Writer's Blog!

Lately I've been trying to think of new ways to develop and strengthen my character creation skills. As I was reading some tips from fellow writers, I came up with an idea for a writing exercise. I call it The Epic Speech. What you do? Imagine the character you have written is about to fight an incredible battle. The odds are against him/her, and everyone he/she is about to go to war with will likley die. The air is dark and dangeoeus, but the soldiers need inspiration. It is time for your character to give an awesome speech to pump them up. Write what your character would say, how would they say and how would they feel. Do they feel silly and awkward , or courageous and noble? Don't worry about timline, as that is not the purpose of this exvercise. Do however, pay attention to your character's personality. If they have a tendency to cuss, they'lll proabably cuss more than a few times. If your characyter is an elven ranger, he won't be worrying about kill...

Today, Bioware released an image to their next game, whatever it may be. It's just a picture of a futuristic military dude aiming a sniper rifle out of a window. Some people say its Mass Effect 3, others do not. If folks recall, there was a rumor awhile back of the company seeking designers for their next game, a brand new IP. It was a military action FPS, with absolutely no mention of RPG. Personally, I think we're looking at the protagonist of Bioware's first non-RPG franchise. It will likely be a shooter game ala Gears of War and possibly feature co-op play. It will be the next step in Bioware's fall from the studio that brought us the richest, most story driven role playing games in the world, to just another studio. Now their is some evidence to suggest this is indeed Mass Effect 3 or possibly a spin off. The armor the dude is wearing would not be out of place in the Mass Effect universe, and the gun he's holding is remarkably similar to the Incisor Sn...

Hey everybody! Star Crossed Galaxy #1 is now available at http://comics.drivethrustuff.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=star+crossed+galaxy&x=0&y=0&quicksearch=1&search_filter=&filters=&search_free=&search_in_description=1&search_in_author=1&search_in_artist=1 Also notice the great review from Brian LeTrendre. 4 out of 5 stars! Awesome!!!! Pick up a digital copy for $0.99. You can't beat a deal like that.

Star Crossed Galaxy #1 has been officially released. Buy your copy at http://indyplanet.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4079 . It was a long road. I remember starting to seriously write this story back when the first Star Trek teaser was released. I mean the JJ Abrams version by the way. I'm not that old after all. At the time I just wanted to see more sci-fi stories that featured spaceships, distant worlds, and fantastic characters. A lot has changed since then, and for the better I'd say. I would like to send out my thanks and congratulations to Bernie Lee, the letterer and editor of TwilightPop Productions, as well as Justin Williams who inked the our excellent cover. I would like to send out a special thanks to Matt Martin, the artist of Star Crossed Galaxy. This is his first published comic book work, as well as mine. So here's to you Matt, Bernie, Justin and myself. Congratz! Also, welcome aboard Fran Guedel, our new inker starting with issue 2.

Star Crossed Galaxy #1 is off to the printer folks! And if it isn't already, it will be very shortly! Check Indyplanet.com in September to get a copy of the first fantastic issue! This has been an incredibly exciting process all the way, and I couldn't be more pleased with how issue 1 turned out. Next year,, we'll likely hit a few conventions and sell some product. Issue 2 has already began production, and we may have a new member on the team (too early to discuss in detail). In other news, I have recently got a gig with ingenre. I'll be writing monthly columns starting very soon. I have also been toying around with an idea with a buddy of mine. We'll see how things go. So make sure to read Star Crossed Galaxy #1 in September, then give us feedback on the forum.

Okay so this isn't a SCG related topic, but anyone who knows me knows that I love me a good game, and Bioware is one of my favorite gaming companies. Perhaps it's from the perspective of a writer who actually favors story over game play, but I think their concept of story driven games have effectively changed the way games are created. More and more games have become dramatic, cinematic, artistic and more story driven then in the past. Bioware wasn't the first to adopt the "games can be used to tell good stories" method, but they are certainly one of the more powerful framers of the philosophy. Dragon Age 2 is both a relief and a disappointment rolled into one. The fact the hero of Fereldan will not be carrying over, and the story of DAO is pretty much told and set in stone is the culprit for both. I'm disappointed because I would have loved to have seen my character reunite with Morrigan at some point, despite the fact that their relationship was doomed...

Make sure to check out Indy Planet in August, because Star Crossed Galaxy (yes we added to the title) is coming out then! Right now we're still ironing out the colors for our cover, but here's a peek at the inked version. Pencils by Matt Martin and inks by Justin Williams. Big, big thanks to both Matt and Justin. They've done great!

Star Crossed will have a six page preview up for Free Comic Book Day on May 1st. Download the first six pages of the all new sci-fi epic from Twilight Pop Productions. Visit their site (link to the side) and get a look at Black Cathedral while you're at it! Star Crossed is set for release Third Quarter 2010. I hope everyone on the planet picks up a copy, but that's just unrealistic. Also, I was at C2E2 yesterday, and I can't wait to give an update.