Thursday, February 18, 2016

The Sea of Inspiration

Sometimes inspiration strikes while on a walk. Just recently, I was doing just that at the beach when I found a broken conch shell. It's interesting because it was broken just in the right way that I had an idea for a Sea Saber (and yes, I actually plan to use that at some point). The shell was broken so that all that was left was the conical base. The made it intuitive to pick up as if it was a hilt. Then I realized that these types of cones have this shape and therefore the rest of the shell is effectively a hand guard.
Seeing the shell as a hilt got me thinking, "I wonder if it can withstand the temperature for the molten steel to form and bond." I don't know the answer yet, but I am eager to find out. However, the inspiration doesn't stop there. I found a lot of shells but noticed that the spiral corresponds to holding it with your right hand. This means that it could be a fantasy quest to find "the left handed Sea Saber." This in turn helps determine the characters that would be in this story as someone either needs to be left-handed, or trains to be so. Also, since the nature is a sea saber, it makes it fitting that it be a pirate story.

So when do I plan to write this story? I don't know. Maybe it'll be part of the Legend I was planning before. Or maybe it will have enough substance to be its own story. The main reason why I sharing this with you is so that you see that inspiration is a spark that you run with. So the next time you get an interesting idea, try running with it before the spark is gone. Perhaps then you'll have the skeleton for the next great epic. Also, I just can't think of seeing the Sea Saber idea anywhere else so I think it's really cool.

J. D. Nyle 

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Digital or Print

    So I've had Neostriker Shining available online for free for over a year now. I've had the first 12 chapters available on Wattpad as well. However, I've often considered that it's very difficult to read through a novel on a screen. As a result, I'm contemplating submitting Shining to be edited and then released as a paperback. However, if I release it as a paperback, there's the risk no one will buy it.
     It's an interesting dilemma. By releasing it it for free, it didn't cost me anything beyond time. However, there's the weird thing about free in that people don't care to spend depth looking at something they don't pay for. Add that reading on a screen is not the best environment for a novel, even an episodic one such as Shining, I feel like not many are reading it. In fact, I think I got more views on my one essay on Magic and on the Epiphany than I did on any chapter within 1 week. So should I instead seek advertising with few views, or pay at least $2000 in hopes that more people will read it?

    What do you think? Do you think you would enjoy reading Shining as a paperback novel for $10? At the price of $10, I need to sell at least 2000 copies to cover expenses, which is certainly difficult for a first time. If I do go this route, I would certainly add more content in the form of essays on the process of each episode. Would you consider that worthwhile? Leave your comments below.