The Mark Williamson Creative Universe

Altered the Egos of Alter-Egos.   The work on  Summer Theme: Alter-Egos , continues apace.  I have yet more cartoon avatars in the works. Code-Monkey Mark Dash of Crazy Mark Mark Williamson, Edge Explorer Base Avatar

Thousand Worlds Finale. This is part eight of a series of sketches on a single topic, the Thousand Worlds.  I end with three pictures.  First, a close-up of one of the most dangerous alien species of the Thousand Worlds.  Second, a close-up of a fusion of Immortalities of Kia (more on that in the future).  Third, a thrilling end scene with both. Chrysalis Lord:  Normally sealed in nearly impenetrable chambers (nicknamed 'chrysalises'), these aliens are one of the ruling classes among the Thousand Worlds.  In the event of chamber exposure, they can wipe out an entire army on their own.  A multitude of eyes dot their carapaces.  They sport between four and six arms.  Most notably, they can summon powerful magic.  Below this individual summons massive, spiked weapons, poisoned throwing implements, and a serpentine familiar. Kia Fusion:  Long story short, some of the heroes of humanity's fight are the Immortalities of Kia, magical ...

Idea by idea, link by link.   Here is a short exercise to practice creative writing.  I call it Chain Phrases. Steps: Set a timer for one to five minutes During that time, write out a series of short phrases You can conceptualize them as book titles, plot points, or whatever you'd like The first word of the phrase should be the last word of the previous phrase If a word doesn't quite fit, disregard the previous step to keep creativity flowing Example 1: Fire Dragons and Dinosaurs Dinosaurs of the Deep Deep Chittering Lobsters The Lobster Gods Gods of the Goldstone Bosons Bosonic Logic Logic Fathers Fathers of the Old Earth Earth and Shatterfall Falling Dawn: An Inverted Fairytale The Terrible Secret of Fairytales Secret Islands Islands of Ice Below the Ice The Brackish Below Example 2: The Grand Poppin Escape Escape from Ghoul Island Island of Thirty-one Fates Fate and the Mystery of the Golden Hand Handwise, Handheavy Heavy Metrics of the Year 8000 8000 Ways to Die in Sp...

Some models may be out of stock.   Taking the same generic body, then changing weapons and maybe a palette swap, I created a standardized troop of medieval warriors. Archers:  These men draw back big bows while wearing rustic red armor. Elite Swordsmen:  These men in green armor groan under the weight of blades bigger than they are. Commander:  Aloof and one of a kind, the commander brandishes a halberd while bearing burnished blue armor. Basic Calvery:   Unlike the previous warriors, these horsemen have no facial features or armor.  Their horses are similarly unadorned.  Basic Swordsmen:  Like the calvary, these men are plain to the point of boring.  Maybe the last line of warriors will be more exciting? Basic Archers:  Nope, just as plain as the swordsmen.  The archers don't care.  There are more of them than any other type.  Sometimes, quantity beats out quality.

Color by Calendar.   Twelve months of the year.  Twelve loci of fantastical, otherworldly stories.  You guessed it, I've put another iteration of The Power and Thrill of Naming  down on the calendar.  Each month will get three book ideas. January The January Winds of New Mars January and the Old Gods The Island Sleeps in January February The Mystery of the February Fenestrations Captain Jawbone and the February Giants Fear in February Marsh March The Kalends of March The March Wars of Alpha Centauri A Spanner-King's Final March April The April Fool's Wormhole A Planet Called April April at the End of the Universe May The Quantum Flowers of May Mayflower Project: Titan Bound Ghost Ships across May Cove June June and Other Monsters Juneberry Pie and the Laplace Catastrophe My Hearts Lie in June: An Extraterrestrial Memoir  July July 41st: Antimatter Independence Day The Pterosaurs Sing Loudest in July Jumping July and the Underground Castle August A...

 

Maneuvers and Mandibles. This is part seven of a series of sketches on a single topic, the Thousand Worlds.   Lancers and Bruisers (A):  These two alien species are almost always deployed to battlefields together.  The slender Lancers have birdlike heads and spears that shoot energy bolts.  The larger, ogre-like Bruisers have massive swords with glowing hot serrated edges.  Together, they have ranged and melee attacks covered. Lancers and Bruisers (B):  Another version of the two species.  Here, the Bruisers have smaller blades and less armor.  The lancers have more detailed armor and more detail on their spears. Lumbering Tree-scrapers (Introduction):  This large alien species is barely beyond the cusp of sapience.  They use only the most rudimentary of tools and their language remains simple to the point of nonexistent.  Regardless, the Thousand Worlds find a use for these lumbering monsters, low-tech terraforming.  Thei...

More songs for data entry.   As noted in an earlier post , most of the music I listen to at work is instrumental only (Classical, Soundtracks, etc.).  However, when I'm in the throes of a low-focus task (such as data entry), I turn to one of my favorite Indie Folk bands,  The Mountain Goats .  Here is a short introduction to them via my top ten favorite songs (album in parentheses).  I haven't listened to every single song, so this list may be incompatible with the ground truth. 10)  The Legend of Chavo Guerro (Beat the Champ)  9)   Counterfeit Florida Plates  (Transcendental Youth)  8)   Harlem Roulette (Transcendental Youth)  7)    Estate Sale Sign (All Eternals Deck)  6)   Wage Wars Get Rich Die Handsome (Single)  5)   Training Montage (Single)  4)   This Year (The Sunset Tree)  3)   Autoclave (Heretic Pride)  2)   Rain in Soho (Goths)  1)   Fore...

Move over Redwall.   Be they Rodentia, Carnivora, or Lagomorpha, these small, furry mammals have been reimagined with fantastical features. Martial Otter:  Wielding a large sword that he knows how to use, this anthropomorphic otter means business. Zombie Otter:  No kelp bed, freshwater stream, or water meadow is safe from this undead mustelid.  Call an Otter Cleric! Chocolate Death Bunny:  Standing atop human skulls, these one-eared terrors are a combination of chocolate Easter bunnies and the Monty Python's killer Rabbit of Caerbannog. Super Spy Rat:  This little rodent is equipped with a night vision camera, microphone, and radar dish.  He can sneak just about anywhere, finding secrets in tighter spots than a normal-sized operative.

Extra treats for extra writing. Staying motivated while writing (and editing) is a wheel that needs constant grease.  I've talked before about various tactics, including Panic Cards , the Emergency Box , and the Calendar Method . Today I've got a new tool, Windfall Rewards . Windfall writing happens when I go above and beyond my writing goals for the day, week, or month.  This isn't easy, as it is hard enough to hit writings goals as it is.  How can I improve my overshooting? Answer, motivate myself with small, tangible rewards.  They are best when ready-to-go, dangling the reward close like low-hanging fruit and ensuring a short time-to-reward mechanism.  Windfall rewards makes me exited to not only meet my goal, but go beyond it.  Furthermore, I don't feel pressured if I don't make the rewards. Examples: I was once able to get a 3-card booster pack of trading cards at the local dollar store.  These rewards were small, affordable, and had the added a...

Comics are for another day.   Too much going on to put together a three-hour comic for today.  Memes instead.

Tusk Ogres and Camber Mimics. This is part six of a series of sketches on a single topic, the Thousand Worlds.   Tusk Ogre (A) : A muscular humanoid alien with tusks and obscured eyes.  Uses flechette pistols and spike cannons.  Bottom scrawls are of camber mimics (see below). Tusk Ogre (B):  More detailed version.  In addition to two large tusks, has a wide variety of horns jutting out across its face.  Additional weapons include a pneumatic spear, another flechette pistol, a roto-mace, another spike cannon, and and a spike-grenade launcher. Camber Mimic (A):  A scholarly race of aliens with massive humps (left side).  After being brought into the Thousand Worlds, most younger individuals decided to emulate the Tusk Ogres through surgical removal of their humps and the wearing of tusked masks and body armor.  Use laser pistols (shown held by bottom right figure) and flamethrowers patterned with mythical beast decals (top). Camber Mimic...

Laughter is the best writer's block breaker... Writing is a demanding process.  So, every now and again, I need to take a break from formatting dialogue, crafting scenes, and developing character arcs.  Time for some writing-themed memes.

Mystical, full of mischief, or just plain equine.   Crafted by the ancients of some long-dead civilization or by a bored gnomish tinkerer, this second collection of artifact creatures will delight or frustrate in equal measure. Golem Rider:  Why walk when you can hop on a boxy, bipedal golem?  It's no horse, but on the plus side, doesn't require feeding or cleaning. Pyramid Totem:  A shuffling pint-sized golem that serves as a channel for ancient Egyptian magic.  Just don't let grave robbers find it. Living Libra:  A manifestation of the Zodiac sign for Libra, the Scales.  Can shift the balance of power in a battle, literally. Bottle Fairy:  Animated bottle with wings and a mischievous temperament.  The potion inside changes based on the time of day. Crystalline Homunculus:  Used by artificers to store magical power.  It can also fetch small objects and keep away rats. Walking Diamond in the Rough:  Composed of uncut ...