Been in the holiday spirit? I got 3 sales! I haven't been keeping track as the past two weeks have been pretty crazy, but just checked it out now and--BOOM--sales!
That takes us up to 35 total! Thanks guys/gals! I still haven't made $10 from the royalties (you need $10 before they send you the money), but it's the thought that counts (or at least that's what I tell myself).
I've been trying to get back into the swing of things, but it's been difficult.
Still sick. And there are still events to attend and people to...uh...entertain.
Just a quick recap of the situation.
I've been working on the sequel to the Judge for the past month or so. However, the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest is just around the corner, so I'm going to dedicate my time to that. I have until the end of January, so I need to make sure everything is perfect by then. If you don't know what that is, it's a competition of sorts for novels. You have to have a novel ready for them, then you just send it in. The novel is pit against thousands of other novels. And only a few emerge victorious with a grand prize of...getting PUBLISHED!
As no one wants to publish my books, this is really the only way to fight for it. So I'm going to try.
Anyway, since I've been sick, I thought I'd do a little piece called
SICK TIPS (TIPS FOR THE SICK!) Note: These are personal tips and since I'm not an expert at all in health, these are probably really stupid. So...don't rely on them!
1) Stay at home -- There's a story behind this one, and it starts off with...being sick...and going to a lock in(stuck somewhere with nothing healthy to eat and a bunch of people who do not go to sleep). Yeah. Home is the best place to be when you're sick. I went to a lock in when I was still okay, but perhaps due to the extreme cold of winter and lack of ventilation in areas with a bunch of people...things got worse...fast. Also, it didn't help that there were only two bathrooms and over twenty people...and when you drink lots of fluids because of a dry throat...you have to go to the bathroom...A LOT. There are probably lots of other stories to tell, but I won't go into detail. I'll just say I felt like I was dying. Best to stay at home and rest.
2) Medicine? -- I'm the type that believes that medicine should only be taken when needed. In general people say that medicine is a cure. But when it comes to basic sickness, like a cold, all the medicines do is remove symptoms. But...symptoms are often the bodies way of removing the sickness. So I think that medicines are best taken when needed, like if a fever gets too high or if you need to sleep but it feels impossible. And don't forget to sing: "Just a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down" You don't even need the sugar. Just the song makes the medicine go down.
3) Hot shower/Bath -- Does this work? I don't know. Sometimes it makes me feel better. And I think the steam/humidity from a hot shower or bath makes my nose run better to clear out the congestion. Might just be my imagination. But it can get pretty disgusting in the shower when your nose starts dripping.
4) Natural Good Stuff -- I'm pretty sure this is obvious, but any sick fellow needs access to good nutrients. A hot bowl of soup/broth is great for this. Tea has some nice properties as well. Whenever I'm sick I have a nice hot bowl of ramen. And of course, drink plenty of fluids (because you lose plenty too).
5) Sore Throat Remedy -- My most hated part of any sickness is the sore throat. Congestion, stuffy/runny nose, cough is annoying. Fevers suck. Chills and aches are despicable. But, for my money, Sore Throat is the worst. Nothing hurts me more than a constant UGH feeling in my throat that makes me not want to talk, drink or eat. That's why I take all measures to nip it in the bud before it gets too dangerous. From what I understand, sore throats are caused by germs in the throat. Perhaps an infection or inflammation of sorts. So...to destroy the sore throat, you must destroy the germs. I go all out. Here is my method:
a) Gargle with salt water (put salt in water, stir it well)
b) Gargle with mouth wash (Should kill something...I think)
c) drink hot lemon, honey tea or have a spoonful of pei pa koa (this is for preparation of next step. If you don't know what pei pa koa is...check google)
c) eat/drink hot, spicy, salty foods/soups (it'll hurt like heck and you'll be sweating like fifty testosterone-overflowing men trapped in a sauna while running on treadmills...but...maybe it'll help. Make it extra spicy and extra salty. Don't go overboard...or you'll die. Maybe.)
d) wait a few hours, if problems persist, rinse and repeat. if you're suffering even more...stop.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
*cough* *sniff* *wheeze*
I think I caught something. Maybe a cold. Don't know what. But it's stuffing up my nose and giving me an annoying cough.
It's been a few days and my book is almost up to 15,000 downloads! Was that a goal? I don't remember. All I can think about is how messed up I feel because of this sickness. I can't think straight.
Christmas has come and gone. I'm glad and thankful that on Christmas I was okay. But the day after Christmas my whole body started acting up.
Did anyone else celebrate Christmas? Did anyone else enjoy their time?
I got a few presents. I don't usually ask for much. And I don't usually get much. But this year was an especially good haul. Very thankful that I got a lot of awesome gifts this year. There's just not enough time to enjoy everything.
Well, time to keep on celebrating! New Year's is just ahead. Maybe things will be normal by then. Until that time comes, I'm gonna try and recover.
It's been a few days and my book is almost up to 15,000 downloads! Was that a goal? I don't remember. All I can think about is how messed up I feel because of this sickness. I can't think straight.
Christmas has come and gone. I'm glad and thankful that on Christmas I was okay. But the day after Christmas my whole body started acting up.
Did anyone else celebrate Christmas? Did anyone else enjoy their time?
I got a few presents. I don't usually ask for much. And I don't usually get much. But this year was an especially good haul. Very thankful that I got a lot of awesome gifts this year. There's just not enough time to enjoy everything.
Well, time to keep on celebrating! New Year's is just ahead. Maybe things will be normal by then. Until that time comes, I'm gonna try and recover.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Ah, Home Sweet Home
After locking myself up in a closet for 6 days, I am now free!
It's been about a week and the Judge has been maintaining its pace.
We're at 13850! Almost 14000 and about a 1k jump from when I disappeared.
Time to get settled now.
I hope everyone has a great time with the holidays and vacations and things. It's a time of resting, relaxing, spending time with family, and spreading love and joy and peace. The best stuff on Earth.
Christmas is coming up real soon so...Merry Christmas!
It's been about a week and the Judge has been maintaining its pace.
We're at 13850! Almost 14000 and about a 1k jump from when I disappeared.
Time to get settled now.
I hope everyone has a great time with the holidays and vacations and things. It's a time of resting, relaxing, spending time with family, and spreading love and joy and peace. The best stuff on Earth.
Christmas is coming up real soon so...Merry Christmas!
Friday, December 17, 2010
Time To Vanish
I'll be home for Christmas. Isn't there a song like that? Well, that's the deal.
I shall disappear now, but I shall return! However, before I head off into the unknown(or lock myself up in my own room for several days), I'd like to thank everyone who downloaded my book, who bought it, who read it, who gave me a review somewhere or told their friends about it. That's a mouthful.
We're up to 12,608 downloads for the Judge! Just think, I've had it out for a month and a half. It's been an amazing ride to see how fast it has spread. Our next goal is a lofty one. With over 12,000 votes, Judge is on page 2 based on hits. We'll need over 20,000 to be on page 1.
Yeah...that's...uh...ridiculous.
I'm going to go prepare for the trip now. See ya next week.
I shall disappear now, but I shall return! However, before I head off into the unknown(or lock myself up in my own room for several days), I'd like to thank everyone who downloaded my book, who bought it, who read it, who gave me a review somewhere or told their friends about it. That's a mouthful.
We're up to 12,608 downloads for the Judge! Just think, I've had it out for a month and a half. It's been an amazing ride to see how fast it has spread. Our next goal is a lofty one. With over 12,000 votes, Judge is on page 2 based on hits. We'll need over 20,000 to be on page 1.
Yeah...that's...uh...ridiculous.
I'm going to go prepare for the trip now. See ya next week.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
A Mixture
Doing something different today...as I prefer to do everyday.
It will be a super short edition of posting. It's going to seem weird.
But here at CC...weird...is good.
First: @Free-ebooks.net. New milestone. Hit 12k on Judge. Great. Thank you.
Next: Humble Indie Bundle. Pay what you want, for limited time only. Get 5 cool indie games. Very sweet.
Here: http://www.humblebundle.com/
Braid--okay. Machinarium--awesome. Cortex Command--interesting. Osmos--good. Revenge of the Titans--fun.
Next: Final Informative Doggy Post.
Dogs eat a lot of stuff--even stuff they should not eat. Keep in mind. Be safe.
List of No-no foods: Bones(risky), mushrooms, avocado, onions, grapes, salt, sugar.
More obvious no-no foods: alcohol, drugs, hard objects(large fruit pits), rotten/spoiled/moldy.
Fleas are also a problem. To deal with fleas:
1. Vacuum rugs and spray flea killer on rugs--fleas hide and lay eggs there.
2. Wash dog, soak them good--fleas drown in water.
3. Flea collar/flea treatment--repels fleas.
4. Fleas have different cycles. You may kill most, but when new eggs hatch, more will come back.
So vacuum and wash dog once every two-three days to keep them under control.
And Finally: Youtube Video of the Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5AqJww06bw
Embed not working.
Wow. New Pirates movie!
There you have it.
Bye.
It will be a super short edition of posting. It's going to seem weird.
But here at CC...weird...is good.
First: @Free-ebooks.net. New milestone. Hit 12k on Judge. Great. Thank you.
Next: Humble Indie Bundle. Pay what you want, for limited time only. Get 5 cool indie games. Very sweet.
Here: http://www.humblebundle.com/
Braid--okay. Machinarium--awesome. Cortex Command--interesting. Osmos--good. Revenge of the Titans--fun.
Next: Final Informative Doggy Post.
Dogs eat a lot of stuff--even stuff they should not eat. Keep in mind. Be safe.
List of No-no foods: Bones(risky), mushrooms, avocado, onions, grapes, salt, sugar.
More obvious no-no foods: alcohol, drugs, hard objects(large fruit pits), rotten/spoiled/moldy.
Fleas are also a problem. To deal with fleas:
1. Vacuum rugs and spray flea killer on rugs--fleas hide and lay eggs there.
2. Wash dog, soak them good--fleas drown in water.
3. Flea collar/flea treatment--repels fleas.
4. Fleas have different cycles. You may kill most, but when new eggs hatch, more will come back.
So vacuum and wash dog once every two-three days to keep them under control.
And Finally: Youtube Video of the Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5AqJww06bw
Embed not working.
Wow. New Pirates movie!
There you have it.
Bye.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Going on...a...vacation?
I'll be gone next week. I know, you'll probably miss me (no, you won't). But that's the deal. Where I'm going...I don't think I'll be able to access the Internet. What's life without Internet? Terrible. TERRIBLE.
What's that? You want to know where I'm going(no, you don't)?
It's a warm place(no, it's not a fire place). That's all I care about.
Sun. Waves. Uh...more sun...and more waves. Fantastic...but still terrible without Internet.
You know what'd be cool? A telepathic form of Internet that could be accessed anywhere in the world. Your mind's pretty much like a computer anyway. But it'd suck if you got hacked. Yeah...now that I think about it...it'd be a horrible idea. Like what happens in that movie...Inception. MIND HACK!
Anyway, I'll still be here for about two more days. Gotta get ready for the trip. I'll try to get some work done while I'm away. I was gonna finish up my doggy post. But it's getting late. Tomorrow maybe.
What's that? You want to know where I'm going(no, you don't)?
It's a warm place(no, it's not a fire place). That's all I care about.
Sun. Waves. Uh...more sun...and more waves. Fantastic...but still terrible without Internet.
You know what'd be cool? A telepathic form of Internet that could be accessed anywhere in the world. Your mind's pretty much like a computer anyway. But it'd suck if you got hacked. Yeah...now that I think about it...it'd be a horrible idea. Like what happens in that movie...Inception. MIND HACK!
Anyway, I'll still be here for about two more days. Gotta get ready for the trip. I'll try to get some work done while I'm away. I was gonna finish up my doggy post. But it's getting late. Tomorrow maybe.
A New Post so Soon?
This isn't the post for today. I do those later. This is a celebration post! Two more sales of my books on kindle!
Updated the total books up top. Just think, over a month ago we were only at about 20 books sold.
That's a 50% increase!
Ceeeeleebration time, come on!
All right, that's it! Time to get back.
Thanks again for buying my books guys! I hope today is just simply splendid for everyone!
Updated the total books up top. Just think, over a month ago we were only at about 20 books sold.
That's a 50% increase!
Ceeeeleebration time, come on!
All right, that's it! Time to get back.
Thanks again for buying my books guys! I hope today is just simply splendid for everyone!
Monday, December 13, 2010
The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest
Sunday was awesome. We actually had a bit of snow today here in the South. Not much. Just some flurries. But it was beautiful...and cold. I love watching snow drift to the ground. Snow and fire are really beautiful things of nature.
Before I get to the main topic, I thought I'd give a little update on the situation.
It is the beginning of (quite possibly) the end.
Have you ever heard of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award?
Basically, it's a book contest on Amazon, sponsored by a publisher--the Penguin Group.
Yours truly entered the 2010 contest with THE JUDGE!
I had high hopes...only to be shot down:
(BANG, BANG, BANG--"UGH! You got me!") :(
It wasn't a pretty sight. I was very depressed to know...that I didn't even get past the first round!
Yup, they cut me out of the contest based on just my--erm--description of the book.
*sigh* Water under the bridge at this point.
Dirty, yucky, muddy, infested, black, brown, gooey, barfy (not a word) water.
But still water under the bridge. (gotta hold back the tears...)
No, there is no time to weep! Because it is the time to enter again! 2011! The contest submission period begins Jan 24th...or so. I need to make sure my final product is ready by then. What I'm trying to say is that progress on the Guardian is going to slooow down. Why? Because I'm gonna need some time to fix up S3 for this contest.
S3...is my last hope. It is all I've got left. I still haven't been published once. (all my books are self-published)
The Judge failed. Awake failed. S3...is the final battle. *clenches fist*
We've got to fight...once more...with EVERYTHING WE'VE GOT!
And by we...I always mean me...unless you want me to include you...then...
YES, WE WILL ALL FIGHT ON TOGETHER AS ONE!
If I can just get published once...I could die...a happy man.
Even my skull, after my flesh has rotted away, will be smiling for all eternity.
Anyway, wonderful, beautiful denizens of the Internet...you're great people and all...but that's not going to help me out here. I don't know if there's any kind of voting thing that happens in this contest (because...I didn't get past the first part...so I have no idea what's really in store). But if there is any kind of voting...your support would be much appreciated.
But of course, I'd invite you to take a look at the preview of the book first... and if you like it, vote for it. As usual. Who knows? Maybe you'll like it.
This is...Akel...signing off.
For those of you at night:
Good night, sleep tight and don't mind getting up in the middle for an early morning bite.
For those of you in the day:
Have a most spectacular, awesome and wonderful day!
Before I get to the main topic, I thought I'd give a little update on the situation.
It is the beginning of (quite possibly) the end.
Have you ever heard of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award?
Basically, it's a book contest on Amazon, sponsored by a publisher--the Penguin Group.
Yours truly entered the 2010 contest with THE JUDGE!
I had high hopes...only to be shot down:
(BANG, BANG, BANG--"UGH! You got me!") :(
It wasn't a pretty sight. I was very depressed to know...that I didn't even get past the first round!
Yup, they cut me out of the contest based on just my--erm--description of the book.
*sigh* Water under the bridge at this point.
Dirty, yucky, muddy, infested, black, brown, gooey, barfy (not a word) water.
But still water under the bridge. (gotta hold back the tears...)
No, there is no time to weep! Because it is the time to enter again! 2011! The contest submission period begins Jan 24th...or so. I need to make sure my final product is ready by then. What I'm trying to say is that progress on the Guardian is going to slooow down. Why? Because I'm gonna need some time to fix up S3 for this contest.
S3...is my last hope. It is all I've got left. I still haven't been published once. (all my books are self-published)
The Judge failed. Awake failed. S3...is the final battle. *clenches fist*
We've got to fight...once more...with EVERYTHING WE'VE GOT!
And by we...I always mean me...unless you want me to include you...then...
YES, WE WILL ALL FIGHT ON TOGETHER AS ONE!
If I can just get published once...I could die...a happy man.
Even my skull, after my flesh has rotted away, will be smiling for all eternity.
Anyway, wonderful, beautiful denizens of the Internet...you're great people and all...but that's not going to help me out here. I don't know if there's any kind of voting thing that happens in this contest (because...I didn't get past the first part...so I have no idea what's really in store). But if there is any kind of voting...your support would be much appreciated.
Begging for votes?
This is...Akel...signing off.
For those of you at night:
Good night, sleep tight and don't mind getting up in the middle for an early morning bite.
For those of you in the day:
Have a most spectacular, awesome and wonderful day!
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Dealing with Dogs Part 2
Ah, yes, a beautiful Saturday! It's still cold, but perhaps that could be remedied by wearing a few more layers.
Guardian Progress: 25%
Anyway, let's continue our Dealing with Dogs segment.
Last time I talked about...stuff that I don't want to talk about ever again.
This time I'll talk about a few more things(so general and vague).
All right. Topic: Feeding your puppy/dog. How many times should you feed them? As a human, we eat three times a day. But dogs are not humans. Their digestive system is different...and pretty flexible. What this boils down to is convenience! There is no right answer for this(except for maybe the fact that you should probably feed them more than ZERO times a day).
How many times do you want to feed them? And how does your dog handle the feeding? Some people just fill up the bowl and let the dog eat however they want. There is a possibility that some dogs are overeaters and some are not. If you're worried about obesity(especially when you're busy and can't keep playing with your dog), it'd be best to manage their diet. Most people just feed their dog once a day. We feed her twice a day.
The more times you feed it, the more times it'll go do the number 2. Convenience. One time a day is easier to deal with. On the other hand, food will stay within a dog's stomach for about eight hours. By dividing the meals you'll make it more...pleasant for your dog. Of course, in the end, a dog is still a dog. It survives as it needs to in the wild...but now it is family. Perhaps keeping things pleasant will be good in the long run.
Guardian Progress: 25%
Anyway, let's continue our Dealing with Dogs segment.
Last time I talked about...stuff that I don't want to talk about ever again.
This time I'll talk about a few more things(so general and vague).
All right. Topic: Feeding your puppy/dog. How many times should you feed them? As a human, we eat three times a day. But dogs are not humans. Their digestive system is different...and pretty flexible. What this boils down to is convenience! There is no right answer for this(except for maybe the fact that you should probably feed them more than ZERO times a day).
How many times do you want to feed them? And how does your dog handle the feeding? Some people just fill up the bowl and let the dog eat however they want. There is a possibility that some dogs are overeaters and some are not. If you're worried about obesity(especially when you're busy and can't keep playing with your dog), it'd be best to manage their diet. Most people just feed their dog once a day. We feed her twice a day.
The more times you feed it, the more times it'll go do the number 2. Convenience. One time a day is easier to deal with. On the other hand, food will stay within a dog's stomach for about eight hours. By dividing the meals you'll make it more...pleasant for your dog. Of course, in the end, a dog is still a dog. It survives as it needs to in the wild...but now it is family. Perhaps keeping things pleasant will be good in the long run.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Dealing with Dogs Part 1 (D-D-D-D-Deworm!)
Does everybody know what time it is? TOOL TIME! (ah, a good show back in the day)
Actually, no. It's random blog posting time!
Anyway, denizens of the Internet, I recently discovered something new at Free-Ebooks.net!
As you probably know (I feel like I've said this one million times), I've got my books up on that site. It used to be on the Featured Ebooks, right on the homepage...but those days are long gone (it's been about a week).
I was kind of bummed out about it since the number of downloads took a nose dive.
But now I've found out that they have a new category--Top 10 ebooks!
And guess what book is in the top 10 fiction? *cups hand over ear*
*crickets chirp* *mice squeak*
*cockroaches continue to be disgusting little vermin that needs to be stepped on, burned and vaporized*
You don't know? You don't want to guess? Fine, I'll just spoil it. THE JUDGE! THE JUDGE IS IN THE TOP TEN!
Dun, dun, duuuun!
Not impressed? Well, I thought it was cool. I'm not going to get into stats anymore (trying to quit. cutting the cold turkey.). But let's just say that the downloads have been going back up! Hooray!
_____________________________________________________________
Anyway, let's get down to business with a topic I'd like to call: Dealing with Dogs.
I've got a dog. She was just a little puppy last year. Now...she's a huge puppy. But that's beside the point.
For you people who consider getting a dog, I thought I'd give a few life lessons.
First of all, if your dog is a puppy...make sure you deworm (unworm?) it. This is not a pleasant topic. But it's a very real topic. Worms live inside the INTESTINES! Put your hands over your ears and say "lalalalala... I'm not listening" if you don't want to hear more(like that'll help). It doesn't matter where your puppy came from. It doesn't matter if the mommy dog has no worms. Your puppy can still have worms. WHY? Mother nature. apparently, even if your dog is dewormed, some eggs or something can still be living in there...only to show up during child--er--puppy birth. Disgusting? Vile? Putrid? Despicable? Say what you will. Doesn't change the facts. Some people are against over-the-uh-store de-wormers. But here at CC, we used one and it worked like a charm. Our puppy looked like it was pregnant even though it was like two weeks old. But now...ah...those pesky worms are gone. Those...things...that look like spaghetti...in doodoo.
AAAAH! THE IMAGERY! NOOOOOOOO!
For God's sake, do not google image those worms! DO NOT DO IT! PLEASE!
I'd continue talking about these tips. But...right now...I kind of want to throw up.
and perhaps go to the bathroom for some other things that nature calls my cellphone for.
Maybe next time I'll continue with some more...pleasant topics.
Until next time, denizens of the Internet.... Until next time...
*retches*
Actually, no. It's random blog posting time!
Anyway, denizens of the Internet, I recently discovered something new at Free-Ebooks.net!
As you probably know (I feel like I've said this one million times), I've got my books up on that site. It used to be on the Featured Ebooks, right on the homepage...but those days are long gone (it's been about a week).
I was kind of bummed out about it since the number of downloads took a nose dive.
But now I've found out that they have a new category--Top 10 ebooks!
And guess what book is in the top 10 fiction? *cups hand over ear*
*crickets chirp* *mice squeak*
*cockroaches continue to be disgusting little vermin that needs to be stepped on, burned and vaporized*
You don't know? You don't want to guess? Fine, I'll just spoil it. THE JUDGE! THE JUDGE IS IN THE TOP TEN!
Dun, dun, duuuun!
Not impressed? Well, I thought it was cool. I'm not going to get into stats anymore (trying to quit. cutting the cold turkey.). But let's just say that the downloads have been going back up! Hooray!
_____________________________________________________________
Anyway, let's get down to business with a topic I'd like to call: Dealing with Dogs.
I've got a dog. She was just a little puppy last year. Now...she's a huge puppy. But that's beside the point.
For you people who consider getting a dog, I thought I'd give a few life lessons.
First of all, if your dog is a puppy...make sure you deworm (unworm?) it. This is not a pleasant topic. But it's a very real topic. Worms live inside the INTESTINES! Put your hands over your ears and say "lalalalala... I'm not listening" if you don't want to hear more(like that'll help). It doesn't matter where your puppy came from. It doesn't matter if the mommy dog has no worms. Your puppy can still have worms. WHY? Mother nature. apparently, even if your dog is dewormed, some eggs or something can still be living in there...only to show up during child--er--puppy birth. Disgusting? Vile? Putrid? Despicable? Say what you will. Doesn't change the facts. Some people are against over-the-uh-store de-wormers. But here at CC, we used one and it worked like a charm. Our puppy looked like it was pregnant even though it was like two weeks old. But now...ah...those pesky worms are gone. Those...things...that look like spaghetti...in doodoo.
AAAAH! THE IMAGERY! NOOOOOOOO!
For God's sake, do not google image those worms! DO NOT DO IT! PLEASE!
I'd continue talking about these tips. But...right now...I kind of want to throw up.
and perhaps go to the bathroom for some other things that nature calls my cellphone for.
Maybe next time I'll continue with some more...pleasant topics.
Until next time, denizens of the Internet.... Until next time...
*retches*
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Updates? Best Free Indie Games
Yay, another sale of Awake! I've decided to update the counter and include sales of Awake too. I'll just put sales of all my books there so I can have more to update...and that way it'll look more impressive (or really sad, depending on how you look at it)!
Anyway, today I'm going to make a laaaaazy post, because I'm laaaaazy(and it's late, and I'm tired/not feeling well, and it's been a loooong day).
Yesterday (or perhaps the day before that. can't remember) I made a post talking about PC gaming. I thought I'd expand upon it today and talk about Free Indie Games.
Yeah, I know, it's easy to pirate games (and thus make every single game in existence "free") but come on. People worked on this stuff, and just as you like to earn money for your work, they do too! However, just like indie me (Indie author me), some indie developers make their games free because they want everyone the chance to appreciate it (and feel good about not having to actually pirate it).
So let's celebrate indie gaming by showing off some of the best FREE indie games that I've enjoyed!
(hey, maybe it'll get me some new visitors to my blog...! Or...maybe I'm too hopeful)
Super Crate Box
http://www.supercratebox.com/
Let's start out with Super CRATE BOX! This is a fun little title that will waste your time. But then again, aren't all games a waste of time? So...this game is very much like an arcade game. You collect crates while dealing with constantly respawning enemies. But every time you collect a crate, you get a random weapon (some are awesome, some are very situational, and one in particular sucks like nobody's business). For every crate you collect, you get a point on your score. If get hit by an enemy, you die.... And if you die...well, YOU DIEEEE! And the game is over. The goal is to get as many crates as you can without dying. It's frantic, it's simple...and it's VERY FRUSTRATING (and maybe it's fun).
I give it a 3/5.
Cave Story
http://www.cavestory.org/
Next is a classic. Everyone should know Cave Story(Everyone who searches for free indie games). It's considered one of the best free indie games out there. And quite possibly for some...one of the best games...PERIOD. It's made by a single Japanese guy (pretty talented guy. handsome? I wouldn't know.) That's right. He did the graphics, music... gameplay... design... uh... game stuff... etc, etc, etc, all by himself. It may look like a DOS game (or an NES game), but doesn't matter what it looks like. It's still a great game. You play as some robot dude (I think he's a robot) that lost his memory (awwww). He runs around a dark cave, steals a gun(hey the game forced me to do it!), shoots cute monsters to death(it's either him or them), and defeats some crazy evil scientist guy.
5/5! NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. NO DOUBT.
Warning Forever
http://www18.big.or.jp/~hikoza/Prod/index_e.html
Here we go. Ever heard of SHMUPS? I didn't make that word up. But it's not a real word either. It's sort of an abbreviation. It stands for: Shoot THEM UP! Not very impressive, I know. But if you say shmups ten times fast...it sounds...stupid? Anyway, back to the point. Warning Forever is an interesting take on SHMUPING. It's all about boss fights. You've got a dinky ship with a pretty powerful gun, and you fight boss after boss after boss (after boss...). It's time based. You kill bosses fast, you get more time and points. You die...you lose time. And when you run out of time, GAME OVER MAN.
I give it a 3/5. (Deja vu? or Copy Pasta?)
Ben There Dan That
http://www.zombie-cow.com/?page_id=17
A point and click adventure in the vein of...uh...Lucasarts Adventure games of Christmas Past. The game looks like it was drawn by a five-year-old. But rest assured, I don't think the game was made by five-year-olds. But if it is...THEY ARE SOME DARN TALENTED AND INTELLIGENT FIVE-YEAR-OLDS(more intelligent than me, that's for sure, but not necessarily a big accomplishment). It has some issues. But overall, not bad. If I remember correctly, there's a bit of uh...foul language. Just a warning.
4/5.
Hedgewars
http://www.hedgewars.org/
Total, shameless, worms clone. What's there to say? It's a turn-based strategy game where you...move hedgehogs and use a variety of weapons to...um...eliminate...the enemy. Total rip off of a more well-known game. So for that...I give it a:
2/5. It's not bad. It's just...kind of wrong.
Spelunky
http://www.spelunkyworld.com/
Now here is a game that is very...interesting. Two words: AMAZING. Wait...that's one word.
How about: AMAZING GAME? And now it just sounds lame. Anyway...you're a spelunker. What's spelunking? It's cave exploring! What's that you say? I already went over a game called Cave Story? And now there's another cave game? And it's AMAZING(just like cave story)?
Apparently, caves are awesome and fun places to be!
This game is pretty...um...crazy. Graphics are kind of SNES like. You go down a cave, and the levels are all randomized, which means every level will always be different, even if you start over from the beginning. The goal is to survive while journeying deeper and deeper into the...uh...cave. But this isn't your ordinary cave! There are zombies, killer monkeys, piranhas, exploding frogs, crazed cavemen (cavemen in my caves?), hot (and very pixelated) damsels in distress, giant spiders, a really grumpy merchant with a shotgun, and TONS OF BOOBY TRAPS. Big ones. Really big ones. Lots of big, huge booby traps. (Will this get my blog more hits? It's a sad world...and what I'm doing is even sadder ;P )
There are some really weird aspects to it as well. But I don't want to talk about it.
Anyway, I'm going to sleep. 5/5.
Anyway, today I'm going to make a laaaaazy post, because I'm laaaaazy(and it's late, and I'm tired/not feeling well, and it's been a loooong day).
Yesterday (or perhaps the day before that. can't remember) I made a post talking about PC gaming. I thought I'd expand upon it today and talk about Free Indie Games.
Yeah, I know, it's easy to pirate games (and thus make every single game in existence "free") but come on. People worked on this stuff, and just as you like to earn money for your work, they do too! However, just like indie me (Indie author me), some indie developers make their games free because they want everyone the chance to appreciate it (and feel good about not having to actually pirate it).
So let's celebrate indie gaming by showing off some of the best FREE indie games that I've enjoyed!
(hey, maybe it'll get me some new visitors to my blog...! Or...maybe I'm too hopeful)
Super Crate Box
http://www.supercratebox.com/
Let's start out with Super CRATE BOX! This is a fun little title that will waste your time. But then again, aren't all games a waste of time? So...this game is very much like an arcade game. You collect crates while dealing with constantly respawning enemies. But every time you collect a crate, you get a random weapon (some are awesome, some are very situational, and one in particular sucks like nobody's business). For every crate you collect, you get a point on your score. If get hit by an enemy, you die.... And if you die...well, YOU DIEEEE! And the game is over. The goal is to get as many crates as you can without dying. It's frantic, it's simple...and it's VERY FRUSTRATING (and maybe it's fun).
I give it a 3/5.
Cave Story
http://www.cavestory.org/
Next is a classic. Everyone should know Cave Story(Everyone who searches for free indie games). It's considered one of the best free indie games out there. And quite possibly for some...one of the best games...PERIOD. It's made by a single Japanese guy (pretty talented guy. handsome? I wouldn't know.) That's right. He did the graphics, music... gameplay... design... uh... game stuff... etc, etc, etc, all by himself. It may look like a DOS game (or an NES game), but doesn't matter what it looks like. It's still a great game. You play as some robot dude (I think he's a robot) that lost his memory (awwww). He runs around a dark cave, steals a gun(hey the game forced me to do it!), shoots cute monsters to death(it's either him or them), and defeats some crazy evil scientist guy.
5/5! NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. NO DOUBT.
Warning Forever
http://www18.big.or.jp/~hikoza/Prod/index_e.html
Here we go. Ever heard of SHMUPS? I didn't make that word up. But it's not a real word either. It's sort of an abbreviation. It stands for: Shoot THEM UP! Not very impressive, I know. But if you say shmups ten times fast...it sounds...stupid? Anyway, back to the point. Warning Forever is an interesting take on SHMUPING. It's all about boss fights. You've got a dinky ship with a pretty powerful gun, and you fight boss after boss after boss (after boss...). It's time based. You kill bosses fast, you get more time and points. You die...you lose time. And when you run out of time, GAME OVER MAN.
I give it a 3/5. (Deja vu? or Copy Pasta?)
Ben There Dan That
http://www.zombie-cow.com/?page_id=17
A point and click adventure in the vein of...uh...Lucasarts Adventure games of Christmas Past. The game looks like it was drawn by a five-year-old. But rest assured, I don't think the game was made by five-year-olds. But if it is...THEY ARE SOME DARN TALENTED AND INTELLIGENT FIVE-YEAR-OLDS(more intelligent than me, that's for sure, but not necessarily a big accomplishment). It has some issues. But overall, not bad. If I remember correctly, there's a bit of uh...foul language. Just a warning.
4/5.
Hedgewars
http://www.hedgewars.org/
Total, shameless, worms clone. What's there to say? It's a turn-based strategy game where you...move hedgehogs and use a variety of weapons to...um...eliminate...the enemy. Total rip off of a more well-known game. So for that...I give it a:
2/5. It's not bad. It's just...kind of wrong.
Spelunky
http://www.spelunkyworld.com/
Now here is a game that is very...interesting. Two words: AMAZING. Wait...that's one word.
How about: AMAZING GAME? And now it just sounds lame. Anyway...you're a spelunker. What's spelunking? It's cave exploring! What's that you say? I already went over a game called Cave Story? And now there's another cave game? And it's AMAZING(just like cave story)?
Apparently, caves are awesome and fun places to be!
This game is pretty...um...crazy. Graphics are kind of SNES like. You go down a cave, and the levels are all randomized, which means every level will always be different, even if you start over from the beginning. The goal is to survive while journeying deeper and deeper into the...uh...cave. But this isn't your ordinary cave! There are zombies, killer monkeys, piranhas, exploding frogs, crazed cavemen (cavemen in my caves?), hot (and very pixelated) damsels in distress, giant spiders, a really grumpy merchant with a shotgun, and TONS OF BOOBY TRAPS. Big ones. Really big ones. Lots of big, huge booby traps. (Will this get my blog more hits? It's a sad world...and what I'm doing is even sadder ;P )
There are some really weird aspects to it as well. But I don't want to talk about it.
Anyway, I'm going to sleep. 5/5.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
REALLY ROUGH
Okay, so here we are at another day. Guardian Progress: 24% (If you're wondering why it goes up a percent every now and then, it's because it's a REALLY ROUGH estimate. There's no easy way to calculate this.)
Ahh, what should I talk about today?
When I was little (maybe about 8 or 9), I used to get really paranoid around my family and friends, because I wondered if I was really human. I wondered if life was real or not, or if I was just sitting inside some simulation controlled by robots that pretended to be humans. I wondered if anything else outside of my own existence was actually happening. Perhaps, things only happened where I was. And everything else in the outside world, beyond my sight and presence, was merely fiction. (Yeah, I was a bit of a nut)
Another thing I used to think about was when you put two mirrors together. I wondered if every reflection constituted another world. Perhaps we are just part of a reflection and the other reflections are just as real as we are. If I wave to myself in the mirror, perhaps the "me" in the mirror was waving to me and I was merely the copy! (Yeah...it's doesn't make sense...or does it?)
And another thing I used to consider is the possibility that some things might exist even without our knowing. Just how far does everything go? If we look at cells (living organisms) we can tell that they are EXTREMELY ITSY BITSY TINY THINGS. You can't see them without a microscope. Yet, they are made up of tiny parts. Are those tiny parts made up even tinier parts? And those tinier parts made up of even tinier, tinier (you get the point) parts? But even our world is part of a system, the solar system. And our solar system is part of many of other systems, and part of a galaxy, which is part of many other galaxies....and all these galaxies make up our universe...yet we cannot even fathom just how many galaxies there are out there! Perhaps these galaxies are just building blocks for something else. Maybe our massive universe is just a tiny part of an even bigger universe!
Anyway...I stopped thinking about that silly stuff, because well, those are just the silly thoughts of a kid. When you're older you just think...life is just what it is. No point in worrying about anything else.
And so I shall shift topics!
TOPIC SHIFT
PC games used to be sort of a big thing (at least, as far as I could remember) a long time ago. I remember going to an electronics store with a huge selection of PC games. Even normal retail stores would have a huge aisle of PC games. But now, all that has changed due to, presumably, two factors: Piracy and PCs.
Piracy is particularly easy on the PC. All it takes is three easy steps. It definitely makes it less appealing to develop a game for PC when you know that everyone can just grab it for free. The other issue is that normal people don't really care about upgrading a PC. With consoles you can buy a console and know for sure that a game will work on it. But such is not the case with PC gaming. You need to make sure you got a good video card and a decent processor if you want to run intense applications like games.
HOWEVER, things have changed yet again. While PC gaming may have been somewhat dead a few years ago, it has taken a new life of its own. Digital distribution is now the way of PC gaming. While piracy still exists, PC games can still sell very well through DD. STEAM in particular has been reaping the benefits by providing solid working products, anti-hack measures on their major online games, a good selection of both major and indie titles, and TONS OF SALES.
http://store.steampowered.com/
On holidays, steam has big sales, taking off anywhere from 25% to 95% off!
They even have a very devious event going on right now. IF you complete objectives, you'll be entered for a chance to win any game of your choice. And of course, completing objectives require buying games on sale...it's a two fold attack!
Anyway, that's all for now.
Ahh, what should I talk about today?
When I was little (maybe about 8 or 9), I used to get really paranoid around my family and friends, because I wondered if I was really human. I wondered if life was real or not, or if I was just sitting inside some simulation controlled by robots that pretended to be humans. I wondered if anything else outside of my own existence was actually happening. Perhaps, things only happened where I was. And everything else in the outside world, beyond my sight and presence, was merely fiction. (Yeah, I was a bit of a nut)
Another thing I used to think about was when you put two mirrors together. I wondered if every reflection constituted another world. Perhaps we are just part of a reflection and the other reflections are just as real as we are. If I wave to myself in the mirror, perhaps the "me" in the mirror was waving to me and I was merely the copy! (Yeah...it's doesn't make sense...or does it?)
And another thing I used to consider is the possibility that some things might exist even without our knowing. Just how far does everything go? If we look at cells (living organisms) we can tell that they are EXTREMELY ITSY BITSY TINY THINGS. You can't see them without a microscope. Yet, they are made up of tiny parts. Are those tiny parts made up even tinier parts? And those tinier parts made up of even tinier, tinier (you get the point) parts? But even our world is part of a system, the solar system. And our solar system is part of many of other systems, and part of a galaxy, which is part of many other galaxies....and all these galaxies make up our universe...yet we cannot even fathom just how many galaxies there are out there! Perhaps these galaxies are just building blocks for something else. Maybe our massive universe is just a tiny part of an even bigger universe!
Anyway...I stopped thinking about that silly stuff, because well, those are just the silly thoughts of a kid. When you're older you just think...life is just what it is. No point in worrying about anything else.
And so I shall shift topics!
TOPIC SHIFT
PC games used to be sort of a big thing (at least, as far as I could remember) a long time ago. I remember going to an electronics store with a huge selection of PC games. Even normal retail stores would have a huge aisle of PC games. But now, all that has changed due to, presumably, two factors: Piracy and PCs.
Piracy is particularly easy on the PC. All it takes is three easy steps. It definitely makes it less appealing to develop a game for PC when you know that everyone can just grab it for free. The other issue is that normal people don't really care about upgrading a PC. With consoles you can buy a console and know for sure that a game will work on it. But such is not the case with PC gaming. You need to make sure you got a good video card and a decent processor if you want to run intense applications like games.
HOWEVER, things have changed yet again. While PC gaming may have been somewhat dead a few years ago, it has taken a new life of its own. Digital distribution is now the way of PC gaming. While piracy still exists, PC games can still sell very well through DD. STEAM in particular has been reaping the benefits by providing solid working products, anti-hack measures on their major online games, a good selection of both major and indie titles, and TONS OF SALES.
http://store.steampowered.com/
On holidays, steam has big sales, taking off anywhere from 25% to 95% off!
They even have a very devious event going on right now. IF you complete objectives, you'll be entered for a chance to win any game of your choice. And of course, completing objectives require buying games on sale...it's a two fold attack!
Anyway, that's all for now.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
A long day
looks like there won't be any more stats.
We are dead in the water, like a sitting duck (or a dead duck).
There are a few downloads here and there, but...pretty much negligible at this point.
But rest assured, even without stats...I can still waste time with more blog posts!
I'll probably do a post tomorrow.
We are dead in the water, like a sitting duck (or a dead duck).
There are a few downloads here and there, but...pretty much negligible at this point.
But rest assured, even without stats...I can still waste time with more blog posts!
I'll probably do a post tomorrow.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
It's the end of the world as we know it...
Today is a sad day. No, no, I will take no consolation. There is nothing that could lift my spirits today. For today, is the day that we have lost our place on the homepage of Free-Ebooks.net.
Yes, for about a few weeks now, Coranite Chronicles (Judge) has been on the Featured books section. It was a blessing to have it up there. But now...that time has passed. THE END HAS COME!
*sigh* Oh well(z), it was great while it lasted. Not much we can do now.
And because of what has happened, we have noticed a huge drop in activity.
STATS -
Judge 10058 - Broke 10,000...however it only went up about 200. It is dying! Noooo!
Awake 10401 - went up about 100. typical.
The fight must go on! But...I don't really know what to do now. What choice do I have?
Oh, the humanity!
How can we keep the hopes and dreams alive?
Oh well, we can rejoice tomorrow, I suppose. Nothing better than a sunny Sunday.
Current Situation -
Pitching S3 to agents.
Writing the Guardian(coranite chronicles sequel).
Preparing S3 to enter Amazon Breakthrough Novel.
I'll try to write something more uplifting tomorrow. But today...is a day of sorrow.
There is a time for rejoicing and a time for mourning.
Good night.
Yes, for about a few weeks now, Coranite Chronicles (Judge) has been on the Featured books section. It was a blessing to have it up there. But now...that time has passed. THE END HAS COME!
*sigh* Oh well(z), it was great while it lasted. Not much we can do now.
And because of what has happened, we have noticed a huge drop in activity.
STATS -
Judge 10058 - Broke 10,000...however it only went up about 200. It is dying! Noooo!
Awake 10401 - went up about 100. typical.
The fight must go on! But...I don't really know what to do now. What choice do I have?
Oh, the humanity!
How can we keep the hopes and dreams alive?
Oh well, we can rejoice tomorrow, I suppose. Nothing better than a sunny Sunday.
Current Situation -
Pitching S3 to agents.
Writing the Guardian(coranite chronicles sequel).
Preparing S3 to enter Amazon Breakthrough Novel.
I'll try to write something more uplifting tomorrow. But today...is a day of sorrow.
There is a time for rejoicing and a time for mourning.
Good night.
Friday, December 3, 2010
The Process Part 6 (FINAL)
9857 - Judge (300...slowing down again)
10316 - Awake (100...better than yesterday)
Guardian Progress: 23%
So, I've been thinking, a lot of times people ask me: "Why do you have an afro?"
Actually...no one has asked me that. I tend not to unleash the afro unless absolutely necessary, because I have discovered that my afro is quite frightening.
I just needed a way to start this blog post and THERE IT IS!
Anyway, I thought I'd divulge some of my past experiences in the Final Part (PART 6) of the Epic Blog Post Series - THE PROCESS (Great title for a movie, eh? There probably is a movie called that).
We've had a long journey...coming to this part. These are pretty much pointless facts about my writing process.
So...without further ado.
1) When I first wrote the Judge, I had the story planned out in my head. However, I found that it was difficult to keep focus. Like...I'd get bored of writing the same chapter. And that made things slow. So what did I do? I decided to jump around. I would write the first few pages of a chapter and then move on. I wrote the first half of EVERY chapter. And then I went back to the beginning of the book to write the second half of every chapter.
2) When I was writing Awake...I wanted to confirm the difficulty of staying awake for long periods of time. So I tried not to sleep one night to see how well I could handle it. I caved in at about 7am. Pathetic. WEAK.
3) To get inspiration, I usually stay up late. By the time 2-3-4am rolls around, my mind goes totally crazy. No, I don't get hallucinations. My mind just gets filled up with a lot of random weird stuff. The Coranite Chronicles is the only series that I've written off the top of my head. The stories for my other books: Awake, Faerie Epoch and S3, all came to me during this phase of late night mind randomness.
4) I take hot showers when it's cold. And cold showers when it's hot....
Wait, this doesn't have anything to do with anything!
5) Planning for my books is best done all the time. I think about what I'm going to write when I'm doing menial tasks or when I'm just pacing around in a constant circle.
6) I'm really hungry and need to eat. Like right now.
10316 - Awake (100...better than yesterday)
Guardian Progress: 23%
So, I've been thinking, a lot of times people ask me: "Why do you have an afro?"
Actually...no one has asked me that. I tend not to unleash the afro unless absolutely necessary, because I have discovered that my afro is quite frightening.
I just needed a way to start this blog post and THERE IT IS!
Anyway, I thought I'd divulge some of my past experiences in the Final Part (PART 6) of the Epic Blog Post Series - THE PROCESS (Great title for a movie, eh? There probably is a movie called that).
We've had a long journey...coming to this part. These are pretty much pointless facts about my writing process.
So...without further ado.
1) When I first wrote the Judge, I had the story planned out in my head. However, I found that it was difficult to keep focus. Like...I'd get bored of writing the same chapter. And that made things slow. So what did I do? I decided to jump around. I would write the first few pages of a chapter and then move on. I wrote the first half of EVERY chapter. And then I went back to the beginning of the book to write the second half of every chapter.
2) When I was writing Awake...I wanted to confirm the difficulty of staying awake for long periods of time. So I tried not to sleep one night to see how well I could handle it. I caved in at about 7am. Pathetic. WEAK.
3) To get inspiration, I usually stay up late. By the time 2-3-4am rolls around, my mind goes totally crazy. No, I don't get hallucinations. My mind just gets filled up with a lot of random weird stuff. The Coranite Chronicles is the only series that I've written off the top of my head. The stories for my other books: Awake, Faerie Epoch and S3, all came to me during this phase of late night mind randomness.
4) I take hot showers when it's cold. And cold showers when it's hot....
Wait, this doesn't have anything to do with anything!
5) Planning for my books is best done all the time. I think about what I'm going to write when I'm doing menial tasks or when I'm just pacing around in a constant circle.
6) I'm really hungry and need to eat. Like right now.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
ANOTHER SALE
YES! YES,YES! Aaha! Another person just bought the Judge on kindle! Thank yooouuuu!
All right! I'm getting fired up! This is awesome! Nothing better than to start your day with a sale!
If you bought a book and think I missed it, just tell me through any way you can (comments, forum) so I can update the counter above. I pretty much only check kindle sales, and even then I only check them once a week or so.
Anyway, today is a beautiful, wonderful day! Have a great day, everybody!
All right! I'm getting fired up! This is awesome! Nothing better than to start your day with a sale!
If you bought a book and think I missed it, just tell me through any way you can (comments, forum) so I can update the counter above. I pretty much only check kindle sales, and even then I only check them once a week or so.
Anyway, today is a beautiful, wonderful day! Have a great day, everybody!
Sci-fi? Fantasy?
Hey guys and gals. How are you all doing today? Great? Great...(Just talking to myself)
Stats- Judge 9560 (a good 400 up) Awake 10209 (50?)
Guardian Progress: 22%
Okay, today I decided to talk about something that kind of bothers me a bit. That is--putting a genre to my books. As you probably know, I put my books Awake and Judge on Free-Ebooks.net (and some other sites too). I just write whatever I want to write. I don't put genre limits and restraints on it. And so...I found it really hard to put my books into a genre. You'd think it'd be easy...but really...the problem is that the Genre's usually have stereotypes. And when you get out of these stereotypes...you're left with something really confusing.
I guess I'll talk about the Judge first. I've heard someone say that it's kind of like Eragon. Eragon is most definitely Fantasy, because it fits within its trappings. In Eragon, you've got your dragons, your wizards, your elves and dwarves and the like. That's Fantasy, and that's usually what people think of when you think of Fantasy. Magic. Swords. Mystical, mythical creatures.
But the Judge isn't quite that simple is it? For starters, it's set in space/the galaxy, almost like Star Wars. You've got starships, space stations, lasers and missiles.
But you've also got something akin to magic--anti-law. But there are serpents and monsters.
*spoiler* there will also be dragons in the second book. *spoiler*
There are spirits called Guardians that rain down fire from the heavens. There are even swordsmen and archers...people with psychic powers...fairies...werewolves... It's set in space...but it's also set in a post-apocalyptic (and as a result, primitive) world. Is it Sci-fi? Or Fantasy? Or truly...a mix of both that shouldn't be?
And to be honest, I really don't want to call my books Sci-fi, because when I think of Sci-fi....Science-fiction... I think of science. Now, science-fiction may be all speculative, just like Fantasy, however, Science-fiction should REALLY have an element that says "SCIENCE!"
Right? Just because we talk about traveling through space...does it really turn it into science-fiction? In my books, I don't go into details because I'm not really a science person. The science is strictly for setting, because I love the concept of space, starships and the like. There is no science to it!
But then...do we just call it Fantasy then? I'd like to think so, but at the same time, even stuff like Star Wars is considered Sci-fi, even if that is also very...fantasyish (Jedi force powers and stuff like that isn't really science).
I have the same issue with Awake. It's modern Fantasy. But it's set in a city...so it's urban fantasy? but urban fantasy has more to do with vampires and werewolves. But then...the dream wave stuff...the Internet AI stuff...is that...Fantasy? Or Science-fiction? But...animals talking and transforming...dragons...spirits that govern the world (Mother Nature)...those are Fantasy...
And in the end...I can't narrow it down. There's no real specific genre for things that blend a little bit of both. From what I've researched, Fantasy is when something is purely of the imagination and Sci-fi has some possible grounds in Science. My books are purely of the imagination...and that's why I'm more inclined to call them Fantasy, even if it's in space...or with talking computers...or in starships...
Yes, yes, here am I rambling and rumbling once more. If you ask me what kind of books I write, I'll tell you FANTASY. But then...people are always like...
"Fantasy? Like Eragon? Like Lord of the Rings? Like Narnia?"
Nooo! Not quite like that...It's...more like...I DON'T KNOW!
And if you were wondering...yes, S3 also fits this bill as well. It's more sci-fi with Time Traveling...but... the time traveling is very fantasy like...so...I don't know what that is either.... Same goes for Faerie Epoch. Sci-fi-ish setting with a very Fairy-taleish setting as well.
And with that, I shall end this post on a very confused note.
Faerie Epoch has giant robots and a Utopian futuristic cybernetic world! But it also has centaurs, anti-law, ghostly creatures, etc.
What...do...I...call...these...things?
Fantasy...with some sci-fi stuff...with some utterly ridiculous stuff...
What do you think my books are? What kind of genre is this?
Leave some comments below if you've got an idea.
Stats- Judge 9560 (a good 400 up) Awake 10209 (50?)
Guardian Progress: 22%
Okay, today I decided to talk about something that kind of bothers me a bit. That is--putting a genre to my books. As you probably know, I put my books Awake and Judge on Free-Ebooks.net (and some other sites too). I just write whatever I want to write. I don't put genre limits and restraints on it. And so...I found it really hard to put my books into a genre. You'd think it'd be easy...but really...the problem is that the Genre's usually have stereotypes. And when you get out of these stereotypes...you're left with something really confusing.
I guess I'll talk about the Judge first. I've heard someone say that it's kind of like Eragon. Eragon is most definitely Fantasy, because it fits within its trappings. In Eragon, you've got your dragons, your wizards, your elves and dwarves and the like. That's Fantasy, and that's usually what people think of when you think of Fantasy. Magic. Swords. Mystical, mythical creatures.
But the Judge isn't quite that simple is it? For starters, it's set in space/the galaxy, almost like Star Wars. You've got starships, space stations, lasers and missiles.
But you've also got something akin to magic--anti-law. But there are serpents and monsters.
*spoiler* there will also be dragons in the second book. *spoiler*
There are spirits called Guardians that rain down fire from the heavens. There are even swordsmen and archers...people with psychic powers...fairies...werewolves... It's set in space...but it's also set in a post-apocalyptic (and as a result, primitive) world. Is it Sci-fi? Or Fantasy? Or truly...a mix of both that shouldn't be?
And to be honest, I really don't want to call my books Sci-fi, because when I think of Sci-fi....Science-fiction... I think of science. Now, science-fiction may be all speculative, just like Fantasy, however, Science-fiction should REALLY have an element that says "SCIENCE!"
Right? Just because we talk about traveling through space...does it really turn it into science-fiction? In my books, I don't go into details because I'm not really a science person. The science is strictly for setting, because I love the concept of space, starships and the like. There is no science to it!
But then...do we just call it Fantasy then? I'd like to think so, but at the same time, even stuff like Star Wars is considered Sci-fi, even if that is also very...fantasyish (Jedi force powers and stuff like that isn't really science).
I have the same issue with Awake. It's modern Fantasy. But it's set in a city...so it's urban fantasy? but urban fantasy has more to do with vampires and werewolves. But then...the dream wave stuff...the Internet AI stuff...is that...Fantasy? Or Science-fiction? But...animals talking and transforming...dragons...spirits that govern the world (Mother Nature)...those are Fantasy...
And in the end...I can't narrow it down. There's no real specific genre for things that blend a little bit of both. From what I've researched, Fantasy is when something is purely of the imagination and Sci-fi has some possible grounds in Science. My books are purely of the imagination...and that's why I'm more inclined to call them Fantasy, even if it's in space...or with talking computers...or in starships...
Yes, yes, here am I rambling and rumbling once more. If you ask me what kind of books I write, I'll tell you FANTASY. But then...people are always like...
"Fantasy? Like Eragon? Like Lord of the Rings? Like Narnia?"
Nooo! Not quite like that...It's...more like...I DON'T KNOW!
And if you were wondering...yes, S3 also fits this bill as well. It's more sci-fi with Time Traveling...but... the time traveling is very fantasy like...so...I don't know what that is either.... Same goes for Faerie Epoch. Sci-fi-ish setting with a very Fairy-taleish setting as well.
And with that, I shall end this post on a very confused note.
Faerie Epoch has giant robots and a Utopian futuristic cybernetic world! But it also has centaurs, anti-law, ghostly creatures, etc.
What...do...I...call...these...things?
Fantasy...with some sci-fi stuff...with some utterly ridiculous stuff...
What do you think my books are? What kind of genre is this?
Leave some comments below if you've got an idea.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Congressional Progress
Another day means more stats. Keeping it short.
Judge 9141 - 400-500? It's still really steady for some reason.
Awake 10147 - And there we have it! Our next goal? 12000! With 12000, Awake will be able to be on page 2 when the list is ordered by hits. We've come a long way over this past month and a half.
And what's more amazing is that the Judge is on track to surpass Awake! I think Awake had about a two week head start, and the difference now is only about a thousand.
I just want to take this time to thank everybody! People who've bought my books, who've read them, who've reviewed them, or even suggested them to other people. You've all been very helpful! Thank you!
Keep spreading the word any way you can: Twitter, Blog, word-of-mouth, etc.
We want victory!
Guardian Progress: 21%
Judge 9141 - 400-500? It's still really steady for some reason.
Awake 10147 - And there we have it! Our next goal? 12000! With 12000, Awake will be able to be on page 2 when the list is ordered by hits. We've come a long way over this past month and a half.
And what's more amazing is that the Judge is on track to surpass Awake! I think Awake had about a two week head start, and the difference now is only about a thousand.
I just want to take this time to thank everybody! People who've bought my books, who've read them, who've reviewed them, or even suggested them to other people. You've all been very helpful! Thank you!
Keep spreading the word any way you can: Twitter, Blog, word-of-mouth, etc.
We want victory!
Guardian Progress: 21%
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