GOOD LORD, I DID IT

I’ve been having to spend a lot of time on the internet this past weekend, yesterday, and today (time I would have rather spent doing other things, but this was necessary) rearranging the work on my literary blog so as to make it easier for agents, publishers, business partners, investors, etc. to locate my work in a single locale.

I did have my stuff scattered about on various “categories” on my blog(s) but that was apparently making it hard for agents and others to review my stuff. So on each blog I created a new category entitled: MY WRITINGS AND WORK

Now anyone can find anything I have created, written, or posted on my blogsites with a single click. This should be much, much more efficient and useful.

But it has been hard work to go back through all of my old posts, locate my work, and collate it into a single on-line collection.

So it has taken days (literally) of search, edit, and reorganize. But I’m halfway done with Wyrdwend, my literary blog, and as of now my new category/collection contains 88 pieces of my work. Including such things as my short stories, poetry, children’s stories, children’s books, songs, invention sketches, business articles, criticisms, scripts, graphic novels, essays, novel extracts, game designs, etc.

Whatever I have so far put up.

I figure when I finally finish with my archives by the end of the week the category/collection/link will contain about 160 or so pieces of original work.

Once that is done I’ll do the same for all of my other blogs, including Launch Port, Tome and Tomb, and the Missal.

By the way here is the collection link: MY WRITINGS AND WORK

NEW PUBLICATION SCHEDULE

Recently I have been involved in a number of different projects that have left me little time for blogging. I have been writing the lyrics for my second album, Locus Eater, I have been writing and plotting my novel The Basilegate, I have been putting together a crowdfunding project for one of my inventions and one of my games, I have been helping with and compiling material for my wife’s new career as a public speaker, and helping my oldest daughter prepare to enter college. In addition I have been speaking with and seeking a new agent. I have even been preparing a new paper on some of the work of Archimedes and what I have gleaned from it. Finally I have been preparing my Spring Offensive, which is now completed.

All of which have kept me extremely busy.

However I have not been entirely ignoring my blogging either. In background I have been preparing a much improved Publication Schedule for all five of my blogs, my business blog Launch Port, my design and gaming blog Tome and Tomb, my personal blog The Missal, my amalgamated blog Omneus, and this blog,  Wyrdwend.

Now that most of these other pressing matters are well underway and on an even keel this allows me more time to return to blogging.

So below you will find my new Publication Schedule which I’ll also keep posted as one of the header pages on my blogs.

So, starting on Monday, March the 15th, 2015, and unless something unforeseen interferes this will be the Publication Schedule for this blog every week, including the Topic Titles and the general list of Subject Matters for that given day. That way my readers can know what to expect of any given day and what I intend to publish for that day. I will also occasionally make off-topic post as interesting material presents itself.

 

Wyrdwend – 11:00 – 12:00 AM

Monday: First Verse – Poem, Song, Music
Tuesday: Tuesday’s Tale – Short Story, Children’s Story, etc.
Wednesday: Highmoot – Reader Discussions and Commenting, Reblogs
Thursday: Hammer, Tongs, and Tools – Tools, Linked In, Essay, Non-Fiction, etc.
Friday: Bookends – Serialized Novel, Graphic Novel, Script
Saturday: The Rewrite – Reblog best Personal Posts, Review
Sunday – Sabbath

 

THE ENTITLED TRIBUTARY TALES

These two posts, The Tributary Tales, and Conan, Baba Yaga, and Tôl Karuţha will explain what I mean by the Tributary Tales.

Suffice it to say that over the holidays (in my spare time between Thanksgiving and Christmas)  I made basic, and sometimes quite complicated, plot and character sketches of the Tributary Tales I wish to write.

Below is the new and expanded list of the Tributary Tales I will write and the titles for each story. I’ll post plot and character sketches and the stories themselves as I write them. I’ve made good progress on Tôl Karuţha and on My Battered Heart already, with the second being a graphic novel script, not a short story. The Godzilla story, Rising Son, will actually be a film script not a short story. But most all of the others will be short stories or short novellas.

I will work on these stories and scripts in my spare time, they will not interfere with my business, novel, or non-fiction work.

So, here is my list of entitled Tributary Tales:

THE TRIBUTARY TALES

Tales of the Fictional (or partially fictional) and Mythical Characters that had the most influence on me growing up or that in later life most appealed to me

Aeneas – The Flight from Knossos
Batman – My Battered Heart
Beowulf – The Good King Comes But Once
Cole and Hitch – The Ravine Near Ridgewater
Conan – The Vengeance of Tôl Karuţha
Daredevil – Black and Blood Red
Doc Savage – Savage Is as Savage Does
Galahad – Galahad and the Golden Stag
Godzilla – Rising Son: The Eternal Ocean is my Womb
Hephaestus – The Forging of the Titan’s Chain
Horatio Hornblower – The Jib’s Complaint
Jack Aubrey – The American Problem
John Carter – The City Never Seen
John Galt – Free is a Four Letter Word
Kirk and Spock (Star Trek original series) – The Battleship Remission
Lone Ranger – The Cold Wind at Sunrise

Lovecraftian  – The Secret Grave of Harrow Hill

Merlin – The Bones of Old Stone
Nathaniel Bumppo (Hawkeye) and Chingachgook – Blood Feather
Orpheus – No Music May Soothe, or perhaps, Tears of Iron
Parsifal – The Sorcerer’s Swan
Philip Marlowe – The Crooked Dane
Robin the Hood – The Fletcher and the Fulmen
Roland – The Menhir and the Moor
Sherlock Holmes – The Case of the 12 Septembers
Siegfried – The Rhine-Wine (of the Black Elf)
Solomon Kane – With Evil Intent
Spenser – High Roll Her
Taliesin (Taliesin Ben Beirdd) – Sweetly Sang yet Rarely Ventured
Tarzan – The Ruins of Khumbar and the Slave Girl
Túrin Tarambar – The Piercing of Melkor’s Doom

11 STEP GUIDE TO SCENE/SCREEN WRITING

11 STEP GUIDE TO SCENE/SCREEN WRITING

This is not my Tool, I did not write or create it. Nevertheless I think it is a very useful tool, and one worth using.

MY BATTERED HEART – A BATMAN SCRIPT AND WRITING CHALLENGE

Several years ago I started writing a Batman script for either a multi-issue storyline, a graphic novel, or possibly as a filmscript treatment. I am not representing this as either a completed work or any kind of official DC script as I never tried to sell it and I’ve rewritten sections of it about 3 times now. I also started it before the NEW 52 events.

This is entirely my own work and it began as an experiment to give me practice at writing both Graphic Novel scripts and screenplay scripts.

I won’t go into any great detail about the overall plot as I still intend to finish it and pitch it, as either a graphic novel script or a screenplay script. If you’d like to take this up as a writing challenge then show us your own Batman script.

Since today is Batman’s Anniversary I thought I’d post it today. Let me know what you think of it as if you liked it. Keep in mind that it’s only the introduction:

 

MY BATTERED HEART

DETECTIVE COMICS / NO 21 MY BATTERED HEART

07/31/11 JOHN GUNTER 1

John Gunter DC: 21 My Battered Heart 1

PAGE ONE, PANEL ONE:

Shot opens with Batman squatting over a body which is partially concealed by shadows and in which no face or personally distinguishing features can be seen. It is raining heavily and Batman is seen from behind while the steam from his breath snakes overhead.

NO COPY

PAGE ONE, PANEL TWO:

A loud grunt is heard and a crash and an explosion is noticed to the left of a wide-angle shot, form above, of the scene where Batman examines the corpse. The force of wind form the blast blows Batman’s cape and knocks him over but he is not caught directly in the blast but in the periphery.

This panel is a three-part split panel. The first shows the grunt and Batman cocking his head at an angle in reaction.

SFX: grunt

Second part of the panel displays the crash with Batman half turned in the direction of the crash.

SFX: Kreesh

Third part of the panel shows expanding explosion and Batman three quarters turned to the blast as it hits him, blows his cape, and knocks him backwards.

PAGE ONE, PANEL THREE:

CAPTION: (at top of panel) HE WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT HE KNOWS WHAT JUST HAPPENED AND WHY, BUT HE DOUBTS HIS FIRST INSTINCT IS RIGHT

JG    DC: 21    My Battered Heart 2

Batman stands in a crouched position, his head turned towards the explosion and with his head partially leaning downwards towards the ground as if to avoid flying objects. Debris is seen still floating by and there is a sensation of light and heat from the area of the explosion. Batman is seen touching his cell phone on his utility belt.

This panel is a split panel. In the first section Batman is in crouch position, touches his communications earpiece in his cowl, which makes a beeping sound and shows a bright green light on his utility belt.

SFX: deet

1 BATMAN: (Thought Balloon) This couldn’t be what I think it is, and yet…
2 BATMAN: Oracle, can you alert the fire department and EMS workers to the waterfront on 1515 Hudson Road. There’s been an explosion. A Big One.
3. ORACLE: On the way. Anyone hurt?
4. BATMAN: Don’t know yet, it just happened. I’m going to investigate, but tell them to be cautious. The scene could be rigged with follow-on explosives to try and lure in additional victims. The area should be swept first as a precaution.

The second part of this panel shows Batman moving cautiously towards the area of the explosion with his cell phone still open.

5 BATMAN: (Thought Balloon) Good Lord, this can’t be what I think it is…
6 ORACLE: Alright. Then should I also notify the police directly?
7 BATMAN: Give me two or three minutes, though the fire department will probably cover it, or the police will pick it up from their dispatch. Though there is something… not… (Batman’s voice trails off into a whisper)

PAGE ONE, PANEL FOUR:

Batman creeps along the scene moving nearer to the explosion though the heat and light are dissipating, and the heavy rain is suppressing the fire. Rain beats heavily on his head and body and the shadows are returning.

NO COPY

PAGE ONE, PANEL FIVE:

Batman reaches the outer edge of the fire and notices a bright red, stationary light in the distance. It contrasts with the dying yellow light and thick black smoke of the fire. Batman reaches for his night vision binoculars.

NO COPY

JG    DC: 21     My Battered Heart 3

PAGE TWO, PANEL ONE: HALF PAGE PANEL, TOP OF PAGE

Shot is seen through the green light of the night vision binocs. The image is grainy and somewhat distorted by the rain. But a figure can be seen chained to partially exposed scaffolding about 90 or 100 yards away, along the top of a two-story building, and beside a red light attached to a pole. The figure seems to be struggling desperately against the bonds, seems to have a heavy, encumbering jacket or vest across their body, is hooded, and with their face turned upwards. Rain beats the figure.

NO COPY

PAGE TWO, PANEL TWO: SLIM PANEL IN CENTER OF PAGE

Shot still seen through binoculars as figure detonates violently from explosive vest wrapped around chest. Shot seems shaky. [Thinness of panel seems to help compress explosive force upwards and downwards as if explosion is shaped charge.]

SFX: BAAA-WHOOOMMM

1 BATMAN: (Thought Balloon) God… Da…

PAGE TWO, PANEL THREE: HALF PAGE PANEL, BOTTOM OF PAGE

Shot seen from behind Batman as slim center panel partially splits top and bottom panels.
To the left we can see Batman lowering his binoculars and touching his earpiece again. At the right we can see the explosion and part of the wall and building collapse from the force of the blast.

2 ORACLE: Batman! Batman! Are you okay?
3 BATMAN: (very grimly, almost whispered) Send everyone. And send them now.

PAGE THREE, PANEL ONE, FULL PAGE, SPLASH, TITLE PAGE

Batman is seen backing slowly back into the shadows while debris rains down and a thick cloud of dust shoots skywards, as three or four more bright red lights can now be noticed to have appeared in the distance.