TimothyH

Well, I just added in the book cover to my page. This is exciting. I have been working on this story for 16 years, yes, half my life. I am scared of what will come of it. I doubt that it will take me very far, but at least I can say with all certainty that I have written a book and it has been published.

Needless to say, I am worried. There are things that need to be further hashed out and things I need to correct. But, when it is all said and done, the finished product is pretty damn good. I am proud of it. Even the parts that, I think, were poorly executed. I will work on my story, my writing skills and hopefully the second book I put out will be even better than the first. 

Already the second book is proving to be more entertaining (I think) then the first. Yes, they are connected, but I got to figure out why two of my main characters are in a part of the world that was cut off from the main world. I know how the characters got there, but why they are there is another problem. 

Oh well, I will figure it out as I work on it more. 

So, um, I know it has been a long time since I last wrote anything on a journal or anything in general and for those who are interested in my writings - which I really appreciate - I thought I would share some very exciting and nerve racking news. 

So, first and foremost, I got a professional to edit my main story. This is a story that I have been holding onto for more than a decade. Under A LOT of rewrites, personal editing, and so on. So, me actually getting somebody to edit it was nerve racking.

Now, the exciting part of this, is the reasoning WHY I got it edited. A publishing company has taken an interest in my story. Me personally, I think the second one I am working on currently is a lot better than the first. The first leaves off with several unanswered questions and I am not even sure if I could answer them in the second or even third book.

So, this also leads me into why I am writing this journal. I want to thank all the people have been watching me. Giving me advice and encouragement since I started using DeviantArt. I can't think of any other words to express myself. Your suggestions and support has helped me continue writing even though sometimes I have felt that nothing would come of it. 

I am not too sure when it will be finally published. I am looking at the next couple of months, if things work out. The end of the year otherwise. Nonetheless, I will work on the second book and hopefully hear your thoughts on it. 

Thank you again

Okay, well, I know it has been a while since I posted any kind of journal. Originally I was going to try to do one at least one monthly basis. Just to keep those who do watch me appraised on my situation. I really want to get back into writing again, but I hit a writer's block on all my stories and with me working two jobs and always distracted by various things (Videogames mostly), I have felt less inclined to do more.

But fear not, I will start writing again soon. My head is starting to clear once more and I will be working on that, and maybe adding more pictures from my 'vacation' to PEI, Canada. So, in case some of you are wondering, I went to Prince Edward Island to pay my final farewell to my grandmother who passed away this year in April. The family trip included my brother, my parents and my uncle in one vehicle and my uncle and aunt and two of their children in another. 

Getting there was quite the trip. Let me just say 14 - 18hrs driving in two days... I don't think I want to do it again, especially with a person who does nothing BUT complain (let me put it this way: I can deal with my parents and brother. They actually didn't argue enroute).

I have never left Ontario before, well, there was one time where my family went down to Syracuse, New York for a day or two. Only reason why I remember it was because my brother bought a NES system. So this trip was important in so many ways.

So many other things have happened over the course of the year and a half since my last journal and then I figured maybe I will buy a book to keep a journal. "Yeah right, who does that these days?" Hahaha. Besides, I would probably BUY the book and then do nothing with it. Or maybe write done character concepts and storylines while I am away, so it might do me some good. I need to work on writing longhand again, I have grown too accustomed to writing on a computer and to spellcheck that it feels like my brain is growing stupider by the second.

Has that ever happened to you? You are writing out a word and suddenly spellcheck underlines it in red telling you mistyped it? Yet, you are sure that was the way you have always spelt it. Maybe we should step back a bit and look at things without technology. I say it as a joke, but sooner or later that joke may become reality. One day we may not have technology to help correct our grammar, hell we may need to learn things over again and *gasps* regain common sense. 

HEAVEN FORBID!

Now I don't normally do this but...

I have gotten little past half way through this final season of the Shakugan no Shana anime and found that it was so frustrating that I just wanted to pull my hair out at times. Granted the combat scenes were well organized and the general idea of the "ancient war" between Flames Hazes and denizens coming to an end was a good one. I think though instead of having Yuji go "well, I think I will just become the worlds biggest douche bag and change sides on a whim because I don't want Shana fighting and putting her life in harms way anymore" he should've been manipulated or brainwashed or SOMETHING then him just going along with this plot because "ends justify the means" this isn't how Yuji was and definitely not how he should've been.

Back in season one proves my point where he sacrificed his power of existence (prior to finding out about the Midnight Lost Child) to save his classmates after a Crimson Denizen attacked his school shows that he was willing to do the right thing no matter what the cost was to "his personal well being". In season 3 he was willing to do anything no matter what the cost. Period. End of Sentence. And the sudden change in his mind set left me going "wtf?" at the very beginning they showed "something" of him being convinced that this was the right thing to do by the enemy, but it seemed just too simple.

I had heard that season 3 was a disappointment and there were times when I, as I said before, wanted to pull my hair out. Using Shana was a prisoner cliche, but nothing wrong with that, following through with a similar plot at the end of season 1 and using Yuji as a vessel for unlimited power for said Snake of the Festival *cough*Fertilizer*cough* would've worked too.

On a side note, Snake of the Fertilizer is perfect for the amount of shit he spouts about doing whatever he is doing for both Flame Hazes and Denizens then turning around and doing nothing while his denizens attack demoralized Flame Hazes true to point (Sorry for any spoilerage). On another point to that I don't believe that a Flame Hazes mind is so fragile that a simple and idiotic speech from someone leading a group hell bent on "devouring human lives for power" would leave them in such a state.

But, this story is so messed up and convoluted it left me yelling at the tv and my roommate on how stupid and retarded it all was. I know they were "trying" to give the series a memorable finale, but all in all, I think "so far" that season 3 is a disappointment. Don't get me wrong, I will be finishing up season 3 tomorrow.

Now onto various points of work.

Storyline 1/5: IMHO, sucked. It would start to look like it was turning good at one point then turn around and then ramble immediately AFTER it started to look good. The only "few" good points was Sato and Margery relationship coming to a head (literally). The return of previous season characters. Introducing new Flame Hazes with incredible powers. The other good point is Shana actually growing up from the immature, impatient girl to somebody who - more or less - becomes tactically minded and not rushing headlong into battle like she used too in Season 1 and bits of Season 2. That was one of the other things that caused me to fall in love with this series, simply because Flame Hazes tended to be hot-headed and had the tendency to "leap before you look".

One other topic such as the "heroes" having simple minds: It seemed that the "good guys" were all so easily manipulated and goaded that the bad guys just had to voice their reasons and the like to make their enemies fall into a crazed panic. Leaving only a few sound of mind. Which begs the question: "If such omnipotent beings such of Crimson Lords choose these people to help protect the human race, would they NOT choose people of stronger wills and minds?" I am aware that some of these people might've been chosen on the spot, but would not the Crimson Lords consider conditioning the minds of their vessels when they had the chance? Again, that part of the Storyline left me simply shaking my head.

Music 3.5/5: openings and closing, battle scores and such wasn't too bad.

Voice Acting 4.5/5: Because I bought the original series of the when it first came out I loved the original voice actors. They were perfect for the rolls. Don't get me wrong, the new voice actors did well and many well known voice actors were used for the 2nd and 3rd Seasons I bought, but they just didn't seem to have the same kind of strength as the first season did. And I don't even know why, Colleen Clinkenbeard, Todd Haberkorn, Josh Grelle, Cherami Leigh (though she does bring her usual energy to the main character Shana), Kent Williams (to list a few) have always been favorites of mine.  

Action 3.5/5: Well, needless to say, action rocked it was an epic war but with the long speeches in between the combat left it wanting.

Art 5/5: Brilliant and beautiful artwork, as it was for the first two seasons.

In short: If you haven't watched the series and want to. Watch Seasons 1 and 2. If you feel compelled to watch Season 3 consider it a... completely different story and following two different characters with the same name. Or watch season 3 separately and mute Snake and Yuji when he/they goes on his/their tangents.

Sorry, like I said, I NORMALLY don't do this, I am a big anime fan and I originally DIDN'T THINK I was this hardcore a fan of this series, but the total turn around and the incredibly BAD story telling of the third season just turned me into a hardcore fan, this was simply too much and left me just angered at how horrible season 3 is.

Now I don't normally do this but...

I have gotten little past half way through this final season of the Shakugan no Shana anime and found that it was so frustrating that I just wanted to pull my hair out at times. Granted the combat scenes were well organized and the general idea of the "ancient war" between Flames Hazes and denizens coming to an end was a good one. I think though instead of having Yuji go "well, I think I will just become the worlds biggest douche bag and change sides on a whim because I don't want Shana fighting and putting her life in harms way anymore" he should've been manipulated or brainwashed or SOMETHING then him just going along with this plot because "ends justify the means" this isn't how Yuji was and definitely not how he should've been.

Back in season one proves my point where he sacrificed his power of existence (prior to finding out about the Midnight Lost Child) to save his classmates after a Crimson Denizen attacked his school shows that he was willing to do the right thing no matter what the cost was to "his personal well being". In season 3 he was willing to do anything no matter what the cost. Period. End of Sentence. And the sudden change in his mind set left me going "wtf?" at the very beginning they showed "something" of him being convinced that this was the right thing to do by the enemy, but it seemed just too simple.

I had heard that season 3 was a disappointment and there were times when I, as I said before, wanted to pull my hair out. Using Shana was a prisoner cliche, but nothing wrong with that, following through with a similar plot at the end of season 1 and using Yuji as a vessel for unlimited power for said Snake of the Festival *cough*Fertilizer*cough* would've worked too.

On a side note, Snake of the Fertilizer is perfect for the amount of shit he spouts about doing whatever he is doing for both Flame Hazes and Denizens then turning around and doing nothing while his denizens attack demoralized Flame Hazes true to point (Sorry for any spoilerage). On another point to that I don't believe that a Flame Hazes mind is so fragile that a simple and idiotic speech from someone leading a group hell bent on "devouring human lives for power" would leave them in such a state.

But, this story is so messed up and convoluted it left me yelling at the tv and my roommate on how stupid and retarded it all was. I know they were "trying" to give the series a memorable finale, but all in all, I think "so far" that season 3 is a disappointment. Don't get me wrong, I will be finishing up season 3 tomorrow.

Now onto various points of work.

Storyline 1/5: IMHO, sucked. It would start to look like it was turning good at one point then turn around and then ramble immediately AFTER it started to look good. The only "few" good points was Sato and Margery relationship coming to a head (literally). The return of previous season characters. Introducing new Flame Hazes with incredible powers. The other good point is Shana actually growing up from the immature, impatient girl to somebody who - more or less - becomes tactically minded and not rushing headlong into battle like she used too in Season 1 and bits of Season 2. That was one of the other things that caused me to fall in love with this series, simply because Flame Hazes tended to be hot-headed and had the tendency to "leap before you look".

One other topic such as the "heroes" having simple minds: It seemed that the "good guys" were all so easily manipulated and goaded that the bad guys just had to voice their reasons and the like to make their enemies fall into a crazed panic. Leaving only a few sound of mind. Which begs the question: "If such omnipotent beings such of Crimson Lords choose these people to help protect the human race, would they NOT choose people of stronger wills and minds?" I am aware that some of these people might've been chosen on the spot, but would not the Crimson Lords consider conditioning the minds of their vessels when they had the chance? Again, that part of the Storyline left me simply shaking my head.

Music 3.5/5: openings and closing, battle scores and such wasn't too bad.

Voice Acting 4.5/5: Because I bought the original series of the when it first came out I loved the original voice actors. They were perfect for the rolls. Don't get me wrong, the new voice actors did well and many well known voice actors were used for the 2nd and 3rd Seasons I bought, but they just didn't seem to have the same kind of strength as the first season did. And I don't even know why, Colleen Clinkenbeard, Todd Haberkorn, Josh Grelle, Cherami Leigh (though she does bring her usual energy to the main character Shana), Kent Williams (to list a few) have always been favorites of mine.  

Action 3.5/5: Well, needless to say, action rocked it was an epic war but with the long speeches in between the combat left it wanting.

Art 5/5: Brilliant and beautiful artwork, as it was for the first two seasons.

In short: If you haven't watched the series and want to. Watch Seasons 1 and 2. If you feel compelled to watch Season 3 consider it a... completely different story and following two different characters with the same name. Or watch season 3 separately and mute Snake and Yuji when he/they goes on his/their tangents.

Sorry, like I said, I NORMALLY don't do this, I am a big anime fan and I originally DIDN'T THINK I was this hardcore a fan of this series, but the total turn around and the incredibly BAD story telling of the third season just turned me into a hardcore fanboy, this was simply too much