2013 is upon us

Well, this is pretty much the last post that I write for the year 2012. It was quite a thrill ride for me, let me tell you. A lot has been happening that changed my life forever in this year alone, and I am amazed at the progress I've made. Of course, I can't have a new years post without a resolution of sorts. So, without further ado, my new years resolutions:

-Work on my novel, except sticking to my 'finish one chapter by Saturday' rule (I've been slow with it and it's time I got back to work on it)
-Do at least one blog post a week (I haven't been on here lately, mostly because of outer issues)
-Get my novel published
-Focus on losing weight some
-Maybe open a YouTube account (I have lots of videos I want to show off)
-Do some more artwork, especially character art for my novel

So there, that's my resolutions in a nutshell. Have a happy new year, everyone!

Racing games are good for health

Gran Turismo 5 Helps Rehabilitate Spinal Injury Patient

Brilliant. Just brilliant. Fighting games and Japanese Role Playing Games, eat dirt for your inability to cure patients of their diseases and pains.

Seriously, this is a fine example of video games being good for health, especially with those that have physical or mental illnesses and other body/mind related problems. Next thing you know video games might cure cancer.

The Archetypal: How my characters represent anime archetypes

For long time viewers, it's been a while since I wrote anything. Newbies, on the other hand, welcome to the club. This is my blog for my novel and other stuff.

Anyways, I've been taking a while at finishing Noel's sidestory. Stuff unrelated to the novel's progress had impeded me some. So, to compensate, I'll make a post about the characters that represent the many archetypes of anime. Throughout my novel, the main characters--not the characters in the chapters that are based off of existing anime and manga or characters that only last a short while--were designed to represent anime's many archetypes. In no specific order:

Kirk - the hero; he's just a normal who gets caught in the middle of everything, and is forced to take part in a war that's been going on for ages. Usually adept in whatever skills he starts out with, getting more experience with time.

Tigercat - the sidekick; younger in age, but is friends with the hero. Sticks with him no matter what happens.

Miyu Kusanagi - the sexy tough gal; wears skin (or in Miyu's case, fur) revealing outfits akin to that of Motoko Kusanagi from Ghost in the Shell, Yoko Littner from Gurren Lagen or Jura Basil Elden from Vandread, and is also very brave and willing to fight no matter what.

B.W. - the wise man; he knows a lot about the world around him, as well as how things work or why things happen the way they do.

Noel - the love interest and unique; she serves as the character the hero falls in love with--and vice versa--but is also special in that she comes with special powers that none of the other characters possess. Tragically, she's also the character with the troubled past.

Devil's Mistress - the classic villain/big bad; is the center of the hero's troubles as well as the world he gets caught in. She does anything in her power to defeat Kirk and his friends, even manipulating the world around them.

Mother Angel - the leader of an ancient group of beings; she is compassionate towards her people, but is also serious. Also willing to fight when she needs be.

Venus - the demigoddess warrior; her beauty is second to none, but is also very deadly in combat. Her heat-based attacks and the Room of Angel are the ultimate in her prowess; she also stands out as being immune to normal weapons.

Mars - the demigod warrior; like Venus, he is very powerful, but wields immense strength as opposed to heat attacks. Is also immune to normal weapons.

So there, those are the archetypes of the characters in my first novel.

"We can't be beholden to the fans" -Capcom

http://www.gamespot.com/news/capcom-resident-evil-cant-please-everyone-6397591

Criminal. Just criminal.

So, after years of support from your loyal audience buying your products, you go and say you can't be beholden to your own audience. The same audience that's been buying your damn work since the first game. I officially hate you, Capcom, for openly turning your back on your own fans. Now you see why people hate you now.

I'm never buying a game from Capcom from this point on, no matter what game it is. It's too bad; some voice actors are involved with Capcom games, but then again they're nothing more than mere doormats to the creators of the games they voice and play. Oh well.

Super Special Blog Post: Blog Hop Interview

Yay, I've been selected to do a special blog hop posting! This posting is unique in that it's a blog hop that requires me to select five writers so they can do a similar blog hop post, too. The post will explore what my work in progress is about, and how it came to be.

Here are the rules for this blog post:


* Answer these ten questions about your current WIP (Work In Progress) on your blog

* Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them.

Ten Interview Questions for The Next Big Thing:

* What is the working title of your book?
* Where did the idea come from for the book?
* What genre does your book fall under?
* Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
* What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
* Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
* How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
* What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
* Who or What inspired you to write this book?
* What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

* What is the working title of your book?

The working title of my book is Animator's Dream.

* Where did the idea come from for the book?

A lot of things, mostly consisting of internet hopping and researching voice actors on the web. Also, I got some ideas from real life and pop culture, plus some things that go on in my head. For instance, I made a chapter based on the anime series Code Geass, but I wanted to throw in giant robots from the video game series Armored Core. My imagination just ran wild with the possibilites of the missions my characters could do, and that's just one chapter! In short, I wanted to let my imagination run wild with the ideas contained in me.

* What genre does your book fall under?

Mainstream; it mixes elements of action, adventure, romance, sci-fi, psychological horror, and comedy.

* Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I've actually been wanting to do an audiobook involving veteran voice actors, so if the chance that an anime movie would be made, I'd like these people to reprise their roles. If you're interested in my dream cast and why I chose them, go here:
http://projectrenesis.blogspot.com/2012/06/side-story-progress-and-dream-voice.html

* What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

A young anime fan is sucked into the animated world after winning a supposed magic pencil, and is caught in a mystery that is also a war against an evil organization terrorizing this new world.

* Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Self-Published, since agencies are becoming obsolete and nobody wants to go through such hassles and middlemen loopholes.

* How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

I'm still working on it now! I've slowed down progress from time to time in spite of setting a goal of finishing one chapter section per week because of school and a need for entertainment.

* What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I would say Harold and the Magic Crayon, but also the novelization of Tron, too. I also got some elements of Stephen King's works and even inspirations from various comic books and manga.

* Who or What inspired you to write this book?

The whole anime and manga mediums inspired me, but I also wanted to implement real life people into this work. Some of the characters are based on characters from works of fiction and people in real life, notably voice actors in the anime industry.

* What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

There's something for everyone in this book, from getting involved in a centuries-old war to characters of different types, and there's all sorts of references to anime and manga in this book, too.

Five Writers on my tag list:

Lily Silver (http://lilysilver.webs.com/)
June Faver (http://livingwiththemuse.blogspot.com/)
Morgan Mandel (http://candidcanine.blogspot.com/2012/09/welcome-to-morgan-mandel-author-of-new.html)
Joe McCoubrey (http://joemccoubrey.com/a-novel-born-out-of-troubled-times-in-ireland/)
Tom Gillespie (http://pauldbrazill.wordpress.com/2012/09/14/short-sharp-interview-tom-gillespie/)

Credit goes to Maria Hammerblad for getting me involved in this special posting. If you wish to look at her works, then go to these links:
(http://www.facebook.com/maria.sadowski.5)
(http://www.scifiromance.info/)

Side story chapter in progress

Finally nailed Chapter Four, and am now working on a side story focusing on Noel. I will be giving two characters side stories so as to focus on those characters and not just Kirk. They would be Miyu Kusanagi and Noel, since they're important to the plot and back story of the novel. I was originally going to start work on Chapter Five, but I wanted to save that for later since I wanted to focus on Noel in addition to Miyu.

One more thing, I'll be doing weekly sections in my novel since I wanted to challenge myself to get my novel chapters done in a period of time. It's like with how writers of various TV shows had to deal with schedules in writing up the next episode of whatever series is on. That and I wanted to get my novel done and published as soon as I could, since I fear for the voice actors that I wish to work with on my audio book may be soon on their way. Yes, I'll probably need a hefty sum of money to support the project, but hey, the same could be said on getting my novel published.

The Downfall of the Blue Bomber, or, Capcom forgot how to treat their fans

Yes, I'm writing at a late time, but it's important to the point that I simply have to write about it. I'm writing about it because it relates to my story some.

I was browsing the web and did a random Google search for Mega Man, mostly because I watched a video on the garbage Mega Man DOS game that wasn't made by Capcom. I also remembered on GameFAQs that Capcom was going to announce something for Mega Man's 25th Anniversary. What I found was a new game, but it wasn't the game fans like me had in mind. In fact, it wasn't really a game at all.

This new "game", called Mega Man Xover (pronounced cross over) is a "social role-playing game" for the iOS, aka the iPhone and the iPad. On paper, it's not really much, even though it's a crossover featuring every Mega Man franchise in history. The deal breaker, however, is the auto-play feature. This is a franchise known for it's platforming, and there's an auto-play feature. What the hell? What. The. Hell. That destroys the point of Mega Man as a whole.

I'd just like to say that this is the 25th Anniversary of their iconic franchise, and this is how they treat Mega Man fans? Not that any of their other franchises are faring better, what with their disc-locked content.

Capcom better buckle up, because they won't last long with abandoning their mascot and forcing people to buy content already on their disc

Books for potential manga/anime artists

Have you ever wanted to draw in a style similar to your favorite anime or manga works? Do you want to create a show or manga series of your own? Perhaps these books would help on your path to success.

Manga for Dummies:

http://www.amazon.com/Manga-For-Dummies-Kensuke-Okabayashi/dp/0470080256/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344714824&sr=8-1&keywords=manga+for+dummies

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Drawing Manga Illustrated, 2nd Edition:

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Drawing-Illustrated-Edition/dp/1592578233/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1344714824&sr=8-3&keywords=manga+for+dummies

Manga for the Beginner Shoujo:

http://www.amazon.com/Manga-Beginner-Shoujo-Everything-Japanese/dp/0823033295/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1344715047&sr=1-1&keywords=manga+for+the+beginner+shoujo

While these are three common books, they're done by expert artists who know their topics well. Highly recommend these books if you can find them in stores, on Amazon.com or eBay, or even your local library. I'm using these books as a resource to learn how to create my characters for my novel, so people will have an idea of what the characters will look like. Oh, and sorry if I haven't done anything in a while.

Thoughts on sequels

While my novel is still in development (in fact the manuscript alone isn't even finished!), I have some plans made for the two sequels to Animator's Dream. They will be different from the first novel in more ways than one, with the third having the most radical differences.

Animator's Reality (Animator's Dream Episode Two)
-Western cartoons and comics theme
-Somewhat darker feel in spite of featuring lighthearted cartoons
-Different protagonist, named Lancer
-A pen is the artistic utensil of choice here
-Sidekick having more mature look and feel, while still being a female, and having a more tragic back story creation reason than Tigercat. She is also based on Mary Elizabeth McGlynn's western animation/games characters, and would be designed like that of Marvel Comic's Black Cat
-Four animated world sidekick characters based on Tara Strong, Lara Jill Miller, Steve Blum and Erin Fitzgerald.
-Industrial music a part of the soundtrack, similar to that of Frank Klepacki's work for the Command & Conquer games and Johan Skugge & Jukka Rintamaki's work for Battlefield 3.
-Introduces the western side of the Diablo's Darkness, led by Devil's Minister, based on Daran Norris and Timmy Turner's dad in Nickelodeon's Fairly Oddparents. They are not as evil as the Japanese side, but they are still dangerous nonetheless
-Also would introduce the western equivalent of the Angels of Light: the Demons of the Dark, to add a 'dark is not evil' motif to the fight against the Diablo's Darkness. They also follow a mythical god naming convention
-Keeping the grouping convention of poster boy hero and sidekick, genius strongman, sexy gal pal, and unique with a past-type character
-Characters pilot fictionalizations of real world tanks and aircraft as opposed to Japanese mechs and scrolling shooter space fighters, and the tanks and fighters evolve based on historical chronology
-Aircraft and tanks go in this order: two American, one British, one Japanese, one German, and one Russian


Animator's Requiem
-Kirk and Lancer's teams come together in the final novel of the Animator's Dream trilogy
-Sides representing Japanese anime and manga and western animation and comics are at war with each other
-Focuses on Kirk's and Lancer's missions as they fight ranked soldiers and special units
-A secret war is being conducted by two commanders on the Japanese and western armies, secretly in disguise as Devil's Mistress and Devil's Minister respectively
-Devil's Mistress and Devil's Minister represent the real life marriage of Mary Elizabeth McGlynn and Daran Norris
-Diablo's Darkness behind the war between the Japanese and western factions, but the Angels of Light and Demons of the Dark intervene to prevent further fighting
-Diablo's Darkness planned to weaken the two forces to conquer the animated world and the physical world, and eventually reality itself
-Zenaiva to join Kirk and friends after breaking mind control
-Noel will give birth to a new species of life
-Final battle between the animators Kirk and Lancer and the Diablo's Darkness
-Some Diablo's Darkness members revealed to be captured and mind controlled Angels of Light/Demons of the Dark members, but will be rescued
-Some characters seen in the previous two novels may be killed, but they will not be any of Kirk or Lancer's friends


Those are my ideas in a nutshell. Here's hoping that I can generate worldwide recognition for my work so as to make these sequels possible.

Obscure Video Games - Starblade: Operation Blue Planet

New to this blog is Obscure Video Games, a series that I personally created to show off games that are either rare or never even saw the light of day. Because a lot of influences in my novel include video games from Japan, this would be a fitting addition to my blog. For my very first episode, I would share Starblade: Operation Blue Planet, the sequel to Namco's Starblade. This is unique in that it would have been used in their cancelled O.R.B.S. (Over Reality Booster System) arcade cabinet, which would have immersed players inside the machine and give a spherical view. A shame it got cancelled, looked like fun. I just wished that Namco would broaden their development horizons and make more unique games like these. Angry Joe was right: better games have been canned and never released.
Oh, if you want to learn about O.R.B.S., go here: NAMCO MEDIUM SIZED ATTRACTIONS HARDWARE - O.R.B.S.

Chapter three finally done, plus new characters

Wow, it's been quite a while since I did a blog post. School and story work will do that to someone like me.

Anyways, I finally finished up chapter three and begun work on the fourth. This is where the fun begins and the mystery of the Diablo's Darkness begins to unravel. A romance sub-plot unfolds in this chapter as well, and a character is introduced that only enhances the mystery through an explanation that states he is involved with an organization called the Angels of Light. I'm not going to go deep into the chapter, but I will discuss the new characters introduced in this chapter.

Noel - A young lynx girl who was seeking refuge from the Diablo's Darkness. She states that she has knowledge of the Diablo's Darkness, but refuses to go into details about it. Noel is also aware of her sister Zenaiva, who is also with the Diablo's Darkness, through a locket that Kirk finds and gives her; this is where the romance sub-plot comes into play. She also has psychic powers, is able to shape shift her clothing and hair color at will, and can even speak Japanese. She also enjoys the hobbies that Kirk enjoys, too. There is really more to this girl than her appearance suggests, but what exactly remains to be seen. Noel is based off of N.I.C.O.L.E. from Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog comics and voice actor Cristina Valenzuela/Cristina Vee, who is also a cosplayer and singer, and is bilingual due to her ability to speak Japanese. Her default outfit is that of Haruhi Suzumiya, but she alters her outfit similar to that of Cristina Vocaloid, a custom character, and Anna Bosconovich from Tekken.

Vambrace - Noel's alter ego, she is a beautiful and powerful warrior with enhanced psychic powers and a katana that can freeze enemies. She also comes equipped with a magic grappling hook called the Chain Diver, which allows her greater mobility and effective use of her sword's freezing ability. She is really introduced in chapter three, but is kept a secret from Kirk until later on. Is based off of Psylocke from Marvel's X-Men comics, but her design is still the same as N.I.C.O.L.E.

Diablo's Darkness - The enemy organization of the Animator's Dream. They seem like a regular organization seeking to cause terror, but they also have a deeper history behind them. There are rumors about them that they have been around for centuries. Their members are noted for their bone-chilling color pattern; the outfits they wear are blood-red in color, as is their eyes, and their hair is of a jet black color. The group is based off of villain organizations like those from Pokemon, but also shares elements of Zone Of Endless from Ace Combat 2/Assault Horizon Legacy/3D Cross Rumble.

Devil's Psycho - The first member of the Diablo's Darkness that Kirk encounters. He is the Captain of the six main Diablo's Darkness members, and while he is the weakest, is nonetheless very dangerous. Design-wise, he is a mixture of Monkey Khan from Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog comics and Albedo Piazzollo from Xenosaga. Personality-wise, he is like Alucard from Hellsing and Albedo, though he is more psychotic and maniacal than those two combined.

Devil's Mistress - The second member of the Diablo's Darkness encountered, though she is really the commander of them. She doesn't make direct contact with Kirk, appearing as a hologram, as she only serves to deliver a message to him. Devil's Mistress is easily the most powerful of the Diablo's Darkness, given her ranking as commander. She is capable of copying other female characters and altering her appearance to appear like them, save for blood red outfits and eyes, and jet black hair. She also has some history with not only Noel, but Miyu Kusanagi, B.W., and even Kirk, but what kind of history is a mystery. Devil's Mistress is based off of various villains in anime, but also has elements of Mary Elizabeth McGlynn's twisted sense of humor, and is basically an evil Miyu Kusanagi design-wise.

Cygnus - The spirit of the holy katana, he was encased in it by the mysterious Angels of Light. He serves as a guide for Kirk and an aid for him via a power called Holy Interface. This grants him enhanced sight and the ability to detect stealth units. Design-wise, he is a mix of Weregarurumon from Digimon and Bunshichi Tawara from Tenjho Tenge.

So there, that's the new characters. This chapter, and the rest beyond it, will be fun.

New feature available on the blog!

This blog has a new feature to your right. It's a poll, so now you can have a say in matters without having to deal with long blog postings. Yay! I might use this to gauge my audience and to figure out what people would like to see in my works. Might come in handy in the long run...

Novel Themes: Subs and Dubs

When I woke up this morning and went on my computer, the first thing I did asides from going on Swag Bucks to earn daily points for rewards is go on GameFAQs. GameFAQs is a website dedicated to cheat codes and walkthroughs for video games of any kind. It's saved my bacon many times when I needed help with a certain game or unlocking certain items. While it's a great website, you're probably wondering what it has to do with my novel. I'll sum this up with two words: today's poll.

I look at the poll section and find out that today's topic involves whether people prefer Japanese original voice work or English dubbed voice work in Japanese developed games. First place went to subbed work, second depending on the game, and third dubbed. The losers went to it doesn't matter and I never play Japanese developed games. The fact that first place went to Japanese voices cements the issue of subs vs. dubs in my novel further; that there are people who want subtitles and think any dub is inferior to the original voice work. One of the antagonist characters in my novel, Devil's Egotism, represents these people. He labels anything western as 'inferior', speaks Japanese in addition to English to taunt his foes, and is a representation of the arrogant anime and manga fans that think official dubs and translations are inferior.

I wanted to write this blog post because people say that voice work is the make or break part of video games, especially with Baten Kaitos on the Nintendo GameCube. I strongly disagree; I could care less about the quality of the voice work in a game, but if I can't get past a level or achieve a certain completion percentage because somebody in beta testing fell asleep on the job or the developers were really sadistic, we have problems. Mega Man X6 is an example of such scenarios; the game was localized in a matter of one week, and yes a week, not months or years, one week, and it shows. Not only did Capcom USA not bother to dub voice work, which showed how lazy they were, but they didn't bother with lowering the difficulty some. The reason the game is so hard and hated is because of awful level design and the rescue system of the game. To make a long story short, if you fail to rescue a reploid carrying an important upgrade for your character, your game is royally screwed and are forced to restart, unless you cheat and use the god armors, then you might beat it. The controls aren't a walk in the park, either, and if you get stuck in a level, you will get stuck and be forced to suicide all your lives. What was that about voice work ruining a game again?

It's a sensitive topic I wanted to talk about so I don't worry about my day being ruined over a poll. I just hope people will understand what I'm talking about without starting a flame war of sorts. By the way, I won't be talking about the sections of chapters in the novel, but I will be summarizing what happens in upcoming chapters. I'm not going to baby people with tidbits of individual sections.

Side story progress, and a dream anime cast list

Well, just want the world to know that the second side story chapter is almost completed. Now it's about the efforts of B.W. and Miyu Kusanagi as they momentarily split up from Kirk and Tigercat and take on the Germanians' training exercise while encountering two of the Germanian Empire's four elite IllusionCore pilots.

By the way, I've might have mentioned in an earlier blog post that this novel would feature an ambitious audio novel unique in that an industry veteran voice actor would voice it. However, a full cast is not practical for audiobooks; I'd only hire one industry veteran VA for such a project. I would, however, like to see my work turned into an anime film. So, here's my dream cast for this dream anime.

Personally, I want Cristina Valenzuela to do audiobook for this work, while Karen Strassman would do the sequel. Plans for a third and episode zero novel are still in the works.


Johnny Yong Bosch - Kirk/KFBAT/Kevin Redbeacon
(JYB is the classic hero/anti-hero type, which these characters are; he even prefers this character!)

Wendee Lee - Eloyse Floyd/Tigercat/Vulpecula/Canus Major/Canus Minor/Lyra/Cassiopeia
(Wendee Lee is a superb multirole voice artist, known for characters ranging from high school girls to young boys and older tough gal types. She would be suited for all of these characters as a result.)

Mary Elizabeth McGlynn - Melissa Williamson/Miyu Kusanagi/Venus/Anna Germania/Captain Atsuko Kurasagi
(Mary Elizabeth McGlynn is good with the sexy, tough as nails heroine characters.)

Cristina Valenzuela (or Cristina Vee, whichever she would prefer) - Noel/Vambrace/Suzumi Himoto
(Cristina Vee is good with young girls, but also great for the heroine characters, too. The characters that she would voice represent her in a variety of ways, but perhaps the most important aspect of Noel would be that she would be speaking Japanese. This is actually a part of the novel's theme and story, which will not be covered in this blog post. Cristina Vee can speak Japanese very fluently, and would be best suited for these characters.)

Richard Epcar - B.W./Mars/Pinnace
(Richard Epcar is good with the wise but strong characters, but perhaps the biggest trait is that he has a sort of relation with Mary Elizabeth McGlynn in terms of career history. Basically, Miyu Kusanagi and B.W. are friends in my novel, Batou and Major Motoko Kusanagi are friends in Ghost in the Shell, and Richard Epcar and Mary Elizabeth McGlynn are friends in real life. It's a theme I'm following in this novel.)

Michelle Ruff - Georgette Germania/Mother Angel
(Michelle Ruff, like Wendee Lee, is a multirole type, but somewhat more condensed. She's most effective as a sort of commanding figure, though, so the roles of Georgette Germania and Mother Angel would go to her.)

Stephanie Sheh - Lepus/Devil's Mistress
(Stephanie is good with voicing young women, even though Lepus is more than just a young woman. Also, I wanted her to voice a villainess, so as to break out of her usual mold. [This role is a work in progress, as I want to draw a picture of, and have other female VAs to voice Devil's Mistress before I decide which one works best])

Lauren Landa - Zenaiva
(Lauren is good as the fanservice character, as well as young girls and boys, but this character would be the troubled sister who is forced to work for an evil army.)

Cindy Robinson - C.R./Circinus
(Cindy Robinson can not only voice young boys effectively (she's also the new official voice of Betty Boop), but also use a more natural voice for the more serious characters. That, and her Ordinance Quail character matches her initials.)

Kate Higgins - C.H./Hydra
(Kate recently got promoted to multirole voice artist status, but for the anime, she would be playing this Ordinance Quail character due to her initials matching Kate's.)

Yuri Lowenthal - Suzuki Roberts/Devil's Egotism/Crux
(Yuri is good with a variety of male characters, from Suzuki/Suzaku's Knight Templar style, to Devil's Egotism's maniacal and arrogant villain personality, and Crux's noble and heroic sense of humility. Also, Devil's Egotism and Crux can speak Japanese in addition to English, which is an important part of the novel's theme and story since Noel has some past with these devil characters [they are part of an organization called the Diablo's Darkness, by the way]. Yuri Lowenthal can speak Japanese fluently, which makes him best suited to these characters.)

Tara Platt - Lacerta
(Tara Platt is on par with Mary Elizabeth McGlynn's warrior characters, but Tara has some compassion and kindness in her as well. Also, Crux and Lacerta are both husband and wife in my novel, just as Yuri Lowenthal and Tara Platt are married in real life. Yes, voice actor relations and parallels to fictional characters are a theme in this novel.)

Christopher Sabat - Feral Wolf
(Christopher is good with both the hammy and the aggressive villain types, but I wanted to match Feral Wolf's voice and personality with that of Wild Dog from Namco's Time Crisis series. The main goal is to try and emulate the old voice actor of Wild Dog in Time Crisis one and two, which I find Christopher Sabat to be best suited for the role.)

Crispin Freeman - McDougal Gottfried/Tokuso/Devil's Psycho/Pluto
(Crispin is good with a variety of male characters, but he is suited for Devil's Psycho because of his history of playing as psychotic characters like Albedo Piazzolla from Namco's Xenosaga and Alucard from Hellsing. He's also good for Pluto, a dark-themed hero, as he's played similar characters, too.)

Karen Strassman - Karen Strassfield/Devil's Seduction
(Karen, while achieving the status of multirole, would be voicing both an Ordinance Quail character and Devil's Seduction, since Karen is good with the seductive villainess voice. That, and her OQ character shares both her real name and a pen name.)

Steve Blum - Roger Smith/ORO
(While Steve Blum is a supreme special multirole, his character appearances are somewhat limited to that of a reporter based on a character from Big O and a ninja warrior like that of Time Crisis' MOZ but spelled out with the first three letters of Orochimaru from Naruto.)

Liam O'Brien - Sheruto Garra
(Liam can handle a variety of male characters, but I chose him to emulate the old voice of Sherudo Garo from Time Crisis. Also, the character design is a mixture of Sherudo, Gaara from Naruto and Liam O'Brien himself, which makes him suitable for this role.)

Sam Riegel - Samuel
(While having only a minor part, Sam Riegel would be best suited for Samuel due to his natural voice.)

John Kassir - Devil's Perversion
(He's mostly noted for Raymundo Rocket from Rocket Power and the crypt keeper from Tales from the Crypt and Tales from the Crypt Keeper, but his voice as Monsoon from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance fits perfectly as Devil's Perversion)

Charles Forrest "Spike" Spencer - Devil's Maniac
(While Spike Spencer can voice a variety of male characters, I chose him for Devil's Maniac because of how the character is like that of Shinji Ikari from Neon Genesis Evangelion but has the personality of Arakune from BlazBlue. Spike really wants to play the psychotic characters, kind of like Mark Hamill and Joker from Batman.)

Patrick Seitz - Patrick Seitz
(He's Patrick Setiz. He's a voice actor. He's getting a small cameo in this novel. Need I say more?)

Rebecca Forstadt - Kiva Redbeacon
(Rebecca can voice sweet young girls, but is chosen for this role for reference reasons.)

Michael McConnohie - Michael Germania
(Michael can voice the in-charge and hammy characters greatly, making him a fit for Michael Germania.)

Julie Ann Taylor - Julie Samford
(This character role is minor, but it fits because Julie Ann Taylor is good with the compassionate women.)

Brina Palencia - Corona Borealis
(Brina is good with the young and older women, but would be suited for this role due to the character resembling Rei Ayanami, another NGE character. Of course, the big difference between Rei and C. Borealis would be that Brina would be using her natural voice.)

Tiffany Lynn Grant - Corona Austrina/Devil's Doppelganger
(Tiffany is basically Asuka Langley Soryu incarnate, which is what Corona Austrina is designed upon. Same thing with Devil's Doppelganger, but there's a secret involved with this character. Also, Tiffany would be using a natural voice and a deeper, more sultry voice for both C. Austrina and Devil's Doppelganger respectively.)

Kirk Thornton - Cygnus
(He can voice a variety of male characters, both lone wolf and wise, but in this case Kirk's character is in line with Gabumon from Digimon, voice wise, but design wise he's a mix of Bunshichi Tawara from Tenjho Tenge and Weregarurumon from Digimon.)

As you can see, the cast here consists of veteran voice actors that have experience in anime in one way or another, but some of the cast members don't get as big of a role as others. Nonetheless, as I have said before, this would be the perfect cast if this were made into an anime.

Publisher Reconsideration

I was scrolling around the web finding good publishers and self-publishing groups when I decided to look back at PublishAmerica, my first publisher choice due to supposed incentives involving free publishing and no upfront payments. However, after reading some info regarding an abysmal BBB rating and a class action lawsuit, I quickly changed my mind over the choice.

First, a simple Google search will reveal all sorts of negativity involved with the publishing company, such as how it's a scam and how they're not really getting your book into stores. A forum board even covers the negatives and debunks the myths on their website. I've read a lot of bad things about their services, but what really took the cake was the fact that they didn't even bother to properly edit accepted work. Hell, there were issues of errors being added to manuscripts as well. Not good considering I could do a better job with an online service. Even worse than that, PA openly stated that some of the books they sell don't even sell one copy. Sometimes, for the books that did sell, they didn't even pay any royalties, a big no-no in the industry.

For the too long; didn't read crowd, Publish America, based on my research, is of the lowest of the low. It doesn't help that they have an F ranking on the Better Business Bureau's website. Of course, the madness doesn't stop there. This month, a lawsuit was filed on the company, with the authors that submitted work to PublishAmerica serving as the plaintiffs. You know a company has royally screwed up and broken so many promises when a lawsuit has to be filed on the company. Now I can see why the BBB gave this company an F rank. Well, back to the drawing board. Maybe find other publishers that will accept my work or just self-publish my work. Might find a good book advertising agency that will hopefully widespread my work, too.

Two hundred views, and something relating to my novel.

Hooray! Two hundred views, that's a milestone for this blog! And to think it's been up for exactly one month! Not only that, but people from around the world have found my blog! Thanks for the two hundred views.

Celebrations aside, I wanted to discuss my novel now that I've made progress in it. The novel isn't just a cliche storm of everything anime and manga, but rather, it's really a mash-up of some Japanese pop culture. From the giant robots, to the varieties of characters and stories, and some elements from other Japanese media. Yet, the novel was really called 'Animator's Dream', as the book was intended to explore animation and what makes it tick. It wasn't until I added these other elements that I felt that it was more than just animation; it was everything Japanese. Still, it doesn't change the theme of the novel at all. In fact, I find it enhances the novel and turns it into a reading experience like no other.

The audio novel that I want to do is also something out of the ordinary; imagine me alongside veteran anime voice actors that provide the voice work to the myriad of characters in this novel. This is a monumental achievement, for it is a rarity in the novel industry to have multiple voice actors involved with an audio novel, let alone anime veterans. This is usually reserved for just one person, and one person alone. This is a chance that I hope to get someday when I complete my novel, but I want to meet these voice actors and see if they approve of my work. Also, I have to get past the middle men known as their agents and other similar obstacles. Then again, getting my work out isn't going to be a cakewalk, either. It's not enough that I have to find a good publisher and/or use amazon.com's self-publishing service in order to get my work on the market. I'd have to find a good advertiser or so that dedicates itself to novels or books in general, and pour in lots of resources in order to do so. So much to do, and yet so little time to do everything. It'd take a miracle and a half to achieve what is basically the equivalent of a bucket list goal.

Veteran voice actors: how I want to convince them to do my audio novel

I was browsing on Facebook last night and today when I took notice that three voice actors, Crispin Freeman, Richard Epcar, and Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, were going to be at Metrocon. Metrocon is located in Tampa, Florida, somewhat far away from where I live (though I reside in Florida). I perked up when I noticed that they were going to be at that convention, but my smile quickly turned into a frown when I realized the complications behind it. Tampa isn't really what you call nearby, based on where I live, and I also have to deal with schoolwork in the form of a mid-term test for an online class coming very soon. This test happens to be in the same schedule line as the convention (June 15 to 17). Even without those obstacles, I still have to deal with other complications, too.

First, apparently I have to hire these voice artists in order for them to actually do my work. Granted some of these voice artists did their work free of charge, but this is a very ambitious project and I was told by my peers that I would have to pay them for their work. Second, I intended to meet these voice artists at these conventions and talk to them about my novel so they could get a feel for it and talk about the characters they would voice. I'm very shy about it because these are extremely new people to me, and not only am I nervous about wanting to talk to them, but I'm afraid that they would say no to this project. That would be upsetting to me because they are voicing characters that are important to the themes of the novel, and how they are based on the voice actors I intended. If even one voice actor that I viewed as important turned my project down, that's it, it's shot to hell and I'd have to cancel the entire thing. It doesn't help that I'm not even finished with the novel yet; I'm only halfway through it. What if they took offense to some of the characters or ideas that I had in my novel? How are they going to react if I told them they were going to take part in this project? So many questions, and yet so many fears behind them. So many opportunities, and yet so many obstacles to overcome.

I feel a sense of coldness inside me just thinking about this issue. What am I going to say? What am I going to do? It's overwhelming that I have to figure out how to get around this dilemma. I want to work with them, but what if they don't want to work with me? I don't know what to do about it, either...

The digital medium and the future of books

I've started progress on another section of chapter three. While the book spans seven chapters, there are sections that segment each chapter as a means of keeping in line with a story line in a chapter. Segmented chapters is a concept I wanted to introduce in novels, rather than one big chapter.

Speaking of novels, I sometimes see people freaking out about how books are becoming obsolete because of the digital age, never mind the fact that libraries are still a requirement in schools even if the sources there are somewhat dated. It's not making books obsolete, but rather, it's adding a new dimension to reading. In the old days, it was a hassle to carry books because you had to take into account issues like watching your step or your stuff. Contrast that to having a Kindle or a Nook, where you can have an entire library or book collection at the palm of your hands. Again, books aren't going away because of handheld computers, it's bringing them closer to a wider audience.

Additionally, it's bringing writing books to a whole new dimension, now that people can write and produce manuscripts electronically. Amazon.com has a self-publishing feature for aspiring authors, and they even have a how-to guide for newbies. Not only is this good business wise, but it's also good for the environment since no paper is being used. Same thing with manga, or for that matter any other book based medium.  

I for one am grateful for this new digital age. Now we can read books without having to lug them around, and now we won't have to play the pick five books game ever again. If only people would just stop being technophobic towards ideas that can change the world.

Chapter section progress, and meet more characters!

Great news, I'm halfway through the side story section for the third chapter. This section looks at Miyu Kusanagi and B.W.'s side of the secret night mission that Kirk and Tigercat partook in their Armored Cores, and how they are forced to split up after the route goes two ways. While the animator hero and his sidekick are delayed by a fight between a red and black colored AC and it's mysterious pilot, Miyu and B.W. find a Germanian run training exercise involving a prototype laser blade weapon called the Moonlight, and the two also encounter new characters in the process.

Speaking of new characters, some of these characters are exclusive to the other animated worlds within the DVDs that our heroes enter. This means that they don't travel outside of their worlds. This first DVD that they encounter is called 'Ordinance Quail', based on the anime series Code Geass (I always pronounced that word as geese, so sue me if I got it wrong). Basically, the premise of the DVD is that a small resistance group is fighting a large empire with plans of global conquest, starting with a small region of the world and slowly building up to the entire world. In Code Geass, this small region was Japan, but in Ordinance Quail, it's Western Europe. Both the resistance and the empire, called the Germanian Empire (based on the Brittanian Empire in CG) fight their battles in robots called Knightmare Frames, which would become the IllusionCores in my novel's Ordinance Quail. The goal of the resistance is to liberate a part of Western Europe, renamed by the Germanians Area Eighty Eight, and their people, now labeled Eighty-Eights. While the resistance's leader has good intentions, he has his own secret agenda, though this is not made aware by everyone until later on. Enough of that, though, let's meet the first of these DVD characters.

(WARNING: Wall of Text is approaching fast! Strap yourself in, it's going to be LONG)

Kevin Redbeacon - The leader of the resistance group known as the Dark Knights. He was sent away as a political hostage, and now seeks to rescue the people of Western Europe from the Germanian Empire. Though, does he have a secret plan that even the resistance does not know about? He goes under the guise of Oblivion, though this isn't fully shown in the novel. He has a power called Quail, based on CG's Geass, which grants fully obedient mind control to those that obey his command. Obviously he's based on Lelouch Lamperouge from Code Geass, but the name here is based on Kevin Hatcher, surname of Johnny Yong Bosch, voice artist of Lelouch and a variety of other characters in anime, games and even western animation. JYB also has his own band called Eyeshine, and he was also a cast member in Saban's Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. He was the second black ranger, Adam Park, in the first season of the series.

Kiva Redbeacon - Sister of Kevin, she doesn't partake in fights but serves as support for the resistance and the people of Western Europe. Kiva is seen in a wheelchair because of an assassination attempt that happened a long time ago, and she is unable to see due to a blindness effect place upon her by her father. Kiva cares deeply for her brother. This character is based on Nunnally Lamperouge from Code Geass, but the name comes from a slight change in spelling of one of voice artist Rebecca Forstadt's surnames, Riva West.

Samuel - Owner of an apartment in a city located somewhere near Germany. Is taken captive when Germanian soldiers capture and search the apartment for Kiva, but is rescued by Kirk and Tigercat. Based off of Sam Riegel, or Samuel Brent Oscar Riegel, voice artist and former a capella group member at the University of Virginia.

C.H. - The first lieutenant of Kevin Redbeacon, she's a strange girl that made a contract with Kevin to fulfill her secret wish (though I don't plan on going deep into the details of the DVD characters). She possesses immortality, able to survive even beheading and impalement. C.H. granted the power of the Quail to Kevin, and also has abilities in psionics, too. She somehow knows that Kirk is an animator, and even acknowledges her own animator, despite C.H. only existing in the animated world that she lives in. Inspiration comes from C.C. (pronounced see-too in both the Japanese and English releases), but more based on voice artist, singer and pianist Kate Higgins. The name C.H. comes from Kate's full name, Catherine Higgins.

Karen Strassfield - The second lieutenant of Kevin Redbeacon, Karen serves as the brains of the resistance.  She's a lot more energetic compared to C.H., and is also very strong willed. Karen also leads a double life as news reporter Kirsty Pape. Though she hates the Germanian Empire, she will help any rebellious Germans resisting the imperial rule. She develops a love interest with Kevin, but also has a fascination with Kirk because of his actions against the Germanian soldiers and the fact that he's an animator. The inspiration for this character comes from Kallen Stadfield/Kozuki, but also is based on voice actor and guest screen actor Karen Strassman, who also goes by the name Kirsty Pape.

Michael Germania - The leader of the Germanian Empire. He seeks to conquer the world because of how he hated deceit and lying, but is also a strong supporter of Social Darwinism (basically pro-inequality). Michael seeks to destroy the un-collective consciousness of humanity as his means to unite the world. He has instilled his children into important positions, and views them as nothing but tools, though he still cares for some of his children. Michael also doesn't believe in war, and prefers bargaining and negotiations to full-on fighting. Still, he is not to be trifled with, and is the main target of the resistance. Michael Germania is based on Charles Britannia, another Code Geass character, but his first name comes from Michael McConnohie, who provides the voice of Charles.

Anna Germania - The first daughter of Michael Germania's family, she is the Chief General of the Germanian Military and one of the four special elite IllusionCore pilots. Cold and loyal, she frowns down on those who oppose the Germanian Empire, but she also values her soldiers on the front lines. Anna is protective of her sister Georgette to the point that it's almost her weakness. She seeks to bring an end to the fighting near Germany and capture Oblivion, though she is unaware that he is Kevin Germania, her own brother. Like the other characters here, Anna is also based on a Code Geass character, Cornelia Brittania, but also takes inspiration on a real life American English voice actor. Anna's name comes from Anna Top, one of Mary Elizabeth McGlynn's pen names.

Georgette Germania - The second daughter of Michael Germania's family, Georgette is the second of special elite IllusionCore pilots. Georgette is not as aggressive as Anna, and as a result is more in line with Michael's peaceful methods. This is further displayed when she is equally peaceful with those that aren't Germanian as she is with those who are. Georgette is aware of Kevin's identity as Oblivion, and is also aware of Kiva being involved with the resistance, too. The character of Georgette is drawn from Euphimia Britannia, but the name comes from Georgette Rose, Michelle Ruff's pen name and the name of Michelle's mother.

McDougal Gottfried - The third special elite IllusionCore pilot, McDougal is first seen overseeing the training exercise involving the prototype laser blade Moonlight. He joined the Germanian Empire as a means of getting revenge on Oblivion, though he is unaware that Kevin is Oblivion. McDougal went insane after events that happened prior to the events of Kirk and his friends discovering the world of Ordinance Quail. He displays an extreme sense of loyalty. McDougal draws inspiration from Jeremiah Gottwald, but his first name comes from the middle name of voice artist and lecturer Crispin Freeman.

Suzuki Roberts - The fourth and last special elite IllusionCore pilot for the Germanian Empire, Suzuki is somewhat of a mixture of Georgette, McDougal and Anna, minus Anna's aggression towards any opposition to the empire and McDougal's pure loyalty. He is loyal to those above him, but is willing to betray them if needed. Suzuki is haunted by the killing of his father over a heated argument, and has learned to take responsibility for his actions. He is quite an able pilot, and is also a great athlete, making him deadly in an IllusionCore, and out. Suzuki is based off of Suzaku Kururugi, but his name comes from both the Japanese recreational motor vehicle company and the last name of Yuri Lowenthal's pen name, Sean Roberts.

C.R. - The brother of Michael Germania, he serves as the Emperor's right hand man. C.R. joined the Emperor on his conquest of the world and to unite the world under one consciousness. Both he and Michael have been supporting each other since their childhood days, but does C.R. have a secret of his own that goes against their oath? C.R. is also a Code Geass/Voice Artist reference; he is based on V.V. (pronounced vee-too), but the initials spell out V.V.'s voice artist, Cindy Robinson. Cindy Robinson, asides from being a voice actor, also has a history of being a stage performer, and is the new official voice of Betty Boop.

Whew! What a wall of text. I'd better get a lot of page views for this. So that's the new lineup of characters for this chapter. Below are the characters I haven't covered yet, so speculation away!


Noel
Vambrace
Cygnus
Captain Atsuko Kurasagi
Pinnace
Tokuso
Chief Frederick Knight
Suzumi Himoto
Sheruto Garra
Feral Wolf
ORO
Mother Angel
Andromeda
Cassiopeia
Lepus
Venus
Mars
Pluto
Circinus
Carina
Crux
Lyra
Lacerta
Vulpecula
Canus Major
Canus Minor
Devil's Mistress
Zenaiva
Devil's Psycho
Devil's Egotism
Devil's Perversion
Devil's Maniac
Devil's Seduction
Devil's Doppleganger

This blog has a Facebook page now!

Hey, everybody! I've made a Facebook page for my blog and novels. If you have a Facebook account and are interested in other means of keeping up with my blog and novel developments, go here:

http://www.facebook.com/ProjectRenesis

It's not much right now, but as time goes on, I might include artwork for some of the characters and the gear that they use. Rome wasn't built in a day, you know.

THIS IS A FEEDSHARK POST. DO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE!

HyperSmash.com

This post is only for Feedshark, since they need it for their code to ping to other blog listings. It is not part of the main blog.

Another side story chapter in the works, and meet the characters

Well, I'm working on another side story chapter to my novel, and believe me when I say that this novel will have its fair share of side stories for the other main characters in the novel. Again, a key feature in this novel is multiple perspectives from other characters, since there are points where characters get separated for reasons out of their control.

Speaking of characters, I think it's time I introduced the cast of this novel. Of course, don't expect to be given data for all of them. Some of them will be kept secret until I explain who they are in a later blog post. Without further a due, the cast of Animator's Dream.

Kirk - He is the hero, an aspiring artist who gets sucked into the animated world through a magic pencil he won in a contest at the anime convention Otakon. Also has an animation form he created called Kung Fu Black Armor Tails, a Sonic the Hedgehog inspired character with two tails, black fur and a gi, which Kirk created for the purpose of winning the contest. Later gains a red sweater with the power of invincibility. Oh, he's also based on me in a way.

Tigercat - Kirk's sidekick, she was created as a companion to KFBAT, but came to life thanks to the power of the magic pencil. The two are rarely seen separated. The character design also takes cues from Sonic the Hedgehog, but more in line with Archie's comics, but also has some design ideas from Haruhi Suzumiya from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Tigercat is also based on voice artist Wendee Lee, since she is basically a supreme multi-role type voice artist, and is good with voicing high school girls.

Miyu Kusanagi - The entertainer of an underground lounge and restaurant called Club Section Nine. She has the singing voice of a siren, and her beauty and sex appeal is second to none, but is also tough as nails and knows how to kick tail. Her character's design is more in line with Miyu Lynx from Nintendo's unreleased SNES title Star Fox 2, but also has outfits based on Mary Elizabeth McGlynn's characters, notably Major Motoko Kusanagi from the Ghost in the Shell franchise, and her favorite role, Julia, from Cowboy Bebop. Miyu is also based on voice artist Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, since she's experienced with voicing anime's many sexy but tough heroines.

B.W. - The bartender and chef of Club Section Nine. He's been best friends with Miyu Kusanagi for a long time, and like Kirk and Tigercat, they are rarely seen separated. B.W.'s character design also takes cues from Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog comics, but also has some design inspirations from Ghost in the Shell's Batou. B.W. is greatly based on voice artist Richard Epcar, since he's good with the wise but bruiser-type  characters. This character is also based on how Batou and the Major are friends in Ghost in the Shell, and how Mary Elizabeth McGlynn and Richard Epcar are friends in real life.

That's all for the first set of main characters.  Below is a list of other characters in the novel, with no specific order taken, but I won't give away data on them until I get to certain points in my novel writing. Until then, you'll have to take some guesses on who they are. ^_-

Noel
Vambrace
Cygnus
Samuel
Kevin Germania
Kiva Germania
C.H.
Karen Strassfield
Anna Germania
Georgette Germania
Michael Germania
McDougal Gottfried
C.R.
Suzuki Kurasawa
Captain Atsuko Kurasagi
Pinnace
Tokuso
Chief Frederick Knight
Suzumi Hitomo
Sheruto Garra
Feral Wolf
ORO
Mother Angel
Corona Austrina
Corona Borealis
Andromeda
Cassiopeia
Lepus
Venus
Mars
Pluto
Circinus
Carina
Crux
Lyra
Lacerta
Vulpecula
Canus Major
Canus Minor
Devil's Mistress
Zenaiva
Devil's Psycho
Devil's Egotism
Devil's Perversion
Devil's Maniac
Devil's Seduction
Devil's Doppleganger

Thoughts on the new Toonami lineup, and Toonami in general

Hey everyone, just taking a break from my novel to talk about something that relates to my novel. Apparently I've gotten word that the Toonami programming block had just been brought back, and I'd like to congratulate the people that actually made the effort to bring it back. Since I heard it's premiering this night, I'd thought I would take the time to make a blog post about it.

Honestly, the lineup I've been hearing about, though fairly new, seems pretty lacking. It's all about anime shows, though it's nothing that I have against since anime and manga is the theme of my novel. Some of these shows you can already watch without having to wait late at night for, either. Speaking of which, why are these shows at three in the morning is beyond me, since this is normally reserved for shows on Adult Swim. This is not the Toonami I remember, nor the Toonami I grew up with.

To me, Toonami was more of an action cartoon/anime lineup hybrid that I looked forward to watching when I got back from school or when I was on vacation. It wasn't just about Dragonball Z, Naruto, Rurouni Kenshin, or other anime programs, but there was room for other programs, too. Megas XLR, Beast Wars Transformers, even vintage programming like Thundercats and Silverhawks. That's the Toonami I remember, not the "stay up late to watch Bleach or Ghost in the Shell" Toonami on Adult Swim. Granted, I can understand that this block doesn't have a lot of money right now, but showing it late at night when everybody and their grandmothers is asleep at night isn't going to do you any favors. Putting this block on Saturdays killed Toonami; bringing it back during the Adult Swim lineup when most of us are in bed runs the risk of failing as well.

To Jason DeMarco, the new vice president of Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, as well as ex-Toonami producer, if you can get enough money from ratings by die-hard fans watching this new block, please consider bringing it back to the Monday-Friday time slot during the afternoon. That way you will earn more fans and I might just watch it again. Until then, I see no meaning in watching what would best be described as a glorified Adult Swim block. This goes for anybody else involved with the Toonami block, too.

Thoughts, feelings? That's what the comments box is for. Just don't be rude about it lest you taste my ban hammer.

P.S., I seriously hope voice actors like Steve Blum, Wendee Lee, Cindy Robinson, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Cristina Valenzuela (or Cristina Vee, if you prefer), Michelle Ruff, Patrick Seitz, etc. will find this blog. I'd like to chat with them and even get them on board with my audio novel.

Chapter Three, Section Seven completed and other novel-related topics

I've finally finished the seventh section of chapter three in my novel. Took me some time but I'd finally done it, and it's a long chapter, too. It's actually longer than another one of the sections of this chapter: eleven pages versus eight pages! Now I'm going to work on a side story chapter for a character.

Speaking of which, an element that I wanted to add to my novel is multiple first person perspectives. For instance, in this third chapter, I introduced side stories to explain what the other main characters did when the hero wasn't around to speak. This will become crucial in major plot points in the novel, since the main character isn't always at one place at one time. It also allows readers to look at what other characters are thinking. This is something that anime and manga is known for, since usually the medium in question explores and develops on multiple characters at multiple times.

Thoughts? Feelings about such a concept in a novel? That's what the comments section is for.

Still working on section seven of my novel's third chapter, and other things.

I've been a little slow with the seventh section of chapter three in my novel, so I'll just explain what's going on. Basically, the main character and his friends are in this animated world within the animated world. It's confusing at first, but then we learn that the characters arrive in this world via a sort of dimensional portal. It was really an experiment done ages ago, to explore other animated worlds and even our physical world. This experiment involved the use of video DVDs and televisions, which would serve as the central input core for the portal device. Along the way, the hero and his friends befriend a resistance group taking down an empire, and they are aided by giant robots. However, the leader of this resistance really has an agenda of his own, but the hero does not know this yet. Adding to the tension, two mysteries are awakened when the hero has a nightmare about an evil demon out for his guts, and when a simple rescue mission turns into an encounter with a mysterious girl.

This chapter was intended to be a part of various themes in my novel, such as mirroring the animated world's characters with their physical world creators and actors. It also serves to reference other Japanese works, which in this chapter's case, the Armored Cores. Hailing from From Software's Armored Core series, Armored Cores (ACs) are basically walking tanks that can be customized for any mission or combat purpose. I wanted to throw in giant robots of some kind without using bio-technological robots like the Eva units in Neon Genesis Evangelion or the Gundams in the Gundam franchise. I also felt that Armored Core was less appreciated here in the United States compared to NGE, Gundam, Eureka Seven, whatever anime or manga features giant robots.

Speaking of actors, I also had big plans to make a special audio novel that would feature multiple voice actors playing out their characters. Of course, I would be the main character, since I created him. Alas, these VAs are humans like you and me, and they don't live forever, so I'm pressed to get this novel done. Then there's a convention coming up called Florida Supercon, and I intend to attend so I can get a feel for how conventions like these work and maybe meet example VAs and spread the word to them about my novel and my blog. If they're lucky, they might land a role in my audio novel, but that depends on what kinds of characters I implement and if these VAs accept my offer.

That's basically my novel progress and other thoughts in a nutshell. I'll get this third chapter done soon, I promise.

What is Animator's Dream?

The first thing readers like you probably noticed that this blog was dedicated to Animator's Dream. You're all probably asking what that is. Animator's Dream is my novel-in-development trilogy that focuses on the pop culture genre of animation. In this case, it would focus more on Japanese Anime and Manga, and some of the traits that make it well known. However, it would be more than just exploring what gives Anime and Manga their charm. The novel focuses on the journeys of a young man, somewhat like me, who happened to enter the animated world that he had dreamed about. The discovery was purely an accident because of creating a character with a magic pencil. In this new world, the young man befriends animations, the beings that inhabit the animated world. All seems normal with what he discovers, but a series of events and accidental explorations reveal much more than what his dreams suggested. There is also a dark force inhabiting this world, with sinister plans for the animated world, and one of the members of this force having to do with the main character's past.

The novel was intended to look past the giant robots, fight scenes, characters in revealing outfits, and other pastiches that make Anime and Manga stand out from other forms of pop culture. It intended to go deeper into the world of these two mediums, explore how the people working in these industries share similarities to the characters that they work on, and even wonder if the characters in our favorite Anime and Manga are alive and aware of our existence. The work will also look at the darker side of Anime and Manga, or more specifically, some of the negative stereotypes that most would associate with these mediums. It wasn't meant to be a typical display of the mediums, but rather, the novel looks at Anime and Manga in a philosophical and constructive fashion. The novel was a product of bringing the best of the medium and bringing it in to chapter book form. I am hoping that readers in general, and people who work in the Anime and Manga industry, too, will look at this novel as I intended it. I really want people to think about Anime and Manga when they read this novel, not to just look at it as a book that fulfills the fantasies of the hardcore otaku. That is what makes this novel special.

Welcome to Project Renesis

Yo, what's up, guys? Welcome to Project Renesis, my first ever blog website and the official blog of the Animator's Dream novels and other works by artist and novelist Nicholas Resmondo. If you're interested in any information and updates regarding my work or other adventures, then this will be your one stop shop for all the goods that I can find. Well, what are you waiting for? Come on in and have yourself a good read!