I feel the time is long overdue to update my profile to reflect my current writing situation. And to be honest, its very uncertain what's gonna happen. For those concerned about my health, its improved from a low point, but not perfect. Nonetheless, at the present time, its not the major factor governing my writing, or rather the lack of it (though that too could change). Its more a problem of attitude. Although I'm still interested in writing fan fic, I seem to have lost both the motivation and discipline to do it on a consistent basis. That is problematic for someone who is more inclined to engage in longer writing projects. While in the past I've considered bashing out the odd short story, in practice I never seem to do it. And I'm worried about starting long tales that might not get finished. Of course many of my readers will be cursing me for not finishing the ones I've already started! Especially one that has been remarkable popular, despite being unfinished.

So am I going to write any new stories, or finish those other ones? Like I said, I really don't know. I am having problems with the afore-mentioned popular one, Luck Be A Lady Tonight, in that I can't seem to get into the right mood to continue it. As you can probably imagine if you read the story to date, this is partly because of where it was left hanging. Should I be able to get over this part, then I have a reasonable idea of how to end it. However this has been in suspended animation so long, one has to be realistic that it just might not be finished. My advice is, enjoy what there is of it, and for those interested, here is a summary of the concept.

Luck Be A Lady Tonight involves my favourite characters Cass and Veronica from Fallout New Vegas. The idea is simple: Cass makes a bet with Veronica with her virginity at stake. But the way this wager plays out is considerably more complicated than it seems at first, with Cass having a whole lot of Aces up her sleeve. I have to say I liked the way the story has turned out, even though its not properly finished. The two principle characters are portrayed exactly as I'd hoped. The 'offstage Courier' I think also works well, casting a long shadow over the fic. I think there's enough story there to make it worthwhile, to satisfy at least some curiosity in the reader, and to stimulate their imagination as to what might happen next

The other incomplete fic, I'll Be Your Mirror is a fic based on coop play in Fable2. Two very different incarnations of a heroine from parallel universes meet with potentially humourous and erotic results. While I personally think this story is interesting in concept, and does not fall below the standards of the other in terms of writing, it has sadly so far got much less reader attention, even taking its smaller fandom into account. My own feeling is that because it departs quite a lot from the usual run of the mill Fable stories, many fans have been unsure what to make of it. While this does not in itself demotivate me, it does not help in terms of completing it. I'm also somewhat hazy as to where the story will go, although I have some definite ideas about future scenes, chapters and character arcs. Nonetheless I'm not very optimistic about finishing this one either at the moment.

In the probably far too appropriate words of Pontius Pilate (shortly after he literally washed his hands of Jesus' fate) what I've written I have written. Enjoy what's there, and don't worry too much about what might be, (or what might have been).

So have I actually written anything new? Well surprisingly yes, I have, at least to prove to myself that I can still do it. Will I actually publish anything? That remains up in the air. I've completed some of the opening chapters of a Star Wars (Rogue One) fic, provisionally entitled Rogue One: Search For the Kyber Crystals. It stemmed from my dissatisfaction with the original film, in particular the amount of detail in characterisation. Originally my idea was to heavily rewrite the Rogue One plot. I wonder now if that was too grandiose and too ambitious. The goal is still in my mind, but, as I said above, I don't want to mislead or disappoint readers. Perhaps if I could make it clear at the start this is a bit experimental, that would at least be honest. I also like what I've written so far, but its not quite Rogue One Mark Two, and more like me having some fun playing around with the characters in my usual romantic fashion. I hope I can do enough to make at least something publishable, but I have to say, don't get too excited in case nothing comes of it.

Anything else previously mentioned as a project is now well down the list of priorities, and so even less likely to come about. I'm reluctant to even leave these up, and they must now be considered more as examples of what I might have done, had things been different. But for the record:

One of my ideas was for The Devil Wears Prada, a complete change of genre based not on games, like all my previous stories, but on the book and especially the film (starring Meryl Streep). Claws are out in the world of fashion rather than in some post-apocalyptic nightmare or fantasy world. Andy has to deliver 'the Book' to her employer from hell, Miranda. But like most of her tasks, it proves to be far from straightforward. If I could get myself back in the mood to write this and remember what the plot was supposed to be ... you get the idea.

Dead or Alive Extreme2 anyone? If you haven't heard of this game and its, ahem, reputation, then the provisional title, A Geisha in Paradise, may give you a clue as to what it would have been about. Kokoro, probably no one's favourite apprentice geisha, was down as the main character. At least this would have been a shortish fic, but might have been more adult than the site currently encourages. I suppose there's always a chance ...

Another idea left in development hell was a (non-crossover) Soul Calibur Fic. Main characters Sophitia, Cassandra and Rothion. Tira and Taki would likely be involved. Provisional title was Broken Faith, and was intended to be a bit of a line crosser (for me) in terms of sexuality. Absolutely nothing written though, and I'm not sure I can remember anything but the most basic details about the plot. Not at all likely to appear.

Still retaining great affection for Rumble Roses, I would like to have rewarded its much-maligned, unappreciated and long suffering fans with yet another thriller, but of a more satirical nature. The piece, which did have some initial chapters written, involved heel characters, including Rowdy Reiko, Sgt Clemets and the BBD on a quest for Sophitia's legendary treasure. A cross over with Soul Calibur, and also a semi-parody of a well-known book/film, it had the rather intriguing title: Miss Spencer's Correction Academy. I could, as with the Rogue One fic, publish those first chapters, but I retain only the vaguest concept of where the story was supposed to go, so its probably not very ethical to do so. Perhaps I will if readers beg me ... or the whole world weeps.

To try to end things on a positive note, I've provided some additional details about my previous fics. If you've read my profile before, you can skip this, as there aren't any new completed fics! The stories are in order of publication.

My Rumble Roses story, A Rose By Any Other Name, was the first published, and (ironically as it now seems) the one that broke my jinx of not completing stories. Despite being drawn from what some might say was the unpromising video-game genre of female wrestling, something about the RR characters inspired me, in particular to write romance. Character driven writing I find easier, particularly because I'm generally better at dialogue than descriptive passages. The fic is based around one of my typical f/f pairings of an older, wiser head with a younger, inexperienced but enthusiastic character; in this case a "dark-side" romance. Hopefully it transcends the setting to some extent, as sadly there's never been as much demand for wrestling stories, and maybe this will convert some people. (But if not then there's always the sequel - see below)

Soul Calibur is another of my favourite genres for character strength, even if trying to make sense of all the different story threads drives me nuts occasionally. The inspiration for my fic, Demon Hunter, came from a forum post by Nemean, who wanted ideas for a Taki fanfiction. I suggested 3 possible pairings, including Ivy, Mitsurugi and this one:

TALIM. This would be a kind of younger sister thing. Taki could "take her under her wing" but more interesting would be if she led her astray in some way. Or alternatively Talim gets Taki into trouble through youthful enthusiasm.

Which shows how ideas get changed in the mix. Its much more a mother/daughter pairing in the way it works. However Taki certainly does lead Talim astray in one sense! And maybe Talim has got her into trouble. This story is still my personal favourite.

Next to be written was the sequel to my other Rumble Roses Story, called Roses That Bloom in the Dark. As in the previous fic, a ninja is one of the main characters. I would loosely describe it as a romance, with elements of the Gothic and James Bond (no actual 007 but the female equivalent of Blofeld has a part to play). I'm happy with the way its turned out, even though its almost twice as long as originally planned, probably a similar length to a Fleming novel (if I can even place my self in the same room as him). But like the master's own work, it moves along at a fair pace, and the response has been as good as I can expect for what is a somewhat under-appreciated genre.

And so finally on to my epic story for Fallout 3, Wastelander. Not for the faint hearted or younger readers, the original idea was to chart the progress of the Lone Wanderer having to adapt to the rigours and tough decisions involved in life in the Wastes. Additions to the plot, greater roles for certain characters and a possible supernatural element expanded the story far beyond its original intentions, in the end taking over 2 years to finish. Should you be brave enough to take it on, you will be rewarded with something a little different from the norm; certainly not a simple retread over what has become very familiar ground. The first chapters pass quite quickly, but once into the story, expect them to lengthen. However by then you may be hooked! My Lone Wanderer, Arta, is neither a traditional 'white knight' nor a merciless killer, but a survivor whose intentions are good, at least to begin with. She goes on to become something more, the Wastelander known as the Angel of Death. Despite flirting with the supernatural, the story aims for a degree of gritty realism and, I would venture to say, maintains momentum and plot direction despite its great length. And as in all my stories, there's a strong romantic element.

Want to know something more about my life? As far as this site's concerned, I'm not saying much other than I'm a computer games fan who lives in the fair town of Manchester, England. If you want to check my Deviant Art profile (same name) then you may learn some more about me.