The Mass Effect "Fan-Fic" And The Past & Future of The Blog.
A lot of the posts on this blog are of a semi-formal nature. I don't get a chance to express myself about things outside from gaming or the mass effect writings. So I thought I'd take the opportunity to just share thought on things going on with me. In a segment I like to call "Press the Issue" name after the PCPR radio station from Vice City. So, let's press the issue.
So firstly is what the aim of the blog was to start with. Some of the Facebook readers will know what I'm heavily dyslexic and some of you may be able to tell what I struggle with writing. The blogs aim was to improve some of my skills before I started at university after taking a year out to teach. The over all experience so far has been surprising, fulfilling and at the same time scary and even at times mildly stressful. For one I never expected so many Non-English readers to be the majority of my viewer and commenter base and it's been really fantastic to get my thoughts and opinions out to all the readers from all over the world. I feel like I managed to do my job (some what) in giving the readers something interesting to read and I hope that it hasn't been too painful to read.
It's really been a test for me and I feel like I've mostly overcome the barriers set out by my own brain. For those who don't know my main issue is finding the words to express my thoughts. I'll often under-sell what I'm thinking or use the wrong words entirely when making a point. I also can't spell and spelling some words that I've used required me to take three minutes to search. Furthermore due to my "interesting" vocabulary it's meant that writing a post can be very time consuming. Thank **** I enjoy it! It's been a brilliant learning experience for me and has helped in ironing out some of the kinks that cause such hurdles for me when I write. I still don't know how to properly construct paragraphs and I'll probably never will, but it's been fun to try.
The fan fics were an idea that I'd been playing around with for a very long time. I often find myself playing with ideas for a short novel but then (due to my lovely dyslexia and over hurdles) the ideas ether become crap, too "out there" or just simply non-structured. Then the idea came to me "why don't I just write from an all ready existing setting and create characters from there?" I hope the results of which have been as enjoyable to read as they have been to write and I look to end the mini series soon (maybe until the next set of games come out.)
So, really quickly some FAQ's from the "Fan-Fics".
- Why do you refuse to call them what they are; Fan Fics. For me there's a certain stigma associated with Fan-Fics? One of them is that they overly fantasise over characters. I didn't want that, and thought due to the relationship what two of my characters have from the outset I didn't want the reader to start reading with this association in their minds. I wanted to tell them what they were about to read. A short story set in and based around a pre-existing universe what I'm a fan of.
- Why "The Nameless Turian"? I like to, in my writings have a character which the reader can reflect themselves upon however still be the basis of the story. Having a silent protagonist is almost impossible (in my opinion) in a novel and thus I had to work around it. What I came up with was the Nameless Turian. The readers don't know his name, and its only refereed to by the opinions of other characters. This allows the reader to make their own name for him and construct what they think he looks like by their own understanding of what a Turian is. And I like it this way.
- What's the planning process? I set a basic plan for each chapter (which sometimes changes in turn for a better idea) and I plan a skeleton for the post on a post by post basis. However despite this from the start I had to things all ready planned out. The main characters and the ending. The rest seemed to fall into place during creation. Originally it was going to be the Blue Suns as the main villains however this didn't make much sense due to them joining Shepard's army against the Reapers, then it was just the Reapers, however they lacked a certain kind of mystery that I wanted from a villain, we pretty much know all that needs to be learnt by the reapers. So instead I picked the band of mystery mercenaries who's intentions are just a pure unknown to everyone, which I liked the idea of. There's that fear of playing Russian Roulette which I wanted to portray. And they're most certainly that personified
- Is Shepard a Male of a Female and what are they good or evil? I never want the reader to know. I wanted it to be up to the reader to decide who Shepard is. The only this is assumed is that He/She completed the events in the Leviathan DLC. That's it. The story was meant to be separate from the Mass effect Games and that's how it will stay.
So what's the future of the blog? Well I'll still be doing the reviews (and The next in the Heroes of Might and Magic reviews will be out next week) as for the Mass Effect Fan-Fics they are on their final chapter until the next game, whether that will be a prequel and just a continuation will be up to what happens with the game. Regardless I look forward to then. Everything else is down to the reader. You have total reign over what happens. I have ideas for other short stories (though they will be an ORIGINAL idea and not based on anything.) Reviews will still be posted every so often however much less frequent due to time restraints from Uni. Other than that... we'll just see where the wind takes us.
That's been tonights Press the Issue. Hope you've enjoyed this little insight into my brain. Please be sure to leave a comment in the box bellow. And Until next time.... My name's been ThespianHunter, I dropped a 25KG weight on my foot while writings this.. and I'll catch you next time!
