Past or Present? Hmm..

So I’ve reached a dilemma. Now that I know people like my story, the characters, and places, I can’t figure out if I should continue the story of the main protagonist or delve into the mysterious past. The past would center its focus around Lucian the hero, and Vanyir the warlord.

But what will readers like more? Will they enjoy the continuing story, or would they rather learn more about what happened in the past?

Such a hard decision!! I would love some feedback from those who have read my book. I’m writing bits and pieces of both stories, just in case. For now, though, I’m stumped.

I almost feel like I want to write the past, just to reveal the storyline more, so readers can understand the characters better.

Anyway, my proof is fully edited (as well as the e-book copies) and now ready to print!

Happy days, people, happy days.

Later!

~ Sandra

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim

So I’m not sure how many gamers are out there, writing and/or reading blogs, but I figured I might as well write in my thoughts on various games. I play a lot of video games so it only makes sense to write up a few posts from time to time.

What I – along with many others – am looking forward to next month is the fifth Elder Scrolls game, Skyrim. I played through the fourth game not too long ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. There’s something about having free control over every single thing you do that I really like about this series. I loved Oblivion, and Skyrim promises so much more, according to the developers.

I watched the various game reviews on youtube, all commentated by the makers of the game, and was very surprised (and very much excited) at all the new content available. The graphics have all been improved, making the game look and feel much more realistic than before. Dungeons have been given a new engine, each one different from the other, unlike Oblivion, where every fifth dungeon you entered was the same as the first.

There are new races and new guilds to check out, as well as an interesting new feature called “dragon shouts”, which you can collect throughout the game in various locations. These shouts are all different and there are over twenty of them in the game. They give you special powers, such as invincibility, ice that can freeze enemies, and the ability to summon your own dragon to help you fight.

Speaking of dragons, there are a LOT of them in this game. You will have to fight and defeat dragons in the wild, and even in cities! You will befriend a single dragon to help you in your quest, who can even fight other dragons! Your character is Dragonborn, which means “born with the soul of a dragon”. This allows you to collect dragon souls, which are obtained after killing a dragon and can be used to unlock the dragon shouts.

Your character in this game can wield two weapons now instead of one! Or two spells. The third person perspective is improved significantly, making it more fun to play in that mode instead of first person. The weapon actions look better, as well as movement. Since I like playing in third person more, this is quite exciting for me.

There is also the new level up feature. In this game, you can shape your character the way you want him/her to be shaped. Instead of picking a class at the beginning, you choose (over the progress of your adventure) how you want your character to grow. I really like this new feature. I think it will be much better than the old way.

Skyrim’s release date is the 11th of November, which is about two weeks away. I know I’ll be there on that day to pick up a copy. I also know that it’s going to consume lots of hours of my life for a few weeks. Oh well.

Check out the trailer at “http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjqsYzBrP-M” to see for yourself! Trust me, it’s a must buy on your list of games!

~ Sandra

Prologue of New Story

She spoke to the King, hoping he would forbid his son to go, but he said: “Well, dear, it’s true that adventures are good for people even when they are very young. Adventures can get into a person’s blood even if he doesn’t remember having them.”

-      Eva Ibbotson, “Secret of Platform 13″

Good afternoon everyone. Today I am going to share with you the prologue of my new story (which doesn’t have a name yet, I’m afraid). It’s a short excerpt, but I quite like it. Take a look and enjoy!

Prologue

Once, long ago, the world was a quiet place. Then the Great Wars began and shook the earth. Creatures awoke from the depths, shadows of evil that mortals knew not to exist. The monsters drove all life from the land, turning the earth into a barren wasteland where no green thrived. The weakest of the humans were slain; the strongest were killed in battle; the smartest hid and formed resistances across the land.

Far above the scarred lands below were the floating islands in the clouds. These were home to the Sky People, the Silex. Uncaring of what happened beneath, they watched on as the world grew dull and lifeless, continuing life on their islands as they always had: in peace and solitude. They had never felt the need to aid the heedless humans in their many times of trouble, yet they would very soon come to regret their decision. Like all ignorance, it does not start to fade until it has seen its mistakes.

This is a story of adventure, danger, and above all else, the power to believe in the impossible.