential publishers. So stay tuned with me on that front.

The Rufus Rose Charity has raised $12 so far, and I thank you, if you've contributed! Remember, your donation will go to the incorporation of the charity organization. The charity itself will go towards the preservation of the Rufus Rose House. We are tentatively calling it the 'Four Rose' charity, though this is dependent upon whether or not this naming convention is registered already with the secretary of ga.

Wish to donate?

Can't donate? Take a look at our short film, and make sure to tell your friends!!! Please stumble this post to get some traction built!

Sometimes you Fail

2010-02-01T11:46:00.000-08:00

Kinda struggling this week. I've been more upset by my inability to get the VA to move on my case, and now recently, I've gotten two 'NATT's which is my little acronymn meaning "Not at this time." Aka, when I send a story to review at a magazine, they reject it on one ground or another.

Needless to say, feeling a little beatin' down this week.

But sometimes thats what happens. As authors we have to realize, that the vast majority of our attempts will fail. But its worth it for those stories that do get published. Hopefully I will have a victory in the coming month, to temper the feeling of failure I have.

But even if I dont, I won't quit. Never quit.

Crimson Star Entertainment

2010-02-01T04:20:00.000-08:00

Crimson Star Updated

Okay, so finally added The Roman's sculptures to the main blog. After getting a second NATT from a magazine publisher for the same story; I've decided to release it online. Its $2.99, and will be sent to you as a PDF file. Its a very good story, but was far too niche to be acceptable in a magazine. However, I think the second story I sent out, will probably be accepted. Its much more artistic and much more personal.

To see some of Ed's Art, click here.

To buy my short story, click here.

The story itself is high fantasy, about a criminal waging a one-man war against an empire. But his reasons for doing so are not clear, as the investigator who arrives is further confused by his actions. Its a great beginning for a new series!

The setting is Eavton, the same as my Knight Spectre Comic, an agrarian nation of halflings and men headed by an all-powerful Emperor who shares divine lineage. A proto-typical "Righteous" nation, their society is well-structured and organized, to the extent of having huge social controls on their people. However, now, a new threat is growing in the North.

Like the idea? Read the short story. Soon I will be starting a novel and a sourcebook for the setting!
Here are some previews of his sculptures, for you guys to look at online.

Interesting, right?

Email me here if your interested in buying.

Starting a Charity Organization

2010-01-30T23:34:00.000-08:00

Just putting up a blog post before I return to trying to continue writing my novel. If you've been keeping up with this blog you know about the novel, or, in so much as I will tell you. However, if you are new, the Novel is going to be an apolitical view of an outbreak of a deadly aggressive disease in a special world. There is another great twist, but I don't wanna give that away. I think though, it should have some positive response from the publishing industry.

If you like this idea, please comment or stumble this blog!

However, as to other news, I'm in the process of incorporating my own charitable organization. Our mission statement is to preserve certain historical landmarks in downtown Atlanta (notably the Rose House; see the film we made), provide some economic benefit to the community, and donate any proceeds from the process to charity.

Using the funds raised, we will not only start a cultural awareness campaign for the Rose House (website), but we will attempt to buy or lease the home, restore it, and commercialize it. Commercial ideas include a downtown Ghost Tour; A Bar; and a special option for renting rooms in the 'haunted' house. All proceeds from these actions, minus a reservation for expansion and emergency of 30%, shall go to local Atlanta Foodbanks and Homeless Shelters.

So we could definately use any support that you could give!

If you want to contribute at this early stage, in either administration or a direct contribution, email me at emperor@crimsonstarentertainment.com. Im definately looking for someone who can offer some help in the formation of a 501(c) charitable organization.

This same email is my paypal address, should you wish to make a direct contribution. This is my personal account, and any money gained this way is earmarked directly for use in forming the 501(c) organization. After that, we will start a seperate paypal, etc, and should have full information about what is and is not a tax deduction.

Currently, I'm looking to $250 for the use in formation of the corporation. I will update this blog as that becomes reality.

Poetry

2010-01-30T04:34:00.000-08:00

Had inspiration. So I wrote. I decided I would share it with you. Pretty raw, don't judge me.

-Depression clings to the air around him,

-He is dead on the inside, like so many of his kin.

-His once youthful physique now strained, and his ego subsides,

-His motivation gone, acquiescent to his loss of drive.

-The proud heir to Kingdoms long forgotten,

-Kingdoms burnt down by those closest to him.

-His forehead has lines of tension and stress,

-His heart filled with losses and betrayals still fresh.

-His eyes glaze over, and he is lost in thought,

-Lost in former glories, and treasures once had, now lost.

-He gives up the fight, passing it down to his seed,

-But his line is lost, and only he will grieve.
(C) CSE 2010
Who is it about? Who do you think its about?

Real Life Superheroes

2010-01-29T07:31:00.001-08:00

I should be writing. I definately will write a good bit more this weekend. I just caught an interesting piece this morning, about people who dressed up and masqueraded as 'Real Life Superheroes'. Anyone have any information on this phenomenon?

Four Roses

2010-01-28T04:42:00.000-08:00

Hey guys! Finally finished the blooper reel for the Four Rose project, and now can return to working on my novel again. The projects never stop though, so I have to learn how to dedicate a portion of my time to new projects and my novel, all at the same time.

Anyhow, it will soon be available on Amazon for purchase.

Want to see the Four Rose movie for free? Click Here

Also, support my book on Amazon!

State of the Union

2010-01-27T19:33:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone. Just took a break from working on the blooper reel for Four Roses, to watch the State of the Union. I found it very moving, definately the best one I've seen since I've been watching them.

Times are tough. But it's getting better.

Civilization IV

2010-01-25T01:25:00.000-08:00

In my quest to better understand Civilization IV, so that I could develope a mod for it, this weekend, I've been playing it, with a vengeance. Including, and especially, the Fall from Heaven Mod and Orbis Mods. If you are at all familiar with what I'm talking about, you already know.

Anyhow, hopefully by tonight, I will have made some more progress on the blooper reel, and by Wensday I hope to finish another 4k words for my novel. If not more so.

For more info on Civ:
Here

Secondary Projects

2010-01-21T13:40:00.000-08:00

I trully believe one of the best cures for writer's block, without a loss of productivity, is having an established list of secondary projects. These projects should be completely seperate entities, from the project your trying to overcome. Thus, blogs, marketing, and other associated material will not help you overcome writing block on a project.

I recently wrote another nice Short Story, and mailed it today (with any luck I will be telling you who picked it up in a few weeks). But I've noticed that it has re-invigorated me towards working on my novel. Why does this happen? Why do our brains work like that?

I think one good thing, is when you write something else, or work on another project, you start to identify with that project, and maybe come up with good bits for it. And sometimes you might be able to apply those bits to another project. For instance, I found a really good chapter opener which I plan to modify and re-use in several other writing projects of mine. Thats just an example.

However working on another project should never take the place of exposing yourself to other media or works by other people. You need those alternate points of view, because frankly, you will never get them anywhere else. But projects do not reduce your productivity, because you can always use those for something. I find myself writing several short stories while working on the novel, and if only 25% of them get picked up, that might be close to a $1000 I wouldn't have otherwise. Plus, in the future, I still have the other shorts, and I can either self-publish them, or try to market them to other magazines.

They Came from the Woods

2010-01-20T14:50:00.000-08:00

Im working on a great new Short Story. I've titled it, "They Came from the Woods". It should be a decent read, I'm really enjoying writing it. Its a modern horror story, with some fantasy elements. Its a unique take on the concept of the 'Unseelie Court'.

I'll keep you guys informed when it gets picked up. Go ahead and follow my blog!

Daybreakers

2010-01-14T11:04:00.000-08:00

Okay, so its been a good bit of time since I've posted a movie review. I only do this, as according with my philosophy, I believe movies and other people's creations are a great way to break writer's block. Even if you don't neccessarily enjoy what you watched. You can check out my archive for an article about this from October 2009.

Anyhow, Daybreakers. Where to begin? Firstly, I didnt like it. I didn't dislike it either. It was mildly entertaining, but I wouldn't neccessarily pay money to see it. Certainly not as good as Avatar, which I suppose I will do a review of tommorrow.

Essentially its a movie about Vampires ruling the world, and using the Humans as a food supply. They apparently drain the humans too quick, and the humans begin to die. Thus, they now have a crisis with their blood supply.

Its a thinly veiled commentary about oil consumption. And really not all that impressive of one either. There are several logical flaws that quickly come about.

Firstly, are you telling me a society of vampires would be too stupid to control their population growth, or more importantly, to only drain safe amounts of blood from a person? The average 150 pound person can be drained of a quart, if in medical environment, and survive, and replenish it within 10 or 11 days. So drain 1/12th of a quart of blood per day from each human, just to be on the safe side. The city of Stone Mountain has some 12,000 people, thats 1000 quarts of blood drained per day.

But we can excuse this lack of logic for the sake of the message they try to convey? In all honesty, I don't believe so. The parallel is flimsy at best. Oil is a need for our society, but in terms of daily consumption, we can vastly reduce the amount of daily consumption of petrol. And even if one day all the petrol 'stopped', which it will, we would face massive unrest, famine, and probably war. But in truth, we would probably replace just in time shipping with coal-powered train shipping. Most people would be paid far less. Standards of living would drop. But life would go on.

So, see it? Only if you like poorly constructed Vampire movies. Seriously.

What should you see in its place?

Four Roses

Four Roses

2010-01-13T15:32:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I've finally done it! We've completed our short film, it is 5 minutes long, and is a creative documentary. That being said, it clearly defines some history behind the location, the Rufus Rose House, but takes some artistic liberty with telling parts of the story. It should be clear what liberties have been taken.

However, for the most part, everything here is either based on Fact, or personal observation from Ghost Hunts I've done at the House. I hope you guys enjoy!

Four Roses

So now you ask, whats next? Well, I've got to get the comic updated this month, we are a bit behind. I'm also returning to work on my novel, and hopefully, I am begginning planning on a modification to the game Civilization IV, based upon my Fictional Setting.

So, stay tuned!

Please, check out the Film! Click above!

Sedallia Volume 2

2010-01-06T12:16:00.000-08:00

Well, ladies and gentlemen, firstly, I want to thank you for reading my blog. It has been a great launchpad for my other blogs, and a great tool for explaining and promoting new projects at Crimson Star. I hope many of you are coming to trully like the free comic we offer at the site, and many of you will become fans. If it isn't an inconvenience, please show your support by signing up for our mailing list.
Also, if it is of interest to you, we now have Volume 2 of Sedallia: Land of Sails, for sale on Amazon!

Click Here To Get Your Copy!

Sedallia: Land of Sails

Also available, signed copies.

Email Me:

Emperor@CrimsonStarEntertainment.com

My Struggle with Writer's Block Continues

2010-01-04T09:18:00.000-08:00

Im determined to battle my way through it. I certainly have alot on my plate with the various projects and the freelance work I, occassionally, do. However, I don't want my writing to suffer for it. But more importantly, I dont want my readers to suffer for it either.

So today, I have no shooting to go to (most this weekend I was involved in shooting, in downtown Atlanta and in Dunwoody). Really I'll I have on my plate is to update my blogs, do a little bit of markeing, and write. I have a feeling, however, tht my writing will not be so good. I feel an incredible lack of connection with the story.

So, I plan to watch a zombie related movie (Diary of the Dead) and then I will force myself through my current break. Hopefully, tommorrow, I will post something success oriented!

-Emperor

Interesting

2009-12-31T07:51:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my first day as a Project Director and acting Unit Director for a film production. Its kinda funny, I dont usually care about titles, but I can see how having one definatly does increase your self esteem. But I'm trying to keep my working class background inherent. "Fuck the title, gimme the paycheck." becomes "Fuck the title, lemme make my art."

Yeah. I'll have to be sure to not let it go to my head. And it will take conscious act of will not to be an ass.

But the project goes well. My writing goes well. Hopefully my fan base expands. So if anyone is interested, go ahead and follow this blog!

Haunted Atlanta

2009-12-29T10:20:00.000-08:00

So thats the tentative title for my newest project.As of this weekend, I was concerned with holidays and things of that nature. I hope you didn't miss me much, I'm fairly sure no one did.

But right, back to the project. We are putting out an open casting call for the project, which will start tommorrow, with anyone who is interested in being apart of the project, to meet us at Mountain Park, Park, which is near Stone Mountain, in the town of Lilburn, Georgia. If your interested, and think you might have something to contribute, we would love to see you there!

Also, an update for you folks, my reading list keeps chugging along, and I now finally ave my copy of Boneshaker by Cherie Priest. It started off in a muddled confused kind of way, but this lasted literally, maybe a single page. After that I fell utterly in love with the concept and the protagonists. I may post a review about it, in coming days. I'll probably start a book review blog, to accomplish those ends.

New Knight Spectre Frames!

2009-12-24T15:17:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays Everyone! Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate!

I'm not gonna tie you guys up with a long blog post this time, just gonna toss this out there:

Two new frames for the webcomic are up! You get to meet one of our main antagonists tonight! So fly over and take a look! Join our mailing list! Remember, this comic is only supported by advertising revenue, and is completely free to you!

Webcomic

New Crimson Star Projects

2009-12-22T09:58:00.000-08:00

Oh, 2010 has a few new things we are working towards to give yall some things to look forward to. I suppose most of these items are still tenative. For many of these projects, this will be a first mention. For others, this will be what seems like the 30th time.

Emperor's Newest Book: The aforementioned zombie novel. Im still working hard on this one, but rather than the 10,000 words a week I need, I've managing around 5000. I will kick it up a notch or two, but I dont want to rush the story.

Short Stories: Hopefully many more short stories to come from me. However it depends entirely upon my ability to develop my craft as well as sell my stories.

New Campaign Setting: Working on the Fantasy Campaign Setting, the Eavton Setting. Its the same setting that the Knight Spectre comic is based in. And of course, you will see much more of Knight Spectre in the coming months.

Haunted Atlanta: A series of miniature thematic documentaries that we are working on. Mostly focusing on the many hauntings that I cover in my Ghost Blog.

In around Summer of 2010, we are gearing up to shoot some promotional films for a Ghost Tour we will be offering in the Atlanta Area. The Ghost tours will be cheap, and a great experience. The hope is that via the tours, we raise enough money to throw a party that we are calling Zombiefest 2010. Zombiefest will have a large game of Humans Vs Zombies, a Vampire Dinnery Mystery for interested parties, and a screening room and booths to buy our books, pizza, drinks, and movies. It should be great fun, however it will be in the Atlanta Area.

However, to make this a reality, I am now considering selling some portion of equity in the business, or taking a loan. If you have any details, or any offers feel free to email me at Emperor@CrimsonStarEntertainment.com Please put "Freelance Finance" in the subject line for consideration.

Of course if you want to contribute, but don't have that much cash, sign up for our mailing list, and keep track of us. It will help us sell advertising, like google adsense, where we get paid for clicks on the google links. If you really wanna help, you can always donate a small amount, or buy one of our products!

Thanks so much and stay tuned!

Submitting Short Stories

2009-12-21T21:29:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, its been a few days since my last post. But as I said, I've been working on my book, as well as a few short stories for submission to literary magazines. What I want to do, is cover the topic of submitting to magazines, and some tips on how you can improve your writing, and your chances of getting published.

Firstly, improve your quality. Read more. Write more. Watch movies, read books, and other entertainment venues you wouldn't normally touch. Take criticism with a grain of salt, and learn how to accept good criticism, and how to identify bad criticism. This is the first task of any writer.

Secondly, improve your quantity. This goes hand and hand with the 'Write More' tenet above. The more manuscripts you write, the more chance you will have of getting published. While pushing yourself to 10,000 words a day may not yield positive results, try to set nominal goals for yourself to meet per day. Most writers try something between 500 and 2,000 words a day. If you can write more, and still keep your quality up, go for it.

Lastly, learn. This goes hand and hand with the 'Read More' tenet above. As you read, you will learn more about your craft, about life, about new trends that are inspiring the reading world.

Emperor & Eavton

2009-12-16T15:52:00.000-08:00

Oh, so I'm taking a break from writing the novel, to finish up a short story I'm working on. Its quite good, in my opinion, so hopefully it will get some notice. It's also the same setting that the webcomic takes place in. The setting is set in the same world as my Sedallia Campaign Setting, and is called Eavton.

The goal is to gain a little bit of momentum and fandom for the setting. Hopefully that way I could introduce a setting bible for it, and sell it on the website. But another thing I would like to see, is to use a publisher to push a comic, based on the setting, specifically one of the characters in the short story. But included in the editorial sections of the comic would be campaign info...I'm even thinking of including a fantasy stock exchange game in the comic.

Interesting ideas yes? Here is a preview. And if you are from Realms of Fantasy Mag, hit me up at Emperor@CrimsonStarEntertainment.com as you are the first guys I'm marketing this too. The Short Story that is.

Untitled Short Story
Copywrite 2009 Chris Patrick
Despair gripped the heart of Kade, like an icy hand choking him, as he forced back the sad sensation that would only lead to tears. He took a minute and concentrated on the droplets of water falling from a nearby leaf, and the smell of rain and vegetation that permeated this place. It helped clear his mind, and washed away the doubt. It was a cool summer rain in the midst of the Great Red Wood, and Kade was preparing to rob a travelling merchant, who also served as a messenger for the Emperor of Eavton.
You see, Kade wasn’t your normal bandit or highwayman. He despised bandits, and in an earlier part of his life, had worked often times against them. However, that was then, and this was now. Now, he had to make him pay. There would be blood.
He simply nodded to his co-conspirator at the other side of the valley as the caravan appeared on the horizon. The man nodded, as he knew his part in this. He prepared a thick sturdy broad-head arrow, one that would temporarily stop the caravan when it came close enough. Despite having turned to banditry, he had no intention to kill this man. Not unless he had to.
The messenger still wore the sigil of Imperial Service, which made Kade feel that much more of a traitor. The arrow was released, and lodged into the side of the wagon with a dull thud. The wagon pulled forward even as the man looked over to see what had happened. As the wagon lurched forward, the arrow lodged itself so that the wagon wheel bent outward as it pressed on. Then, under such strain, the iron casting holding the wheel to the axle broke, and the wagon plopped down to the ground, digging itself deep into the muddy earth.
By this time, Kade was moving quickly, as silently as he could towards the wagon. As the messenger got off to curse his luck, and examine the strange ‘stick’ he had run over, Kade was already waiting for him. The man looked shocked as he Kade stole out of the bush, leveling a crossbow at him.
“ I want is your money, not your life. But, if it’s you or me…I won’t think twice.” There was a look of cold steel in his eyes. The man smiled, almost as if he was sure there was no way Kade would harm him.
“I’m a messenger of the Emperor…this is a grave offense you committed. The Emperor will hear of this personally, and you will be sought out for this.” He then even dared to grin as he pointed to the Imperial Writ that hung from his left shoulder.
Kade nodded, his face unchanging, his demeanor unflinching, “I know. I let a dozen caravans pass today…I was waiting for you.”
Very quickly the messenger’s expression changed as he realized that Kade wasn’t a normal highwayman. There was something more to this. And then, the messenger realized the danger he was in, and felt a fear he hadn’t before in his life. He had been targeted. Kade wasn’t a bandit. He had a score to settle…a plan to execute, and the messenger feared for his part in that plan.

Knight Spectre Back Blog

2009-12-13T16:56:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I've put up the new Knight Spectre Back Issue, a blog dedicated to collecting the back issues from the comic, and keeping them for posterity. It also contains interesting and valuable production notes.

So, if you are ever behind on your reading for Knight Spectre, its there for you. And even if you catch every frame as its published, you can still check the blog to see production notes and further story notes that will help you understand our work.

Emperor examines Consumer Culture

2009-12-12T16:54:00.000-08:00

Okay, for one of the new projects that we are throwing together at Crimson Star, I requested one of my writers to put together a poem about American Consumer Culture, it is a fairly funny piece. The new project is called Gentleman's Washroom Quarterly, and is designed to examine American Social norms, with the goal of affecting social change. Yes, lofty goals, we know.

So whats so bad about our Consumer Culture? Well its definately a driving force in our society, and even has a psychological affect upon us, the consumers. We forget many of the simple pleasures in life, and instead seek to fulfill very specific images of ourself, as influenced by the media.

And anything thats not presented in the media, or readily available for consumption? We define it as wierd. We define it as wrong. And this of course affects people adversely to put self-image in the hands of the media, as in order to create sales, they create a feeling of inadequacy. The only way to fill this void, and make ourselves feel better, is to buy. And of course, once this cycle was established, it proved good for business, and thus, they would never let us feel better. So I think alot of advertising is aimed to make us feel bad about ourselves.

I had an expeience, with an argument with a person, which took some theories of Labor Value, and expanded on them. As alot of value in society is determinant on Labor, how much your willing to do to gain something. And as labor is fueled by sustenance, its arguable that food is a universal affector on all price/value. Petroleum has a similiar affect, but is much more scarce, thus its affect is much stronger. Imagine that a specific commodity's affect on price and value is a parabola, oil is at the high end of the parabola, while food is on the lower end. Not every commodity is on this parabola, for example, despite the scarcity of diamonds, they only really have an affect on specific industries, namely jewelry and spcific drilling industries. While the price of diamonds would affect these industries, their effect on the price of lumber, is non-existant. As the diamonds aren't required to chop lumber, and the aren't required to make the capital assets in lumber production, they have no affect.

The theory is fairly sound. But he just rejects it. He regurgitates what he has read, and never opens his mind to new ideas. I thought that was one of the major things college taught. I suppose I was wrong.

Either way, I experienced American Consumer attitudes today, when I heard a woman returning a book to Borders and complaining about it having wierd concepts. The concept of a return is apart of consumer culture. You dont think about your purchase enough, to determine that it is 'wierd'...nor do you determine that the story may hold enough quality to get you past the 'wierd' parts. You just dont think that much with a purchase.

Its this same fast-culture and quick-talking that makes many Americans seem like asses. I can remember reading Gulliver's Travels and wondering about the whole statement, think for five seconds before we speak. I think its applicable.

So overall, my beef with consumer culture, isn't that it makes us happy, rather, that in order to make us happy, it makes us sad first. And that it makes us decide upon our purchase, without really thinking about it, and that these qualities lead us to think less in our personal lives.

To that end, I promise never to use an advertisement that promotes negative self image, if I can help it. And I will never use sexual advertising, less I'm selling something explicitly sexual.

Crimson Mysteries

2009-12-11T13:29:00.000-08:00

So, its really interesting, right now, I'm working to get another project off the ground. Actually I'm in the negotiation stage with the company that wants to publish the product. The product centers around the Vampire Mystery game which I developed. I was approached by a publisher in the industry, who expressed interest in the project.

Since then, I've been in negotiations with the publisher. However, his offers so far, have been low-balled to an extreme which I can't fathom. If he doesn't fulfill what I want from the deal, I might just decide to self-publish this idea as well. However, this project will put a drain on capital to develope it.

And considering my limited capital is tied up in hosting and content fees for the comic, I'm hoping sales pick up. Or at least that I can build my contact list.

So if you like what you've read so far, and might have any interest in my company, click the Crimson Star Icon to your right. Check out the company, even if you don't buy anything, I would appreciate if you signed up for my mailing list.

Emperor's Web Comic

2009-12-09T08:28:00.000-08:00

Finally! Got the frames for this month complete. I was going to do more finishing on them, but it took long enough just to get these first ones out, that I decided to forego that. Instead, I wanted to go ahead and get this item out as quickly as possible.

The story revolves around a Knight in a Fantasy Realm, who leaves his home to fight a war against Dark Forces. His unit is decimated, and he leads a one-man guerilla campaign of his own, thanks to powers granted to him by an artifact he finds.

Here he is, Ceeric, the protagonist.

I hope you guys enjoy it! Im sorry it took so long! The next frames will be put out on Xmas Eve! Click below for the first two frames!

Knight Spectre Comic

Emperor and the Grog Bowl

2009-12-07T12:47:00.000-08:00

Oh, I just got back from Ft Stewart, and now I have ample amounts of time to work on my writing, and whip my team into shape. I know some of you have been waiting on this comic for...well, forever, and I am trying to do what I can to expedite that process. But I certainly had a great time, and for me they are few and far between (I am anything but a party animal; workhorse is more applicable.) I appreciate any and all the support you guys give me, and I appreciate those who buy my products!

Here I am, after my Unit's Military Ball:

Clyde only ever had one Bonnie, that night I had two! But in all seriousness I had a great time, and the ball regenerated my batteries, and definitely gave me some new ideas and perspectives for my novel. Indeed, the only thing I will miss about the Military are the people. I've had some incredibly good times. Below, you will find my newest press release for the company!

Press Release

It details some great things I've got planned for 2010! Take a look!So, keep tuned!

Emperor's New Work

2009-12-02T16:04:00.000-08:00

Ah, still working on my Zombie Novel, so there is nothing new about that. Currently, Im very behind schedule. Im still browsing Literary Agents. If you have a connection, an agent I could use, feel freeto give him or her my email:

Emperor@CrimsonSarEntertainment.com

Okay, so what else is going on? I've been pretty busy this week, but Im hoping to put up a new Youtube Video tommorrow. With any luck. Im going to review some old WitchBlade back issues and Fathom as well.

But currently, Im putting together a Short Story to submit to a few Fantasy Magazines. The idea/concept behind this Short Story is about a famous gladiator in a fantasy kingdom, who is seeking to restore a legacy that is taken from him, when he discovers a plot to kill his king. As an outlaw, he seeks to reveal the plot, and subsequently, return to his lucrative career as a gladiator. Its a combination of high fantasy, pulp noir, and some sort of odd hybrid sports fiction. Im hoping to have several small stories involving the same character.

And dont worry, we are still working on our promotional comic, but for whatever reason, it is almost impossible for me to motivate my current artist. Supposedly though, she is going to whip up the work in the next few days. So look forward to it!

What do yall think?

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T12:39:00.001-08:00

I want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! I hope your with your friends and family! Have a great day!

Vampire Murder Dinner Game

2009-11-23T11:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, so this one is a sort of unique post. Usually I'm talking about something to do with my work and writing. However, this time, I've got an idea for you guys, for a cheap, simple, yet incredibly fun dinner game.

I call it simply the Vampire Mystery Game.

This is a brand of game similiar to other 'Murder Mystery' games, and is meant to be played at a dinner party of between 10 and 20 people. However, once you have the basics of how this game works, you can adapt it for larger or smaller groups.

For background, I actually developed this game to occupy the minds of my nieces and nephews, and it worked really well. After thinking about it for a bit, I realized that it would be fun for adults too, and a few of the more complex parts of the game could be fully realized at dinner parties. So, with that said, I introduce you to the Vampire Mystery Game.

The first step in the Vampire Mystery Game is to choose what guest attendee is your Vampire. You might want to set out notes at the different sitting places for your guests, which will discretely tell your guests whether they are Vampires or Humans. Also, tell them to keep their verdict a secret. However as the game becomes more active, and players learn how to play, you will have Vampires claiming they are Vampires, if only to confuse investigators.

During the meal, you should explain, in full, the rules of the game. Essentially the game has two objectives, to turn all humans to vampires, or to kill all vampires. How will this be done, read below.

After the meal is completed, and you are ready to begin the game, you will divide the group into 'houses'. You designate a several rooms in your house as 'houses'. You will want to make sure that each of these rooms is outfitted to give the 'home-owners' something to do. Magazines, board games, drinks, deserts, television. You will also make sure that there is a water gun, or maybe a nerf gun in the room, which is the only defense the house has.

Then, you, the game moderator, go each house, one after another, and release the house for their 'investigation' for 10 minutes. During this time, they must wear hats, to signify that they are investigating. They may go to the other houses, and ask questions about who the vampire could be. Indeed the humans must work together, to weed out the possible vampires. When a human thinks he has an accusation, he may accuse someone of being a vampire (only at the end of his investigation). If he accuses someone of being a vampire, they must reveal whether they are a vampire or not. If they are the vampire, the vampire dies (removed from the game). He must tell you, the GM, if he had made others into vampires. If not, is tale ends there. If the person accused is not a vampire, the accuser goes to jail. Those in jail can answer questions, but may not participate in the investigation.

During the investigation, the vampires, disquised as humans, can pretend to take part in the investigation. If they get close enough to a person to touch them, they must then whisper to them that the 'tagged' person has become a vampire. A new vampire must keep their new identity secret, and continue with investigations, trying to turn others into vampires, until there are no humans left who aren't in jail. A vampire can only 'create' other vampires during their investigation turn, not when others come to their house.

Also, a person at their house, can shoot someone in their house, most likely to defend from whom they think is a vampire. When they shoot someone, the person must admit whether they are a vampire or not. If the person is a vampire, the vampire dies, and must tell the Game Moderator of other vampires it 'created'. If the person who is shot is not a vampire, the shooter goes to jail.

The humans win if they kill all the vampires. The humans lose if all humans become vampires or end up in jail.

Pretty simple game, right? Sounds pretty fun?

Tell me what you think!

Whew

2009-11-19T14:23:00.000-08:00

Still hard at work on my newest Zombie book. So my posting will be less for the next few weeks, at least, until something comes to my mind to write about! Thats usually how it goes, right?

Maybe I'll post a preview chapter up here for you guys in a few days.

New Vampiric Mythopeia

2009-11-16T14:51:00.000-08:00

Okay, if your familiar with the term Mythopeia, skip this first paragraph. If your not, its pretty simple concept to grasp, but fairly hard to trully comprehend. A mythopiea, as described by JRR Tolkien, is the collected information that goes into building a setting, but can also include the references that go into the creation of that setting. However the Mythopeia is so much more complex.

That being said, I created a new concept for Vampiric Lore. Why? Because I had been planning this for sometime, and unfortunately, I have come to another small writer's block. So I am going give you some background on the Vampiric Mythos I've created.

My Vampires are called Scythian Vampires. The, like other Vampires, need to feed on blood, but once they do feed, they can choose to pass on the Scynthian Virus, though they don't have to.

When a person contracts the disease, a select few (in a definate minority, usually 40% or less) will fight off the disease initially. However those that succumb to the disease slink into unconsciousness, in less than 4 hours. However, to the outside world, the person appears to be dead. Even to a trained medical professional, its hard to tell that these people are still alive, and only one who has seen this affliction before will know its signs. These signs include a temporary loss of coagulation in the blood stream of the infected, a pale color to the skin, and all veins appear blue in color.

Then the second stage comes. This usually comes anywhere from 8 hours to a couple of days, the infected rises again. In the vast majority of cases, the infected rises as a bloodbeast, an uncontrollable cannibal thirsting for the blood of any living person. It must feed off of at least a quart of blood per day in order to survive, but this won't prevent it from gourging itself, and it can consume up to 20 quarts in a single day. The creature is barely conscious, but it will communicate with others of its kind and even take orders from Scynthian Vampires. When these creatures bite, they automatically transfer the Bloodburn Virus, which only creasts Bloodbeasts. They have no control over this, though, the creatues typically do too much harm for their victims to rise successfully as Bloodbeasts. However, the Bloodbeasts lose interest in thier prey as soon as the virus imbeds itself in their victims.

A select few will rise from the second stage no as Bloodbeasts, but as Scynthian Vampires. Given dark gifts of strength, intelligence, and speed they need one quart of blood per day to survive. However, as they consume more blood, they grow in power.

Both Bloodbeasts and Scynthian Vampires are adverse to the Sunlight. Bloodbeasts are sensitive to light, and will not go out into it, unless under fear of pain or death. However, despite disorientation that the light gives them, Bloodbeasts don't lose much power. Scynthian Vampires, however, are not only sensitive to the light, but they lose much of their power while in the light, and are thus incredibly vulnerable. It doesn't kill them, so they will move through it if need be.

What do ya'll think? Zombie-like Bloodbeasts and the Scythian Vampiric Masterminds, right?

Shopping a Literary Agent

2009-11-14T06:36:00.001-08:00

Oh, my. This is a first for me. Just recently, my manuscript has picked up the pace, and I mean big time. I had previously defined the concept I wanted, and now Im making progress defined in my guideline. What Im hoping, is to have a book between 80,000 and 100,000 words. These books will be much cheaper to manufacture, and will definatly be cheaper for the consumer, helping to build my name.

Hopefully, this might give me the Royalties I need to sustain myself as well as further promote my own personal line. I easily recognize this might be the easiest way to get my work out to the masses, and conversely, allow me to build my own business.

So, to that end, Im considering contacting a Literary Agent. Any suggestions for what I should look for?

Your comments will be greatly appreciated!

Crimson Star Freebies!

2009-11-12T14:59:00.000-08:00

Yup! Its that time again! Time for me to give you, my readers, more free stuff! Beyond just my rants and raves that I put here. I hope you guys enjoy it!

Today's freebie is the Emperor's Arcane. Just a little bit of a rules segment, for you D&D and RPG players. It modifies the D20 system, so that you have a point-based spell casting system, instead of the traditional Vancian system that is used. Its a simple system once you get used to how it works.

Click Here

I hope this will hold yall over until I can get the first issue of Knight Spectre out. Maybe Ill call it Knight Spectre X...for marketing sake. God, Im hilarious. Can you stand it? I know I barely can.

Anyhow, if you like that product, you will probably like my other book, Sedallia: Land of Sails. It sells in PDF format for only $2.99, so click the button below to pick it up!

Sedallia Campaign Setting

Also, leave comments of what you think bout my book!

Emperor's Take: Paranormal Activity

2009-11-11T12:57:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone. This one was a bit overdue, as everyone was talking about this new movie, paranormal activity. So I decided to see it, and review it, if only because I seem to have an extended period of writer's block, mostly due to other events happening in my life right now.

Okay, firstly, you have to remember, the movie was made for $11,000 USD, which is really good, considering that I've seen some movies made for $30,000 which definitely didn't look as professional as this. Admittedly, however, the budget requirements of this production weren't as much as others. Either way though, my hat is off to them, if this is the case.

So whats the plot you ask? A couple in a relationship have only recently moved in together. However, the girl brings with her, an entity not of this world. It starts off with simple lights being left on, or keys moved around, but soon progresses to full-out terror. I won't give anymore, but its definitely a worthwhile story, with a scary twist at the end.

However, for all of it's hype, I found the movie lacking. It wasn't frightening to me, and I felt that the scares were too predictable. And you dint need a huge budget to write a unique script. But despite all this, my hat is off to them for what marketing success they did have.

So whats my verdict? Should you see it? Currently there is nothing better in the market right now for scary movies, though that might change quickly, so if you are going to see something, you might as well see this. However, if you can hold off, you might as well see it on DVD or HBO.

One of the things I really liked about the movie was the use of the Gonzo POV for the film. It reminded me of Quarantine, and this is a great way to immerse someone into the plot. Its definately a great ride for someone who is interested in hauntings or possession.

Crimson Star Entertainment: New Project & Fourth Kind Review

2009-11-09T14:05:00.000-08:00

Im so excited. Only a day or two before I put up the first page of our newest project. I've decided on a name for it, Knight Spectre...or possibly Night Spectre, Im still debating that fine point.

But hey, I've got the rest of it plotted out. As I explained before, it deals with a Local Lord who has led his troops into battle. Tragedy befalls them, and he finds an artifact of great power, after being stranded behind enemy lines. After he manages to survive, he runs a geurilla war against the enemy.

Either way, it should be a great comic. When I get the final print in, I'll put a preview on both Squidoo and the site. So yall should definately check it out when its up.

So today, I saw the Fourth Kind. Once again, if you read my blog earlier, I often use the movies as a way to recharge my creative batteries. I had seen the previews for this movie earlier this year and was generally excited about it.

I will admit,the movie was chilling at times. It definately had a good bit of fright element, but the story was lacking more than I would have liked. Overall though, it didnt detract too much from the movie. If your familiar with the movie, at this point your shaking your head at my story comment 'It's based on real events', you would say.

Well, not quite. Go ahead, do a Google Search for Abigial Tyler and Nome Alaska. You will not find any support documentation. At most, you will find a website for Alaska Psychiatric Journal, which gives a bogus biography of her. However, this site domain was purchased in August of 2009, and has no other information dealing with the Psychiatric trade.

And while Nome did have some 22 mysterious disappearances, authorities determined that the vast majority of them were the result of alcoholism and harsh temperatures.

However, this does not stop the movie's producer and writer from going as far as he can to push the movie as real. Everything from showing off the archival footage, to having Ms. Jovavich give us an introductory out of character explanation that this is based on real case studies. The footage at first seems real, but you soon get the feeling that it isn't. If this footage was real, it would have already made some waves before hand.

Im interested in abduction theories, and know the story of Betty and Barney Hill almost by heart, why would this story, with such evidence, escape me? Escape everyone?

Either way. The movie is not so scary, the 'plot' is okay. But the deception is unacceptable. Im tired of these Blair Witch promotion tactics. At this point, Im discrediting the whole story, and recommending that you don't see it. Save your money. See Paranormal Activity instead.

If you have any infomation about this movie that you think will sway me, feel free to send it to me: Emperor@CrimsonStarEntertainment.com

I hope you readers found this useful! Ill see yall next time!

Next RPG Project

2009-11-05T03:21:00.001-08:00

Okay, so in addition to the book I'm writing, and everything else Im doing, Im going to start a second RPG Project, probably around February. This one will be a spiritual sequel to my first project: Sedallia: Land of Sails.

In Sedallia: LOS, I present a modular campaign setting, involving the fictional island subcontinent of Sedallia. However, being modular, it was designed to be inserted into any campaign or roleplaying game, and make sense. It involves an Elven Empire with much steampunk influence. It creates a unique setting where you will find everything from Elven Colonialism, and Elven Mafia Organization, to even a Halfling Nomadic Community near the capital, who live, work, and love aboard their house/fishing ships. Here is a picture of one of these Halflings, made by Shaelrion in one of our many late night discussions.

Okay, so now you say, "Aight Emp! I get it, you want us to know about the old setting. I got that much...I'm a fan..." Okay, so maybe you don't say this, but a guy can dream right. Anyhow I imagine you waiting on the edge of your seat, "...now tell us about the new Project!!!"

As I said its the Spiritual Sequel to Sedallia: LOS, and will be called Seri: Island Empires, followed by Seri: Darkness in the North; and Seri: Southern War. Once these are produced, they will detail the entire planet of Seri IV, to include the two continents and the large island zone between them.

So what is Island Empires? It details the nations of Sedallia, Nagata, and a few other minor nations who have spread amongst the islands and archipalagoes that occupy the equator of the planet. It will also cover, in far more detail, the complex economy and technology that Sedallia has as it's disposal, and will expand on the economic rules presented in Sedallia: LOS.

The newest items will sell for $2.99 each as ebooks, while I will also offer a consolidated volume of all books for $4.99! Either way, though, you get a definate worthwhile product that will enhance your gaming sessions!

But definately; leave comments! And look forward to future competitions to promote the new books!

My Reading List & Why You Need One

2009-11-03T23:35:00.000-08:00

One of the main tasks of a writer is to read. From reading I can understand the new climate in literature, and provide reviews. More imporantly though, I can then read reviews from readers and adjust my writing to meet the market, if I think it's worthwhile.

Well, I came across a book called BoneShaker, which is a fantasy novel that combines two of my favorite elements, Zombies and Steampunk fiction. Involved in the book is the city of Seattle, devestated and left as a wasteland full of...you guessed it...zombies.

As you can see, with my current project, a science fiction zombie novel, I should hopefully gain some idea of what the audience wants, and go on to develope my own concept. If you are a writer, I would recommend that you develope a writing list as well. This list will help you develope your writing, and definately connect you to your potential audience as you review it, and seek out reviews.

So not only will you be refining your concept, but you will be, in effect, marketing your book, long before you have it written. Its a great practice, and can only help your writing. Then again, any reading is good reading!

Rose House

2009-11-02T16:52:00.000-08:00

Hey readers! This is a repost from another blog of mine, but I enjoy this story alot, so I felt it was more than worth the reposting. It is te story of the Rufus Rose House her in Atlanta

Alright, so my first story for you, is that of the Rufus Rose House, off of Peachtree Street in Atlanta, Georgia. I will cover the history of the house, then reveal to you some of the strange happenings that I've encountered at the house. Then I will talk about the state of the house today.

The reason I can talk so candidly and knowledgably about the house is because the house is on a tour-guide route that I do here in Atlanta as a Ghost Tour Guide. The house is a big part of my particular tour, so I had took it upon myself to do research and get as much background information about the house as possible.

The house was built in 1907 for Rufus M Rose, a distillery owner here in Atlanta. It was built for $9000 in 1907, which according to consumer price index, would be worth around $250,000 today. If you think that this is price for construction, if you added in all other market factors, the house could easily sell for over $1,000,000 today. The architect was a man named EC Siez.

The house was first inhabited by Mr Rose. He lived there with his family. He had at least one son and one daughter. As was the tradition of the day, he would have galas to show off his daughter, so that she might be married. There are rumors that say that his daughter had an unrequited suitor, but it can't be confirmed. He moved, with his family and his distillery, to Chatanooga.

The house then served as a boarding house for more wealthy, upper-middle class people of the time. We know that alot of the original furnishings were left in the house.

Later, the house served as a Museum and later an Antiques store. However, for the past 20 years, at the very least, it's been vacant. It is still for sale today.

So what makes me think that the house might be a source for paranormal activity? Well, when I first started my job, we did a tour to learn the route that we would be taking guests on. We brought a K5 meter with us, it detects electro-magnetic activity. We proceeded to ask about to see if there might be an entity that would set the meter off. We actually started to get some response, which surprised me. I checked to see if the meter was running to the house.

If your familiar with GE Power, you know that they keep enough juice running so that the meters work. Well, I think the grid had been disconnected because the meter wasn't working. Given that we were in the middle of the city, there was still plenty of random electro-magnetic energy to affect the K5 meter.

However, it was really odd because whatever it was answered three control questions, and then answered several questions specifically about the house. We found that, according to our mediums, that there was a female entity in the house, who had been murdered. There was also a young boy, but his story was, and still is unclear.

I became incredibly interested in the tour. And asked my employer some of the stories about the house. She has some specific stories and symptoms that affect her, as she is a medium as well. She reports sensing a large male presence near the house, and every time she approaches the house, she gets an intense sensation of heat in her arm and right side.

I found this interesting, because a few weeks later, I had a customer come with me on the tour, and reported getting a heat-sensation in her right arm. At first it didnt strike me as peculiar, until the very end of the tour, which I remembered my boss' own unique story. Either way, it just added fuel to the fire which was my interest in the house.

You can still see the house today. It is on Peachtree Street, literally only a few feet from Gladys Knight's Chicken and Waffles. If you have a real stash of cash, you can buy the house for the princely sum of 1.6 million.

The house has an interesting backstory, but not one with a compelling paranormal link. So if I were to rate it out of five, I would say a three. The paranormal happenings at the house, however, have been the most I've ever seen in any location, and that would get five out of five. The overall ambience of the house is great, it fits the haunted house stereotype almost to a tee, and deserves another five out of five.

The house as a whole gets a 4.2 out of 5, and is honestly a great place to visit, if only for historical reasons. Though at night, it certainly has the power to scare!

Happy Halloween

2009-11-01T00:46:00.000-07:00

Oh, I love Halloween, despite the fact that I was inside all night, because I was expecting I would have a tour tonight. God forbid that I should expect a Ghost Tour's busiest night would be halloween, right? Anyhow, never got so much as an email, so what did I get done?

I marketed the blog tonight, and watch the Chiller Halloween movie marathon. Im a huge horror movie geek, so I loved every second of it. Especially the coverage of the 2009 eyegore awards.

Included in the awards were awards for upcoming indie movies, very short, but some of them incredibly good. Some that stood out to me:

Samaritan: About a, you guessed it, good Samaritan, who stops on the road and discovers what he thinks is a woman in trouble. Zombie madness ensues! Approximately thirty seconds long.

Lamaze of the Dead: What would happen at a Lamaze class in the midst of Z-Day? This film explores that. However, given the nature of communications, the viral would probably be proceeded by its own reputation, thus safely eliminating the chance for such a happening. Its still quite a funny short. Approximately 30 seconds long.

Bedfellows: The first place winner. Definately worthwhile...see if you can't download it. Excellent makeup. It'll make you think twice whenever you wake up in the middle of the night!

So definately, all films worth a view! I hope yall had a happy Halloween! Night Everyone!

What am I for Halloween?

2009-10-30T23:20:00.000-07:00

Soaked and tired! Atlanta has had some recent turn of weather lately, and it has made this Hallow's Eve a very cold and rainy one! One of my jobs, besides writing and promoting websites and books, is as a Ghost Tour Guide in Atlanta. Tonight, my boss threw her 'Darkside of Underground' event, and it was, to say the least, something of a disappointment.

I felt bad for her, because I knew, invariably, that she spent alot of money on the event, and probably hadn't recouped as well. After all, we only had about 10 people show up. While I would like to blame it on the weather alone, in truth, the blame lies equally in three parts, the Weather, The Pricing Point, and the fact that bad directions were given.

The weather is self-explanatory. Despite the event being held indoors, it was rainy, and that is enough to discourage business.

The pricing point, was probably the mot important part. Entrance to the event costs about $30 USD; which is incredibly high for a niche interest with panelists and the like. Given that about one month went into promotion, and the event was limited to only Ghost Hunting and Paranormal interests, its hard to imagine anyone forking over $30 for such an event.

Lastly, there was a slight mixup about the location. We found out at the end of the night, through some intrepid attendees, that online directions had told visitors to park about a mile up the street, which is more than enough to dissuade traffic.

However, what the event did lack in traffic, it certainly makes up for in promise. can definatley imagine this event being the paranormal equivalent of Dragon*Con. However, there-in lies a problem, because Dragon*Con is the paranormal equivalent of Dragon*Con. But I definately imagine she will do well if she isn't dissuaded by this!

So thats the main lesson, you as the reader can gain from this. Just because the event isn't successful, it does build an asset value that cannot be readily quantified in dollar signs. However, this asset certainly leads to more of them. And that is notoriety. Im sure that the first Dragon*Con was barely profitable, if at all, and now look at it, it is one of the largest conventions in the country, and people fly from half-way around the world to attend.

It would be an interesting to try to quantify "notoriety" in a scientific way. However, I believe that this "notoriety" would be measured in advertisement labor hours, which would result in more attendees.

For example year one, your notoriety results in 10 labor hours of advertisment and pricing point of $30 sets the conversion ratio of one attendee for every four labor hours of advertisement. Thus, if you had one full-time employee who posts ads and spreads information via word of mouth for 160 hours (one-month), the total labor hours of advertisement would be 170, with a total of 42 potential attendees. This means you rake in $1260 worth of customers, while spending $1600 to acquire them.

However in year two, your notoriety, driven by a good experience from those 42 attendees, raises to where you get 100 free labor hours of advertisement. You set the pricing point at $20, and thus have a conversion ratio of one customer per two labor hours. This year you would do much better, getting 140 attendees and making 2800 in admissions, while only spending 1600 for advertising.

However,these are all estimates, and not based on any research. However, maybe I will do a more indepth study on my "Business Projects" blog. Right after I find out how much traffic per day a single backlink provides!

This will definately be useful for a zombie-themed event I am planning for Halloween 2010. Stay tuned for that if your in the Atlanta area!

New Preview

2009-10-29T15:05:00.000-07:00

Okay, hey readers, today I've got a juicy tidbit for you! As you know, Im the editor, writer, framer, promoter, web designer...pretty much everything for my company. That can be expected for a startup!

Anyhow, as you may or may not already know, I am currently writing two projects right now. Firstly, a new science-fiction book involving a zombie outbreak in Atlanta. This one I'm aiming at a literary agent, try to get it published by some of the bigger companies, if only so I can use the money to further push my own company.

Well, Im also writing for our newest comic series. We are going to produce two. The first one will be a free web-comic that you will be able to find on our website, updated by one frame a week. Kinda slow pace, but its what our budget can afford.

This first book, the free e-serial, will be about a Knight leading a unit in the midst of a war in an epic fantasy setting. His men are annihilated, and he is lost, behind enemy lines. He discovers by accident, in his attempt to escape the enemy, a ring that gives him the power to summon a spiritual guardian. The story tells of his geurilla war against the enemy, and coming to grips with the power he now has. What we are looking at for a name is Shadow Knight. It rings well.

The second though, will be an e-comic, sold in PDF form. Probably priced around 50 cents. A total of 6 pages, and a collected form every few months, of an 24 page thinbook. Pricing for it will vary, depending upon what sort of production deals we can get hashed out, but for you comic book fans, rest assured, we wont release it unless its $2.99 or under.

For this second book, it will tell the story of Milane, a Ranger who travels through the same land as mentioned in the story of Shadow Knight. What she discovers there truly shocks and horrifies her, and should make for a great read. Adult themes will be present for this publication, and currently it is un-named.

However, like I said, I promised you some good details, so you can look Here. On my Squidoo lens, you'll find page four of the first issue of Milane's story. Go ahead and leave comments, and if you have any ideas for a name, leave those ideas below.

Anyhow, take a look, and lemme know what you think!

Freebies & Blogging

2009-10-28T17:11:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. Just touching base with my readers, what few of you there are!

First of all, I would like to go ahead and point you this direction:

Suvudu Library

Listed in this link are several free books for download, including one by RA Salvatore. If your familiar with the Forgotten Realms and Drizzt Do'Urden, then your familiar with the works of Salvatore. Apparently the book is apart of his Demon Wars series, at least thats what I think it is called.

Nextly, I often get some similiar questions from my friends. Frankly, how to write a good blog, and how do I keep up coming up with unique content day after day. I mean, it makes sense, eventually, you would run out of things to talk about, right?

Yes of course, but hopefully, at that point you might have enough resource to purchase a blog post, at least one new one a week. You can usually get a 500 word post for about $10 and a backlink, maybe less if it is a new, untested writer.

But before you as a blogger, can get to that point, you must first write your own blogs. The first thing you should do, is dedicate a notebook. Whenever you see or read about a topic you think would be worth bloggin about, you should write it down in your notebook.

Then when your ready to sit down and write; look through your notebook and choose those topics that you think will be interesting to write about. Put it in your voice, but make it appeal to the reader. Notice how I am giving YOU some tips on how to write, not explaining the process by which I write. Eiter one will work, but talking to the audience directly is more effective.

However, blogging about things that happen to you in your everyday life, or about your dog or cat, will not appeal to the audience, unless you have some unique element to your lifestyle. So unless you are trekking through the amazon, writing a novel, or curing cancer we don't care. And we really don't care about fluffy humping your leg. Dont write about it, unless its for you!

Once you get past this, then you come to the minutia, ie make sure you check spelling and don't sound like a moron. Don't offend you audience. And always read your columns.

When you have something funny to say (or meaningful), incorporate it into the lesson you are giving the audience. It works much better, and it is those little elements, and those stories about your life (when successfully incorporated) that will add character to your blog!

Nextly, another comment exercise! Tell me some of the stupid Halloween Jokes you've heard. Ill go ahead and start off!

What am I going for this Halloween?

Im going to buy an Affliction Tshirt and go as a Jackass!

All credit for that Joke goes to Specialist Mac in my unit, the 178th MP Company out of Monroe, Ga. That doesnt make it any less funny! Anyhow, go ahead and it me with your comments!

Small Post

2009-10-27T14:28:00.000-07:00

Hey Everybody!

Im still busy at work with my novella, as well as my other projects. About my new manuscript though, I will tell you it is about a Police Officer in a not-so distant, much more utopian future, and a resulting outbreak of zombies. Ive got great plans on how to promote this, and some ideas for free events in the Atlanta area during Halloween 2010! I know, Im far-sighted!

Okay I've got two questions for those of you out there. Firstly, I recently discovered a Steam Punk novel that features Zombies. What are your opinions about horror being crossed with other strains of fiction to form hybrid fiction? Most of them cross anyhow with science fiction, but there is a basis for Zombies to exist in fantasy fiction (I.E. Necromancy). Just rattling the old braincage, but what are some ideas about Zombies that we have yet to see?

Second question, what are your opinions of the game Human Vs Zombies? Ive seen it played online, and I want to include it in my Halloween 2010 stuff. Opinions?

Also, please take a second to subscribe to me, and comment. I'd really love to get some input about my blog. Anyhow, like I said, this was to be a short, unedited post. I hope it doesn't show too much!

New Book Project

2009-10-20T14:09:00.000-07:00

So, I've got a new book Im working on. It's got to do with Zombies and Science Fiction. Should be very interesting. I am, in all honesty, wanting to tell you all about it, but yall will just have to wait!

However, for what its worth, Im going to market this next project with a Literary Agent. Ill probably use a pseudonym, so that my work won't be confused with my company. And also, this way, I will be able to put alot more money into the company, given that this book takes off.

Check out my youtube for current comic book reviews: Here

Insomnia Sucks

2009-10-17T03:27:00.000-07:00

Hey yall, its me. Can't sleep, sometimes I have a hard time sleeping but its okay.

However, this did give me a chance to catch up on a story board for a new comic book that we will be publishing via www.CrimsonStarEntertainment.com Ill go ahead and give you some info now. Two projects. The first will be a free internet serial, four frames per month, published once month, until I get enough capital to higher a web master. At that point, it'll go to one frame a week. This free comic will take place in the Fantasy Kingdom of Eavton, which is in the same world as our Sedallia setting, just a few 1000 miles north. It will concern a soldier who is seperated from his unit, and finds a ring of some power.

A little pre-production note, the original intention was for the eComic to be about a US Soldier in a fictional nation called Kiraqastan, in the future about 10 years or so. However, we felt this would be too climately charged. So I am leaving it open to suggestion. Would you rather see a fantasy variant? Or a futuristic version that hits somewhat close to home? Current project title is Nightshade: Northern Ghost.

The second will be avialable as an eComic for $.99 on our products page, once a month, and we hope to put together a 22-page trade in a year or so. As to print, I have no idea how much that will cost at this point in time, though I imagine $2.99 MSRP wouldn't be so far off the mark.

The second series, which has the storyboard filled out, is untitled as of yet. It will be a more adult-oriented title, and some issues may be explicit. Those for general order, though they have some great art, won't be. The Explicit titles will have to be direct order.

The title will revolve around a female tracker and hunter, who is hired to map the land north of Eavton. What she finds there horrifies her, and she soon falls victim to the predations of the Shadow Lord, who is the Dark Lord of Astergoth, and is witness to his war machine.

Should all in all, be some great titles!

Im still drawing up some conceptual manuscripts for my next writing project. Nothing more to say on that!

Surrogates & New V-Blog

2009-10-13T13:02:00.000-07:00

So I've decided to put this Blog down in type, while waiting for my water to come to a Boil. Ramen noodle goodness, it's my main source of sustenance as a student, and especially as a starving artist. That, and self-pity. Sorry, just a little writer joke.

Okay, so today I saw Surrogates. This much I can say, there always comes a time, every so often, where I see a movie, read a book, look at a website, and I always think, gosh I wish I had thought of that. And while this at first may seem like a slight downer its actually quite motivational, and helps me move towards my own projects.

Surrogates is one of those movies. A superb concept with a great script and great actor. Im not a Bruce Willis fanboy or anything, but he is a terrific actor. Now that I think about it, he has been type-cast a little, as either the introspective investigator, or the badass action hero. But either way, he is much more dynamic than that (I think), and even if he isn't he pulls those roles off well.

Whats great about Surrogates however,is the concept. Ive always imagined robots in science fiction as automatons, that is, autonomous units that function independently of human control and conscience. As such, it brings in deeper aspects of what it means to be humans, rights for sentience, and definition of life. Things like robotic laws become of vast importance.

However, in Surrogates, the robots are tools for humans. With one human, depending upon their level of wealth, owning this one tool which defines their lives, more so than a house or car, and possibly only second to their education, but a more viable asset. As such, a robot becomes probably becomes a huge purchase, and you can actively see in the movie, becomes the focus of people's lives. Whole industries are created that deal with cosmetic and maintanence of the Surrogates.

I wont reveal any more of the plot, other than the relationship between humans and surrogates, and the importance placed on them, is one of the major themes.

However, it does remind me, in many ways, of the importance that people place on computers. And how these machines are so similiar to the surrogates. We use them to do business, to represent ourseves (social networking), to automate our lives. Everything. And how dependent we are upon them, and if we could trully ever revert back to more a more primitive state.

I have no doubt we would. There are many people in most industries who make their living without heavy reliance on technology. And there are those who rely on it, but make sure they have other passions or hobbie beyond the confines of technology. Just the existance of this movie, in my opinion shows our ability to be independent of technology. But it is so interesting to see a vision of the world as it might be, given those conditions.

What do you guys think? Could humanity survive a catastrophic loss of technology? What about a gradual campaign to reduce it?

Okay, also, I have a new Video Blog started up! Check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVSTj35ptDo

Beating the Block (A Novice Writer's Perspective)

2009-10-11T03:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, this one goes out to all you other writer's out there. I'm not going to claim to know a cure, and I know, generally speaking, that every author has their own way to beat up writer's block. I can only tell you what I think, and some things that help me.

And firstly, this applies to all authors, whether your writing for a blog, a fiction writer, or a non-fiction writer. I know, that much might sound weird, but yes, if you are having to put your words on paper, they are still your words. Certainly, its a lot easier because with non-fiction the material is already there, you just have to express it. But expressing it can still be hard.

Alright, firstly Ill tell you about some of my experiences with writer's block. Then Ill go ahead and tell you some common causes, whether I define them, or they are from an outside force. Then finally, some suggestions for you to BEAT THE BLOCK!

Okay, firstly, my own experiences. Luckily for me, writing is a release for me, and helps my emotional state. Its just unfortunate that at this point in my career, my income from my writing is really limited, so others don't understand why I would do something that makes no money. Which led me to something, believe it or not, that annihilates my writer's block. Ill get to that later.

However, what I'm trying to say is that my writing relieves my emotional state. My writing generally increases my stat of mind, and it really takes a massive depression for it to be blocked. And that rarely happens to me.

However, sometimes I just write, and after 10 or so revisions, I develop the block. One such recent happening was recent, when I was writing an adventure for an RPG campaign I run. Yes, not a project for release or profit, and the vast majority of my work doesn't get released. I only release things for two reasons, either I think it will be commercially successful, or I think its something that needs to be released.

Anyhow, this adventure was actually a mystery adventure involving the investigation of a murder. Should be simple, especially for something that I don't plan to release, right? Well, like I said the block isn't associated with just things you want to publish.

I wanted to add a level of depth to the plot, that would make it intriguing, without destroying the atmosphere I had created with the setting. This was becoming increasingly difficult, so I did one of the things I usually do, I listened to music.

At first I turned on the television to MTV, and was listening to a certain pop diva sing about rings and fingers. I think you know who I am referencing. I watched the video for a second, which included about three dozen women in leotard outfits bending over and slapping their butts. While normally, this material would be interesting to me, if in a different cinema context(involving much more nudity)...that day it was just annoying. And while I don't dislike this artist, I wasn't in he mood for sexy pop-diva.

I quickly turned the television off, and searched desperately for my IPOD. I'm horrible about losing my stuff. I finally found it, and found sweet salvation, in Anthrax "I'm the Man '91" Yeah, I'm old school like that. But the only thing I could think of, at this point was the Pop Diva and her dancers bending over slightly and slapping their butts, all to the beat of Anthrax. It was like my own little movie. And it was awesome!

I quickly broke free of my creative rut, and created a ghetto neighborhood of halfling fishermen who resided on their fishing boats in fishing clans. From here I was easily able to craft some NPCs, a good background for the victim, and a twist that made for a good story.

Yeah, so my conflicts with the Block are...weird. To say the least.

Okay, so how does this apply to you? Well just giving you an example, and something to laugh at can sometimes help. And remember, it doesn't happen to only just you. A million writers have done this before you, a million more will go through it after you do. That's a little slogan I got from the Army, modified of course.

So what contributes to the block? As I mentioned above, many things do, and one of the common causes is emotional states. However, others exist, from the purely mundane (lack of sleep) to the truly profound (change of life). I define blocks as complex or mundane, the difference being if it has clear causal relationship or not. I also add in a scale of temporary or not-temporary. This is defined as whether or not a person wants to handle a block. There is no such thing as a permanent block, which is why I don't use the term. There is only the matter of whether or not you want to break the block.

I define a block caused by an emotional state as complex and temporary. Its caused by some element of your life that usually puts your emotions out of balance. And though these causes can be long-lasting, it is only temporary, and there are always ways to deal. For minor emotional blocks, this blog offers practical solutions. For major ones, only time will really heal those.

I define a block caused by something physical as mundane and temporary. It, like an emotional block, has a cause, and is only temporary. The problem is evaluating the block and taking steps o remove it. Medication for depression and sleep are some simple solutions. This blog is not really aimed at this sort of block.

I define a block caused by a lack of creativity as complex and temporary. It has no clear causal factor, but is usually only temporary. Often many elements that will help with an emotional block will break the mental/creative block. This blog is aimed at this block.

Lastly, this blog is not designed to help those situations whereby you no longer want to write. It can only help if that is what you want to do. My advice, if you don't like writing, and only remain because of money, or maybe concepts of identity, is to go ahead and bite the bullet. Hopefully you have enough support to make the transition seamlessly.

Okay, so what are some ways to defeat the block? I have, in my personal experience, two ways to defeat the block. A creative infusion of some sort, or work. Some authors can push past a block, or write through it. I don't promote this method, but sometimes, there are points in a story that you need to just move beyond to motivate yourself. I encounter at least one of these points in every project I encounter. Sometimes I find a way to turn tragedy to triumph, but I will admit, I have put some crappy words onto paper just to move on.

Firstly, a creative infusion. Simple enough. Sometimes you just need to listen to music or get out to a movie to move on. Just remain mindful of your budget. Don't do things you don't need to, because, as far as I know you cannot claim writer's block on your taxes. Though you can claim research for your novel...so...take it for what its worth.

Secondly, work. Something vigorous and laborious. It does so much to cleanse the mind and body. Go for a good two-mile run. I do at least a mile every other day, and a min of 4 miles a week. Its great for your health. However, I also do transcription work moonlighting. There is nothing like hearing someone else's voice for four hours to motivate your own words. Trust me on that one.

Not to mention, while I'm doing transcription I make $10 t0 $20 an hour, which is good for the whole income thing. I found transcription to prove I could make money right off the bat from writing. I can say this though, if you have a low tolerance for typing...don't attempt it. Its stressful and puts a lot of wear on the hands.

Well, I hope that my insight helped you. Hopefully you can get back to work on your next greatest project!

Introduction

2009-10-09T10:40:00.000-07:00

Alright, so Im tired. That much is for real. My schedule of when I sleep is slightly screwed up. I sleep, now between 6 PM and 10 PM. Wierd right? But enough of my insomnia...

Firstly lemme go ahead and put this out there, if you dont know, the company I represent is Crimson Star Entertainment. Its a small, little known company that provides publising for independent authors. Namely, me. Within the compay, I go by the name Emperor, or just Emp...I dont know why, it suits me well.

We mostly publish Fantasy and Science Fiction stuff, though Horror and other things of a Counter Culture nature aren't out of the Question. With all that said, here is our link:

www.crimsonstarentertainment.com

About me? Im an Atlanta Native, I go to Georgia State University. Im a member of the US Army National Guard, and very underemployed. I work downtown giving ghost tours and walking tours to paying customers.

Im somewhere between starving artist and working poor. The economy is tough, but I can go to school, and I know there is alot of people out there who have it worse than me.

So I dont ask for charity. However, if you like my products, I ask that you remember that your money wont be going into the wallets of some mega-publisher fatcat, it will go to a struggling, yet very talented and creative student. Haha. So feel free.

Alright, now that I have introduced myself, I expect to have a good bit more to say tommorrow!