So, here we are, my work has finally made it up onto the shelves, I spotted it a few days ago in Blackwells while I was out in Oxford City enjoying some of this glorious sunshine we’ve been having, summer has truly arrived and it’s wonderful, which is an odd thing to say because I’ve always preferred winter. I’d love to share my thoughts on this experience further, seeing one’s work up there on the shelf is rather exhilarating, it is important to recognise the milestone, it is worth expanding upon and is something I believe all creatives wonder about from time to time. Whether you’re a writer, musician, film maker, painter etc it matters not, to have something you’ve created, something you’ve worked hard on for so long up on display for everyone to see, it’s not vanity speaking, you’re not by any stretch shallow, it’s actually something to be proud of because not everyone achieves this, despite how many books you see on the shelves that is still a very small number of people by comparison, so if you’re a creative who has accomplished this feat, congratulations, I’m proud of you. This being said, I am not saying that your work isn’t valuable or great if it’s not on the physical shelf, I am sure, positive even that there are masterful works out there still in production or have simply not found their space yet; What I’m emphasising, is that it takes an extra push and a certain mindset TOO get it there, if that is what you want of course, and that moment thankfully has at last arrived for me with Volumes 2, 3 and 4 to follow. This post would look a little thin if this was the ONLY subject I wanted to talk about, so I’d like to take this moment to give you fine people an update with where I am at with the TAO project/projects, what I’ve been reading, playing, watching, and doing with my time of late. Also, I’d like to dive into the creative process a little more on this one, it has been a while since I gave you something weird to chew on so look forward to that later on in this article. There is a reason why we writers are strange creatures, but I swear with what I am about to say will (I hope) make even the most decadent writer question their level of commitment to their craft – I promise you things are going to get nuts and maybe hard to wrap your head around. Anyway, I praised our weather a few sentences ago, ironically the sun has now been masked behind grey clouds and it is now raining pretty hard, we even had some thunder and lightning which is both relaxing and exciting; It’s nice just to stare out to it and just listen. I’ve just made some coffee, do grab yourselves something before you begin, that’s our unwritten rule here if you’ve read any of my posts because they’re usually several pages long, believe me you’ll need the energy, but note that this one won’t be a lengthy essay, this time I feel like a teaser is necessary, plus I want to get an early night and catch up on some sleep because my body clock has once again fallen out of line with what is considered normal these days so; I hope you enjoy this shortish article, it’s coming in at number 95 called, The Ultimate Writer. Still thinking about doing something crazy when I hit the 100-post mark, I am open to any suggestions you may have I’ll be sure to document it, but with that aside, let’s get to it.
First things first, I am chipping away at Episode Three: Seeds of War, the emphasis here is on the word journey and I’ am very happy with the way the story is progressing so far. I’m onto some pretty creative ideas, I’ve already gently introduced the new threat/villain, in fact you get a glimpse of him and see what he is capable of in the opening sequences. I think when you come to reading it after Episode Two, you’ll be satisfied with where I take this new concept, after all, Ep2-Rise is a very hard act to follow from a villainous stand-point, so instead of trying to go bigger, better and more powerful, I’ve decided to avoid that awful Hollywood trope and go for a villain who is far more subtle and cunning but equally as terrifying as what you’ve previously encountered – Someone who lacks physical prowess or any magical distinctions of any kind, utilising weaponry that we often do not think of as an offence, but when wielded correctly it can be devastating. He is able to stand-up to not only our heroes, but the villains also, characters I’ve spent the entirety of Episode Two setting up. If that sounds like a weird thing to say, it is, how can someone so ill-equipped possibly threaten The Black Doves or The Shields of Krondathia, but believe me you’ll see what I mean when the whole act is complete, it’s going to be something spectacular if I am able to execute this correctly; The very idea on that note, that these larger than life characters can be brought to task by someone so inconspicuous, so unsuspecting using nothing but his intelligence and old methods of espionage to tear these groups apart is intriguing, at least it is to me. This early on in the writing stage of Ep3, I am setting everything up nicely, it’s a challenge getting into the headspace of some of these characters and of course being sure to organise the historical references and lore can take hours, so when I say “chipping away,” I am not exaggerating, this thing is moving along at a snail’s pace – To elaborate further for context, six to eight months ago I decided to start Ep3, and I’ve only reached Chapter Three, it is evolving, it’s just evolving slowly; Sometimes I’d sit down hoping to write for a few hours but I’ll end up only writing two to three lines! Most of my time is spent studying Ep1 and Ep2, every sentence I write has to be carefully considered, more so than ever now because I’ve established so many rules and period landmarks, it all needs to be honoured and remembered accordingly. In the particular sequence I’m tackling now for example, we’ve a meeting or maybe it’s better described as a gathering, a sequence which when conceptualised looked easy and fun, something I thought I could breeze through and be done with, with little challenge, but now I’m several pages in and the end is far from sight. It’s a mess right now and will require a lot of examination before moving forward.
There are other reasons why this hurdle is taking so long to clear, one of which is simply having to deal with what happened after the events of Episode Two: Rise of The Black Doves, a book that I am still emotionally recovering from, a book that at times had my hands shaking while writing and my mind just racing. One scene in particular that involves Donna Mu Klade had me tensed up. There were also some instances when I just had to pause and come back to it later, I was so invested it left me jaded in parts and quite upset with what happens to the main cast in others, I’ve never felt that before. Please do not misunderstand me, this sense of feeling told me I was onto something big, as I’ve said before in posts prior ‘If it’s not making you nervous then you’re not doing your job as a writer.’ I do love Episode Two, truly I do, it enters my mind quite often usually when I’m travelling from place a to b and never fails to put an enthused smile on my face or draws some exhilaration to the surface when I re-visit some memorable scenes. I actually really look forward to my occasional trip to London now for the novelty of the coach ride alone, I love watching the world go by while listening to music and transporting myself to the world I’ve created, whether it be Dream, Rise, Seeds, Dawn, or Kindred, envisioning the potential of what I can do with the stage I’ve set up, is thrilling. With that aside, I love the way Rise unfolds; I love how all the stories interconnect as they did with Episode One: The Utopian Dream, only this time it is happening on a much larger far more dangerous scale. I love how the tension rises with each storyline, I love the introduction of the Black Doves, seeing them in their primordial states before they become who they are is a joy (unfortunately) only I can experience, because the reader is coming at this from a completely different angle from that of (me) the author. The fact that the Black Doves are barely in the book tells you something in that of itself, but when they do appear, you will certainly know it – Especially Cephie, the woman with the blood red hair who is visible in the trailer, the true antagonist of this instalment. She doesn’t have many pages dedicated to her, I did a rough estimation and there aren’t really that many! She’s also very few lines of dialogue and comes across as more of a stalking entity than a fully rounded character in opposition to the Star Callers, but this IS by design; When she is present, when she shows up, she packs one hell of a punch, you’ll quickly learn that when she does share the page with our leads, the plot is going to be propelled forward at an alarming rate and I cannot wait till you see what she can do, what impact she has and what her role actually entails, because it’s more important than you might think. I will be doing a full on spoiler review of this second instalment, probably when it’s all released because I believe it is worthy of some praise; I do not mean to toot my own horn but I’m proud of this, there are some unique moments in this book worthy of discussion, moments that have taken thought and care to set-up, topics that are challenging and there are some genuinely memorable interactions between certain characters that can fire some dialogue and encounters between hero, villain and beast that are truly epic for a plethora of reasons. I’ve worked hard to make sure it’s so, but there are some rather interesting flaws that have appeared here and there, and I am not talking about your petty typo or hiccups in grammar which you will find in almost any piece of literature out there, they are annoying but they’re forgettable, what I am talking about is that there are some flaws present that differ from that of Ep1 and are shaping up to be something of note as I move forward. I would love to delve deeper into my failures and short-comings because this is the only way we grow, but as I said, it is best to wait until all of Episode Two is released in its entirety to avoid spoiling it, and sadly that won’t be for a while, all the editors I’ve reached out to are either drowning in other projects, have politely declined or are way out of my pay grade, some charging many thousands of pounds for a snippet of the material. I will not give up, I can’t give up, it is not an option, I do have a few calls I need to make and some e-mails to send in the next few days so hopefully something will happen soon.
When not outside soaking up the sun I have been playing some pretty interesting games on the XboxOne. If you’re familiar with this blog you’ll know that I am a bit of a gamer, I’ve been one since I was about six or seven years old, starting out on games like Crash Bandicoot, Wipeout, Novastorm, Oddworld, and Medievil. It wasn’t until Final Fantasy VII came along when I really began to take gaming seriously, when I learned that great stories can indeed be told through a gaming medium. I do like my retro-games however, now I’m a little older I can certainly appreciate them a lot more, horror titles mainly catch my eye but I’ve played all sorts for a long ass time, everything from those massive mainstream titles like Halo, Metal Gear Solid, Gears of War and Tomb Raider, to the more niche titles, games that not many people know about, and it is a couple of those tucked away gems I’d like to talk to you about today because I do think they are worth your time and worth diving into if you’ve the means. If you’re not a gamer, that’s fine and maybe it’s best you skip over this segment. The first title is called Unravel, and you play as a bundle of red yarn, your name in fact is, Yarny…Please stay with me…The yarn has been weaved into a small, very simplistic bipedal form with white fluffy eyes. You’re a soft toy essentially that has somehow come to life. We’ve likely all played with such toys or stuffed animals as a child so you may be hit with nostalgia with this one, more so if you’re within my age bracket. Your goal as Yarny, so it would seem so far (note that I haven’t yet finished it) is to find and collect memories and store them in a photo album. The house you wake up in belongs to an old woman who is present in the opening movie but is absent when you start to play. I’m assuming she made you, for a Grandchild or perhaps. The first level is to explore the garden just outside the cottage, and right away I knew that I would love this game. It’s warm and welcoming, the music is cosy and relaxing as are the sound effects. Exploration is simple, requiring almost no tutorial, it’s easy to get to grips with and the environments in which you venture, takes me back to a time when I was very little, when everything around me was so big, when time didn’t move as fast, and everything was fascinating and required inspection. Unravel is creative and inventive, cutesy is the best word I’d use to describe it, cutesy and crafty; The doll you play as is curious as you run through the wild garden, he/she gets distracted by butterflies and is intrigued by small insects that scuttle in and out of crevices. You explore the shed, have to navigate through tall grass, investigate plant pots and use garden tools to sometimes get around obstacles. You’re probably thinking that this does not sound that interesting at all but because you’re only a few inches tall, these environments grant you a whole other perspective – Racks and spades can be pushed over to create bridges, tyre swings can be pulled back and swung on to reach higher ledges, toy bikes can be rolled down the garden path and given enough speed, can be used to push open the metal gate that otherwise was shut tight, blocking your way. These are just a few examples in the first level you’ll come across, you also go to the seaside, a cave and a hiker’s mountain, all are instilled with the same levels of beauty and creativity. Yarny, can also use his threads like Spiderman to get around, you can rope yourself up and over things that block your path, you can sew bowstrings to launch yourself far distances and can use your strings in such a way that you can solve intricate puzzles – One such puzzle for example requires you to pull a fallen log over to you and use it as a raft to cross a pond, because deep water causes you to sink and drown. Another puzzle requires you to pull back on a swing, only to catch onto it, mid-sway, to reach a height and your next destination. The puzzles do get more complex as you go, especially when you start using your threads to attach to counterweights and outwit those nasty pests that want to gnaw and unravel you, things like rodents and birds. It’s kind of terrifying when you think about it, to a human these are just small animals but to a three inch being made of red yarn, they come across as monsters, monsters that want to strip you of all you’re made of and use you to meet their ends, speaking of, the game does turn into a challenge when you start to run out of yarn, yarn is what you’re made of, and yarn is your method of movement and exploration, so when you’re running low, you can see it in Yarny’s appearance, he begins to get thin and grow weak, you cannot run as fast and you’ll find it hard to make your way, the only option at this point is to find more yarn, to thicken yourself up and regain your speed and strength, it’s quite clever actually and can lead you to some pretty interesting situations. Beyond the craftiness of this game, I love the nostalgia it brings to the surface, the game itself isn’t that old but was clearly made by people my age or older, those who remember a time before the arrival of the internet and mobile phones which has changed the way we perceive things for good and bad. The world I grew up in is long gone, children today are growing up with a completely different lens to view the world, a lens warped by the horrors of modernity (a topic I am not going to get into here) and this game is a wonderful tribute to the simpler time. This is one of the reasons as to why I love it, it is littered with nostalgic things I remember from when I used to visit my Grandparents house or when I used to wander off and explore. Through this game I remembered how I used to see the world, it reminded me of how brave I was, what scared or unsettled me and the innocence I had and took for granted. Unravel is by no means a flashy, explosive conversation starter, it’s a game to be played on a quiet afternoon or early in the morning with a cup of tea or coffee, with the windows open and your phone off! It does not require huge amounts of thought nor any thorough investigation into the narrative, you play as Yarny, on a quest of exploration that restores memory of times long gone. I recommend it if you want something light and easy.
The next game that has successfully grabbed me is called, Planet of Lana. Granted, I’ve only played a couple of hours of this title, but I know I am going to see credits roll on this one. Like with Unravel, it is a colourful, side-scroller, platformer which has a simplistic premise. You play as a young girl called Lana, you’ve a sister called Ella and you come from a small fishing village surrounded by a lush countryside. The landscape is much like our own but it’s obvious from the title and from the sky that this is not Earth but is something very similar. The opening is all about having fun and chasing your sister through the village, this acts as the players tutorial, enabling you to get a feel for the controls, a way for you to see the relationship you have with Ella and to show off some of the world-building. When you leave the village for example, you run through some woods, crawl through a cave tunnel, and eventually encounter a pair of graves bathed in sunlight in a glade, this would suggest to me that your parents are no longer around, that it is just you and your sister in this world. You don’t speak English, the language used is entirely made up, but the game does do a good job of conveying communication without subtitles, it’s hard to describe how this is done but you can almost imagine what you are saying to one another as you explore, it’s very well done. Anyway, not long in and something falls from the sky, and crashes in the distance, then more of these objects start raining in and what emerges are machines of all shapes and sizes. Your sister is captured and is flown to a moon-sized mechanical orb, an orb travelling across the land on gigantic spider legs. Lana/you do your best to pursue Ella and are almost captured yourself when tailing these enormous walking orbs, but you fall behind, you lose track only to realise that there is more than one of these things – From memory I think there were three, maybe four. Lost, alone and defenceless you wander, exposed to the world and its harsh elements. You’re vulnerable not only to the wild inhabitants but the machines that show up from time to time to scan and scout the areas, searching for stragglers such as yourself for capture. It isn’t long until you encounter a small, cuddly, critter; A friendly black creature you name Mew (or Mu, I’m not sure how to spell it) that looks like a guinea pig crossed with a cat, and together you travel, flee and search for Ella, crossing rivers, navigating cave systems, running through forests, and evading mechanical dangers. Planet of Lana is shaping up to be something great, gameplay is smooth, the music is heartwarming, and the art style is unique, reminding me of the days when I played Heart of Darkness as a kid for the PS1 or more recently, Limbo. I do fear however, that the problem-solving aspect in this game is a little too simplistic and repetitive, the developers approaching the player as if this is the first platformer game you’ve ever played, and even though there is nothing inherently wrong with this method, I am hoping it picks up the pace soon and becomes something of a challenge. I’ve a few theories as to why the machines have come to your planet and what they’re doing and forgive me for speculating too soon given that I am only a few hours in, but this is just how my brain works, I am always searching for deeper meanings and ulterior motives giving creators the benefit of the doubt that they are smarter than I am, I want to be outsmarted in all honesty, I want to be met with something that challenges my own creativity, I’ve huge respect for people who blow my own expectations out the water. Before moving onto the next segment in this article however, I was tempted to leave it there, I’d like to discuss one such theory I have for what Planet of Lana is actually about – I think it’s about a planetary exodus and the first clue that gave weight to my “exodus” theory, is analysing what happens when you purposefully allow the machines in hot pursuit to catch up to you! Having gotten away thus far in the game with relative ease (Crash Bandicoot trained me well), recently I have slipped up and as a result, have been hunted down and cornered by the machines only for them to electrify you/Lana until you drop to the floor; The screen then goes dark, and you restart from your most recent save point. First time this happened I remember thinking “Wow, the deaths in this game are rather unimaginative” instantly I compared them to the deaths in Heart of Darkness which are fucking brutal, made worse when you realise, you’re playing as a child. In Planet of Lana however, you receive an electric shock, you pass out and you’re forced to restart your play, given the chance to do the trial again, a nonlethal stun is one clue toward the AI’s intentions. Another clue to my theory is when finding Mew, you have to release and rescue him from a nonlethal trap set up in the woods; And finally, clue number three, upon exploring some caves, you can see painted on the walls a story, a story I’ve interpreted as the life cycle of the universe, scribbles of a big bang in the vastness of space, the evolution of life and the birth of the machines followed by the same drawing of another big bang. Of course there are many ways you can interpret this, I might be wrong but I think the machines are a result of an ancient race having grown technologically superior, they have harboured life for ions on different planets and is now doing its best to save their lower life-forms from a galactical inevitable doom; Why else would they be rounding up your people in a nonlethal way and storing them in ships as large as a moon? Why else would they shock you instead of just killing you, if this were an extermination, they would just wipe you out? And why are you constantly seeing those traps littered throughout the lands? I think the machines are actually trying to help, I think the developers are trying to get across a message that even though something appears hostile and invasive, all depends on perspective.
Again, I could be wrong, I’ll keep playing and I’ll see, but the main reason I’ve been so drawn and hooked into this game is because of the relationship between you (Lana) and her companion (Mew) and I’ll try and explain why this has hit so hard – I am currently moving house, over the last year and a half I’ve been looking after a black cat named Wilfred, and we bonded very quickly. The little guy actually lives nearby but has decided to take up residence at mine, he never leaves. He sleeps round mine, he is always close by when the sun comes out. When I get home from work, he is ALWAYS waiting for me on the path, escorting me from the gate to my front door and is rewarded with tuna. Because I spend a lot of my time alone and all my people friends are scattered across the country, Wilfred has become my talking buddy, we literally have conversations, he’s very responsive, he recognises my call signs such as a whistle, it’s our greeting. He gets excited when I am happy, knows when I am low and often likes to sit in silence to watch nature documentaries in the evening, especially the ones that are filmed out at sea, he loves looking at the fish’ies and the big sharks, I’ve video evidence of this fascination, evidence I recently posted to Twitter. But because I’m moving away, our days are numbered, he has been watching me move the stuff out of my house gradually for days now, the living space once full of colourful things getting emptier and emptier. The leather sofa and pillow he loves to sleep on will be the last thing I move, because I cannot bear the thought of him coming in and having nowhere to get comfy. More than that, the thought of him waiting on the path, waiting outside my window or near the gate for me to arrive home, waiting for that whistle, is killing me. I wish I could just say to him what was happening, I wish I could just explain the situation, but I can’t! Cats like Wilfred simply do not understand the world in the ways we do, but they’re always trying to, and that’s what makes relationships like this so frustratingly beautiful. I will miss Wilfred, I’m missing him now and he is just outside in the sun (just checked), unaware that the day will come when I am not here and will not be coming back, and he will wonder in his own way; Why, where has my friend gone? And that hurts, that hurts like hell! This dynamic is caught wonderfully well between Lana and Mew, a bond that starts with a small act of kindness and grows into something more, a trust that sees them through an adventure riddled in darkness, confusion and beauty, stretching across a myriad of landscapes and situations, a bond that flourishes and will at some point end, as all things do, and the machines, or the AI’s are trying to prevent that on a galactic scale (if my theory is correct) throwing into question deep, moral, philosophical questions. I’ll have to keep playing and see where this leads, but I’ll be sure to post about it come the time.
Now we come to Bunker, the fourth instalment in the Amnesia series. I’ve spoken about and praised Amnesia: The Dark Descent many times actually, because it is one of the best examples of a genuinely scary horror game, one that plays with your classic horror tropes, fooling you into thinking it will be a cheap and easy puzzle solving breeze, only to then crank up the horror by a fucking hundred leaving you uttering the words ‘the fuck did I just see!?’ It wasn’t only something of a revolution in the streaming industry, but The Dark Descent took me years to finish, defeating me many times when I tried to tackle it, and when I did finally beat this nightmare of a game, I was given the bad ending, which encouraged me to find my balls which had shrunk to the size of cherries and play again for a better result. I remember I was twenty-five when I first played it, and God damn did it leave an impression, easily one of the scariest games I’ve ever played, and I am confident I am not the only one who thinks this. The sequel, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs was …Good…It didn’t horrify me or have me crouched in a corner like a wet carrot for twenty minutes, afraid to make a move like The Dark Descent did multiple fucking times, but it certainly had its moments. The story being far more horrific than its predecessor; That ending was pretty gruesome I seem to recall and merited a re-tread just to be clear what was actually going on! Because it is hard to follow the plot when you’ve mutated pig men harassing you in the dark, squealing like lunatics as they chase you through narrow tunnels and underground mechanical labyrinths that all look the fucking same, but once you do learn what it is you are doing, and what the machine actually is and does, I do rate the story (not game) higher than the first. The third title, Amnesia: Rebirth, is by far the weakest, I’ve not finished it but honestly, I don’t really care much for it. I remember starting it a few months ago, I like the graphics, I like the way in which it is presented, the story is simple enough to follow, I also liked the idea of striking matches in the dark to provide you with light – In contrast to The Dark Descent you’ve an oil lantern that slowly runs out of fuel but oil is plentiful so as long as you keep progressing you should be fine; In A Machine for Pigs you’ve a lamp that runs on a battery that never runs out unless enemies are around but in the third instalment, the developers made your light source far more restrictive and scarce – I thought this was cool at first but I found myself more frustrated by it as time went on, sometimes you just need to be able to see and think at the same time and I know males struggle with doing multiple things at once but this is just taking the piss. Also, as far as pacing is concerned the developers seemed to have lost the plot! They being masters at this with the first two Amnesia entries but this time it’s too much too soon, it almost feels like I’ve skipped act one and two and am encroaching on the finale and it hasn’t even been an hour, it all just felt off. I praised the match/light source mechanic earlier but after a while of playing, I was more afraid of having to start over due to lack of matches than the monsters themselves, and when that is the case, something has definitely gone wrong somewhere. Speaking of the monsters, I got the impression they were aliens or demons from another realm, you glimpse them too soon but all the while I was more worried about my fucking light source that overrides any tension I have for the demonic entities out to chew your nad sack off. At one point I remember just running into the darkness having used up my last match hoping something would happen, that I would get to my next destination and everything up to this point was just some shitty tutorial, but I was met with just more darkness and blocked off tunnels. The game felt broken to me, broken, clunky, boring, and annoying and that sucks because I have heard good things from people who have played this one, apparently it is a good game but for me, it just annoyed me to the point of switch off. I might come back to it, but I am in no rush to do so, unlike Amnesia: Bunker which unsettles me in all the right ways. So far (two hours in approximately) it’s nicely paced, the graphics are beautiful entrenching you in a sense of dungeon like atmosphere, the sounds relay a weighty grittiness, and the lack of music is sincerely ominous. You play as a French soldier named Clements during World War 1 and you find yourself waking up in an infirmary in an underground bunker suffering from amnesia having almost been shelled. You quickly realise that you’re trapped, the exit to this nightmare having become blocked by large amounts of debris and it’s up to you to venture further into this hell maze to find the tools to break out. Your squaddies are either missing, lost in the tunnels around you or have been torn to pieces by…Something. I’ve not seen anything yet but I have heard something scratching behind the walls as I explore the bunker, like it is stalking your steps, listening to every move you make, which is tricky not to do because your light source is a small torch that requires a pull string to stay lit, you may not be restricted by oil or number of matches, but the cost of light comes at your positions expense, and whatever is hunting you in these tunnels, is bigger than you, faster than you, has pulled doors down, tunnelled through stone and has eaten its way through most if not ALL of your team members, some of which have tried hunting it down while you were unconscious in the infirmary, and they affirmed (through writings in journals) that bullets do not work! Not that you’ve many bullets to spare anyway, I’ve only found a handful so far among other bits and pieces. Fire seems to scare it off temporarily, but fire comes at the cost of fuel, and you need your fuel to keep the generator running, a generator that provides you with light and access to certain areas, which throws into question what resources to use, how much and when, survival horror at its best! What I love about this game though, more than anything, is that the monster has no backstory, no set-up, it’s just here, you do not know what it is or where it has come from and all you can do is try to escape, but even IF you successfully escape, you’re still in the trenches, another form of hell no one want’s to find themselves in. I do not see a good outcome for Clements here, but I’m hopeful.
In the ways of gaming, I’ve a few more stories to tell, but I’ll pass on them for now. I’ll always encourage gaming because there is so much out there to glean from so many great titles, and this applies for books too. Speaking of I’m still ticking by with House of Leaves written by Mark Z. Danielewski, I’ve an entire article planned to cover this monster of a book but honestly it is hard to know where to start – I’ll need to cover the topic of liminal space before I can even begin to talk about House of Leaves but I promise you I will do my best to review it when the time comes, as I will with the almighty game, Soma, the title that encouraged me to question my stance on God and religion, a game that made me read through passages of the book Aion, written by Carl Jung and do my best to understand it. I think a second play through of Soma is required before I write this thing, to refresh my memories on the events and what little details I may have missed, because it is almost certain I missed a few. I love gaming, reading and staying in, I usually prefer it to going out, but with that being said, it is so important not to stay cooped up inside all of the time, it’s healthy for us to go outside every day if you can, to eat right, to get some fresh air and to spend time with family and friends, last thing you want is for the world of gaming or an asshole author like myself to consume you into other worlds, which can very easily happen if you let it. There is a big world out there and as incredible as fantasy is, it’s important not to lose sight of what is right in front of you, to acknowledge and appreciate it while you can. I also advise travelling and visiting other countries, providing you do it safely and you go prepared you’ll come away with experiences that will change you and broaden your horizons making you into a well-rounded person. Yes, it is fun to indulge and invest in games, films and other artworks but in moderation, as is with everything. I love talking with creative people, I love working with them and learning from them, I’ve found it is what I/we live for. However, do not burn yourself out, too much of anything can have negative results that includes the things you love; Which is why I’ve taken steps and planned for a get-away, a writer’s retreat far away from the cities. I’ve secured a small space for a few days which will allow me to focus not on my job nor on the stresses I’ve inflicted upon myself, but to give me a time to unwind, to surround myself in nature and forget the hustle of urban areas. This is something we all need to do, we need to learn to lighten the loads on our shoulders, otherwise we will break. I’ve rarely (and I mean rarely) been in a position to plan an escape before, due to finances, time and general circumstances – Now I’ve a little more of both this has become a viable option, and with a little luck on knowing someone on the inside of the retreat business, I’ve made a move and it’s exciting. The area itself is secluded and private, the only other people around will be other writers and creatives in cabins each out of sight of each other, and I cannot wait, but this escape will not stop me from studying, not entirely anyway, I’ll be using the space to plan ahead with Episode Three-Seeds of War and Episode Four-Rainbow Dawn because whenever I review the story, whenever I consider what takes place, what I’d like to take place, the character journeys and so on, this is going to require some careful planning, will require some foresight on a level I currently do not possess, and this sobering realisation makes me aware of how skilled I am on the spectrum of writing and unfortunately, after many hours, days even months of thinking upon this, I’m a weak writer and I’d like to explain why. Brace yourself, because we’re about to get weird.
Best place to start is to define what makes a great writer? Seeing as we focus on the fantasy genres in this blog, almost entirely in fact, I believe it is wise to analyse what constitutes a competent writer in this field, and not look at any others, for there are too many to cover. I’ve been doing this for almost twenty years, I’ve four Volumes independently published, and I’ve extended my reach into music, film and conceptual art having worked with many professionals and freelancers along the way. I’d say I’ve enough experience to note key markers as to what makes a great writer, though feel free to judge my analysis or perhaps add anything in I may have missed, you’re open to do so, I just wanted to give over my own experiences before beginning this next segment, because I do not want to come across as smug or someone with an authority, because as you will learn shortly, I am not someone who speaks with an overarching authority on this subject, to some degree I am still a student, I am someone with a lot to learn and I’ve no shame admitting this, but I also have somewhat of a fair insight and right to speak openly about this given my credentials. So, what goes into this, what constitutes a writer worthy of note and more importantly, how are we to define said writer and classify them? Well, the first thing that makes a great writer is that they have to be in love with what they’re doing, the author cannot nor will not last very long unless they have genuine passion for their craft, for the subject/genre. Without this unconditional love, then you’re quite simply an author with a ticking clock, one that won’t go off with a loud rattle, but instead a whimper coupled with an excuse, much like the man or woman who tells themselves that they’ll be going to the gym three times a week or someone wanting to diet; They may start strong, they may talk big in the moment, but it’s the love that pushes you through the days when you do feel weak, it’s the love that will get you out of bed and go to work when you’d rather sit around in your pants watching movies. Love will give you the strength necessary to fight through those bitter rejections which are unfortunately inevitable, something that all writers must experience at some point in their career. If you do not have unconditional love for the path, then maybe you should think about doing something else, because I doubt you’ll last or at the very least produce something engaging.
Next is patience. Patience is essential and if you happen to be an impatient person on the road to wanting to complete a work, it’s likely you’ll learn to practise patience over time, you’ll be forced into being patient in fact because it is fundamental to the process which isn’t particularly exciting, it’s not like watching a sport where everything is happening all at once – Watching writers work is one of the dullest things I can think of. Unless you are part of a team of writers or there are a few of you invested in the work, a writer’s life moves slowly, nothing is nor should be rushed. Don’t get me wrong, there are benefits to this lifestyle, stress levels are usually under control (for the most part), there is little to no drama, outings are appreciated, get aways are thrilling and conversations are never boring, there is almost always something new to discuss or talk about. On the flip side however, months sometimes years can roll by and it looks and feels like you’re in the same place as to when you started, your social life will suffer (mine has almost died) and your diet will be challenged; Either you’ll lose weight and will be able to play the xylophone on your ribs, or you’ll pile on the pounds and turn into a human cushion. I’ve experienced both but not to the extreme. This lifestyle is not always smooth sailing, if you’re a writer like myself who has their hands in all sorts of pies, such as wanting to create musical themes, direct a short film, run a website/blog, upload videos to YouTube/Bitchute and are dealing with the regular treatments like literary editors and beta readers, then that stress free life I talked so charmingly about earlier, can turn into a costly nightmare moving in super slow-motion. Waiting for others typically becomes common practise, sometimes you’ll be waiting for weeks if not months only to then receive a cold rejection, dooming the cycle to repeat. Patience is not optional, it’s a necessity.
I suppose the next item on the list is empathy. If you’re writing a traditional story, whether it be a fantasy, crime, romance, drama whatever, you’ll have characters that drive the plot forward; A lot of people starting out in this journey get this dynamic twisted, and feel like characters compliment a great plot, whereas in reality it’s the complete opposite. You may have a cracking plot planned out to the highest degree, but it’s the characters that keep your readers hooked and invested. The more relatable they are the better the book despite whatever event/message you’re trying to get across to your audience. In my own experience, whenever I’m asked about my own work, I’ve learned to always talk about the lead characters over the plot; Reason one is that it is a lot easier to detail relatable personality traits over world ending catastrophes brought on by fictional ancient entities that stretch back for ions. And reason two, it takes much less time to reach the heart of your story, the plot usually unravels itself the deeper you get into the lead characters anyway so you kill two birds with one stone – Not only do you retain interest by giving hooks people can relate to but you’re able to give away a nugget of the plot, hopefully it is enough to peak interest. Key here however is character, and to create a strong character you yourself have to be empathetic to people other than yourself. This is one of the reasons why writers are socially awkward, we typically are very empathetic, we can sense awkward moments coming sometimes even days before they arrive and we do our best to avoid them, to spare everyone involved and our own memory bank. We experience pain and joy intimately, dare I say more so than the average person because we have had to live through the eyes of the people we create, it becomes second nature and can be hard to turn off especially if you’re at a critical point. We revisit good and bad encounters over and over, sometimes dissecting the interactions looking for ways to improve our social skills for next time, and don’t get me started when it comes to dating or dealing with people you’re romantically invested in, a writer who is empathetic on a deep and meaningful level will go through heaven and hell and it never stops. Learning to control this emotion takes fucking years, but when you do get a handle on it, you can turn on whatever feeling you want almost as fast as turning on a light, channel this ability into your literary expertise, use it to enhance your story and you can bring the black and white to life. Yes, a writer’s life is an inadequate mix of boring and crazy that wavers on a daily basis, take a step back and you’ll see that it’s an interesting puddle of wonderful sludge to observe. These are just some of the fundamentals of what constitutes a great writer, there are others such as your creativity level, your wisdom of certain subjects and general knowledge of the world, and before you raise your eyebrows, yes, in order to create a world in fiction you need a base, something to compare it to and start from, and that is from the world in which we inhabit. A good understanding of our world will reflect your writing in a positive way, a misguided understanding will reflect poorly. Someone who has practised and mastered all of these traits I’ve listed I believe is what is needed to make the cut from an amateur to someone of note, you’ll feel it in the structure, and you’ll sense it in the story’s integrity. You don’t necessarily need a degree in English or a doctorate in languages to write a great story, I won’t lie to you though, such knowledge will certainly help, but a good editor will make sure your creativity is enhanced by smoothing out any grammar issues you will have. On the contrary, what I’ve observed is that the technical writer (he or she who specialises in literature studies) often lacks what a creative writer has, which is (you guessed it) creativity! He/she tends to focus their energy in the wrong places, making sure their work is squeaky clean grammatically rather than weaving their words into a gripping story, something that the creative can do naturally. In the same way a critic is quick to point out the pros and cons of a piece, should they themselves be handed the reigns, they’d be like a fish out of water. This is not always the case though, no doubt there are some writers who possess traits of both a creative and a technical, but the exception does not make the rule, it takes a myriad of skills in order to evolve into something great, it takes time, practise, commitment, a problem to solve and a message worth sharing. I believe my skill level is somewhere in this middle spectrum, perhaps lingering more so on the creative side rather than the technical realm. Most writers who are shelved fall into this middle ground category, having met a standard but fail to go above and beyond, it is a good place to be but not everyone reaches a higher status. Because I aspire to be something more than the average writer, I consider myself to be something of a weak one, especially when in comparison to what makes an Ultimate Writer which is what I am excited to talk about. So, what makes an Ultimate Writer?
This is someone who has defined the genre. This is someone who has set a bar so high that having your name merely mentioned in the same breath as him or her, is worthy of high praise. The Ultimate Writer is legendary, someone who not only has mastered all of the skills I’ve listed but possesses and demonstrates brilliance as both a creative and technical writer. This in that of it itself is the definition of magnificence and so few (so very few) ever reach such a renowned level, but I believe more is required to transcend into an Ultimate Writer, I believe you need foresight, and yes I mean exactly that, foresight – The ability to see and to write into the future as if you’re dictating the vision you have in the front of your mind perfectly onto the page. You see, when you start writing, you will learn a few things, you will inevitably get better the more you do it and you will stoke your creative fires, embellishing your strengths and fortifying your weaknesses. One saying you’re likely to pick up along the way is:-
“Stories are not written, they’re re-written.”
Forgive me but I cannot remember who it was who said this, but it is something that has stuck with me throughout my own journey, and it’s true, it’s ever so true and it does not just remain within the boundaries of fiction, but to every piece of writing out there. While writing this blog in fact, I have written it, re-read it and re-written passages over and over, I’ve replaced words with stronger ones and given some meat to some sentences that needed it, I’ve edited as I’ve made progress over the span of a few days all the while maintaining the façade that it was written in half an hour. This is especially true for The Ancestral Odyssey, not one sentence is written purely off the cuff and never altered at a later stage, I will always come back to it and fiddle, a because I’m never satisfied with the work I produce and b because this is the natural process of creating a work, you’re bound to make mistakes and wish you had phrased something differently when the work is set in stone, this is the curse of the regular writer. But what separates an Ultimate Writer from us regulars is that he or she, would be able to write without EVER having to make an edit. If your mind is clear, your vision vivid and your vocabulary broad, the work that would pour onto the page would be…Sublime. Since my publication I have had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with other writers – Usually when two writers meet it can go one of two ways; The first being the most common, a friendly, respectful encounter with much to say and to learn, while the other way and by far the more uncommon, is one of bewilderment that borderlines dislike. I’ve often wondered what it would be like to meet an Ultimate Writer, this legendary creature as rare as a fucking unicorn! I’ve wondered how the meeting would go. Would we get on? What would be said if anything at all? Oh, I’ve thought of such things, and because I am who I am (a freak) I’ve taken it to stranger levels, for instance; If writing was in some way a unique power determined by your class and skillsets, how would I fair if I were to meet someone of ultimate status? When analysing this scenario objectively, I do not believe I’d last long in the presence of this entity, few would, but reducing our talents in this way can give you a somewhat good indication of how influential you can be among your peers, and in turn humble you, encouraging you to be the best you can be.
Guys, thank you ever so much for reading today, as always it is very much appreciated, and I do hope you took something valuable away from this one. It really was a thrill seeing the first volume of The Ancestral Odyssey up on the shelf, the feeling is rather hard to describe, but what I will say it’s rewarding, I came away feeling like I made a dent in the universe, like a step had been made and from here on out the library is destined to grow. I’ve been made aware that Volumes 2, 3 and 4 should be up on the shelves soon, I do not know when this will be exactly, but it won’t stop me from making regular visits. If you’d like to support me further there are a few ways you can do so, either by sharing my links among people who you think might be interested, by purchasing the work directly through The Amazon Store or by going that extra mile and asking for it in an actual bookstore, this lets retailers know that a work is in demand and not only guarantees a sale but broadens my footprint in this insanely competitive industry. I’ve also a teeny tiny YouTube/Bitchute page which hasn’t seen much movement in the last few months, mainly due to the cost of producing such videos, I’ve a fair few in the works, but another way to help out is to give some of these videos some love. By the way, I apologise, I am aware I said this would be a brief one, and yet it has turned into quite a large one, I guess I cannot be brief. That’s it for now, take care everyone. PEACE!
Before closing this post, I’d like to take this moment to share my condolences to the family and friends of Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, Stockton Rush, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet. For those of you who do not know or are perhaps reading this essay in the future, these are the people who were aboard the submersible vessel, Titan – An explorative deep-sea vehicle designed to study the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, the same portion of sea that claimed the Titanic, and the lives of 1514 passengers on April 15th, 1912. I’ve been following this story since it broke, I’ve remained hopeful that the sub would be found, and the people aboard would be brought to safety. It is amazing to see so many people coming together, to share their knowledge, their courage, and technologies to bring these five people home. To know that nations can and WILL come together to save our fellow brothers (in this case) is heart-warming. So far, I’ve heard that the French, British, U.S and Canadian Governments have collated diligently, working round the clock to rescue those lost at sea, miracles can indeed happen when we all work together. However, sometimes the odds are just too great, sometimes unforeseeable circumstances occur and tragedy befalls, nature can be lethal, it can be unforgiving and merciless, we must never forget this and always remain humble, but the news has recently broken, I’ve just watched the most recent press conference and debris was in fact discovered, and that debris has been linked to Titan. My guess is an implosion, a fault or damage to the integrity of the submersibles hull, at those depths the pressure would have been unbelievable, it would have been over ever so quickly. It’s nightmarish to think about, my sympathies are with the families and friends of those lost, let’s hope moving forward new safety procedures and new technology can be developed to prevent this from ever happening again.
RIP crew of the Titan 2023
E-mail – taotome@outlook.com
Twitter – @MegasTeque
Official Website – http://www.taotequevault.com
Promotional Material YouTube – www.youtube.com/channel/UC-nc_VEmC27AIz6pP51UVkQ
Author Page UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B01JMZ2BE6
Author Page US - https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01JMZ2BE6
D.W.Gill
Taoteque: The Blog 