All Things Geekery Podcast S3E12 – Shaping A Cinematic Universe (Podcasting for Blaugust)

In this episode: We are going to discuss the top genres of the cinematic universe that have shaped our lives from childhood through adulthood.  We will start off discussing the wonders and magic of the Sword and Sorcery genre. Moving into the folklores and myths we will talk about the Fantasy genre. Finally. We will wrap up the episode by discussing lasers, space travel, and aliens as part of the Sci-Fi genre. 

Click to Listen: S312 – Shaping A Cinematic Universe

Show Notes

Sword and Sorcery Genre

• Definition: Sword and sorcery is a subgenre of fantasy characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent adventures. An element of romance is often present, as is an element of magic and the supernatural

• Top 3 Films
  • Detached
    • Krull
      • Is a fantasy swashbuckler which follows a journey of Prince Colwyn and his group of outlaws on the planet Krull to save future queen Princess Lyssa from the Beast and his constantly teleporting Black Fortress.
    • The Dragonslayer
      • Is a medieval fantasy set in a fictional kingdom that follows a young wizard who experiences danger and opposition as he attempts to defeat a dragon 
    • Conan the Barbarian / Conan the Destroyer
      • Is based on stories by Robert E. Howard, a writer of the 1930s, about the adventures of Conan in the fictional world of Hyboria
  • Victus
    • Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
      • The film has the same title as the video game and is primarily based on it. Elements from Warrior Within and The Two Thrones, the two other titles from the Sands of Time trilogy of the Prince of Persia video game franchise, are also incorporated. 
    • Clash of the Titans
      • Perseus – Son of Zeus
    • Warcraft
      • (The film portrays the initial encounters between the humans and the orcs and takes place in a variety of locations established in the video game series) Draenor, the homeworld of the orcs, is being torn apart by a mysterious force known as fel magic. Gul’dan, a powerful orc warlock, unites the orc clans and forms the Horde, and creates a portal to the world of Azeroth. 

 

• Top Honorable Mentions
  • The Beastmaster 
    • the film is about a child who is stolen from his mother’s womb by a witch. The child grows into Dar, who has the ability to communicate telepathically with animals. Dar grows up in a village, where he learns to do battle, but the village is destroyed by a race of beast-like warriors under the control of the sorcerer Maax. Dar vows revenge and travels with new friends to stop Maax from causing any more problems.
  • The Sword & The Sorcerer 
    • Is a film about a mercenary with a three-bladed sword who rediscovers his royal heritage when he is recruited to help a princess foil the designs of a brutal tyrant, and a powerful sorcerer, in conquering the land
  • The Deathstalker
    • Was the first in a series of four films about the Deathstalker character and his adventures

Fantasy Genre

• Definition: Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction set in a fictional universe, often inspired by real-world myth and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became literature and drama. From the twentieth century, it has expanded further into various media, including film, television, graphic novels, manga, and video games. Fantasy is distinguished from the genres of science fiction and horror by the absence of scientific or macabre themes, though these genres overlap. In popular culture, the fantasy genre predominantly features settings of a medieval nature. In its broadest sense, however, fantasy consists of works by many writers, artists, filmmakers, and musicians from ancient myths and legends to many recent and popular works.

• Top 3 Films
  • Detached
    • The Princess Bride
      • Is a fantasy adventure comedy film, adapted by William Goldman from his 1973 novel The Princess Bride, it tells the story of a farmhand named Westley, accompanied by companions befriended along the way, who must rescue his true love Princess Buttercup from the odious Prince Humperdinck. The film essentially preserves the novel’s narrative style by presenting the story as a book being read by a grandfather to his sick grandson
    • Ladyhawke
      • A medieval fantasy about a young thief who unwillingly gets involved with a warrior and his lady that are hunted by the Bishop of Aquila. As he comes to know about the couple’s past and secret, he finds himself determined to help them overcome the Bishop’s oppressions, both in arms and in the form of a demonic curse.
    • Excalibur
      • Is an epic historical fantasy starring that retells the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
  • Victus
    • MCU
    • Lord of the Rings
      • Set in the fictional world of Middle-Earth, the films follow the Hobbit Frodo Baggins as he and the Fellowship embark on a quest to destroy the One Ring, to ensure the destruction of its maker, the Dark Lord Sauron.
    • Harry Potter
      • The film’s chronicle the lives of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends, all of whom are students at Hogwarts. The main story arc tells Harry’s struggle against Lord Voldemort

• Top Honorable Mentions
  • Time Bandits
    • Is the first of a “Trilogy of Imagination”, followed by Brazil, and ending with The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.  All are about the “craziness of our awkwardly ordered society and the desire to escape it through whatever means possible.  All three films focus on these struggles and attempts to escape them through imagination: Time Bandits through the eyes of a child, Brazil through the eyes of a man in his thirties, and Munchausen through the eyes of an elderly man.
  • The Secret of NIMH
    • The film is an adaptation of Robert C. O’Brien’s children’s novel Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. The film follows the life of a widowed field mouse, Mrs. Frisby, who seeks the aid of a group of former lab rats and mice in rescuing her home from destruction by a farmer’s plow. 

Sci-Fi Genre

• Definition: It typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, time travel, parallel universes, fictional worlds, space exploration, and extraterrestrial life. It often explores the potential consequences of scientific innovations. 

• Top 3 Films
  • Detached
    • Predator
      • Follows a leader of an elite military rescue team on a mission to save hostages in a guerrilla-held territory in Central America.  The team is stalked by a technologically advanced alien
    • Aliens
      • The film follows Weaver’s character Ellen Ripley as she returns to the moon where her crew encountered the hostile Alien creature, this time accompanied by a unit of space marines. 
    • Star Wars
      • Star Wars was released in theaters in the United States on May 25, 1977. It earned $461 million in the U.S. and $314 million overseas, totaling $775 million. In 1989, it became one of the first films to be selected as part of the U.S. Library of Congress’s National Film Registry as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Today, it is regarded as one of the most important films in the history of motion pictures. 

• • Victus
    • 1 – Star Wars
    • 2 – Star Trek
    • 3 – Avatar

• Top Honorable Mentions
  • Back to the Future
  • Robocop
  • Star Trek

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All Things Geekery Podcast S2E13: The Blunder of Blizzcon

Welcome to Season 2 Episode 13 of the All Things Geekery Podcast: The Blunder of Blizzcon

In this episode, the Geeks will be talking about this year’s Blizzcon – What’s become of it, What they are doing for the community, What new announcements Blizzard brought to the table, and we’ll be dropping our opinions and covering the controversy regarding Diablo!

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Show Notes

• We jump in and review the flow of the conference! You would think the types of conferences would have a good flow to them.  This year’s Blizzcon had some extremely awkward moments
• eSports and how Blizzard has contributed to the success, and how they are helping propel the future
• How does Blizzard continue to make good games, what are they doing right and how they are still drawing fans into the world of gaming
• Blizzard did a thing and created a fund for the Mercy Breast Cancer research, which they were able to donate the single largest donation from a company
• Starcraft 2 – We review what makes this game so strong in the competitive RTS realm and what might happen with the story
• Heroes of the Storm – We take a look at the new direction Blizzard is going in hero creation and what it’s going to do for the future of the game
• World of Warcraft – We review the state of the game and discuss how a lot of the fans are feeling towards this long-running series!
• World of Warcraft Classic was announced at the conference – Can we say Nostalgia and what does this re-release bring to the community and will it be received well
• Overwatch – Dominating the cinematography gaming world, and we review the newly announced hero Ashe
• Warcraft 3 Reforged – Need we say more!
• Hearthstone – We review the new expansion that was announced, our love for these types of card games and what new mechanics could be delivered
• The controversy over Diablo Immortal – the Geeks jump into all of the craziness flying around on social media, and what the announcement of Diablo Immortal being a mobile-only could do to the company!
• Last, of all, we give our conclusions on the overall conference, the future of Blizzard and how they might recover from the negativity surrounding Blizzcon, and the Diablo franchise!

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All Things Geekery Podcast S2E8: Forsaken Story Review

Welcome to Season 2 Episode 8 of the All Things Geekery Podcast – Forsaken Story Review!

In this episode, the Geeks jump back into Destiny 2 and do a deep dive review of the latest expansion Forsaken.

Show Notes

• Plot

  • The expansion takes place in the Reef.  The story revolves around a massive fallen breakout from the Prison of Elders by a house of rogue undead Fallen known as the Scorn, who are led by Uldren Sov, the former prince and now traitor to the Reef. Cayde-6 has been murdered by Uldren, and it is up to you the Guardian to avenge his death. In the campaign, the Guardian must work alongside Petra Venj to hunt down the eight Barons who lead the Scorn.  Along with discovery of the mysterious Awoken homeland known as the Dreaming City.

 

• Major Story Points

 

• • Cayde’s Death
  • The Vanguard are Broken
  • A story of revenge
  • Prince Uldren
  • Mara Sov
  • The Darkness.
  • The Drifter
  • The Chimera
  • The Corruption / Rivens Last Wish

 

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All Things Geekery Podcast S2E7: This One’s For Cayde

Welcome to Season 2 Episode 7 of the All Things Geekery Podcast – This One’s For Cayde!

In this episode, the Geeks jump into Destiny 2 again and take a look at all the Forsaken expansion news that has been released.

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A Puzzled Rime – The Game Review

Hello again everyone!

I hope the week has started off well for you all and the creative vibes are still flowing for writing.

Today I want to jump in and look at a Rime which I just finished over this last weekend.  Rime is an absolutely gorgeous game filled with some pretty amazing music and beautiful art.  The game has some very mysterious elements which fill a strange world you get to explore, but the game lacks new ideas to make it stand out from other puzzle platformers.  Unfortunately, most of the puzzles in the game are bland and instead of a challenge we get monotonous.

Overall Rime’s story is pretty basic: you wake up on some strange island after a shipwreck, and have to solve a mix of puzzles in this new world to try and piece together what really happened.  You start the game with a nameless character who doesn’t speak or have many features you can make out except his figure and a red cloak.  Your guide through the game is a small fox who has more personality than you do…that’s for darn sure.  This fox mainly helps you navigate the world and points you in the right direction which is a huge help through the game.  You can do some exploration as the world is pretty open, so it’s nice to have a guide back to where the next progression point is.

The games puzzles you complete throughout the world seem more like simple tasks and don’t offer a lot of challenge to figure out.  Exploring the world can be fun as it’s got an amazing art style to it, but ultimately all the puzzles and tasks to figure out pull away from things instead of adding to the beauty of the story.  Even though I got bored at times from the puzzles, I love artistic style games so that’s ultimately what caught and held my attention in Rime.  The world exploration does offer up some hidden collectibles you can gather, but at the end all they gave you was a picture that showed up on the menu screen.  I gave up the pursuit of finding all the collectibles pretty early on honestly as it seemed pointless and didn’t add to the game or story you were just thrust into.

I go back to the aesthetic aspects of this game being it’s winning factor for holding my attention again, as the game was littered with bugs and performance issues.  Multiple times I had camera issues where it got stuck in strange places, and an overall clunky climbing experience while all topped off with some choppy screens due to loss of frame-rate.  This game has a mystery to it that had me glued to the screen but at the end of things it didn’t deliver.  I loved the open world feel, the artistic beauty and hooks to keep you interested in the story along the way….but all said and done this game wasn’t an experience I enjoyed once things came to a close.

The Greatest Captain Returns

We are in the age of revivals lately for classic TV shows that we all loved like X-Files, Lost in Space, and even a good old modern spin on Evil Dead to name a few.

Just a few days ago one of my favorite shows of all time had some very exciting announcements, from the one and only Patrick Stewart!  Yes that’s right, Patrick Stewart announced recently that he will be reprising his role as Jean-Luc Picard in a new Star Trek series for CBS all access.  Needless to say the internet and Trekkies worldwide went bonkers about the news.

Of course, bringing Picard back has a weight to it for the fans and brings huge excitement….it does beg the question of is it a good decision to revise his role?  Most of the modern day remakes lately have had mixed reviews and up’s and downs at best so this move to revise a Star Trek show could fall in to a fate just like these other shows have.  My personal opinion is the show will do well because of the fan base and nostalgia around the Star Trek franchise.  Patrick Stewart has aged well and I’m hoping his return to the screen will be a huge success for the franchise.

When announcing the news at the Star Trek Las Vegas convention, Patrick Stewart said the team hasn’t even started writing scripts for the show yet.  We don’t know much about the show, but what we do know is it will take place 20 years after we last saw Picard.  One of the things I loved about Star Trek the Next Generation was the stories and plot and Stewart will be an executive producer on the new show and will be involved in the story.  Captain Picard was originally introduced to the fans in 1987 which is mind boggling as I was only six when TNG debuted.

The last time we saw Picard on the big screen was in Star Trek: Nemesis so I’m excited to see where the future of Star Trek goes now that Picard is returning.  If you look at the rich history of this franchise it has spawned multiple shows, movies, and a fan base that is massive!  Take Star Trek: Enterprise for example which is set a hundred years before Captain Kirk’s era, or the JJ Abrams reboot which retold Kirk’s origins and early years of a star fleet officer.  Where could they go with this new show…..well the book is basically wide open for any number of stories and directions.

Stewart did mention he is excited to come back and reprise his role and is looking forward to seeing the creative process and working with the teams again.  I wonder who else we will see return on this new adventure? Will we see any other old familiar faces make appearances or any cameos in the show….or will we see a whole new cast?  I’m truly excited about this new venture into the Star Trek franchise and I do hope we get to see the deck of the Enterprise one more time!

Creating a Fantasy World & Plotting a Novel Series

Ok, so I know this week was supposed be about generating topics for your blog that you can sustain yourself for the rest of the event.  So far I haven’t put out but one post outlining topics like this.  My brain has been focused largely on writing fantasy over the last few months and it has been hard to break out of that.  Here is what I’ve done for this post though is slap together eleven tips I’ve learned about writing fantasy and writing in general.

Have you ever asked yourself what it’s like to write a novel, or how one goes about it?  So have I, and I’ve learned that each has to find there own way of bringing the inner creative writer to paper.

I’ve been working on a novel series for several years now, upwards of the last seven years but I haven’t spent all of those years just writing.  I’ve currently finished two books in my Brothers Three series and I’m currently half way through the third book.  This is a high fantasy novel series that honestly started almost twenty years ago with a note I wrote down.  It was just an idea, and it’s morphed and changed over the years into an actual book.  One day I do hope to be a published author and will continue to strive for that dream.

One thing out of this process I learned a long time ago was planning goes a long way in being successful when plotting a story, or any thing you write.  For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a passion and love for writing, and seven almost eight years ago was when I really started pushing to one day have my material published.  Honestly, I can’t even take credit for the idea of seeking a publisher, as my wife is the one who talked me into it.

Currently I am doing a lot of character development for book three and as I said before…..it has been a lot of planning, character plotting, long nights of staring at a blank screen with nothing other then a hot cup of coffee, or twelve that gets accomplished. One might ask, after so long do you ever feel like giving up or even quitting?  The honest answer is YES and NO….yes it’s hard to find time to write when you work in another full time job, have three children, a wife, and other responsibilities that come before a hobby. At times it is frustrating when you hit a wall and have absolutely no words, direction, or even a faint hint of where you need to go next in the story you so passionately want to get finished.

The biggest thing that helps keep me grounded in the perspective of writing, is my wife and three children!  My wife continually gives me feedback on my writing, both good and sometimes BAD, and these stories were originally birthed for my children as bedtime stories.  This idea kept in mind has pulled me through frustration, and the itch to quit at times and has allowed me to plot out the first five books in the series.  Having finished two of the books so far I have noticed the light at the end of the tunnel syndrome…..and getting to see this story come to life on the pages is quite overwhelming!

So, I write all this to say, if you are a writer of whatever genre then here are some writing tips I’ve learned along the way.  These have come from my own mistakes, my successes, and even mentors I’ve had over the years of how to put things in perspective and keep yourself on track!

Evaluate the Writing Style

If you have a love for writing, then you may find yourself slave to the writing itself. Remember you are the one doing the writing, and it is possible to create a schedule that doesn’t engulf your entire life around writing.  You do have a life, so go live it!  If writing is a job you wish to pursue and have as your job in life, then dedicate time to it, learn new ways of writing, evaluate how you come about writing.  Try writing in different areas away from the home.  A change in scenery can be a world changer for a writer as it helps open the creative flow.

Getting Ideas on Paper  

Do you have some good ideas or a potential story brewing in your head?  Sit down and make sure you write those ideas out on paper.  Typically you would have a character, or character in mind and a place in which these ideas would evolve over time.  They would be centered around some major events, like a war or even someones death.  Once you have the main ideas or plot of the story written out, start asking simple questions, like, “why?” “when did this happen?” “how?” and move onto more detailed questions like, “How did this affect the lands?” “Who is to take blame for this event?” etc…. Once you have these ideas sorted out, pass them onto a friend, fellow writer, etc to pick apart and ask them for a honest opinion.  In the end, this process can help you determine the the major plot lines of the story, where will the main focus of characters and development be, and even sub-plot lines.  All these things added together help you make the story become whole.

Making Your World and Places Come to Life

Where will your fantasy creations live? Is this a made up world that you’ve created, or is this some parallel universe with mystical creatures full of big tales to be told?  There are absolutely no limits on what the imagination can create.  Decide what places your story will be centered around and take into note the previous of letting another review your ideas. Go into detail when creating your world….the races, animals, plants, rivers, lakes, you name it and make sure you list it.

Keep a Notebook and Write it All Down

Never ever leave the house without your notebook.  You never know when you will have this amazing idea pop into your head for the fantasy novel to come.  Write it all down: Your main character, the major events, the kind of world it is, you name it, because all these ideas will come together and firm the story up.  Trust me it’s awful to have this fantastic idea pop into your head and find that you have absolutely nothing to write it down on.

Don’t Be Afraid to Change Things 

Always, Always, Always, take a look at the major underlying plot that everything centers around. Make sure that everything you’ve created centers around this plot because it’s easy to wonder off into a wild rabbit hole. Look at the major event or events and don’t be afraid to mold it, change it, as you have to make this event believable to the readers.  This is what your entire novel hinges on and if the plot line doesn’t make sense, or doesn’t hold the readers attention… well… I think we know what happens next.  Work on other characters who help build the plot line and your protagonist on his/her journey. Not every hero needs to be a loner and he/she could vary in anyway you want.  They may have a family, they may be cold at heart and emotionless until someone comes along they care about.  You name it! Don’t make your story revolve only around your character. Show the feelings of the people around your protagonist and how their decisions affect them. Don’t make a story of one person; make a story about the journey of one person.  Learn how to join sub plots and other events to the major plot line. These could be a birth of a child, or as in my book the birth of multiple children based around a prophecy.  These events will cause your story to have a sense of feeling, emotion, and building that brings the reader closer to the characters and story.  Make sure your characters grow over time in the stories, as the experiences should help mold and make them into who they are to become. After pulling things together, don’t be afraid to make changes (subtle or drastic) to your characters, and story. Make obstacles in your character’s life. Not everything will be easy for him/her. Make sure you’re writing a fantasy novel, not a walk in the park that becomes boring to read.

Creating Your Visual Fantasy World 

This is one of my favorite things to do in bringing a story to a visual understanding!  Grab a piece of paper and a pencil. It’s time to start drawing out what you see in your head. Do a ton of research on land, rivers, map creation etc… If you’re planning to build a world from root, start drawing simple lines. You can make seas, oceans, lakes, mountains, and other strange factors in your world. Draw the lines of kingdom’s lands and empires. Put post-its and other notes on your map to locate some events. Remember: your map doesn’t have to be well made. Be free to use any materials you like, and have fun!

Deep Rooted History 

Do you plan on having a deep history and timeline in your story? Plot out a chronology of your story as this could help aid the reader and bring them closer to the events going on. Plot out the events that appear in your book, or just stories of other events that will indirectly explain the ones in your plot. Don’t think it’s a waste of time to build a world which, for the most part, won’t appear in the book. It’s important for the reader to know that the writer knows what he’s talking about and isn’t putting random things on the pages of his/her book. Make your characters tell a legend or mention some event that you have carefully planned out. As the writer, you have to know something that the reader’s don’t….and always make sure you know what you’re talking about.

Character Development 

Make sure you know the main character or characters, don’t just make a place holder in the story with a random name laying on the pages.  Plan everything about your character. This is where you put some deep well thought out time and attention into the story. Does he/she have fears (death, darkness)? Where/when was he/she born? Under which circumstances? Do they have siblings? Do they have someone they love? Be free as this is your story!

Things About your World 

Remember that chronology planning you read about earlier?  Not it’s time to take it a step further…. Be as detailed as you possibly can with the imagination you have!  What kind of homes do people live in? Jobs? Types of clothing? Government systems? Do they have schools, or some type of training grounds soldiers are sent to? Family bloodlines that rule the kingdoms, is there magic in the land, or some dark evil threatening the lands?  Can women fight in war too, or is it only for men? Are there any fantasy creatures roaming the lands? Don’t leave anything out as this will probably be the biggest step in your story. The base will be here. Everything you’ll come up with needs to be here. Don’t worry if you’re taking too long writing everything out. A good story needs to have a solid foundation that covers every base you could think of.

Plotting and Planning

This is one of the most time consuming and sometimes frustrating step in the process. Making the chapters of your story, and tying everything into itself. Define what kind of writer you will be. What will be the length of your chapters and book or books? Will you write in third or first person or take on the challenge of both?  Will you describe your characters and surroundings to make the story more personal to the reader, will you not care and just want to make an epic legend? This is one of those steps you can’t be afraid to change and touch multiple times, and sometimes with a very critical eye!  Reverse the roles at times and look at it from a readers standpoint!  I think I have spent more time plotting my books out then writing the stories and honestly that is what makes for a deep and rich story.  I spent the first few moths plotting out a simple book chart that lists (Years, Major Plot, Minor Plot, Characters, Etc…)  It is my go to before I ever even think of writing at times. Remember don’t be afraid to create, change, and plan!

Let Others Review 

Don’t forget to reach out to others and let them read your work. Print out your finished product and hand out multiple copies to people who may enjoy reading your novel. It can be a few close friends at first, but once you start getting feedback and start building confidence, you might want to consider trying to publish.  Accept any criticisms, good and bad as they will make you a better writer in the future. Fix anything that your editor tells you. Believe that you can be published if you put your mind to it, but try not to hope too strongly for your book to be published, since you could end up very depressed if all doesn’t go to plan. If your work is rejected by one editor, edit the story or send it to a different publisher.  Remember what drives you to write, and don’t lose sight of why you love doing this.  It’s easy to see the light at the end of the tunnel and get caught up in the moment of a job, instead of the passion for writing!

Creating the Inner Workings of a Fantasy Novel

I’m doing something a little different again for today’s Blaugust post!  Personally I have been writing a ton on my own novel series, and I wanted to share some fun tips I’ve learned along the way about writing in the fantasy genre.

Writing a fantasy novel is great fun – you can literally let your imagination run wild.  It’s a little different when writing a novel set in the real world as unlike books set in reality where you can use real life as examples, you’ll have to invent everything in your new fantasy world.  Do you enjoy writing, are you working on a fantasy novel, or have you had the notion to start one?  I hope the next few minutes while reading this helps you no matter what stage you might be in for writing a novel.

One of the best things you could do to kickstart things is read as many classics as you can find!  No matter the type of book you begin writing this will give you a good idea about what works and what doesn’t.  Remember though that reading other peoples works is something to help with idea spawning and relax your mind.  You must take note not to simply copy the ideas you’ve read from any of the good old classics or other pieces of work you find.  If you find yourself dealing with elves, half-lings and orcs whilst being a reluctant hero on a quest to destroy a powerful item, it’s probably best to scrap it and start again. It is true that all stories are a combination of those the reader has encountered over the years. But, you should always try to find an original angle and it certainly should not be obvious what the source material was. Reading the classics will also allow you to discover how well-crafted characters interact with each other as the story progresses.

Tip 1: Use established myths and legends as the basis for your fantasy world. Think about what your fantasy world might be like.  Do your studying and find out what your world and culture is most like….Is it Celtic, Roman, a medieval world or a blend of multiple cultures with your own twist on it? Once you’ve chosen, go and read about the myths and legends that relate to those cultures. The mythological creatures and characters and their stories will give you a great basis for your new world.

Tip 2: Get to know your imaginary world – you need to be able to describe it in detail if you are going to convince your readers, for the duration of the book at least, that it exists. Be thorough and detail everything you can possibly imagine about the world you are creating.

• Physical – what does your fantasy world look like? Think about and make a note of:
  • the colour of the sky
  • what other planets can be seen from the surface
  • whether the air is breathable
  • what the plants look like
  • what creatures live there
  • whether there are seas
  • what the landscape looks like
  • futuristic world or something older
• Residents – decide who lives in your newly formed fantasy world. You should spend time thinking about how they look, what they eat, how they move, whether they need sleep, how they speak to one another etc…
• Society – what kind of society exists? Do they need money to buy things? Is there a complex system of politics they follow? Do they have a police force, a king or president? Is there a religion?
• Special powers/magic – Do the residents have any special powers or use magic? If so, what are they and why do they exist? Does everyone have use of them or only certain people?

Tip 3: Make your characters believable. This is one of the most essential parts of the book if you want to hook and keep readers interested in the story. A great way to achieve this is to apply logic to every character in every fantasy world you create. This means creating a set of rules that apply to the world and the character. The rules can be based on either real life or they can be simply invented by you.  Remember if you are creating the rules of the world, don’t let a BOX hold you back from being creative.  Sometimes creating our own ways is just the push we need to make that next step in our creative writing.

Tip 4: Make sure you keep careful notes of all the details you invent for your new fantasy world. This will help you maintain continuity throughout the novel. There are many ways of doing this, some writers like to have a set of cards with the details on, others set up spreadsheets; so play around with different systems to find one that suits you the best.  I personally use a book mapping chart I created in excel that helps me track all major parts of the book I need.  I hope these few steps help you get started, or give an idea of what steps to take next in writing your new fantasy novel!

Remember, have fun!! That is the first and foremost thing I can say when writing… Have Fun and lots of it!

Kicking Things Off – Blaugust is REBORN!

Have you been browsing the blogosphere lately?  If so….I’m sure you’ve seen chatter going on about Blaugust returning!  It’s not only returning, it’s being kicked off in a new fashion like never before.  In just a couple of days the vast community of this lovely realm we call the blogosphere will be furiously posting articles of all sorts throughout the month of August.

This is my first post of many to come throughout the month about Blaugust, and I can’t tell you how excited I am  for this event!  People talk about blogging being dead, but that’s the farthest thing from the truth.  This is a large thriving and very strong community of beautifully creative people, and I’m honored I get to be a part of this wonderful chaos.  I jumped on board this year as a mentor, and would love to jump in and get to know you all more.  I took the blogging plunge in 2009/2010 and have enjoyed every second of it…..though it’s come with a roller coaster ride, the journey has been amazing!

What To Expect

First off this is a place of community and encouragement, so if you are nervous or not sure you want to take this ride…..I highly recommend you jump in as you won’t regret being around this amazing community of peeps.  Our mentors participating in the event have already begun blowing up the blogging realm with prep-posts about all the fun to come this month!  Check out the spread sheet of everyone who is joining in this year and where you can find them!

Blaugust was originally started by Belghast at Tales of the Aggronaut which was focused on a challenge for the month of August by posting each and every day.   This year the event has become a hybrid of Blaugust and the Newbie Blogger Initiative or (NBI) as some who participated in it may know.  NBI was the very first blogging event I had the pleasure of participating in, and it was an amazing experience as I learned so much from everyone.  If you want to know more about these events and where they came from, the passion behind them, and why the blogging community has such a big heart for writing and coming together please click here to see more. 

Participating and Goals

Haven’t ever blogged before, not a problem! Just started a blog and figuring things out, great! A veteran of the blogosphere and looking for the dusting cloth….no worries at all! Come join and jump in as we are gonna have some fun, and there are awards for no matter what level of blogger you are!

• Newbie Blogger Award – You did it, you created a new blog and by god we are going to sing your praises for doing it!
• Bronze Award – You made at least 5 posts during the Month of August 2018.
• Silver Award – You made at least 15 posts during the Month of August 2018, go you!
• Gold Award – You made at least 25 posts during the Month of August 2018, you are a badass!
• Rainbow Diamond Award – You did it, you posted every single day during the Month of August 2018 and deserve accolades.

Need Help – No Problem! We have Mentors!

Doesn’t matter how experienced of a blogger you are, it’s always nice to have a community that you can reach out to for advice.  During this event we have a Mentor system and a very structured set of themes to help during the month!

• July 25th – July 31st – Blaugust Prep Week – posts about the technical details of getting started in blogging.  Tutorials, advice, tips for naming your blog… that sort of stuff to get people ready to hit the ground on August 1st running.
• August 1st – August 7th – Topic Brainstorming Week – posts about ideas for topics that the participants can then mine for the rest of the month.
• August 8th – August 14th – Get to Know Each Other Week – hanging out and meeting other people in this new fledgling community and hopefully gaming together a bit!  Also highly support doing some sort of collaboration on shared topics!
• August 15th – August 21st – Developer Appreciation Week – post about the things that you really appreciate in gaming or any other community… because chances are there is a developer or designer behind the things you love.
• August 22nd – August 28th – Staying Motivated Week – tips and tricks that you might have to stay motivated and keep creating content against the tyranny of a blank screen.
• August 29th – August 31st – The Final Stretch: Lessons Learned – as a way of getting us across the finish line, talk about some of the experienced you had during the month and maybe things you learned about yourself.

Ok seriously, who’s excited to jump in and come join this amazingness!!!  Come hangout with some of the most amazing bloggers on the face of this planet.

Bel put together a signup sheet if you choose to join, and we also have a Discord server where you can connect with all the bloggers and mentors.

What are you waiting for!!!! Click the links below and come say hello! You won’t regret it!

• Blaugust Sign-up sheet

• Blaugust Discord

Marvel Studios: Black Panther – Hitting Theaters February 2018

Black Panther is one of the upcoming phase 3 movies that Marvel has revealed they are very excited about.  Looks like the fans will be getting there first official taste of the Black Panther trailer that will be releasing this summer.  Marvel has a pretty big year ahead of them as they will also be at the Disney D23 Expo, and San Diego Comic-Con showing off new projects.

If you all don’t know much about the Black Panther then check out the quick history run through from Variant Comics as they do a fantastic job.

From what we know so far the story of Black Panther will chronicle T’Challa finding balance between being a man, soldier, politician, and the soon to be responsibility of becoming the king of Wakanda.  The movie will look to take place very close to the events that happened in Captain America: Civil War.

One thing I would like to see from the movie is paying tribute to the history and past of the Black Panther, as he comes from a world us fans have never seen on screen before. Marvel could take this movie so many different directions as this will be the first time we get a real glimpse into the full life of this character.  We did get a small little nibble of who they were creating the Black Panther to be in Civil War, but for most fans it wasn’t enough and it just left them wanting more.

Overall, the Black Panther is a Marvel superhero that has always intrigued me and many others.  Personally I can’t wait for the movie to release and knowing the fact that we have to wait until summer to see the trailer just makes it that much harder to wait.  This movie I think will set a new stage for Marvel to begin explorations deeper into the Marvel universe and begin expanding characters that we all grew up with and love even today.  Black Panther hits theaters February 2018 which seems like an eternity away, but here’s to hoping for great things!