Part Of Me - Evanescence

 

Would it even be a proper Ice Sword Chronicles post without Amy Lee's magnificent vocals sending us off on our journey? I think not. In fact, I hope every single time Evanescence graces your ears, you think of ISC. 

I certainly do. 

NaNo is here (close enough)! Are we ready to enter the Mines of Moria and face the balrog? No. Are we ready to rewrite the most ridiculous and epic story in all of human history? Also no. Are we ready rewrite ISC? ...Maybe? No. Yes!

I'll be posting all the rewrite material on the ISC blog. Shout out to the only individual who participated in the survey and picked what I probably would have done anyway. I don't know who you are, but thank you, random citizen. 

Here's the first change, solely for clarity's sake, the new parts will be named chapters. I know, I know. ISC's content has always been "Part ...". So much stuff gets glossed over in the beginning and I want to go back and fill it in. With expanding the narrative content, I'm 100% certain it's going to be a nightmare trying to fit everything into the same Parts the Original is in. Also, if I name everything in the rewrite "Part ...", it's going to get super confusing when referencing between the two. For now, they will be called chapters. Maybe they can be called parts again after it's all said and done and we send it off for publishing. (HAH!)

During NaNoWriMo, my goal is to try to get through all of the intro, kidnapping, EDJ's castle, Lui’s disappearance, meeting Misty, and going to Thorae. Act One-ish of the tale. It ends up being about the first 12 parts or so. I know that doesn't sound like a lot in comparison to the rest of the story, but it's a start. I always anticipated ISC becoming a full set of chronicles by the time it's all written out and all the prequels and sequels get attached anyway (hence, chronicles). We'll see if I can cover all of Earth’s portion with words to spare. Death 50,000 words is only the beginning. 

Also, if you haven't already, check out the ISC fb page and ISC blog. That's where I'll be updating my writing progress. Not here. Follow the rabbit hole. Good luck. 

Coauthors - we started this story together. I'm going to finish it. It won't be perfect, but maybe it will be one step closer to achieving those dreams we started out with. I'm serious about my request earlier - any ideas, any changes, any suggestions at all, tell me. I'll get it done. I want to honor you and your characters by getting them right. Help me put these ghosts to rest. 

Everyone else, enjoy the trip. We're taking a ride back to 2009 so it's going to be a bumpy one. Get your playlists and popcorn ready. 

Enjoy the awful/lovely artwork of 2009 Savvy. I can't draw hair for nothing. I literally haven't drawn at all since then, so my skills have not improved. I do want to get back into the 4-panel chibi comics though, those were fun and adorable. 

Out the window

(DJ, Lui, and EDJ)

Flower

(Lui and Hanna)

Explosive Cookies

(EDJ)

Snowball

(Hanna and Anna)

Hug

(Lui and Hanna)

Clash

(Hanna and EDJ)

Unfinished Portrait 

(Hanna)

Makin a List

(Hanna, drawn by my sister)

Maybe it's all for nothing. Maybe I have built a house of memories with no foundation. Maybe I'm a sponge excreting everything I've absorbed over the years without an original bone in my body. Maybe I'm feeding off nostalgia the way maggots feed off a corpse. Maybe my words will do more harm than good. Maybe I'll regret even trying. Maybe. Maybe not. I don't know. I can no longer live with the regret of not trying at all. I can no longer live with these buried dreams and talents. If I dig them up and they all come to naught, at least I can say I tried. 

In truth, I'm really excited to dive back into this world. I know I'm not the same person I was when I initially wrote my portions. The imagined settings, characters, and scenarios are still there, but I have new ideas to add to them. New ways to reveal old truths. Some character roles may change. There's a possible name change. To a story that's 90% dialog, I'm adding way more dialog. Change is coming, but I'm looking forward to it. 

Maybe it's silly for me to hold on to this dream for so long. The world has moved on. So what if it has? I'm not writing for the world. I'm writing for me. *points at characters* I'm writing for them. The least I can do is finish their story. They deserve that much. It's never too late to get back up again. May be knocked down, but not out forever. 

To anyone else participating in National Novel Writing Month - good luck. May the odds be ever in your favor. 

"I've been sleeping a thousand years, it seems
Got to open my eyes to everything
Without a thought, without a voice, without a soul
Don't let me die here,
there must be something more
Bring me to life"

~ Evanescence 

"Maybe that's why fairytales exist... To give us hope when reality has taken it from us."

~ Always hope ~

Spiral - Derivakat

It's October, friends! 

Do you know what that means?

It means National Novel Writing Month is less than 30 days away and you're panicking and procrastinating with literally everything else. Start the count down feeding the anxiety. 

It means masks are in season. 

I've worn plenty of masks in my life. I think we all have. A mask has its place. We see the hero run around with a mask to protect their loved ones. We see the villain wear a mask so they don't get caught. Masks are worn to protect something important. Masks are worn to hide something others might deem unsightly. Masks are used in lots of different situations. Many masks are worn for work. Some masks are worn for fun. Some masks are worn out of fear. Some masks are worn out of love. Some masks are obvious. Some masks aren't. 

How long do you have to wear your mask before you forget it's even there? 

It can be a dark spiral, especially on the internet. The more of yourself you reveal, the easier it is to be harmed. This is something we see in normal human interaction, just amplified by a thousand. Here, you can reach millions of people in seconds. And in seconds, the trolls emerge. And guess what trolls are - humans in masks. Be mindful of the mask you wear. Decide how much you need it. Carefully consider when and where and which mask to use. For whatever reasons you wear your mask, don't let it become you. At the end of the day, don't forget to take the mask off. We're all human, aren't we?

(I'm on a Fire Emblem kick. I'm not apologizing for it.)

In other news, the ISC rewrite prep is going... it's going. I dug up a bunch of antiquated documents and drawings and notes so I'll have to share those later. For some reason, writing goes a lot smoother if I pretend I'm writing another deleted scene or fanfic of someone else's canon story. It takes the pressure off if I tell myself it's all fake and can be changed or erased at any time. ... which is technically true. ISC was never about being serious. It starts off silly and goofy and just gets more fantastically elaborate the further you go with the characters constantly trying to one-up the previous act. I think that's the most charming part of it. Can I preserve that? I don't know. One thing I do know: 

Hanna was always the mask.

"A song is reviled if no one should revere it. 

So I want you all, yet none at all to hear it. 

I've come to love a crowd just so much as fear it. 

~

You want perfection? Lost in pursuit of it?

Take my direction, I can lead you to it. 

The audience is not your friend, you just love their applause. 

Cause an honest artist isn't what they want. 

Better off with the mask on. 

So take the mask off."

~ Masquerade - JT Music

Happy hunting haunting.

~ Always Hope ~