The Crosslands: Where Dragon Meets Lightsaber

It was a rumored place, a hidden place.  Parents would tell their children that, in the darkness, the wicked sons and daughters were spirited away to this place.  In flight school, the star guides did their best to quell speculation.  "It's a myth," they said.  "A nowhere place."

They were right, of course.  It is a myth.  A nowhere place.  But that doesn't mean it isn't real.

The Crosslands.  It would be a great meeting place - but you can never be sure you'll ever go home.

Batman vs Superheroes - the Dark Knight Wins

So who would win in a fight?  Superman?  Wolverine?  Dr. Horrible?

Heck no - Batman's the one you gotta call.  And if you have any doubts about that, then you best find yourself a good hospital, cause Batman don't knock twice...

The Ultimate Pirate Ship

I was watching "Last Exile" yesterday, and it occurred to me that all these great and massive pirate ships (e.g. The Black Pearl) suffer a complete lack of logistical support.  I mean, seriously - who on Earth builds a ginormous pirate ship?  Do the pirates go up to the dockyards and trade in some gold and buy themselves a ship?  I don't think so...

God vs Darwin - the Card Game of Evolution and Intelligent Design

Okay, so this idea came to me of a card game with cards for Intelligent Design and cards for Evolution, and the two (or more) players would duke it out in kind of the same way that you would in Magic: The Gathering.

Alpha Element - September 11th

I've come up with a new idea for the "Second War of the Worlds" universe.  In this iteration, the Martians have sent their team back in time to a point a few years earlier than the initial invasion.  Actually, many years earlier - about twenty years early.  And they send children in the insertion team - their mission is to completely blend in with the Americans as sleeper agents.  Except, of course, children tend to develop their own loyalties over time.

Revisions: Selonge Naita, the Martian Spy

Here's another example of Revision at Work.  The following are drafts of chapter openings for a longtime novel project, Jonathan's War.  These sections feature Selonge Naita, a Martian spy participating in a war against Earth.  The Martians have just discovered (in the previous chapter) that one of the soldiers from Earth simply cannot die.  In this second chapter, Selonge will be assigned to solve the mystery of the man who is immune to bullets and lasers and plasma cannons.

Maria Villanueva - Story Openings from "Happy Ever After"

Here I've provided an example of how I go through radical revision/rewriting.  For this story, I was truly stuck when trying to write the opening chapter, so I started over a couple times.  As you read each example, notice how the world I was writing about become more developed with each draft.  I started by trying to write about the setting - by the final draft, I was beginning to reveal the essential character details necessary for a good story...