Ring Masters

There are a hundred excuses I could come up with for this post being a day later than normal.  The simple honest truth is that I fell asleep.  A long working weekend followed by a busy start to the week left no time to recover any missing slumber.  A quiet Wednesday morning in a comfortable led to a sudden urge to catch up on all the sleep I had been deprived of.

Delays aside, today's post isn't something that didn't come from my mind, yet I still had a significant hand in creating.  It is a story idea from the notebook of my oldest son.  He is a fan of both Marvel and DC comic universes.  Influences from tales like the Green Lantern and Infinity Gauntlet can be seen in his writings, with details that are entirely his own.

The words below are entirely his.  The only changes I made were some basic copy editing for spelling and simple grammar.  Otherwise, the story is directly out of his notebook for future comics.

Okay.  We didn't ask for these powers, but here is the story.  The date was March 19, 2019.  My friends and I chose to walk home through the forest.  That's when I came across six rings.  I thought two for each of us so I shared them with Hank and Tim.  As we put them on weird things happened to us.  I felt like I was on fire in an earthquake.  When it was over I had power over fire and earth.  Hank had power over water and wind.  Tim had power over light and dark.  We chose to call ourselves "The Ring Masters."  We were on our last year of high school and would be going our separate ways.  However, when there is trouble, you can count on The Ring Masters to be there!

Other stories in his notebook hint at the possibility of multiple related titles with chances of crossovers and other interactions.

I am proud that he has decided to express himself in the same way I do and with tales of his own creation.  Sharing our skills with the next generation gives our children a safe outlet for their thoughts while keeping important creative skills alive in a dynamic and changing society.  Now, if only I could get him to clean his room.

Notes on Demons

I've never been one to use outlines for my books or stories.  Instead, I have a file of notes about the characters, story, plot details, and world where the story takes place.  Some of these notes are broad generalizations that frame the environment.  Some are simple comments about the direction the story is going or what kind of turn I want it to take.  Others still may be preferences or feelings the characters have that aren't obviously stated but come out through their actions and interactions with others.

Sometimes a story doesn't develop past the notes stage.  This may be due to an excess of clutter in my headspace, a lack of time to develop it properly, or just not enough story there to expand on.  One such story is one that I've had notes on for decades.  While there is a major plot conflict to base the story on, I just don't seem to be able to come up with enough to fill out the world it takes place in.  Maybe some day the rest of the tale will come to me in a dream.  In the meantime, here are the notes as I have them so far.  Derf is just a placeholder name I use until the character is fleshed out more and a proper name comes to light.

• Long life span of hunters, but not immortal. Just don't age normally.
• Communicate with "Hunter Council" via meditation and a special crystal
• Council catalogs Demons based on activity. Ranks them based on strength and shares information with Hunters.
• Smaller, weaker Demons not named, simple to catch.  Stronger Demons are given names and require more elaborate rituals to satisfy and catch.
• Each hunter chosen by "Hunter's Spirit." When one Hunter dies, the spirit moves on never know who will be next.
• Spirits don't clearly speak to Hunter, but can enhance vision to detect Demonic energies and give a Spidey-sense to hidden Deomnic presence.
• Number of Spirits is fixed, Number of Demons is variable, has gotten down to zero in past but increasing recently.
• Father/son team of Demon Hunters considered best in the realm, very rare for family members to be selected as hunters.
• Main plot point! Main character (Derf) must hunt demon that has taken his father
• Papa Derf disappeared while transporting crystal to "jail."
• Evidence of demons that had been caught by father-son team reappears.
• Demons are caught in and transported via crystals to one-way portal to "Dungeon Dimension"
• Demon possessing Derf's father is known as "The Corrupter" spoke to Papa Derf via the crystal
• Derf lives life alone except when hunting with Papa, chosen before starting a family.
• Papa Derf father of 3-5 kids, chosen after family started and years before Derf.

Leave a comment if you think the story should be developed further or left at this stage.  Suggestions for filling in any of the blanks would be welcome.

Non-Sequitur

I regularly peruse the Sunday comics for quick laughs and a bit of nostalgia from my younger days of fighting family members to see who got to them first.  Just over a week ago Wiley Miller published an offer to his readers to write their own story.  The sheer variety of characters displayed and variety of terrains gave me the idea of a meeting of people that can travel between parallel universes in the multiverse.

The time for the meeting of the Multiverse Traveler's League had arrived at last. This is a chance for individuals, groups, and civilizations that have managed to acquire the ability to cross between parallel universes to gather together. Some travelers use technology, others take advantage of focused mental discipline and mental energies to break the barriers between worlds. A handful even managed to accidentally trip between worlds without any effort at all. Regardless of the method used for traveling between all the facets of the multiverse, everyone that can reach the meeting location is invited to attend.

The gathering took place every 25 years on a different planet in a different universe. This time around it was to be hosted on a terraformed moon of Saturn in a universe designated as 7775-349x10.012/Acorn. The gaseous planet with its rings and multiple moons rising over the horizon gave attendees of the meeting a spectacular view, regardless of the range of their visual spectrum.

Terraforming of the moon had been completed just for this trans-universal event. Environments had been developed for the comfort of attendees from multiple planets and evolutionary chains. Humid jungles rose up next to giant seas. Methane pools bubbled near barren deserts. The frozen peaks of giant mountains soared into the skies, piercing clouds of freezing nitrogen. Plains of ice and frozen grasses lay under a layer of crystalline snow. Everything that could make any kind of being comfortable was put in place.

Areas and routes had been laid out for a multitude of transportation methods and devices. Boats cut through the surf to reach platforms for their captains to disembark. Tracks had been laid for those wishing to arrive via train. No method of travel was too elaborate or too simple for those that crossed from one universe to another. The security forces even had their own custom floating blimps that moved easily in the medium gravity and minimal atmospheric winds.

While bipedal beings that walked upright were the most common members of the MTL, they were not the only evolved beings that had appeared by far. Long sea serpents swam through oceans that teemed with other life, then moved to worlds with seas covered in a planet-wide sheet of ice. Birds with wings as thin as tissue paper glided on breezes over planets as numerous as their feathers. Giant intelligent bears soaked up the sun that beat down on their fur from as many suns as they could find.

There was no lack of events and occurrences at the meeting. Explorers take advantage of audiences to expand on new discoveries made and unusual variations on recognized planets that were stumbled upon. Panels are formed for to aid new adventurers in increasing the efficiency of their method for getting from one universe to the next, whether it be via technological device or thought power. Representatives of different groups and organizations gathered together to discuss various rules and regulations and develop laws to govern the members of the MTL. This last group was generally the least productive and still most entertaining to watch.

All of these different beings from various worlds and universes arrived via numerous methods to this customized moon. Their ultimate goal being a golden pyramid transmitting a powerful light into the sky under and inside which they would all socialize and speak of their shared abilities to cross the unbreakable barriers that separate one universe from another.

If the link above didn't work, here is the comic itself to inspire a story of your own.  

What can the Noah do?

Stories with holiday themes abound this time of year.  Children being shown the true meaning of Christmas, adults renewing their belief in humanity and Santa, the cold weather bringing wintry characters to life.  Sometimes it's nice to get away from all of these types of tales and read something that doesn't relate to gifts, snow, or families singing carols.  With that in mind I present a continuation of the tale I wrote about twice before, the alien race known as the Noah.

I have made one adjustment since my last post set in this universe.  I changed the name of the aggressive reptilian race from Drag'korn to Drag'kun.  It keeps the similarity to "dragon" that I wanted without being as clumsy.

The first signals from the Noah weren't received by fields of SETI dishes, military tracking stations, or scientific radio telescopes.  A boy trying to expand the frequencies his satellite television receiver picked up in an attempt to get free adult channels was suddenly bombarded with multiple video images and several audio feeds simultaneously.  History would never know of this, the onslaught to his senses triggered an epileptic seizure.  He wouldn't remember any of what he saw or heard, even after others began noticing the signal and word of it quickly spread across social media and news media stations.

Pundits and self-titled experts argued and debated about the import of the signal.  Governments rushed to dispatch personnel to investigate the sites the Noah mentioned as proof of their statements.  This was accomplished at a pace only slightly faster than some civilians realized they might become rich if they were the first to posses whatever items made up this proof.  More debates and arguments arose as the proof was located and the reality of the Noah was verified.

Churches were filled beyond their capacity as devout parishioners and rare visitors rushed to seek answers from their pastors and other religious leaders.  Many streets were empty as other people sat in clusters around their televisions, enraptured by screens displaying split views of the Noah's message and statements from government officials.  Different countries each declared their people were more worthy and their voices should be heard over the citizens of other nations.  Very few people were taking note of the deadline mentioned in the Noah's message as discussions were held regarding what should be done and who was responsible for doing it.

Approaching the Earth, the Noah observed the multiple signals bouncing across and around the planet as the humans conversed.  Centuries of observation and study had taught the Noah much patience.  They exercised this patience as they waited for a response from the planet.  As it was obvious the words vastly outnumbered any actions, no response was immediately expected.

Unseen by either the ship or the planet, a small pod with practically no emissions drifted into the system on a calculated ballistic trajectory.  It was an advanced scout sent by the Drag'kun.  Travelling at a speed near that of light, the scout pod would be able to pick up the signals between Earth and the Noah before being detected.  The commander of the pod's crew would quickly interpret these signals and relay them with his notes to the approaching fleet still some distance outside the Oort cloud of the solar system.  The fleet would use this data to determine how best to continue their approach.  There was no doubt an attack would happen, it was only the number and types of ships to use that was to be determined.  Too many ships and the spoils of war would be spread too thin between the attackers.  Too few ships and the captains of the fleet would become bored before reaching another target rich system and begin to fight amongst themselves.

While I do have a lot of hope for the future of humanity, I do believe that current society would do heaps of talking during a global discovery like this before any action would actually take place.  Of course, the infinite possibilities of the universe means that Earthlings may not have sole possession of this particular trait.

Post-Creation Coma

Another November has come to a close.  The National Novel Writing Month has finished for another year.  Thirty days where every free second is filled with writing, composing, and creating.  A month of reviewing outlines, defining characters, setting scenes, and creating just the right mood.  Mornings shift into afternoons, which then change into evenings and nights without notice.  Nights pass without sleep as ideas form and are molded and shaped before being put into place.  The deadline passing by means the steady writing can be put on hold, but the process is far from finished.  With the arrival of December 1st, a brief breath can be taken before the hard work truly begins.

The small number of days and large number of words in the challenge force an author to write at a pace that doesn't allow more than basic editing on the fly.  Many critical questions must be left for later consideration.  Does this scene work?  Should the affections between these characters be more overt or subdued?  Would it be more effective if the readers loved this person more before I kill them off?  What words or phrases can I use to increase the emotional impact of this passage?  All of these factors can take weeks or months of reading, tweaking, and rereading to get a novel to come out just right.

The holiday season is a great time to get out and remind myself what the outside world looks like.  It will be relaxing to participate in activities that don't require too much mental strain.  I can gaze at lights and admire decorations while refilling my creative juices.  It will certainly ease my exhausted mind to sing along with joyous songs heard so many times the lyrics are practically ingrained in my DNA.  Now, where did I leave that remote control?

Creative Games

It is 19 days into NaNoWriMo.  There are 11 days of writing left to reach the 50,000 word goal.  While it doesn't look like I will reach that lofty mark, I will continue to strive towards it.  Unfortunately, this means I have to focus on my work in progress, a sequel to my first novel.  Instead of a story idea, here are some games you can play with friends and or family members to improve everyone's storytelling skills.  Maybe have some fun at the same time.


Once Upon a Time by Atlas Games:  This card game contains elements from the fairy tale world.  Players play cards as they use the elements to tell a story.  The winner is the one that ends the story with an Ending Card.  Stories can be interrupted by other players at any time in order to change the tale or reach their own ending.  Variations are available to form tales of the high seas or adventures of knights and chivalry.

Role Playing Games:  Once firmly planted in deep basements and only enjoyed by groups of lonely nerds, role playing games have risen in scope and popularity.  The games are more than just the rolling of dice and the moving of model pieces around a map.  The Dungeon Master, or other teller of the tale, must create an adventure that entertains the players while keeping in line with the rules of the universe in which the game is set.  Individual players must help to keep the story alive with the actions of their own characters in the various situations.

Munchkin by Steve Jackson Games:  On its face, Munchkin is a card game that enjoys making fun of traditional role playing games.  Players take turns "kicking down" doors and fighting the monsters that may appear.  Other players can help or hinder either combatant in the battle.  While gameplay doesn't immediately lend itself to the formation of a story, players can still use the elements of play to come up with a fantastic story.

Gloom by Atlas Games:  Gloom is another card game by Atlas Games. However, unlike Once Upon a Time, this game does not end happily ever after.  Each player has a family of five characters they are responsible for.  The object of the game is for each player to make their family as miserable as possible before killing them off.  The misery comes in the form of playing cards that cause the characters to be Menaced by Mice, Jynxed by Gypsies, Widowed at the Wedding, or Marooned on the Moors.  The game can be played in a simple manner, but using the elements on the cards to tell a story can add a smile to all the players' faces.


These games can all be used to have a little fun while stretching your creative muscles.  If you know of any other card or board games that can be used to tell a story, let everyone know in the comments.

Different Strokes of the Pen

NaNoWriMo is in full swing.  A month full of writers summoning forth characters from the endless worlds that occupy their imaginations.  Lives are created.  They begin and end with the stroke of a pen or press of a letter on a keyboard.  Worlds are created and environments come into being.  There are adventures to be had and enemies to be defeated.  Broad fields of story and plot lay before the creative mind.

There are any number of obstacles that must be hurdled when writing a story, whether it be a short read or a multi-chapter novel.  How do you define characters and give each of them a unique voice?  How do you choose a time period for your story and how does it affect the plot and lives of the characters?  Do you reveal histories at the beginning of the story, in little pieces as the story moves along, or leave some mystery for later stories?  How do you get the proper impact of various events across to the reader so it effects them the same way it effects you as you write?

One of the biggest challenges for me is writing just one story at a time.  Over my lifetime I have been struck by the thought of many ideas that would make good stories to tell.  Some of them are similar enough that they can be molded into one story.  Others are so vastly different they must each have their own tale.

For my current NaNoWriMo attempt I am writing a sequel to my first published book.  There are story elements I have been wanting to use in these and other sci-fi stories.  Relationships to develop, locations to discover, and things to happen in general.  Also taking up space in my mind is a story that comes from a world of magic and spells more than one of spaceships and lasers.  In order to clear out some of the extra clutter, I'm going to put some of the opening of the fantasy story here.  Maybe it will be my 2015 NaNoWriMo novel.

A robed figure slowly moves through a dark cavern.  The only source of light is a gentle glow from a large crystal in the center of the room.  The figure's features are hidden under the shadows of a deep hood.  He walks with a tall staff clutched in one aged hand.  Ancient runes seem to glow up and down the staff, reflecting the clear light from the crystal.  As he walks by the crystal, he reaches out his other gnarled hand to caress it as one would a longtime lover.  His voice, despite being as rough as a poorly maintained gravel road, clearly carried a degree of affection.  He speaks with certainty and conviction to the otherwise empty space.

"It is nearly time for us to rise again.  For centuries you have been building your reserves, growing in power, collecting the raw energy of life itself.  The eight recipients have been selected.  When the time is right they will be given access to you in order to bring about a new age.  They will be the beginning of real power returning to this world.  Power that is based on strength of mind and will instead of simple brute force and conniving manipulation.  Power the use of which can drain the user for a short time or eternally, depending on how it used.

"The chosen eight will gather others together and teach them to use this power.  Its use will quickly spread around the world.  Some will have a great talent and use their power for great things, others will only be capable of impressing small audiences with their simple flashes of skill.  Like other powers humanity has come across, some will use it for the betterment of those around them and others will use it only for themselves.  Some will us it for good, others for purely evil purposes.

"The power you have inside you was used many centuries ago.  Now it will be used again.  Magic will rise again on the Earth.  The modern age of electronics and technology will see the return of sorcery and magic.  Spellbooks will take their place alongside e-readers.  Teleportation will join driving and flying as a method of personal transportation.  The Digital Age will give way to The Age of Power"

The crystal's glow shifted as the man spoke.  It gives off a bright flash of light that fills the cavern as the man slowly ends his caress and removes his hand from the crystal.  He raises the staff and speaks an ancient word.  The robed figure vanishes from the cavern with no sign he was ever there.


With that piece of story out of the way, I have more room in my mind for my current tale.