This has been a long time coming, a very long time coming. I remember when I first had the idea to make a website, it was when I began to grow tired of juggling so many links, from my author pages on Amazon both the UK and US, my YouTube and Bitchute channels and my blog on WordPress where my articles are catalogued. When people ask me about what it is I do, I happily explain while doing my best not to overwhelm them, but it was understandable that some people were overloaded with info, I needed a place where people could go, to where it all was contained and presented accordingly, so an official website was the logical step forward, and that seed was planted years ago. Just for some context I wasn’t living in the house I am in now when I had this idea, nor was I in the last one, it was in the one before that during the pandemic years when I committed firmly to the notion, that’s how long it has been well over two years and my God what a headache it has been for something (from what I was told) relatively simply to accomplish. I do not want to recap the unnecessarily long journey I’ve been on since in extensive details, honestly it’s rather dull and not worth anyone’s time, in fact I am only going to skim over it and avoid the gory stuff because honestly I am just so tired of it, I’m tired of thinking about it, tired of making this thing the focus, tired of the struggle and I just miss the writing, you know that thing I used to do back when things were simple, but to give you a very, very brief idea of what has been going on, I’ve worked with four websites in total, the fourth being the one you might want to check out after reading this post. The first site was rather experimental, I did not know what I was doing looking back, problems with this one was inevitably going to overtake the work due to it being my first and worst attempt, but it was rather charming considering I was sailing with very little experience. The second site was simply a mess and never really took off, it was all over the place like a boat made out of cardboard, such a chunky casserole of nonsense it makes my head hurt just thinking about it; It was best just to take it out into the woods and bury it in the ground for no one ever to see, I didn’t even announce this second site it was that bad, but at least it served as a stepping stone to the next platform which was much better. The third site I worked on was admittedly the best in the series so far, it did eventually break down unfortunately during an update patch and got completely scrambled. To this day I do not know what happened nor do I really care, now. I felt very powerless with this one in a strange way, it lasted about six months so it kind of sort of was a success, it just felt so risky when working behind the scenes, felt sketchy to touch anything in case of collapse, it was a real chore to make updates and often I had to phone someone up just to check if it was alright to tamper with some of the options, and I would not get a response for hours if not days, this often left me running behind schedule and missing the deadlines I set for myself. After it broke down I was wrapped up in finishing the final volume of Ep2-Rise and simply could not spare the energy, but knew deep down that I would have to come back to it at some point, which of course I eventually did, I with an incredible web-designer did manage to build a site to my liking, not only is it a place to house most of the work, but sets things up for future projects which I will touch on later. I cannot stress how much of a relief this actually is, it has been a weight on my mind for such a long time, I’ve been through so many web-designers, spoken to so many tech guys (some of which were professional and very helpful, others not so much) and have had so many bumbled attempts to create something that not only houses my work in a professional and unique way, but something that works effectively, for both myself and the user when he or she visits. This article is not going to be very long, actually I believe it will be one of the shortest in the archive, I’m not even going to bother proofreading this essay – this is against my nature and it feels wrong to even type such a sentence, but I had to get this out as soon as possible, I wanted to put a pin in it and move onto the next thing I am indeed that desperate to see the tail end of web-design, but am thankful for the service and support it provides for works such as my own. First things first I’d like to explain how this one works and secondly, I want to note the reasons as to why I built it in the first place, because it is worth covering moving forward. Just to add, not everyone I worked with was unprofessional, Mike was a hero, Andrea was a star, and Jomin (the man who assisted me on this most recent site) was an absolute trooper, equally patient and knowledgeable; My hat comes off to you, you made this what it is, I thank you for your time and I wish you all the very best in endeavours to come, you’re all aces in my book. Now, before I pass out due to lack of sleep, let me explain how this site works and why it was made in the first place, no need for a drink this time, maybe a shot of something fierce I suppose because we’re not going to be here for that long, let’s dive in shall we?
To start off with I’ll tackle the HOME section of the site. Here we have all the most relevant info at your fingertips. Presented with some artwork which will change as the series progresses, this is what people will see the moment it opens, I am looking into an animation instead of a flat image, but one step at a time. There are some reviews from those who granted me a Readers Favourite 5/5 Star Award, people who took the time to sample the work and kindly wrote me a short review, I will change these up in the future but for now this will remain at least until the launch of the second book and fresh reviews roll in. Do a little scrolling and you can see what’s to come in an Upcoming List and also will be given the option to sign up to my Newsletter, it only takes two seconds and will offer those that do sign up, snippets of works in progress, questionnaires, insights into media updates, early viewings of artworks and so on. I promise I’ll get creative with the Newsletter, not sure when the first letter will be sent out, I will be working on the letters layout but for now sign up and make me work for your subscription. Have you signed up yet?
Self-explanatory really, the ABOUT section is but a single page of text, text that outlines what it is I intend to do with TAO’s future, what the goals are, contains a brief summary of my background topped off with some images of yours truly so you know what I look like and who you are dealing with when reading said articles or hopefully supporting. I will expand this page, when I begin to produce the short film, you can expect to see the inclusion of more people, those I am in collaboration with to bring you something special. It takes all sorts to make a world, the fictional worlds are not exempt.
I think it is important to not only show your updates when they happen, but to also explain/list them as they come. Making lists is actually good for one’s mental health – Little piece of advice, if you’re overworked or overwhelmed, if you feel like the world and everyone in it is getting on top of you, my advice to be is to find an escape route, take a walk, go for a drive do anything to distance yourself from the hustle and bustle and make a list of all the things you need/want to do. Personally, I take a walk, I find a café, I turn my phone off and write in a notebook a list of things that need sorting or doing, I realise it sounds like a flimsy idea but I promise, the moment you see the things written out on the page, you’ll start feeling somewhat better, and that is what this tab on the site is designed to do, for my own mental well-being. The LATEST section is the space in where this list happens written in a journalistic way. Whenever there is an update made on the site large or small, you can be sure to see it will be written here, in order to keep an account of all the things added or perhaps deleted. Keeping a log, I think is important, it’s like a diary that shows you how far you’ve come. I might even rename this in the future, I am considering changing this tabs title from Latest to Diary.
I am proud and fond of all of the sections on the site; however, the ARTICLES is the one I am most proud of and for good reason. I’ve sunk an enormous amount of time into this, it has become something I am so very proud of, and I’ve taken the time to back-up the work, so even if the day comes when this site too fails, there will always be a back-up. This drop-down menu contains all of the Taoteque Articles I’ve ever written since 2016 on WordPress. With this article included, I’ve 87 essays to read through, some are writing related, others are commentaries on the modern-day, I’ve reviewed a few films and games, talked about certain endeavours and events, it’s all here, all labelled and dated correctly it took me hours if not a day or two (I wouldn’t be surprised) to input all of this info. Some articles are over forty pages long and to my standard well researched taking weeks to complete. Not all are written with such intensity, some are silly, some are educational, some are rants about the things that deserve to be taken to task and some are rather personal, but I feel that every-one of them has something to say, some take me back to a time when I was on the road, enabling me to relive certain events in my life, and that is important. I had aimed to reach one hundred completed essays before 2023, but maybe that is a little too ambitious, we’ll see, but I very much doubt it. My next article in fact I hope will be on A.I, having experienced Soma over Halloween I feel compelled to write about what I’ve learned and what I consider to be, something profound.
The GALLERY is the section where you can sample behind the scenes photos of those bigger projects such as trailers and music videos, you will be given access to see artwork from various artists who have kindly assisted in capturing glimpses of characters and landscapes that appear in the world of Equis. So far, we’ve nearly a hundred pics to sift through, expect the gallery to expand as I embark on larger, more ambitious tasks. Please bear in mind however, the thumbnails are not accurate representations of the image, should you click on said image it’ll expand appropriately. I wish there was more to say here, but that’s it, after all a picture says a thousand words.
I’ve always said I’ve no desire to become a vlogger, I cannot seem to capture that charisma needed to keep people hooked, and I’ve also not the know-how to produce quality imagery and clear sound. It’s all probably remarkably simple and I am just overthinking things as I always do, but these are all barriers I need to thoroughly learn about before I cross them. Only when I’ve set aside enough time to do this will I go near the microphone and camera, but I have started to consider doing short videos when something big happens, such as the launch of Ep2-Rise for example or when it comes to talking about the short film I am intending to produce and direct, these outlets demand documentation, not only in text format, but through the camera. I can see this being very beneficial, it will give me the chance to engage with people on vlogging sites such as YouTube and Bitchute. My VIDEOS thus far found on the site are all the videos I’ve ever done, from my first low-key trailers, to interviews, and music vids, the most recent addition in fact is a new musical theme written by Atlas Audio, do check it out if you’ve some time, this would be their second piece they made for me, inspired by the stories I tell in The Ancestral Odyssey.
Often, I’ve made it clear that the more ambitious I become, the more supportI require. One of the reasons as to why some endeavours take so f**cking long, is because I have to put money aside from my day job in order to pay for the services needed to make the work into what it should be, whether it be paying a concept artists, hiring an animator, working alongside a musician or a literacy editor, it all comes from the money I make at my day-job which is just enough to keep the light on, and unless you’re below the age of sixteen, you are probably aware that everything in this current climate is getting expensive. I have the desire to bring you more art, more music, more trailers, more everything, but I cannot at any daily rate, I do the best I can with what I have but am forced to focus on just one thing at any given time, and be extremely careful with my funds, this not only costs money but it drains ever so much time. The SUPPORT page too is but a single page of all the different ways you can support me, you can share my work with people who you think will be interested, you can buy the book directly from my author page, I recommend the digital Kindle Editions. You can subscribe to the YouTube/Bitchute channels, sign up to the Newsletter, donate a little cash maybe to the PayPal account (the TAO bank I call it), anything you can muster will be greatly appreciated. Question is, should you support me? Well, only you can decide whether I am worthy of your support, if you like what I am doing, if you’d like to see more and help me succeed, by all means select which option works for you, I promise I will not shy away from anyone who is interested or would like to assist.
This page is fine, although I am planning on extending the photographs so customers can get a better idea of what it is I make. In the PRODUCTS section you’ll see Ep1-The Utopian Dream displayed in all its formats, from Kindle, Paperback and Hardback Editions. As I recommended earlier, the Kindle Editions are the most user friendly, the Paperbacks too are great if you’re a more traditional reader, any purchases made here is fine and I’ll love you for it. The Hardback Edition on the other hand is something I do not recommend; I have to be honest here because the last thing I want is for you to be disappointed, but the Hardback is a collection of Volumes 1-3 under the one roof, and because Ep1 is so massive (they all are going to be monster books) I did have a rough time organising this to be printed, the biggest issue is of course the font size, I literally had no choice but to shrink the font down to a measly size 8 which is shockingly small. Don’t worry, it’s still readable, it’s not like the Bible, but for some it might be troublesome. I just needed to point this out before you went ahead to buy it, as I said, the last thing I want is for people to feel disappointed, which is why I feel it’s best to pick up Kindle and Paperback Editions. As the series progresses, you can expect to see this page grow, soon it will when Ep2-Rise hits the shelves.
This brings us finally to the reasons as to why I made this site, why did I do this to begin with and why did I pour so much energy into something that (at the end of the day) is rather straight forward and simplistic, a house for TAO to exist in? Well, to cut a long story extremely short, its current purpose is to promote the short film, to show people that I am in this for the long haul. Later it will evolve into a platform to support artists from all over, but for now it needs to launch itself to attract others. Soon the time will come to start the Crowdfunding campaign, soon the time will come to go public with my intentions, to bring forth the spark to ignite a franchise, one to rival the husk that was Star Wars and the embarrassment that is the MCU. People are less likely to click on several links rather than the one, this site will be listed in the campaign as proof of what I’ve achieved, and I hope to God it’s enough to peak interests. I know it sounds crazy, I know it sounds ridiculous and I’ve been ridiculed about this before, but you’ll never know unless you don’t try, nothing will take flight if you do nothing, and most are not willing to take that leap of faith or brave enough to take those risks. I truly believe people are hungry for something meaningful, I believe people want something more than surface level stories and cardboard characters, and maybe just maybe The Ancestral Odyssey is that thing that will show people that things will happen if you make it so. As Alexander the Great once said “Fortune favours the bold” and I am not one to just sit down forever and simply consume, I want to bring something new to the table, I know I can do this and I know I can do it well, and the books connected to everything found in the Official TAO Website is the tip of the spear to connect people, to help organise and build a loyal fanbase, but I cannot do this alone, I need your help.
Hey folks, thank you for reading this article today and I really hope I’ve earned your support, whether it be via a subscription, a sign up to the Newsletter (links to the website are listed below) or a simple thumbs up, I honestly need all the help I can get moving forward now that this milestone is complete. Apologies this post is not as long as the others, it was written at lightning speed to go with the announcement of the website. If you’re a follower of mine in any capacity, I am planning on writing up an essay on A.I soon having been inspired if not traumatised by Soma, a title developed by Frictional Games and one that I know will resonate with me for a long time if not forever, it will also come with a big piece of news that I know you’ll find exciting so be sure to check back soon. As always, take care of yourselves and I’ll see you all in the next one. PEACE!
E-mail – taotome@outlook.com
[Official Website OPEN] – http://www.taotequevault.com
Promotional Material YouTube – http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-nc_VEmC27AIz6pP51UVkQ
Promotional Material Bitchute – http://www.bitchute.com/channel/x9K5vwi2SsNu/
Author Page UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B01JMZ2BE6
Author Page US – https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01JMZ2BE6
Twitter – @MegasTeque
Atlas Audio – http://www.atlas-audio.co.uk
D.W.Gill
Taoteque: The Blog 