Nick Bolock's Blog: Nick's Insight to Madness, page 7

Regolith Part X: The Forgotten Blog!

When last we left our hero, the evil forces of Turnip had slowly eaten away at the hull of his space Cadillac. The empire had forgone their plan to wipe out the Turnips and tried to coexist peacefully with the nightmare that consumed the universe like a starved wolf to easy meat.

Now that I have your attention...
Welcome back to my progress check on Regolith, my second novel. Where did we leave off? I don't know... I don't even remember the number of parts before this. Yeah I know it pops up in auto-fill under the "title" bar because I typed it once. You might say to yourself, "But Nick, why not type a capital 'R' and easily check out the options?" Well, I didn't feel like doing that. I wanted to catch attention again. Like I did above. See? You're reading it now! You just realized I caught your attention and... *ahem*
Either way, I'll get into the meat of my post now.

So I'm staring at 16-17 chapters of story that only needs a handful of plot edits to add things I only recently thought of. The rest of my new ideas have nothing to do with what's written, but with what will be written. So it is written, so it shall be!

I decided to stop using the idea of "mana" for magic. For anyone unfamiliar with the concept, mana is the fantasy idea of "the building blocks of magic, life, etc" and it tends to be like electricity, a power plant, a heat source, or really just a catch-all/kill-all. Really just a shallow writing idea now. I figured out other, more tangible drawbacks and limits on magic that will come about in Regolith and Finale of the Dragon. A.D.A.M., not so much because there is no magic in that novel. Sort of.

Another note, I have been trying to focus myself on one novel at a time. It isn't working to well seeing as I realized a good name and back story for characters that haven't had a chance to exist yet. They need to settle down in my head!

These few chapters for Regolith are good and to the point. I've done well with the whole swapping from past and present without losing my head over it. It looks like it'll continue easily with no issues!
Yay...

Other things worth mentioning: I have someone begging me for a sequel to Rising Seas. Oops? I had an opportunity for a book signing that I forgot about... Oops?

Maybe I should write an 'oops' blog and talk about my mistakes and oopsies? Eh, maybe some day if I feel like it.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned into this moon crashing channel!

Scheduling and Timing: Something I'm bad with!

After last week's gloomier post, I wanted to made things a bit more light. So, without much complaint, my blog post:

I managed to watch the first two episodes of a sitcom a month ago. That's about average for me. No matter how much I like the show, I tend to forget about it a week later.
Heck, I just looked at my computer's clock and saw it was almost 10pm. ABC's Fresh Off the Boat was on two hours ago. Like I said above, I watched the first two episodes and forgot about it. I realize too late that said show is on.
There are a long list of shows that I forget about as they come on. American Dad, Family Guy, New Girl, various cartoons on Cartoon Network, and etc.

Why do I forget them? Well, possibly because they don't interest me as much as I think. That's plausible.

Why am I even bringing this up?
Well, possibly because I'd like to discuss timing in novels. Simple.

The thing that I work on to the greatest extent for my novels in the timing, the scheduling of events, and the progression of all these things. In Rising Seas, every single event was cemented in place and there was little room to move anything. Yes, Vladimir could have met Ajatar first or Locke first, but he didn't. Event's like the boat wreck or the temple scene had a set place after the Devil-Lord's appearance.
I fine tune the hell out of all these events, but often I create strange plot loops that... Yeah... Things end up strange.

I work on the scheduling so much that I tend to forget everything else. Magic systems, plot ideas, characters. Everything else gets lost!

It reminds me of the N64 game, Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (it recently got a 3DS updated rerelease!) where all of the side quests had a very specific scheduling and, if you wanted to beat the game to the fullest, there was a long, hard side story that required expert timing. You had to be at the right place, the right time, with the right stuff or you absolutely had to start over! Luckily, you had a handy, dandy notebook that kept track of all the notes. Hell, whenever I do that quest I use a GUIDE so I don't mess it up. I have a hard time keeping a novel in my noodle let alone a quest for a game!


My point in all this is... I need a better balance! Yeah, and to take notes or something... That too.

Anyway, thanks for reading and keep checking around. I'll probably start talking more about Regolith sooner or later....

In Memoriam: Endings Most Beautiful

It's been a day shy of three weeks from my last blog post. A lot of life's goings on have happened since that day, but nothing so tragic as what I want to share.

A quick note: I had no idea what I wanted to blog about, hence my stagnation. The thought came to just write about Regolith's progress or ramble about insanely, but none of that felt good enough.

Now... To the story.

Last week, I woke up one morning and set about my usual routine. Take the dog outside, come in, clean myself up, etc. However, this day was different. My dad had left the house early for errands and had left me a note on the table.

It said: "Call me if the car is done."
Fair enough. My car (which is named Kiryu. Just a head's up if I ever refer to a 'Kiryu') was being repaired after the bumper was damaged. There was... More writing.
"Joe Penny passed away."

The words didn't make sense to me at first until it came full circle.
Our guinea pig, Joe Penny, passed away during the night due to old age.

It was heartbreaking, to say the least. I spent most of the day breaking into teary fits because of the pain of loss. I had lost pets before, mind you, but it still hurts a lot to see another one cross the rainbow bridge.

During the day, my wonderful girlfriend sent me beautiful condolence flowers and... A miraculous collection of thoughts hit me.

Joe Penny had reached the end of his story in the most beautiful fashion imaginable. He passed, warm and safe, well-fed, a freshly cleaned cage, and surrounded by his slumbering family. When we found him, he had gone laying in the position he laid in most often. He was content, comfortable, and ready to pass.
The revelation over the beauty of this still brings me to tears.

That's when I realized, endings are meant to be beautiful. Too often, I believe people focus on the 'happily ever after' aspect of a story. But what happens at the very end of the story? When those characters pass, their lives flicker, their bodies fade, and their stories are closed. The book of life gently placed upon the shelf of eternity for all to read and to tell their tale.

For real people, we strive to write the greatest stories of life. We climb to the heavens, challenge darkness, and fight demons. We save the prince or princess, find happiness, and find true love. All of those tropes are fine. When we pass, we have such services to honor those and tell of their works again and again; desperately hoping that our children and grandchildren and friends and family don't forget us.

I know I'm focusing an awful lot on death as an ending right now, so I'll switch it up.

People sometimes refer to their life in chapters or acts. Five years ago, as I was preparing to move from the town I lived in for fifteen years or so, I made sure to dismantle my computer last. With it, I logged into Facebook and posted a status about how it was the end of the second act of my life. It really was, but it was beautiful in the fact that a new future was beginning.

The endings of my stories are a tad harder to write. I have a series in mind while trying to write a stand alone entry. It's hard. Regrettably, Rising Seas ends on an odd cliff hanger that I have to resolve somehow.

The end of a story of fiction is like say a good bye to friends you've made over the last fifty or more pages.

Circling back a little, I'd like to mention something my dad says at every funeral he preaches at:
"I don't believe someone is ever truly gone. They live on (And their story goes on) as long as we keep their memory in your heart."

Thanks for reading!

What's That Banging Noise?

To answer the title question easily, my radiator that I have shut off completely for fear of it cooking me alive!
Simple as that.

You, the reader, might be wondering why exactly I decided to start out with a strange question-and-answer deal with this blog.
That too is simple.

I wanted to catch the attention of the readers and anyone who stumbles over this blog entry.
The beginning of my first two books, Rising Seas and Regolith, start pretty smoothly and abruptly with battles. Vladimir battles monster birds and Ravenlord battles some kidnappers. I did that for both because it fits their personalities, I feel. Vladimir was more a fighter than a talker, and Ravenlord... I can't quite peg him, but when he wants something, he gets it. Even if that means he has to act like a (out of context for the book) Sherman tank running over a wooden fence.

Beginnings, as evidenced above, are rather easy for me. They always have been. I can really only gather a few instances where writing an opening has given me problems. All of those were school essays that I probably did well on. (PS: I liked doing reports last minute because I'm one of those people who can pull gold out of his behind in a few hours!)
Endings are a different story, and middle parts... Don't even get me started.

With that in mind, I believe that the best books have a great and awesome start that doesn't always need to be pure action. In fact, the Sword of Truth series starts rather peacefully with the main character smashing around in the woods until he gets infected by some kind of demon vine and then finds his pretty girlfriend/wife/companion running from brutes.
Then again... I've read books that have great beginnings and poor middles and... Dreadful endings, to say the least. I've seen poor beginnings with dragging middles and boisterous ends! It's all over the place.

But I've begun to imagine it like a fishing analogy (Hell's bells, I wish it was trout season again):
The title is like your bait. A word can start a world.
The beginning is like the hook. Once the reader gets into it, you set the hook by pulling up the line.
The middle is the fight and the reeling in.
The end is like the final pull to shore and, if your reader enjoys it enough, you can set that one on a stringer!

Overall, I like starting worlds and I almost wish I could start writing and let the world unfurl by itself. But I am its master and its master I shall be!

Thanks for reading and stay tuned as always! See you around!

First Post of 2015: Two Weeks in and Going Strong!

Hey gang! Guess who completely forgot he wanted to do a blog post two weeks after New Years to bring up resolutions?
I did!
So without further moaning, I'll get right into what I wanted to post.

Happy two weeks after New Years!
I once read an article that stated most people who have resolutions tend to drop them within two weeks of starting. Well, how is everyone doing with theirs?
Mine? I never made one. Just like my Lent "give-ups", I never made or kept resolutions for the new year.
My reasoning is simple. Why force myself to change for a new year if I won't change any other time of the year say, like my birthday, Thanksgiving, or Easter. Or even Boxing Day?

My point is, I just can't keep myself to something like that, but I will comment on something an author friend of mine posted.
She, too, mentioned not doing resolutions, but instead aiming to alter a few things about herself.

One of mine follows suit with hers. I need to take myself seriously as an author. How can i expect anyone else to do so if I don't? It's as simple as that. "I wrote a book and I am proud!" I may not be a best seller, but it's something.

Next, I have to keep writing, trying, learning, creating, and moving. Stagnation is damnation, as they say... I think.

Lastly, I just have to promote myself better and stop worrying about silly things like font sizes. I've got this!

And for anyone interested, Regolith is coming along confusingly well! I think. I managed to write part of the plot... Backwards. Now I have to backtrack and fix it.

See you around and thanks for reading!

Final Blog Post of 2014!

Well, here we are. My last blog for 2014. It’s been a long and winding road that I’ve been on this year filled with defeat, victory, tears, smiles, sunlight, and moonlight. I want to take this opportunity to post my reflections on my 2014 year and look ahead for 2015.
I did it. I did what I said I was going to do. That was: publish my first novel. I did it with a smile as I proved to myself that the people who dragged me down and put me down were wrong. I can do something in life. Honestly, storytelling is my best asset, but I’m getting a little off track. An accomplishment like this is both easy to do, yet hard. Long hours of writing, editing, and arguing with myself lead to the completion of my first novel, even if it’s rockier than a stone quarry (Trust me, there’s a lot I’d change in retrospect). My highest point was seeing the errors in the book and laughing them off as a mistake of mine. My lowest… My lowest point was when I was sitting in the basement of a church, chugging soda and talking to a chalkboard, all while trying to rewrite the twelfth chapter of Rising Seas. It came along eventually and I persevered.
In my personal life for 2014, I started a wonderful relationship, met lots of great friends, connected with new people, learned more about myself, told stories, and went to Otakon in Baltimore, Maryland. Heck, I even got the courage to cosplay (dress up) as the Green Power Ranger. I met fellow authors, artists, musicians, craftsman, and all sorts of crazy people! I wouldn’t trade any of them for the world. I made enemies, found courage, fought demons, challenged myself, and fell short so many times only to have the people around me drag me back to my feet. It’s been one hell of a ride that I would repeat again anytime!!
For 2015, there’s Otakon again (Cosplay ideas flow like water for me, unfortunately), concerts, adventures, and any manner of silly things going on. I plan to finish Regolith, my work in progress, by year’s end with all the bells and whistles crammed into the pages numbering between one and one million! I’ve slowly begun investing my time into making an RPG game using software I bought. I decided to make something entirely new.
So with all this shoved into my short and sweet blog post, I bid you fare-thee-well until 2015. May your New Year’s be excellent and filled with wondrous gifts from the world around you. Thanks to everyone who made this year awesome and blessed.
See you around, lords and ladies!

Regolith Part 4: Themes and Progress

Chapter 6. Six chapters.
That's how far I am with Regolith. I have the whole story worked out in my head, I just have to write it.
I like the way it's shaping up altogether now with the words and sentences and stuff.
Anyway, that's my little... Tiny... Excruciatingly small progress update. Not much else to say other than I have six chapters done, themes picked out, and I have absolutely NO, NONE, ZERO ideas for a cover design. But I have time to think on that. It'll come to me.
I wanted to devote more thought in this post about the themes and topics I want to cover. Simply, this novel talks about unwanted-ness, using people, political motivation, being blinded by power, heroism, sacrifice, and change and listening. I'd hate to go too deeply into the themes so I don't spoil anything.
When I say unwanted-ness, I mean times where someone feels, well, unwanted. Abandoned by those around them though they are right there next to them. This comes from the one minor character, Celine. She feels unwanted, but is wanted by a few characters for their various schemes and power grabs. Eventually, it comes to a head in the climax.
The theme of heroism is something I always liked. If I say heroism, I don't always mean someone saving something or the small actions. Regolith has a "big damn heroes" moment or two that leads to the sacrifice theme.
For change and listening, well, the lead character undergoes a "change" and people fail to listen to a minor character. Sorry if that's really vague.

On a side note, here's a little teaser. Finale of the Dragon's themes include maturity issues, worth proving, overcoming odds, and emotional expression. A.D.A.M.'s themes are something along the lines of love and loss, deception through love/lust, deception and advantageous behaviors, and perceptions. Fun stuff ahead.

Sorry if this post seems confusing or poorly written. My head is filled up with all kinds of mush right now. It does seem a bit disjointed right now, but it'll get better.

Thanks for reading and see you around!!

Ideas that go unused PT3: Levi

I've finally decided to put all, if not most, of my past concepts for Levi's character in a blog.
In his very first incarnation back in the novel "Fallen Angel-Child", he was to be the villain with a gray scale ambition and a dark intent to do it.
Originally, he kidnapped the princess of Phoenixia in order to steal her blood to make him a super human. Yep, it's that close to what Rising Seas was. Considering FA-C was my source material for RS, it shouldn't be a wonder how it ended like that.
Here's where it gets a bit different. Levi's intention was to use the power he had to revive his parents who were killed in some way I never really really wrote. Keep in mind, Sinclair had killed Levi's parents in the RS cannon (regardless if I mentioned it in the novel, it may be mentioned in the unused Dead Phoenix). In this arc, I don't ever recall plotting out who killed Levi's parents.
He was to revive his parents. To me, that's a gray goal with a bit of black actions marring a white intent.
At the point where the heroes (Vladimir, Locke, Roland, Ishmael, Caitlynn, and Ajatar) would first try to get the jump on Levi by exploiting his madness. Vladimir would dress in a disheveled cloak and pose as Levi's father. Then I decided that the act was unbecoming of heroes, just and true.
Skipping ahead a little, the heroes would defeat Levi and leave his broken body in the tower. While he would revive due to the Phoenixian blood in his body, he would also team up with the Manticorans and use technology to enhance his body. Ultimately, he'd become Mecha-Levi like some of the Japanese anime villains revive as at one point.

After that... Honestly, I never had much of a plan after that. I'm sure Levi would have died again to Vladimir and etc etc.

I hope this gives a little more insight into Levi's character.

As always, thanks for reading and I'll see you around!

Regolith Part 3: Where was I again?

Seriously? Where did I leave off... Oh, ok. Chapter 5 and stalled like a car with no alternator.
Pretty much, I've been on break from writing Regolith. I haven't thought about, talked about, or even conceptualized Regolith much lately. It's kind of on the back burner for the holidays I guess. Hectic work schedule and all that bass. (I went there)
Anywho-zits. I have a whole plot down for Regolith from beginning to end and everything in-between. Now to write it...
And edit it...
Proofread...
*Sigh* Ah, well. Guess I just got to push myself to write again. Now, where was I again?

Thanks for reading! Stay posted!

Regolith Part 2: Darker, Edgier, and More Personal

I write this blog post with a sigh of relief. I just closed out chapter 3 of Regolith and I am still going strong. I get many ideas here and there to implement into the story to give it a better plot.
My main concern now is the overall genre direction. In my recent studies, I've found some detailed information on "dark fantasy" genre literature and decided... Why not? Regolith had some elements of dark fantasy and I plan to augment them in order to push it more into that realm.
Much of it will be darker and with less regard for morality between characters. Certain characters aren't all that... Different, let's say.

Anyway, in my character doodling I noticed how much some of the main characters and the concepts represent me. To that end, I want to make the writing more personal than Rising Seas was to get a better story. While a close friend of mine read Rising Seas and immediately told me "This is everything you've been talking about for years!"; I want Regolith to be something that makes people near and far stop and think "Wow." I mean, I guess that's any author's intent when they write. To tell a story and wow people...
To that end, I don't want to set a timeline for Regolith in case I get behind or worked out or something in life that eats my time.

Thanks for reading, and I'll see you around!!