If you check this blog, you probably know I'm in the common "writer's block." I started, I had a great beginning, then I realized that a) I didn't really have an idea of where I wanted this story to go, and b) I didn't really know who my characters are.
As I've thought about it over the past couple of weeks, I've come up with some thoughts about the protagonist, Tevan Kearu. You can give me feedback about what you like, what you don't like, where you might like to see him go, etc.
First, I changed his last name from Antilles. I had originally named him Antilles, inspired by one of my favorite characters from Star Wars, Wedge Antilles. I thought it might be amusing for Tevan to constantly have to let people know that he didn't know Wedge Antilles, much less share a blood line with him. But in coming up with names for the other characters, I settled on Kearu as Tevan's new last name. I want to make him as original as I can. That he's from Corellia, like Wedge, means there could be room for some connections there.
So who is Tevan? He is the son of a well-respected career Imperial officer. Or, I had the thought yesterday, his dad might be an officer/lawyer. But regardless, the Kearu family enjoys some level of prestige in the Imperial social and political circles. His mother is a relative of Garm Bel Iblis, who is the mainstay of Corellia's rebel elements. I think I want that to play some role.
Tevan, then, is a young man raised in and by the Empire, but who isn't necessarily fiercely loyal to it. He's been trained in the military academy, and I think I want him to specialize in special operations (basically equivalent to the Army Rangers or Navy SEALs- covert paramilitary operations, that kind of stuff). He's loyal to the Empire, at least at first, but he's not an idealist.
I think I want his journey to start because somehow his family gets tangled up in the conflict between the Rebellion and the Empire. I don't think I want him to see the Rebellion as the moral high ground (though they are, of course), at least not at first. Maybe he starts with the mindset that the Rebels are a means to some end, then is converted to their ideals along the way. Or maybe he will have some sudden revelation that gives him insight into why the Rebellion is more right than the Empire. I'm not sure if I want him, at first, to see the Rebels as evil, or simply misguided.
I don't think I want it to be an easy change, though. I think I want him to have to struggle, at least a little bit.
Though I think I want to include a Jedi in the story, I am fairly confident Tevan will not end up as a Jedi. It's a bit too cliche for me. He may find out about some level of Force sensitivity.
Those are some thoughts to begin with. Like I said, if you want to offer any feedback, feel free, but don't feel obligated. I mainly wanted to just get some of these ideas and thoughts out on paper (so to speak).
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Friday, November 9, 2007
Possible Ship Designs
Okay, here are the images for possible ship designs for Tevan Antilles' vessel. I'll place a poll on the side and you can vote for which one you like best.
Note 1: If you can't tell, I'm a fan of the YT series.
Note 2: The Barloz and YT-2000 are two different designs, even though they look similar.
YT-1210 Freighter
YT-1930
Note 1: If you can't tell, I'm a fan of the YT series.
Note 2: The Barloz and YT-2000 are two different designs, even though they look similar.
YT-1210 Freighter
Barloz-class Freighter
YT-1930
YT-2000
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Chapter I, Part I
"I hope you know I'd be there, helping you if I could. But someone needs to be here with Mom and Elli is, of course, too busy with her schooling. You know she doesn't believe you anyway. I don't know where you are, and it's better, of course, for us if you don't tell us. But if you could maybe find some way of letting us know you're okay, it would do a lot of good for Mom and me. Take care of yourself, Tev. We all want to see you again.
Love,
Maggie
Tev switched the datapad off, put it back in his satchel, and rolled over in his sleeping bag.
"I don't know where you are...I'd be there, helping you..."
I wish you were here too, sis, thought Tevan. I wish someone were here.
But there was no one for hundreds of kilometers. Just Tevan, the stars, and the vast and lonely Dantooine wilderness.
The sun woke Tevan Kearu up the next morning, and with a stretch to loosen the muscles, he got up and started packing. What a waste, was his first thought. But it wasn't a waste, he decided on further reflection. At least he knew where the Rebellion wasn't. One more planet down, he thought, millions to go. Tevan wasn't a pessimist by nature, but having traveled several hundreds of lightyears for essentially nothing had him in a fairly foul mood. He had found, in fact, a Rebel base. But all that remained were a few useless pieces of electronic equipment and some clothes. It looked as thought the Rebels had left some time before. So now it was time to decide where to try next.
Tevan had begun his search for the Rebellion two months before. His first step was to casually gather information. Though young, Tevan was smart enough to know that it was virtual suicide to try any kind of open inquiry, especially on his homeworld of Corellia. True, there was a large resistance movement comprised of Corellians who didn't like the Empire. But the Imperial presence in the system made it virtual suicide to brazenly announce favor towards the Corellian Resistance. He didn't have the computer skills of his younger sister, Ellidara, otherwise he might have tried a bit of slicing. So he simply kept his eyes and ears open.
One day, as Tevan sat in a cantina in Coronet, the capital of Corellia, he overheard a pair of Imperial pilots talking about Rebel ships conducting hit-and-fade attacks on Imperial patrols at Bastion and Telos. The pilots said that after the attacks, the Rebel Y-Wings has fled Core-ward. This meant that they could have come from any one of a thousand systems that lie between Bastion and Telos, and the galaxy's Core.
A week later, a freighter pilot, over a very tall glass of Corellian rum, told the bartender at the same cantina that he had seen a scuffle between Rebel bombers and an Imperial convoy just outside the Agamar system. What Tevan found interesting is that in this attack, the pilot said the Rebels escaped in the direction of the Galactic Rim.
Tevan thought about that. General thought dictated that the Rebels were likely making a series of hyperspace jumps before the skirmishes, so as to mask their approach vectors. Tevan wondered at the likelihood of this, because while it made perfect strategic sense, he had heard of logistical problems in the Rebellion, increasing the chances of Rebel ships making no more than one or two jumps to their targets. If that were true, then the Rebels conducting the hit-and-fades would have to be staging from some system between Agamar and Telos or Bastion.
Tevan first considered the Laharan sector, as that would give the Rebels access to agricultural resources. But he ruled that out, due to the increasing presence of Imperial garrisons and fleets. That left the Tadrin and Raioballo sectors as the most likely.
Tevan decided to start with the Raioballo sector, knowing full well that it was likely Imperial Intelligence had come to the same conclusions he had, and that the Rebels might be long gone. But it was somewhere to start, and maybe along the way he would find more information that would allow him to refine his search.
Love,
Maggie
Tev switched the datapad off, put it back in his satchel, and rolled over in his sleeping bag.
"I don't know where you are...I'd be there, helping you..."
I wish you were here too, sis, thought Tevan. I wish someone were here.
But there was no one for hundreds of kilometers. Just Tevan, the stars, and the vast and lonely Dantooine wilderness.
The sun woke Tevan Kearu up the next morning, and with a stretch to loosen the muscles, he got up and started packing. What a waste, was his first thought. But it wasn't a waste, he decided on further reflection. At least he knew where the Rebellion wasn't. One more planet down, he thought, millions to go. Tevan wasn't a pessimist by nature, but having traveled several hundreds of lightyears for essentially nothing had him in a fairly foul mood. He had found, in fact, a Rebel base. But all that remained were a few useless pieces of electronic equipment and some clothes. It looked as thought the Rebels had left some time before. So now it was time to decide where to try next.
Tevan had begun his search for the Rebellion two months before. His first step was to casually gather information. Though young, Tevan was smart enough to know that it was virtual suicide to try any kind of open inquiry, especially on his homeworld of Corellia. True, there was a large resistance movement comprised of Corellians who didn't like the Empire. But the Imperial presence in the system made it virtual suicide to brazenly announce favor towards the Corellian Resistance. He didn't have the computer skills of his younger sister, Ellidara, otherwise he might have tried a bit of slicing. So he simply kept his eyes and ears open.
One day, as Tevan sat in a cantina in Coronet, the capital of Corellia, he overheard a pair of Imperial pilots talking about Rebel ships conducting hit-and-fade attacks on Imperial patrols at Bastion and Telos. The pilots said that after the attacks, the Rebel Y-Wings has fled Core-ward. This meant that they could have come from any one of a thousand systems that lie between Bastion and Telos, and the galaxy's Core.
A week later, a freighter pilot, over a very tall glass of Corellian rum, told the bartender at the same cantina that he had seen a scuffle between Rebel bombers and an Imperial convoy just outside the Agamar system. What Tevan found interesting is that in this attack, the pilot said the Rebels escaped in the direction of the Galactic Rim.
Tevan thought about that. General thought dictated that the Rebels were likely making a series of hyperspace jumps before the skirmishes, so as to mask their approach vectors. Tevan wondered at the likelihood of this, because while it made perfect strategic sense, he had heard of logistical problems in the Rebellion, increasing the chances of Rebel ships making no more than one or two jumps to their targets. If that were true, then the Rebels conducting the hit-and-fades would have to be staging from some system between Agamar and Telos or Bastion.
Tevan first considered the Laharan sector, as that would give the Rebels access to agricultural resources. But he ruled that out, due to the increasing presence of Imperial garrisons and fleets. That left the Tadrin and Raioballo sectors as the most likely.
Tevan decided to start with the Raioballo sector, knowing full well that it was likely Imperial Intelligence had come to the same conclusions he had, and that the Rebels might be long gone. But it was somewhere to start, and maybe along the way he would find more information that would allow him to refine his search.
My Creative Outlet
Taking a page out of Sarah and Kirsten's books, I'm going to start posting my story here, bit by bit, as it takes shape. It is Star Wars based, hence it's place here in Nerd World. Please feel free to read, enjoy, comment, critique, and so on. And if Star Wars isn't your thing, then don't read it. But input is always welcome and appreciated.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
For your information, the FOLLOWING ENTRY CONTAINS ::SPOILERS:: from Book 7. I will insert a generous amount of space to accomodate those who haven't finished it or who don't want to know.
Okay, here we go.
First, I'd like to honor those who gave their lives in defending Hogwarts and protecting Harry.
Remus Lupin- Killed while defending Hogwarts 
Nymphadora Tonks- Killed while defending Hogwarts
Fred Weasley- Killed while defending Hogwarts
Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody- Killed while protecting Harry Potter
Severus Snape- Killed by Voldemort while undercover
Colin Creevey- Killed during the Battle of Hogwarts
Dobby- Killed while helping Harry Potter escape Malfoy Manor
Hedwig- Killed while Harry was escaping from Privet Drive
And a tribute to two heroes who died for Harry earlier:
Sirius Black- Killed while defending Harry in the Department of Mysteries
Albus Dumbledore- Killed by Snape, who was acting on his orders
Albus Dumbledore- Killed by Snape, who was acting on his orders
And let us not forget James and Lily Potter, who died to protect their son, which sacrifice allowed him to become The Boy Who Lived and the man who would defeat Voldemort.
So now here's my review:
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What a way to end the most engaging book series since The Lord of the Rings! Each book got better and better, and this one was easily the best. It should be, since it's the bookend on the whole Harry Potter world.
I loved the beginning- the first few chapters, right through the wedding, are so dark and foreboding- we hear about plans to overthrow the Ministry of Magic, then hear that it's happened not long after that. We lose both Moody and Hedwig, and Hagrid has a close call.
The middle of the book moves well, even though it doesn't really hit you just how much time is passing until there's a reference to a date or season. It's really highlighted by the flashes harry gets of Voldemort's mind (the scene where Voldemort recalls the night he killed Lily and James is chilling), as well as the revelation about the Deathly Hallows.
The climax is gripping, exciting, moving, emotional and poignant, as we watch Harry figure out the Ravenclaw Horcrux, go to Voldemort, learn the truth behind Snape, and accept his impending death.
It's spotted by moments of shock and grief- Fred's death, Harry seeing Lupin's and Tonks' bodies, Crabbe destroying himself in a reckless accident.
Harry's march towards fate is powerful, and makes me wonder what I would think or feel if I knew that death was imminent. And I love chapters where everything is illuminated, like "The Prince's Tale" and "King's Cross," where learn who Snape and Dumbledore really were and why they did what they did. The explanation chapters (usually at the end of the books) have always been among my favorite- not because I didn't understand what happened- I had the pieces organized for the most part; these chapters were just the glue to seal the pieces together.
My favorite scene of the entire thing, predictably, is the climactic confrontation between Harry and Voldemort. It's powerful watching Harry confront the monster that claimed so many of his friends and caused so much fear, made more powerful by the fact that because Harry has faced death and overcome, he has nothing to fear. He is immune to Voldemort's primary weapon- fear- and turns it back on the Dark Lord himself. Harry has nothing to lose, because he's already displayed complete willingness to give everything up "for the greater good." And so he's triumphant and lives to find a full and happy life that, seven years previous, he'd never have imagined.
So, now to address where I was right in my predictions, and where I was wrong.
RIGHT: Harry lives. WRONG: He dies too. I also firmly believed he wasn't a Horcrux. But I was slightly right since Harry wasn't an intentional Horcrux- I'd had the thought that maybe he WAS an accidental Horcrux long before I read Book 7, but wrote it off thinking that such a powerful bit of Dark Magic couldn't really happen by accident.
RIGHT: I knew Snape wasn't the evil villain Harry felt him to be, I always believed he was acting as Dumbledore wanted. I predicted he would die. WRONG: I didn't think his death would redeem him totally, but after reading about his past, while some things he's done are cruel and vicious, he turned out to be an honorable man.
RIGHT: Snape died. WRONG: Hagrid didn't. I predicted Hagrid and Snape would be "The Two," the main characters to die. Hey- .500 is a great batting average.
WRONG: Malfoy would help the good guys. He isn't the monster that Voldemort is, and isn't as bad as his father. But he's still a slimey git.
WRONG: Lupin would kill Greyback, and Neville would kill Bellatrix. I counted on the classic revenge/rivalry factor, and missed the mark. I'm not sure if Greyback died, but I love the way Bellatrix met her end. Molly Weasley owns.
RIGHT: Dumbledore would come back in his painting. WRONG: He didn't help Harry through the painting, as I thought he would. But I knew we'd see him and hear from him somehow.
RIGHT: R.A.B. was Regulus Black. WRONG: Nothing. I hit it dead on the nail (of course, so did pretty much everyone else).
So there you have it. My thoughts and feelings about Book 7. More thoughts will come and they will be better organized as I read it again and again, which I am absolutely sure I will do.
To Harry Potter, the Chosen One and the Boy Who Lives!
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