My name is Emily and I've got a story for a comic book/graphic novel, but I don't have the time or resources to get it done by myself. I call it "Elorian Chronicles". I grew up watching Star Trek, Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs, and transformers and I always wanted to have something like that as Christian comic. The transformers and Star Trek has appealed to thousand if not millions of people world wide so why not have a Christian version of it, but make it original.
Now, "Elorian Chronicles" is a variation of star gate(sort of) and medieval fantasy with a space age twist to it. the story starts off as a prolog, the small island of Eloria, the population of which has gone from being pegan worshippers of the heavenly bodies(astrologers) to being believers because a follower of Jesus washed up on their shore and won them over by showing them the love of Christ. But the former High Priests of the pegan gods nurse a grudge for being demoted/kicked out. So, they go to Rome and promise the emperor Nero great wealth if he will crush the Christian movement there.
The Elorians get wind of the approaching Roman fleet and escape this world by use of a dais. The people had constructed a device to take them to the stars, so they did. The dais was a large round platform and when activated two rings of light from the outer rim would rise and intersect each other and spin faster and faster until they would create a dome of solid light and so transport the traveler across the universe. Now such energy requirements put such a strain on the water turbines that they glowed red hot and made great a mount of steam. Eventually the turbines explode. At night from roman fleet's view it seemed that the gods of lightning and the sea were battling for the island and the roar of the turbine exploding was as the roar of the great leviathan. Afterward the island of Eloria was engulfed in flames destroying everything except the dais.
The Elorian people and their live stock were transported to another world which was dubbed Veridian. There they made a new start, carrying on as they had on earth.
Then it flash forwards to the present day. The main character is a girl named Michal. She's 25 and struggling to find or keep a job. She works as a part time baker and part time dancer. Michal is practiclly a loner and want's to be away from the noise rush of the city. She getts her wish.
One day while on her way to a Bible study she gets chased by some guys in a car through the street and into a back ally. The chase ends in a museum warehouse, the back door had been left open. Michal goes in and hides among the crates and ancient artifacts and the Elorian dais. She steps onto it and somehow it activates. The rings rise and wheel around faster and faster, then when the light disapears she's in an open field on Veridian in the province of Eloria.
There she meets three teenage boys, about 16, who are cadets in the elite guard, one could call them Pages. Their out hunting the dredded ridge-hide, giant wolf creatures whose hide is more made up of matted quills than fur. Anton, Kadesh, and Simeon were on a mission to hunt down one of these creatures and bring it back to the academy. Anton cooked up the mission himself in hopes of gaining his father's love and respect and to show himself a man.
Michal joined them and on their way back they encounter a great pack of the brutes, 12 in all. One is bad enough. Michal gives them each a spray can of "dogie be good", powdered cayenne pepper. (Now if you've ever had a puff powdered cayenne in your face you know it's just awful. Sneezing balls of fire and having your eyes water and sting like everything.)
The four charge forward on their horses, dividing the pack and letting the brutes have it. The Ridge-hides go from growls to whimpers, and sercome to the young men's blades. One of the wolves is packed on a horse and taken back to the academy. At the academy Michal learns that she's no longer on earth and there's a war going on between the Elorians and a man by the name of Lord Jarus. The man is responsible for making and using the ridge-hides to hunt down and kill those who oppose him. He later unleashes his dragons, more along the lines of giant snakes like land bound leviathans. Most of this she learns from her father, whom she thought long dead.
Well that's what I've got for now so if anyone is interested in the story let me know. It's rough but it's a work in progress. Thank you.
Replies
Thanks Lisa, but I think what is the best thing for me to do right now is write out one of the stories that to be honest "plagues my brain". It keeps tumbling around in my head until I write it down, and it actually stays when I go to write it, which is very odd.
Right now I've written 34 pages on my lap-top computer with about 11,000 words and my 16 year old sister is about ready to beat my brains out trying to get me to finish it. She's a book-a-holic, when she picks up a book she doesn't put it down, a 200 page novel in one day is no sweat for her.
I was trying to do character backgrounds but then I decided to just write out the story. I'll most likely get it done before the year is out, if I don't my sister will jump all over me. Rampaging siblings is exactly why it's hard for me to share my work with them, most of my stories I can't finish. I wrote a short children's book, for 8-10 year olds, that I've tried to get published but haven't made any progress with. The problem is I don't know who to show it to or who would be interested in it. It's called "Chuck and Guilbert's escape". If you'd like to see it let me know.
Thank you for writing back and God bless.><>
Emily.
The same goes for me as well, Emily! You have so much on your plate and wanting to use your gifts/talents on the side is not easy. There's lots of useful information posted here that I hope will help. I'm not a sci-fi expert, but what you have so far is definitely entertaining. Putting story/art together is more challenging if you've never done a large work before. I always tell people to start small at first and finish a short comic. The practice is helpful and will allow you to branch out later with less hassles and errors. The initial experimentation is well worth the effort. For example, can you start out by doing a small prologue or something that relates to your story? Or an off-shoot that's only a few pages long that could introduce characters (or something to that effect)?
You said you may have someone to help you; That would be ideal, just make sure they have your "vision" and enthusiasm (So often teams fizzle out prematurely). Many people are part of writing/art forums to get honest feedback and help, especially for those initially starting out. If you have a passion to do this kind of work, pray, seek and don't give up.
May God give you your hearts desires, Emily. Keep us posted. Blessings!
Hey Emily,
I'm happy to hear you haven't given up on your story. I hope you get some encouragement.
I like the suggestions that the other's have posted here. They seem pretty useful.
I hope you find others nearby to support you.
Thank you Brien. I think I may have found someone who can help me. Saturday my younger sister hosted a BBQ for some of her teacher friends, she's a teacher's aid. One of the gentle men is a Christian and he does the writing groups and he has friends that do animation and illustrations for books/comics. So, I'm hopeful about that.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write to me, I really appreciate it. If you like, I can keep you posted on how things are going and if it works out for me with the group maybe I could pass on their information to you.
Thanks again and God bless.><>
Emily.
Hey Emily, I'm actually newer than you to this particular site. CCAS was a site that I found after actively trolling with search engines, using search-word phrases like "Christian Comic", etc. I mention this because you may have to do the same to find a Writer's discussion group. The CCAS site appears to be a quiet one, but there are ways to "troll" for perspective co-writers. Go up to the top bar of the CCAS site to the 'Discuss' option and select "Groups"; select the writers group and join it. Tap out an appeal for co-writers. Troll through the backlog of entries looking for other in the past who have done so, and reply to them. Re-issue an introduction of yourself on the main site and mention you're looking for co-writers. Troll through the blogs, pick out topics that interest you and comment on them.
Your situation makes it sound like you're the functioning mom for a split family; if so, then you have my admiration, and some sympathy. I thinking writing, and corresponding is a terrific outlet for you. I start school in a week and that will pretty much shoot my free time until...December at least so I'm afraid I couldn't give you more than sporatic feedback. But your hunt for a discussion group or person should continue until you succeed. I would even bug the nice lady-author you mention: even if she turns you down she might know of someone else who needs a proof-reader or co-writer. The expression goes: You can only steer a moving car; pray- persist then pray-persist and God can steer your desires.
Keep dreaming and praying, and keep "rattling doors" looking for co-writers. Also keep posting to this site, I would like to hear how you are progressing.
BSparling
PS If your interests take you more into sketching/drawing, Artspots is an amatuer Anthro site with a Morals code that keeps the viewing pretty descent.
Emily Colonello said:
I really don't know of any groups. I don't get out much. If there was a good Christian author who I could chat with on-line about the story/book and co-author a book or comic that would save traveling expenses. Well, there's one lady I know, but she's already working on a book and I might be more of a distraction than anything else.
Emily.
Thank you Buzz. I'll try to keep that in mind. But if I could work with some one I think it would be faster and easier. You know, they ask questions about the characters or the plot or why things are so about that particular world. Even if they have their own bits to add. I'm tired of doing projects on my own, it's kind of...lonesome. I just want someone to talk to about the idea and work with a partner/friend. I'm sure William Goldman had someone he could bounce ideas off of and get some response. It's hard to go forward when there seems like no one would want to read my work.
I'd like to hear your opinions on this.
Thanks again and God bless.><>
Emily.
Good morning Mr. Sparling. Thank you for writing back again, very few people actually care enough to write back, its such a delight to have someone to talk to and discuss story ideas.
Yes, I get writer's block. When ever I go to write down the chapter or sequence or even a paragraph in my head my mind goes blank. No matter how hard I try I can't find it or the right words to describe the pictures in my head.
At home, here, I have very little time for being creative. My parents are divorce and I have a dad and 3 siblings+two dogs+chickens+a garden+house hold chores. I get maybe 5-10 minutes in between each of those to sketch on my graphic tablet, it's actually easier than paper. I guess I just want some one to talk to about the story. I work better when I know they're interested. Like cleaning, I'm better motivated when some one is helping me.
Like most artists, if not all, I need the time to get into my creative mood, but constant distractions and interruptions make that rather difficult. It wasn't like that before my parents separated.
Perhaps if you know another creative writer who is into my kind of stories you could let me know, some one whose got more time for that than I do and can word it well.
My goals? I suppose, make friends. Then again I was never very good at that, especially making friends close to my own age. The only people who think I'm okay are 50 or older, I'm 25.
Maybe that's more than you wanted but it's where I'm at. So, any comments/insight you have would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks and God bless.
Emily.><>
Define "writer's block." Your story outline is structurally sound, full of details and doesn't read like it was written by someone with my definition of writer's block. If you mean that you write slowly and you're only somewhat satisfied with your final product, no worries! With good teaching, and lots of practice...you will reach a high plateau of good writing that people will want to read...and you will still feel you write too slow and much of your writing is less than stellar(read interviews with pro authors). Because as you get better, you will subconciously move the acceptable bar ahead of you.
You both write and draw...good! Work on both! And read a lot too since worthwhile comics are "sugar pills;" the good stuff is the ideas and values inside the comic.
Set short term goals for short time segments: "If I finish my homework, I will reward myself with half an hour drawing hands." or "I am going to write one terrific paragraph about my heroine's bedroom." Great stories need great paragraphs, clear descriptions and emotive details.
Set long term goals as well. I have been working on my first comic for two years, I am still a year away from publishable product (That may only please my family and Jesus) but "God willing and the Lord don't come," I - will - publish - that - comic.
So, back to you Emily. What are your short term and long term goals?
Hi, Brien. Thanks for reading my story intro and giving me some encouragement. As for your questions, no I haven't worked with another writer-creator ever really. I guess the only real skill I have is story Ideas and that's a little tough especially when it comes to sitting down and writing it out, I get writer's block something fierce. I like drawing but my skills as an artist need a lot of work. Quite a few of the artist that post drawings and artwork on this site are much better than I. I thought that maybe a comic artist/s would like the idea and I could more or less help with the story.
I don't know. I can come up with all kinds of stories but getting them down on paper is so tough for me. Maybe, you could write back and tell me what you think. Thanks again for writing to me.
God, bless.
Emily.
Brien Sparling said:
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next