A World Suffused With Sound...

I've been prepping some thoughts for National Novel Writing Month, deciding to pursue My Soundscope. After some thinking, I realized I didn't have that motivation to really make that story work. I wanted so much to explore my "love letter" to anime, specifically RahXephon (this is the term I've used to describe the story for a while).

That's when the format dawned on me completely: I should write it as a love letter.

Not only would it be a love letter, it would be a letter from "Ayato," ultimately meant to be read by "Haruka." Neither of which are actually characters in My Soundscope. (OK, in all fairness, Ayato is going to end up being a character, but I'm going to do everything I can to hide that fact.) This love letter would also serve as a history for both the setting and for the events of the novel; Ayato mentions his past with Haruka while telling her what he's seeing.

So, from the world of anime, what stereotypes will I be exploiting?

Sinister all-powerful anti-hero? Yeah.
Pensive teenage hero? Yes.
Cute scientist girl? Stoic cyborg woman? Yes, they're the same character.
Villain with white hair, narrow eyes, and a sword? Of course.
Pseudo-apocalyptic plot? Yeah, it wouldn't be anime otherwise.
Whiny mech pilot? No, there aren't any mechs.
Tentacle monsters? Next question.
Nurse Snikt? AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
Uber-powerful teenage schoolgirl? There just might be.
Gruff nihilistic swordsmen? No, I've got a nihilist character, but he doesn't use a sword.

Enough already. Add more questions if you like. I've got work to do.

Writing Notes 12-7-2006

Just a description of the current state of things.

1. Got a little bit of Ashes of War going again. I'm working on something of a chase sequence. Several giant anteaters chasing each other while their riders clash swords.

2. My Soundscope is slowly coming together. The characters are starting to develop in my mind as actual characters and not placeholders for characters. The big debate right now is over how many primary male protagonists there will be (one or two). I need a duelist and a computer expert, but I'm not sure if it should be the same character.

3. Been talking to a few friends I haven't spoken with in quite a while. I was reminded that I not only have a mostly finished short story that I can polish, but I also have a draft of a novel I can do the same thing with. This is why I decided I needed to get back to writing again. Slow and steady wins the race.

Suffused with Sound 4

In My Soundscope, if someone sees this--



--they should probably run. Why? As I'm sure you might have already guessed, this is the emblem on the front of Mindfist's T-shirt, the single biggest advertisment of his identity outside of attacking people. Speaking of which...

This is just a rough sketch of a scene I thought of during the drive to Neelyville this past Thursday morning. This is the end of a big fight he's had with a combat android, where he's driven her into the ground so hard, a crater forms twice in the same spot. I had another sketch I was going to share, but it's really, really bad. The only thing to note about that sketch is that it, and the one posted here, show Mindfist's aura in the rough shape of an arm throwing a punch.

Suffused with Sound 3

Before I say anything else, I'd like to thank Jack for his comments. When I hear everybody's thoughts of things, I know more if I'm going in the right direction or not.

Sorry, no pic this time, but I promise I'll make it up to you. Instead, I'm going to talk about a couple characters that will interact a lot with Sonja eventually. One of these, an ally, is currently unnamed. His history is that he is destined to carry a great burden and at one point was trapped in a sound amplification chamber. That led to him practically shunning the emphasis on sound that most of the world has and developing his skills with computers, rather than instruments.

For reasons unknown, the Boy (that's the only title I have for him currently) is being pursued by the ultraviolent Mindfist. Mindfist--who one or two of you may distantly remember--is a man who is incredibly well-built, belieing his most savage weapon, his mind (hence the name). He's the one an only pure psychic in My Soundscope, possessing a telekinetic rage not seen since Carrie White.

Aside from these characters is the real threat. This is an army with a fleet of flying machines. In a world suffused with sound, they are truly pariahs (a possible name?) in that they thrive in silence. Absolute silence. If this fleet were to appear in a movie, instead of having an operatic theme like the Imperial March, they would have utter dead quiet. Don't be fooled, they'll talk, and make noise, and participate in duels (which I'll discuss another time). However, most, if not all of these pariahs have suffered from some degenerative handicap that was artificially compensated for. For example, a technician who is part of this group might have artifical ears or hands.

Or maybe some sort of optical implants. See where I'm going yet?

Suffused with Sound 2

As part of the horrors of turning a person into a machine, there come many changes. Most of these changes are brutal attachments, classified by the friendlier term of "upgrades." But there is nothing friendly about the things that will be done to a robotics engineer by the name of Sonja.

NOTE: This is one of the most disturbing images I've ever drawn. You may want to pass on this one if you're the sensitive type.

In a move akin to A Clockwork Orange, optical devices are implanted to the external surface of Sonja's eyes. These implants provide alternating visual spectra, zooming in and out, and targeting protocols. Instead of irises, the implants give the impression of a camera lens/shutter altering position when they change focus.

This entire process is forced upon Sonja. It is done by the people she works for. It is authorized by her lover. And all along, she is trapped inside her own mind, screaming to be herself once more. This is only part of her "upgrade."

Suffused with Sound 1

I'm going to be starting a string of posts dealing with developing My Soundscope. As I draw out the various visuals of this widespread epic, I'll be sharing them here. First, I'm going to share a vehicle that I thought of.


This looks a lot like a helocopter, and works much in the same way. The difference is that there are no rotors. Instead, there is a projected energy ring that creates a propulsion field. This ring, or halo, is what gives this vehicle its name: halocopter.

The halocopter will primarily show up in those areas that are somewhat futuristic. This is just a way to understand that this is a different world from our own, full of different rules, different ideas, all the while having the same hopes, dreams, and machinations.

I'm not bragging, I'm "inspiring"

When I talk about a two page per day average, it could be called bragging. The same for when I share new ideas. Or perhaps when I spout off random information. None of it's to brag. I say these things to either share knowledge or to help those looking for ideas find their way.

I'm still thinking and working on Ashes of War and I don't think that's going to change. I just shifted my writing focus to the character of Rakkan and his homeland, Sayoku. I've also just started reading two books (at a rate of a chapter a day). The thesis demands a draft be made.

Yet, I still think of new things, or rather, remember old ones. I mentioned before a few thoughts I had on "My Soundscope." I've thought this should be a quest, somewhat in the Final Fantasy tradition. If a bad guy has a chorus with his theme, that chorus should be there to support their boss.

What I'd like to do, is perhaps put forth an open challenge as far as writing is concerned. I know a few of you write and have been getting a lot done recently. Let's feed off that, let's keep those creative fires burning. I propose we challenge ourselves--and each other--in some sort of friendly competition.

Who's up for it?