Valerie Willis

I Have Had an Epiphany!

2012-02-22T22:15:00.001-05:00

Epiphany.... I have always liked how that word sounds and the way it reads. Webster's Dictionary defines this fine word as:

2: an appearance or manifestation especially of a divine being

3a (1) : a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something

(2) : an intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking

(3) : an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure

b : a revealing scene or moment

The first definition was in reference of a Holiday~

I believe every creative mind experiences what I like to refer to as the Sensation of Epiphany. I am wondering on how everyone else receives this illuminating moment?

Best example is my most recent epiphany. I was at school, deep in the middle of working on my Final Projects. In fact, tweaking and printing one in Photoshop and writing into a Final Essay in spurts between. I found myself stopping and seeing a whole new piece playing through my head. I still have no idea what triggered it, but everyone thought I was a loon as I scrambled for my sketchbook to take notes. For over a year I have been missing a vital fact in Cedric and it came at me! How the big fight will go, who was involved and more importantly this whole mess involving him looking for his loss love and how he loss her and to who. It all came at me in such a powerful rush, completely interrupting me.

Other times, and more commonly, I find these spurts coming to me in my sleep. Usually I make myself wake up to make sure I write it down. Normally I get a few weird random things and then a dream or two referring to a story I am working on.

I wonder time to time if these stories are living breathing creatures, "divine beings", that have manifested within a creative mind so that they may be brought to life. I enjoy discovering these sudden moments of plots and events, and the sensation that I have no control of what will happen in my own story is thrilling.

So, to my fellow creative minds, writers and artists, I am curious. Do you have Epiphanies as well?

Sakugen is Entered in a Contest!

2012-02-10T10:42:00.002-05:00

So I finally threw it to the wind and told myself, "Why Not?"

I entered Sakugen under Young Adult Fiction in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award (ABNA) and told myself that it was worth a shot. Granted I didn't free up my time to work on my pitch more, or finish this round of editing I am dragging on, but I figured there was no harm in entering it anyway.

http://www.amazon.com/Breakthrough-Novel-Award-Books/b?ie=UTF8&node=332264011

Far as I understand, they were taking in 5,000 stories in the YA or until Feb 5, whichever came first. Rumor has it they didn't hit the 5k mark so that ups my odds.

More importantly! I am in this contest with some wonderful Author/Writer friends! So even if I do not make it I will continue to cheer on my friends~! How exciting! Here are some Key Dates as listed to keep and eye out on everything!

Feb 23rd ~ Up to 2,000 entries moving to Second Round announced atwww.amazon.com/abna.

Mar 20th ~ Top 500 (Quarterfinalists) announced atwww.amazon.com/abna. Publishers Weekly reviews each Quarter-Finalists' full manuscript. Amazon customers can download, rate, and review Excerpts on Amazon.com, providing feedback to Penguin Editors about submissions.

April 24th ~ Top 100 (Semifinalists) announced atwww.amazon.com/abna. Penguin Editors reading Semi-Finalists' manuscripts to pick the 6 Finalists. Amazon customers continue to download, rate, and review Excerpts, and read Publishers Weekly reviews of Semi-Finalists' full Manuscripts.

May 22nd ~ 6 Finalists announced. Amazon customers vote to pick the Winners.

June 16th ~ Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Winners Announced.

Working on My Pitch.... AGAIN!

2012-01-27T17:44:00.002-05:00

I am getting kind of excited. After much example reading and taking in advice and the likes I have come up with this one. Short and I feel it strongly reflects what Sakugen: Rebirth is all about. What do you guys think?

Have you everhad the feeling you had a doppelganger out there in the world? Hotan is the reincarnateddouble of an immortal that has powers Hotan has yet to discover. In Sakugen: Rebirth, Hotan has the task ofrediscovering the powers of the Element of Rebirth in hopes of stopping thepath of destruction set in motion by his former self. Revealed as the leader ofthe immortal race known as Levites, Hotan struggles to gather information andfind what remains of the Old Hotan within his own soul. He is only a senior inhigh school and his life is already chaotic enough. An unknown deadbeat fatherand his mother dying two years earlier still plague his mind. Struggling tomaintain his own identity, he falls into the dark mysteries of discovering whothe Levites are. Will he unlock the power within him before the shadowed manfrom his nightmares finally finds him and takes his life?

Yay! Pictures!

2012-01-11T22:58:00.000-05:00

So I decided to add at least one picture to the beginning of each story. Enjoy ^_~

Looking for a Good Resource?

2012-01-08T11:57:00.000-05:00

This is one of the few books that has all versions of particular entities and contains the Babylonian Demi-goddess Lamashtu in it. Very well organized and easy to find information in this book!

If you are aiming for Medieval Times and look up the forgotten creatures of those days this is a wonderful book. Carol Rose expresses that a majority of the creatures in the book are from Medieval Beataries.

I have had this book stolen once already, and this is my second copy. A VERY good guide on Angel mythology and related people and events.

Get ready folks!

2011-12-27T19:10:00.000-05:00

We have made it past the Holidays and Christmas and now come to the last few days of 2011.

It seem inevitable as we all sit down and start looking back at what went on and what we did not finish. I would like to take this moment to break a habit. I will look back and see what I managed to achieve and the hardships I miraculously made it through. The world has had a tough time and 2012 doesn't look like it'll be any different, BUT look at what you were able to accomplish, both planned and unplanned.

Step off of 2011 content that you did your best, and with be sure to unpack slow and steady into 2012. Make 2 lists of goals for this year. Big goals like Graduating, get a new car and such and then a more important list for these hard times. A small goals list that you can do, like have coffee with a friend, take a walk in that park up the road and so on. Why such silly and small goals? It's your chance to keep positive, feel obligated to step away from hard moments in the new year and feel that satisfying sensation of marking it off the list. Every tiny drop of being positive energy is going to be needed!

This doesn't mean I am assuming my 2012 year is already doomed for disaster. I just want to make sure if it comes remotely close to this past year of gloom that I have given myself an out to take a breath and recoup before tackling the obstacle again.

Good luck and see you all on the other side ^_~

Update and Revamp

2011-12-20T22:28:00.002-05:00

I know I know. I should really stop meddling with the Blog site.

I added the nifty text summary about the links. Pages will show below that for your viewing pleasure.

I also changed up Sakugen: Rebirth Page Link. I originally had it going straight to the Authonomy.com book link, but after some thought I decided that may make someone panic a bet. So I made it an actual page baring a link to the Complete book on Authonomy, an explanation of what Authonomy is, book cover art and an excerpt from the book itself.

Also added a Picture of me from Halloween on my About me page. I forgot I had that one. I like it.

My Agenda....

2011-12-18T03:04:00.001-05:00

I have so much I want to do, or feel that I need to do. I decided to post a list of things I intend to get to in the next month or so OR at least start. I suppose more or less my New Year's List. There is much work to do *Insert Evil Laugh Here*

~~Do another Revising/Editing session over Sakugen: Rebirth~~
Edit Destiny's Game short story
Doodle some roughs for a comic/graphic novel idea
~~Create a poster to recruit people for Design Club~~
~~Prep some ideas to pitch~~
~~Write a Club "Plan" to keep myself focused~~
Revamp Resume (Working on making this bad boy awesome)
Revamp Behance (Add new stuff)
Lose some weight (Ha! Who doesn't!)
~~Work on my Pitch for Rebirth~~
~~Send out more Query Letters for Rebirth~~
Get a life (Never!)
Beat Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (Yes I know, I am so slow!)
Continue to kick arse at School - A's this semester too!
Teach someone something new
3D Model one of my characters
Learn more about Boning *shudders* (Animation thing)
Hug Shannon ^_~
Potty Train the kid (Jokes on me)
Get picked up by an literary agent or publisher!
Get a new Car (I need one, but broke at the moment)
Get an awesome job
Eat some Sushi
Graduate from ITT Tech Inst.
Go to Seaworld 5 times on my Fun pass (Thank You Polly!)
Go fishing and catch something Big. (Preferably a Red Drum to Eat)
Get a new couch
Finish scrap-booking my wedding (Oops... from 2007)
Take a REAL vacation
Do something for our 5th Anniversary (We've yet to do something)
~~Finish working on a Synopsis for Sakugen: Rebirth~~
Hit the Top 5 on Authonomy.com with at least one of my stories

Here's What I Have!

2011-12-16T16:06:00.001-05:00

Ok! I have at least added some consistency on here for everyone to mull over until I start adjusting it further.

Sakugen: Rebirth links to my Authonomy.com link. This is free and worth while gaining access to some wonderful free reads. I will consider adding it completely onto this site later on.

Destiny's Game is a piece I doing for possibly an Anthology. It is a story I wrote and doodled a long time ago and so it was nice to put something like that down on paper. Not sure if I will leave the ending as it is or add a bet more. I can go up to 5,000 words... Let me know what you think of this first draft.

Cedric: Demonic Knight is one of my most researched pieces and I am currently doing character breakout and so forth for. There is a lot to this story and so I decided to share with you what I have. It is a rather dark piece. Complete with the mix of demons, sorcerers, vampires, incubus and the likes all placed in a Medieval Times setting as the meat of the story. It opens in modern times. I have been wrestling with the opening for this for some time and I think this suits the story well and gives the reader a chance to connect with Cedric better. Looking for input on this rough draft.

As things flow I will try and update here often with what I have worked on, added to or need help with. You are all now my support group! Wahahahahaha!

Going to revamp the blog...

2011-12-16T14:59:00.001-05:00

Trying to make this more general and share more of who I am. I am planning to make rook on here to do some sneak peeks, story posting and possibly more. Bare with me on this endeavor!