Authors Notes: The Love of the Craft
By: Dark-Ek
I've been writing for a long time. Actually, it just seems that way. In fact, I've only been writing a little over a year now.
I first became interested in reading Starcraft fanfiction almost two years ago, on the Infoceptor archives. Reading stories by the well-known greats such as PaxNox, Mayavan Thevendra, and the others made me realize there was a wide community out there that wished to continue the Starcraft saga, and I wanted to help weave the tapestry.
There was only one problem at this point. Up until then, I had never really written anything, and what I had hadn't quite qualified as "good" fiction. Sure, I had written some good papers and required stories in school, but never had I been motivated enough to write something on my own.
Then I read the Starcraft book "Liberty's Crusade", and my entire perspective changed. Less than a day passed from me finishing that book to starting my first story, "A Ghost's Tale". I was rather pleased with the storyline I had crafted, and thought that my writing was the greatest thing I had ever seen. In retrospect, I wonder what sort of drugs I had taken that day, and where I left them. I then found out about Fanfiction.net, one of the greatest websites I have ever found on the relatively worthless Internet, and my story was uploaded within a week of writing. Reviews were mixed, the typical "Good, write more!" stuff that many stories end up with. Taking this as a good sign, I wrote another chapter, and got pretty much the same results.
It was then I tried to do something different, and tried the story "Final Regrets: A Chance Not Taken". I've always thought the title was a little too long for the story, as it barely topped 2.5 pages. If you're interested in reading this story, check "Compendium" under my bio page for the link. It was good, and I've always rather liked it compared to some other things I've tried.
Writers block followed the writing of that story for "A Ghost's Tale", and after the third chapter it was put on hiatus, where it remains today. I've decided that the story will probably never again see the light of day, unless I decide I want people to make fun of me, because I've come to terms with how bad it is. It could be because it was my first story, or because I was writing from the point of view of a girl, which I have little experience with, ^_^, or just because the story itself wasn't quite good enough. But that was all I really needed to start me writing.
Another short story followed, "In the Mind of the Fodder" which has been called my worst short story by a number of reviewers, mostly because it was written referencing a private joke between me and a friend. Apparently not everyone believes that dropping a nuclear missile on a single Zergling is funny. LOL. That can also be found in the "Compendium".
That was when I believe I started this story; that entire period of time is rather hazy to me. This story has always been my favorite, and the one that I believe I will actually finish at the length I want it to be, and tell the story I want it to. This story is "Sanctity of Darkness", featuring an unnamed Dark Templar forced into a daring strike upon Kirona, spawn of Kerrigan, and leader of the Swarm. In my own rendition of the Starcraft Universe, the Hybrids are present, and they are an indomitable force, featuring a wide array of powers and aptitudes. The conflict with the Hybrids has dominated my stories since, and only a few of the ones since the beginning of this story HAVEN'T featured the Hybrids in some way.
The fact is, this is actually the THIRD posting of this story on FF.net. The first time I posted it, FF.net continued giving me errors, preventing me from posting the chapter updates. So I torched that, after I had already received 10 reviews sadly. Then I reposted, and that managed to receive 8 reviews before me removing it earlier today.
Why did I remove it? Basically because of my artistic beliefs, which are the real reason I'm writing this little prologue.
I've always been of the belief that you should strive to make your writing the best it can be. ALWAYS. And the one thing I've realized after it's been pointed out to me by a few different people is that my writing style and ability has changed dramatically. I'm not saying that I'm some "uber- author" or that I'm extraordinarily popular. I'm merely stating the facts about my writing career. As of this date, not counting the reviews that have been lost, or this story, I have 10 contributions up, and a grand total of 77 reviews. Should you chose to add in the lost reviews on SoD, I have 95.
I'm not letting this go to my head, regardless of how that last paragraph seemed. I'm merely stating the fact: I am THE MOST active Starcraft fanfic author remaining on FF.net. Rather disappointing, but I'm holding down the fort, keeping the candles lit, and all that.
I'm not alone. There has been an influx of good authors, such as GrimMoody, ZejiHydra, and Jaxom92. All of these I am proud to know and to have read their work. And no, they didn't ask me to put this here either. But again, I digress.
The reason I'm reposting Sanctity of Darkness is that as I looked deep into the belly of chapter 10, I realized that I had lost my focus, my vision, my belief. The story was no longer as good as it could be, and I knew it, as did a few of my close friends who serve as editors and preliminary readers. I was crushed.
This story is my favorite to write, my favorite to tell. I feel as though I'm spinning out an epic that is worthy of the Starcraft name in my own mind. And this should be epic.
I state bluntly, here and now, what this story will be.
First, this story is the first of a trilogy depicting the trials of a single Dark Templar as aforementioned. This story should last about 12 chapters, possibly 14.
Second, there is another story after this, a second part. This will be called "Decay of Sanity" and will again depict the Dark Templar, but.well, I won't tell you any more about that. That part should be again between 12- 14 chapters.
Finally, the third story is going to be called "Surreality of Destiny", returning to the SoD abbreviation unintentionally. That again will be between 12 and 14 chapters. In total, this story will be approximately 45 chapters, not counting the prologues, epilogues, and authors notes.
How do I know? I've already begun work on the second story, and have the entire storyline mapped out with crystal clarity. It will turn out that way. I will post chapters as I complete them, and the version posted here will be their final form, already quite different from the original.
I write because I love to, not because anyone tells me to. Reviews, while nice and appreciated, will NOT dictate the pace of this story as so many other authors are allowing them to. Review if you wish, or not. I'd like it, but not required. Just be sure to review the story honestly. Flames, while not enjoyed, are accepted.
So, I begin my tale, with the first of many chapters, the first of three books.the culminating story of my painstakingly crafted post-Brood Wars universe.
May 4, 2003 Dark-Elk
P.S. If you enjoy the universe this story is written in, you'll probably enjoy pretty much every other story I've written, as even if they don't seem like it, they eventually weave into the greater design. And if you were wondering about the title.well, the word "sanctity" means something holy or sacred, and you should be able to figure it out from there.
P.P.S. If you enjoy Blizzard Fanfiction, please visit Shattered Enigma at . We're the newest Blizzard fanfic site on the web, and host almost 60 stories. If you think you're good enough, drop me an e-mail with your story.
By: Dark-Ek
I've been writing for a long time. Actually, it just seems that way. In fact, I've only been writing a little over a year now.
I first became interested in reading Starcraft fanfiction almost two years ago, on the Infoceptor archives. Reading stories by the well-known greats such as PaxNox, Mayavan Thevendra, and the others made me realize there was a wide community out there that wished to continue the Starcraft saga, and I wanted to help weave the tapestry.
There was only one problem at this point. Up until then, I had never really written anything, and what I had hadn't quite qualified as "good" fiction. Sure, I had written some good papers and required stories in school, but never had I been motivated enough to write something on my own.
Then I read the Starcraft book "Liberty's Crusade", and my entire perspective changed. Less than a day passed from me finishing that book to starting my first story, "A Ghost's Tale". I was rather pleased with the storyline I had crafted, and thought that my writing was the greatest thing I had ever seen. In retrospect, I wonder what sort of drugs I had taken that day, and where I left them. I then found out about Fanfiction.net, one of the greatest websites I have ever found on the relatively worthless Internet, and my story was uploaded within a week of writing. Reviews were mixed, the typical "Good, write more!" stuff that many stories end up with. Taking this as a good sign, I wrote another chapter, and got pretty much the same results.
It was then I tried to do something different, and tried the story "Final Regrets: A Chance Not Taken". I've always thought the title was a little too long for the story, as it barely topped 2.5 pages. If you're interested in reading this story, check "Compendium" under my bio page for the link. It was good, and I've always rather liked it compared to some other things I've tried.
Writers block followed the writing of that story for "A Ghost's Tale", and after the third chapter it was put on hiatus, where it remains today. I've decided that the story will probably never again see the light of day, unless I decide I want people to make fun of me, because I've come to terms with how bad it is. It could be because it was my first story, or because I was writing from the point of view of a girl, which I have little experience with, ^_^, or just because the story itself wasn't quite good enough. But that was all I really needed to start me writing.
Another short story followed, "In the Mind of the Fodder" which has been called my worst short story by a number of reviewers, mostly because it was written referencing a private joke between me and a friend. Apparently not everyone believes that dropping a nuclear missile on a single Zergling is funny. LOL. That can also be found in the "Compendium".
That was when I believe I started this story; that entire period of time is rather hazy to me. This story has always been my favorite, and the one that I believe I will actually finish at the length I want it to be, and tell the story I want it to. This story is "Sanctity of Darkness", featuring an unnamed Dark Templar forced into a daring strike upon Kirona, spawn of Kerrigan, and leader of the Swarm. In my own rendition of the Starcraft Universe, the Hybrids are present, and they are an indomitable force, featuring a wide array of powers and aptitudes. The conflict with the Hybrids has dominated my stories since, and only a few of the ones since the beginning of this story HAVEN'T featured the Hybrids in some way.
The fact is, this is actually the THIRD posting of this story on FF.net. The first time I posted it, FF.net continued giving me errors, preventing me from posting the chapter updates. So I torched that, after I had already received 10 reviews sadly. Then I reposted, and that managed to receive 8 reviews before me removing it earlier today.
Why did I remove it? Basically because of my artistic beliefs, which are the real reason I'm writing this little prologue.
I've always been of the belief that you should strive to make your writing the best it can be. ALWAYS. And the one thing I've realized after it's been pointed out to me by a few different people is that my writing style and ability has changed dramatically. I'm not saying that I'm some "uber- author" or that I'm extraordinarily popular. I'm merely stating the facts about my writing career. As of this date, not counting the reviews that have been lost, or this story, I have 10 contributions up, and a grand total of 77 reviews. Should you chose to add in the lost reviews on SoD, I have 95.
I'm not letting this go to my head, regardless of how that last paragraph seemed. I'm merely stating the fact: I am THE MOST active Starcraft fanfic author remaining on FF.net. Rather disappointing, but I'm holding down the fort, keeping the candles lit, and all that.
I'm not alone. There has been an influx of good authors, such as GrimMoody, ZejiHydra, and Jaxom92. All of these I am proud to know and to have read their work. And no, they didn't ask me to put this here either. But again, I digress.
The reason I'm reposting Sanctity of Darkness is that as I looked deep into the belly of chapter 10, I realized that I had lost my focus, my vision, my belief. The story was no longer as good as it could be, and I knew it, as did a few of my close friends who serve as editors and preliminary readers. I was crushed.
This story is my favorite to write, my favorite to tell. I feel as though I'm spinning out an epic that is worthy of the Starcraft name in my own mind. And this should be epic.
I state bluntly, here and now, what this story will be.
First, this story is the first of a trilogy depicting the trials of a single Dark Templar as aforementioned. This story should last about 12 chapters, possibly 14.
Second, there is another story after this, a second part. This will be called "Decay of Sanity" and will again depict the Dark Templar, but.well, I won't tell you any more about that. That part should be again between 12- 14 chapters.
Finally, the third story is going to be called "Surreality of Destiny", returning to the SoD abbreviation unintentionally. That again will be between 12 and 14 chapters. In total, this story will be approximately 45 chapters, not counting the prologues, epilogues, and authors notes.
How do I know? I've already begun work on the second story, and have the entire storyline mapped out with crystal clarity. It will turn out that way. I will post chapters as I complete them, and the version posted here will be their final form, already quite different from the original.
I write because I love to, not because anyone tells me to. Reviews, while nice and appreciated, will NOT dictate the pace of this story as so many other authors are allowing them to. Review if you wish, or not. I'd like it, but not required. Just be sure to review the story honestly. Flames, while not enjoyed, are accepted.
So, I begin my tale, with the first of many chapters, the first of three books.the culminating story of my painstakingly crafted post-Brood Wars universe.
May 4, 2003 Dark-Elk
P.S. If you enjoy the universe this story is written in, you'll probably enjoy pretty much every other story I've written, as even if they don't seem like it, they eventually weave into the greater design. And if you were wondering about the title.well, the word "sanctity" means something holy or sacred, and you should be able to figure it out from there.
P.P.S. If you enjoy Blizzard Fanfiction, please visit Shattered Enigma at . We're the newest Blizzard fanfic site on the web, and host almost 60 stories. If you think you're good enough, drop me an e-mail with your story.