AwW Chapters IV & V Launch + Now on Google+! + Other Little Things

It's been a while since I posted here. Granted, I've gone at least twice as long without posting before, but considering how often I'd been posting up to now, this is pretty unusual. I've been really busy. Thanks, school. (More on something writing-related at school later on!)

Since my last post, both the fourth and fifth chapters of Armed with Wings have been completed and published to the ZU Forums. "Chapter IV: This Power" is the first chapter to focus entirely on Vandheer Lorde, shedding (semi-unofficial) light on how he became so powerful and power-hungry. Poor kid. Anyway, "Chapter V: Blackmist Beast," which was released today, switches back to Armed with Wings's perspective and journey as he comes face to face with a deadly creature made of the purest blackmist. It is a very painful battle. For both involved. Check them out, and if you aren't caught up, you can read the prologue and Chapters I through III using the same link! Enjoy!

On January 26, 2012, Google finally opened up its lightspeed-growing social network Google+ (Google Plus) to users aged 13 to 17, having been open only to users aged 18 and up since it first opened in June of last year. Having held a legitimate grudge against Facebook since it was first revealed how horrible its advertising policies and privacy policies are, I have never experienced social networking beyond Internet discussion forums (hey, ZU!) until joining Google+. And let me tell you: it's awesome! I've already almost reconnected with a good friend from camp the first year I went (2004), and I've been playing social games with my friends (Dragons of Atlantis, Millionare City, Edgeworld, and Bejeweled Blitz), which are more fun than they should be! If you are a fan of my written works, my podcasting, voice work, etc., feel free to add me to your Circles! +Eric Biskin. I will be creating a Google+ Page for the Many Worlds of EzloSpirit in the coming weeks, so look out for that, too!

I have removed the Current page from the blog. As you may know if you read my previous post, The Current, my recent fully original project, is currently on-hold until further notice. As such, I have deemed it unnecessary to have a whole page dedicated to it at this point. Whether or not I will create a page dedicated solely to Armed with Wings and the Blackmist Chronicles series remains to be seen. It is likely, however, especially after I start writing Episode I.

On Google Sites (more Google!), I started a site dedicated to an entirely fake television network fittingly (and pathetically) called "The TV Channel," a little thing I made up when I was about four years old (before the 21st century?!) for the purpose of entertaining myself. It includes tons of references to stories I have written, partially written, and will eventually write. Check it out if you're into that kind of thing...?

At school a few weeks ago, I worked with my adviser/English teacher and one of my friends (both are writers) to come up with a proposal for a creative writing after-school activity that could begin next year. At my school, after-school activities are required, and I'm sick of working on the school newspaper (which I also think has gone down the drain as a newspaper, mind you), so this would allow me to have some fun during the fall (and winter?) trimesters for once AND to get some good old writing done! Thought I'd mention this. Nothing has been finalized, though. Apparently, the Head of School loved the idea. The Head of Athletics, who organizes the after-school activities, is apparently much more resistant to the idea. Funnily enough, he apparently used to be an English teacher. Strange response.

Finally, I have proposed the idea of a biannual Writing forum-exclusive awards "ceremony" on the ZU Forums. These would be voted upon twice a year by ZU members who both read and write works in the Writing board. Awards may include ones for best writers and poets, best overall original fiction, best overall fan fiction, best poem, most improved writer, most established writer, etc. Maybe even a veteran's achievement award. It's still in the planning stages, but if you are a member of the Zelda Universe Forums, head over to The Writers' Pad to give your input! Thanks to Writing forum "head moderator" Holden and Writing moderator Vynrah for your support!

That's about it for now! I look forward to lots of progress (completion?) on Armed with Wings over the course of 2012 (and maybe two or three new short stories?)! Until next time! (Look forward to it: I wrote a new song last month inspired by Armed with Wings! I'll post the lyrics and maybe a recording here in my next post!)

P.S. My birthday is in 12 days. No, I wasn't born in a dag nab leap year; whenever I say my birthday is February 28, the first thing people always say or ask is related to being close to a Leap Day.

Return to Fan Fiction?! + Return to Novel-Writing

Did I manage to go an entire month without posting here? Wow. Well, my birthday was at the end of last month. Just wanted to put that out there.

Anyway, last month saw my return to fan fiction. What is fan fiction? Fan fiction is written literature (almost exclusively novellas; however, fan fiction novels, short stories, and even poems have also been written) that takes elements from one or more existing books, movies, TV shows, video games, etc. Commonly, these include the characters, setting, and even plot. Pieces of fan fiction are always unofficial, hence the "fan" part of "fan fiction."

Like I said, I have recently returned to fan fiction. That's right: this is not my first piece of fan fiction. Back in summer '09, I began working on a Legend of Zelda fan fiction (it's on the Master List with a link included) of which I only made it to nine chapters before tossing it aside. Why did I toss it aside? Because it was getting pretty stupid. I have always tended to look down on fan fiction, considering it "unoriginal art," lacking creativity on the part of the writer. Given this fact, I have no idea why I decided to return to fan fiction. I think something snapped inside my head a month ago, and I went insane. Or something to that effect.

Back in January, I began watching the English-dubbed French animated series Code Lyoko again, of which I'd first watched a good portion of the first season back in 2004 or so. It is a tween/teen cartoon/CGI science fiction series following the adventures of five junior high/high school-aged boarding students who go into a virtual world called Lyoko, which is located inside of a supercomputer in the basement of a defunct automobile factory, in order to battle an evil entity known as X.A.N.A., which is intent on escaping Lyoko and taking over Earth. X.A.N.A. (which doesn't really stand for anything, as far as the fanbase knows) has the power to manipulate things on Earth, including the ability to possess animals and people.

Why am I talking about Code Lyoko? Because that's what my new fan fiction is based on! The fan fiction, which is updated chapter-by-chapter exclusively on the Zelda Universe Forums, is titled Code Lyoko: Virtualization and is the first in a trilogy of fan fiction pieces known as Code Lyoko: More Than a Game. The first three chapters are currently available, with the fourth chapter temporarily on hold (just for a couple weeks to a month).