Figured I should probably post a quick update on how things are going. First up: I’m still working, so don’t worry about that! 2011 was a pretty rubbish year, and my health nosedived several times throughout, but I’m hoping 2012 will be better. I’ll be working on the new site soon, and I’m still working my way through all the background details, while hashing out the new opening arc.

…Hopefully the new site will come with a far more thorough development blog XD

Here’s my “advent calender”

I’m writing full character profiles (each one ranging from 3-5 pages long) over this here December, based on all the notes I spent the last couple of months accumulating. If you’re curious, I had enough (shorthand) notes to fill a small novel o_O

I picked them out of a hat (well, pouch), if you’re wondering. It made it more exciting.

Since I’ll be taking the site down before the end of the year, with the intent to replace it with something better, and since I’ve been working on things other than continuing the story, I’ve started work on a little bonus. It’s a short story for those of you who have stuck with the series.

It’s something that will appeal more to those who have read the story so far than it will those who are new to it. You’ll find out what happened the night Joel thought it would be a good idea to drag Dante to the World’s End nightclub, and how his resulting breakdown impacted on those around him.

It involves an attractive rock singer, a love triangle, and a Faerie of Death…

Hello again, time for another update!

I managed to save up for a cheap netbook to use for writing (it also doubles as an effective e-reader!), so these past few days I’ve been getting back into the writing routine. I’ve been focusing on these prequel short stories I’ve mentioned before, and now I’ve got them plotted out I thought it might be a good idea to give you an idea what to be expecting. They’re all set in the weeks before Phantasia arrives in Torsten, and build on the plotlines that run through the first part of the story.

Chris’s Story
The Malkuthian reject is elated to wake up and find cybersphere dating service, Ainomegami, has updated. Logging into the virtual reality, Chris is surprised to find the system match him with a local girl, but diving into her profile reveals the dangers of an unhealthy mind engaging with a cyber-reality…

Byron’s Story
A group of suspicious shaman have taken up residence in the depths of the World’s End, promising to deliver a new type of high to the hedonistic Ravens. Perseiving this as a possible rival business, herb-dealing Byron decides to investigate…

Shelley’s Story
Frightened by Godhand’s threats of violence, Shelley decides to spend the night hanging around with her fellow Hawks, in the hopes she might gain a small measure of acceptance from the fashionable crowd. Instead, she finds a dead body, and the Hawks – fearful of their public image – decide to try and hide it in Torsten’s undiscovered depths…

Katrina’s Story
After weeks of research and experimentation, the auragraphic camera has been completed and Katrina decides to test it out by capturing the auras of her fellow orphans. Those initial images reveal more than expected, however, putting Kat and the rest of Veritas on the trail of a shadow-creature…

Lysander’s Story
Roped into an out-of-town festival celebrating the sport of ‘monster hunting’, Lysander finds himself torn between engaging in shenanigans with Angelo, or following Helena’s advice and investigating a certain trio of suspicious girls…

Theseus’s Story
After taking part in the ‘monster hunting’ festival, Theseus heads to the hunters’ base to meet some of his pre-Academy friends. But he finds it a struggle to keep up with their laddish culture, now that he’s been ‘tamed’ by a girl, and things are happening around the base that fly in the face of his down-to-earth beliefs…

Astrid’s Story
Desperate for recognition from her father, the Bishop, Astrid begins to investigate the current spate of suicides and violent deaths, which Godhand is attributing to Payne’s heretical Academy. However, Astrid finds herself caught between loyalty to her distant father, and to Godhand itself, as those who would depose the Bishop attempt to sway her to their side.

Kaori’s Story
Driven by her fear of failure and her poor self-esteem, Kaori coerces Joel into joining her in the strange ritual taking place beneath the World’s End. With severe withdrawal symptoms kicking in, she increases her participation, inching ever closer to eternal bliss – at the cost of her own life.

Each story should be slightly longer than the average story chapter, and I’ll be releasing them once they’re all finished. I’m hoping to have them ready by the end of the year – it’ll take me at least a few weeks to knock out the first drafts, then I’ll let them settle for a few weeks more before returning to revise them, send them to an editor, and then make a final revision.

Yeah, the more I read my old chapters, the more time and effort I put into things XD

So I was without internet for a while there, but now I’ve moved back into my parentals’ storeroom for a few months while I figure things out (again). I’ll get back to you when I have a few more details – first thing I need to do is buy a new laptop so I can write properly again (I sold the last one to pay bills, and I find writing creatively rather difficult on my desktop). Things will work out eventually…!