The Mark Williamson Creative Universe

One-man Defender of Earth.   In an offshoot of one storyline idea I had, the Immortalities of Kia, there was a character called the Defender of Earth .  Defending Earth is serious business.  It requires serious firepower.  Here is a sample of the armory available to the defender.

The rubber band is on the best claw...   Here are my top ten lobsters and why. 10. Allogalathea elegans -a very elegant looking squat lobster. 9. Munidopsis abyssicola -squat lobster with a species name that sounds like the world's most extreme energy drink. 8. Neoglyphea inopinata -one of only two species of gylpheoid lobster; looks like a long-necked lobster-shrimp fusion. 7. Sagmariasus verreauxi -AKA the green rock lobster; one of the largest lobsters in world. 6. Palinustus unicornutus -a blunthorn lobsters with a mythical name. 5. Thaumastocheles zaleucus -AKA the Atlantic pinch lobster; oversized pincer on one side. 4. Nephrops norvegicus -AKA the langoustine; a small, tasty lobster. 3. Homarus americanus -AKA the American lobster; a large, tasty lobster. 2. Munida galalala -a squat lobster with the funniest species name to say, ever. 1. Dinochelus ausubeli  -AKA the 'terrible claw'; massively oversized pincer on one side. 

Toll-bridge?  More like Troll-bridge.   Here is a collection of evil-aligned humanoids.  Sizes not to scale. Goblin Slingshot:  Not skilled enough with a bow, this red goblin never-the-less manages to strike from a distance with a stony barrage. Goblin Flailer:  Seething with malevolence, this brown goblin lashes out with multi-flails.  Shield-bearers beware. Gleaming Ogre: His left eye is missing.  No matter, he's filled it with a yellow gem.  Get under his blind spot to avoid his scythe. Ogre Pummeler:  Greener and meaner than average, this ogre prefers to take care of his opponents with his bare hands.  Hands that are even bigger than bear hands. Assault Troll:  What happens when you fit a troll with a suit of armor and a massive hammer?  The scattering of an entire line of soldiers, that's what. Troll Troglodyte:  A throwback to when trolls had even less brains (hard to imagine, but true), this hulking specimen ch...

Ring the Bell Once More.     I’ve got more magic from the treasure trove of writing advice by James Scott Bell.  First, I told you about his LOCK system.   Now, time to get HIP. HIP stands for Hook, Intensity, Payoff .  It’s a method to writing a compelling scene.  The Hook draws the reader in.  Raising the Intensity keeps the reader going.  Finishing with a Payoff satisfies the reader. Time to practice with some examples. The Monsters We Became Hook: Human hunter lands on a desolate, icy island looking for Dracula Intensity: He is hunted by new monsters in the form of anti-heroes Payoff: Dracula appears, prompting a battle and potential alliance The Burden of Favor Hook: Human mortal steals magic sword and feather from his protectorate gods Intensity: Escapes sky vault and dives to ground to fight battle against evolutionary monsters from a world ruled by other gods Payoff: Gods gamble on humanity’s freedom The Last Clearsoul Hook: Human-lik...

Time and sleep are precious...   I've been orchestrating a conference yesterday and now today.  What's more, the hotel I am staying at has spotty internet.  In the interest of sanity, my Friday post will be brief.  Cheers.

Swoosh, swoosh, bang, bang.   The only thing these pictures have in common are human(oid) figures with blades and bullets. Demon Hunter:   He's a near immortal, blessed-blade-wielding, liquid-light-slinging, magnetic-dagger-throwing, terror to the horned monsters that lurk in damnation. Sprawling Abomination and Undead Ninja:   The first is has two heartbeats and no finesse.  The second has no heartbeat and uncanny agility despite cold tendons and muscles.  Avatars of Anti-Kia:   These monsters were created specifically to kill the Immortalities of Kia.  They can transform parts of their flesh into insects and wield shape-shifting blades. Armored Neuro-Litch: An undead necromancer shriveled down to just decaying nerves, it finds a third life by the use of technology. Futuristic Orcs: The Bruiser wields dual submachine guns.  The Lancer defends his team with a shield and gunner lance.  The Jetter takes to the air for a better shot.  ...

  Because I'm Trilobiteman!   In a previous post, I explored unused animal superpowers .  This time, I'm setting the dial back a few million or billion years in search of more superhero inspiration. What extinct animals could be the basis of a superhero's powers?  Well then, the  Power and Thrill of Naming Things  is here to find out.   Cambrian: Trilobite (ubiquitous arthropod) Radiodonta (stem-group arthropod) Hallucigenia (spined invertebrate) Wiwaxia (lightly armored invertebrate) Ordovician/Silurian: Eurypterid (sea scorpion) Dunkleosteus (giant, jawed, armored fish) Orthoceras (straight shelled nautiloid)  Graptolites (colonial animals) Devonian/Carboniferous: Pteraspis (jawless, armored fish) Tiktaalik (transitional fish) Akmonistion (spine-brush finned shark) Arthropleura (giant millipede) Permian: Helicoprion (wheel-toothed shark) Diplocaulus (wedge-headed amphibian) Dimetrodon (sail-backed synapsid) Gorgonopsian (sabre-too...