Look and Listen

Biography

A Little Background

So how did I go from story concept to the drafting of Requiem of the Fallen Light of Mantra, the novel. Well that is a real good question and believe me it was not easy at all. It involved an epic effort and a net loss of about $8 k at the hands of some questionable associates. It was a lot for a writer with no budget initially looking for a quick pay day. It was an experience that led to some very hard learned lessons. That said let me begin…

A Little Quick Cash

Back in the early 2002 time frame I had an idea. That idea centered on a story filled with magic and the supernatural, mixed with a little swordplay in a sort of an Arabian knights type of setting. But this story would not be told in the world of novels. Instead it would be written as a screenplay.

I remember the day, my brother Robert was living in Philadelphia. He gave me a pitch over the phone on screenplays and how easy they would be to write and how much money we could make by writing them. Hey, at the time I was working two jobs and welcomed the idea of honest quick money. So that, “Thanks Giving”, I drove up to my brother’s home and we talked about the screenplay and its potential for generating quick cash over a frying turkey. He showed me a book on Screenwriting he had read. I skimmed through it and was sold.

I had already begun a novel on the subject. It was called (Siblings) at the time and I knew it was going to take a lot of work, that is, no quick money there. Truthfully I had no idea how to begin. I just sat down and started writing. There was no boundary, no rules, and only the abstract tinkering with words that I hoped would end in a story you the reader would enjoy. The screenplay seemed so much more black and white, the blue print of a movie versus the detail of a novel. I didn’t have to worry about what I then thought of as the verbose nature of the Novel. The screenplay in essence was simple, get in and get out. I was so wrong.

I began the screenplay in 2002 and finished it late 2005. I found that there was a lot more to the craft than I had ever thought, developing the story central theme, to establishing the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd acts to character development and the establishment of character arcs. Leading lady? My first story Siblings, which morphed into Blood Chronicles: the Beginning, didn’t have one. It only involved a father’s and son’s travel to the Fire Ring. It was very linier. Along the way I thought I would wow the audience by throwing a number of obstacles in the way, no real purpose at the time. It was just something to move the plot along. When I felt brave enough I sent it to a Reader and was given a rating of fair. But in the end it had to many short falls, no leading lady, open ended, murky (i.e. to many typos and issues with grammar), and it was felt that the story just lacked a something.

After about three months when I calmed down, I decided that I wanted to complete this screenplay but I also decided that I did not want my story to die at the footsteps of Hollywood. I felt that as an outsider to this craft looking in, that everything was against me. This line of thinking lead to the development of the novel Blood Chronicles: the Beginning (2006). At this point I had spent about $900 dollars and countless hours.

Blood Chronicles: the Beginning (2006) / Enter the Ghost Writer

During early (2006) I knew I had a lot of work to do on the screenplay so I had this brilliant idea. I would hire a ghost writer to take the screenplay and turn it into a polished novel. Oh how wrong I was. At the time I didn’t even know what I was looking for from a novel point of view, which meant I was putting total trust into this individual who was to take an create a novel from my screenplay.

I did an internet search and found a site where you could post projects and have potential, ghost writers bid on your project. The bids ranged from 3k - 10k dollars. I took the middle of the road bid which was 5k. I knew some of my bills at the time would suffer, but hey, I felt that it would pay off in the long run. I also felt that I had come too far to stop now. Besides, I felt the general story concept was solid and that all it would take is this ghost writer to bring it all together. Well, while I was off taking an online course in screenwriting and reading online creative writing blogs of the time, I left the novel writing to the ghostwriter reviewing some of her work from time to time. I placed complete trust in her as I really didn’t know what to look for.

Yes, there were flags that said she didn’t know what she was doing but my investment was such that I could only move forward. I took the final project, paid in full, and moved to self publish it. No time to review, I was behind on bills and needed the money that I figured this would generate to make up for the 5K I paid the Ghostwriter. I didn’t realize until have way through the publishing of the novel that it was a poor product. I had found the time and began to critique my upcoming book. With the screenwriting class I had taken and the readings I had conducted I completed the review my book and had a terrible epiphany … DEAR GOD, I was so distraught over the quality of the end published novel (if you could call it that) I did not know what to think. Behind on bills, it was apparent that I would stay that way for a while.

Blood Chronicles: the Beginning, was a 232 page DOUBLE SPACED disaster. It was largely a cut and paste of my original screenplay. I was in such a rush and relied so much on faith in her abilities that I had never really critiqued her end work it in its entirety. But it was too late. Blood Chronicles was published in late 2006. I sold maybe 100 copies, if that. I was so ashamed of the book that I stopped marketing it regardless of the kind words from my friends who bought it and read it (Not to mention I really didn’t understand this concept, marketing, either until later. I will discuss more in Preview 4 of Requiem of the Fallen Light of Mantra.)

I remember praying to God to give me success in my writings but in the end this was really not my work, i.e. the novel. The one good thing that came of it was that I provided my contact information and requested input from my readers. Of the books I sold I received input from the majority of my audience. In each case they loved the premise, but wanted to know more about the land of Potieth and the Kingdom of Mantra, as well as some of its supporting cast like Mantra’s queen Patricia. This was its one saving grace. At the very least I knew my story (concept) was sound. But the book’s performance ended with a final tab of roughly, $5K for the Ghostwriter and $2k to publish (audio/paperback) and the initial $900 (Professional Reader/ Software). The sales were extremely insignificant in contrast.

Well, heartbroken I sucked up my loses, mentally took off from the failed attempt, and focused back on my Screenwriting. I met an associate with knowledge in the field and began revisiting my old Screenplay, Blood Chronicles. Mind you at the time I had just discovered audio books on CD, where I rediscovered Tolkien and J.K. Rowling. I was driving a 6 hours a day round trip commute to work between DC and home. During this time I listened to tales of Tolkien and J.K. Rowling repeatedly for about six months to a year straight. How I love these authors. They were so creative, detailed and visual in their descriptions. They were so compelling in their delivery and well thought of in their craft. I learned a lot from them. Also, I began integrating Dramatica Pro Software creative writing concepts into my writing approach and begun employing the aid of an editor/proofreader in to the polishing of my projects. In early 2008 I was two years removed from the publishing of Blood Chronicles, and felt it was time to revisit the story, THE RIGHT WAY.

Requiem of the Fallen, Light of Mantra (THE NOVEL)

With writing support (second eye on story concept - See the Credits section of this site), Dramatica Pro as my ready digital writing consultant, and the tools I picked up from my creative writing classes, readings, and audio book studies, I revisited all aspects of Blood chronicles; story, character, and scope. By my own hands I completed the manuscript now named Requiem of the Fallen Light of Mantra (2011). It was an odyssey in light of the 6 hour round trips to work, the 10 hour workdays as a government contractor, School (Achieving a BSIT and MSIT) and the family time owed to my children. It would become a four year effort, enlisting the aid of my editor and proofreader in the polishing phase of the final manuscript (825 double spaced pages). I had learned my lessons, there was no quick money and no short cuts. I would cut NO corners.

But this was just the manuscript. To complete the novel and to support the marketing of my book I needed to address the cover art, book illustrations (11 total), and book trailer. To do so I conducted numerous web searches identifying the individuals that could provide the services required (see credits sections) at the desired price. I also took the time to learn how to develop certain media (e.g. website, trailers, graphics), the knowledge of which aided in managing the selection, development, and integration of the individual components which together complete the end product, Requiem of the Fallen Light of Mantra (THE NOVEL). In the end it was an international effort that saw the task completed within a budget that was agreeable.

In hind sight, am I angry for how I got to this point? This epic journey that cost a lot in time, money, and effort. To a degree I am. But at the end of the day it was my choices that cost me. Still, I learned a lot of valuable lessons. It was these lessons that enabled me to put out the end product that I know you all will enjoy, Requiem of the Fallen Light of Mantra.

Don't worry, the sequel to Requiem of the Fallen: Light of Mantra (Requiem of the Fallen: Kingdom of Ivoron) will not take as long its predecessor. This year after completing my first science fiction novella, (Tentatively titled, “Perlas”- Coming Soon - Dec. 12’, I will look to complete the sequel to the "Light of Mantra" around the Dec. 2013 time frame.

Inspiration

There are two women in my life that had the greatest and most profound impact on who I am today (Mrs. Martha Nelson my grandmother and Mrs. Patricia Starks my mom). Together they taught me the importance of family. My mother was murdered by my step father as she sacrificed all trying to provide for myself and my siblings. My grandmother took us in as a last request of my mother and she raised 5 children ages 12 – 19. She didn’t hesitate. She took us in and loved us all. I look back and I realize the strain we put on her. At times I know we must have been hell. Man I miss her, I miss them both so much. But it was their sacrifice that taught me the value of family a lesson I try and teach to my own children. This is the first part or component of who I am personally and as a writer. This is also a key component to Requiem of the Fallen’s Theme, THE IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY.

Well while my Mother and Grandmother raise us, I matured in the US Navy. It was here that I was taught the value of Duty and the responsibility tied to it. Sometimes my duty to my country came in conflict with the lesson I learned from those great women in my life. Specifically, those months on end I was taken from my family in... service to my country. I later came to realize that it was necessary. It was our duty as soldiers to ensure the safety of not only my family but all Americans. Such is the duty of a service man, a necessary sacrifice. It is here that I learned about my Duty and responsibilities to my family and country as well as the sacrifice that comes with it. This is the second part of who I am personally and as a writer. This is also another key component of Requiem of the Fallen’s theme, DUTY and SACRIFICE.

So what do you get when you take a lesson as important as THE IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY and interweave it with a lesson equally important involving the value of one’s DUTY and SACRIFICE to one’s country. Well I’ll tell you, you have Requiem of the Fallen’s central theme argued in parallel through two perspectives; that of a sixteen year old warrior Ralir (Pronounced: Rah – Leer) and his sick and dying father Shivalsa (Pronounced: Shee – Val – Sah); and then from the higher vantage point of their King and Queen, the monarchs of the land of Mantra.