By Nathan Marchand
May 20, 2016
For the last few weeks, my fellow Children of the Wells creators have been sharing from their hearts in some very personal blogs. That makes my blog this week a…
Which leads me to my actual topic. No, it’s not Killer Instinct or fighting games (though I could easily rant about them). I’m talking about this new “role” I’ve taken upon myself with the CotW staff: meme generator. (more…)
by Nathan Marchand
April 1, 2016
After months of secrecy, I’m proud to announce on behalf of all of us here at LocoNotion Media that Children of the Wells will be adapted into an epic TV series—once we choose one of the three offers we’ve received.
How’d this come about, you ask? Well, I get to rub shoulders with lots of people in showbiz whenever I go to Gen-Con and other conventions (did you think I just sold books and cosplayed at these events? Pshaw!), and since my networking skills border on being superpowers, I managed to get word around about our premiere contemporary post-apocalyptic fantasy series. Interestingly, I’ve been approached by three producers, who all came to me because they love our books. (It might also be because Nick is awesome). The only problem is…they all have some crazy ideas about how to adapt them to screen. (more…)
By Nick Hayden
August 21, 2015
My first car was a 1982 Honda Accord. I called her Betsy. I only drove her a few years before the repair bills convinced me to buy a new car. At the end, the passenger door didn’t open from the outside, the rearview mirror wouldn’t stay in place, and I had the habit of stalling out on any journey more than two or three miles.
I loved that car. It was mine. I listened to a lot of good music in that car. I even wrote a story featuring it and an incident involving a gas station and something like fire bursting from somewhere beneath my car. There was this thing called the Star Wars trilogy back then (maybe you’ve heard of it), and I liked to think of Betsy as my Millenium Falcon.
Fast forward to 2015. I’m driving a 2000 Volkswagon Beetle. I still think of it as my “new” car. It has the floor mats from my Accord that read “Betsy,” ’cause it’s Betsy 2.0. Problem is, it’s starting to resemble my old car quite a bit. The windows won’t roll down–or if they do, they won’t roll up. It makes an ominous chk-chk-chk when I turn the key. The ceiling fabric is sagging, my parking brake barely works, and I’ve been stranded twice in the last month.
But here’s the thing. I don’t want to get a new car. I like my car. It’s not old. It hasn’t aged a day. (And neither have I.)
What is this thing with Time, that keeps moving along?
I find the same thing happening with stories. I’ll start one, then suddenly it’s five years later and I’m like, “Wait, I’ve been working on this for that long? And why doesn’t it seem as bright and shiny as before?” Ideas seem ageless–and then you realize that cool world you mean to write about first came to you when you were a teenager and now you have two kids in school. Or, on the flip side, sometimes you re-read an old story that is grossly incompetent, but you still have a certain fondness for it no one else could possibly understand because you can see the sparkle of the idea that drove you (see what I did there?) to write it.
Moral of the story? No idea. Except I’ve come up with a lot of great stories while driving around, so I’ll keep driving and I’ll keep writing and I’ll keep making strained metaphors whenever the blog deadline comes due too soon.
Okay, I’m off. Time to head home. As long as my car starts….
April 1, 2015
Friends,
I have the distinct pleasure and honor to announce the pre-announcement of the Children of the Wells first ever Kickstarter campaign for not one, but TWO indie video game projects! I, along with the other members of ChildrenoftheWells.com, have been hard at work brainstorming and planning out this huge and exciting endeavor which can be funded for the paltry sum of $10,000.
These will be all-new, canon stories featuring additional adventures of Bron & Calea, and of Jaysynn.
“One of my favorite aspects of reading comic books are when storylines span multiple books,” explains project writer Greg Meyer. “I love buying issues of series I have no interest in or face the risk of being completely lost in the story I’m currently reading. I want to bring that same kind of thrill by mixing books with video games. If you want to know what’s going on in the books, you have to play the games.”
When the project was first tossed around, we jumped at the chance. I mean, how hard can it be to make a video game? I made one on my calculator in High School, and technology has only grown since then.
We’re not only making two video games, but their styles will be completely different. That’s right, two different experiences for the CotW fan!
Actual screen shot!
Jaysynn Quest Go! is an RPG that harkens back to those magical days of our youth, spending hours in front of the television on Saturdays clicking buttons to attack with a sword instead of straining our arm! We’ve studied the classics of the genre, from SaGa Frontier to Quest 64, even going all the way back to that NES gem Hydlide. Spend endless hours getting lost in first-person dungeons, getting into random battles every two steps, and trying to wrap your head around our incomprehensible battle system! Best of all, we’ve removed save points and instead allow you to input passwords. Now you never have to worry about the game battery dying ever again! As for the plot, follow Jaysynn as he traverses the trap-filled labyrinths of Lord Dracon’s tower to rescue Kyrie from the power-mad villain and finally marry her. Can Jaysynn survive the monsters below and defeat Mecha Lord Dracon X to save her? You’ll have to play it and find out! And remember, it’s canon.
Bron & Calea and the Gooey Select is based on the wacky and fondly remembered adventure games of the 80’s. Follow our heroes as they attempt to solve who’s been turning former Select into pink goo. Solve complex and intricate stage puzzles that will require hours upon hours of endless pixel clicking and item combinations. Did you collect the ketchup packet, ball of lint, and dodecahedron from the room you visited twenty hours ago but can’t revisit? No? Better restart your game and start all over again!
Stunning old-school graphics!
Our Story Designer Greg Meyer is hard at work writing out the game scenarios. Based on what we have, it should take 400 hours for you to complete just one of the two games. Now that’s a ton of content! Think of the value you’re going to get if you choose to support our Kickstarter program!
Of course, no Kickstarter project is complete without rewards! Here’s what we’ve planned so far for our wonderful and amazing donors:
Note: Contributor is responsible for airfare, lodgings, and food during duration of trip.
We sincerely hope you consider pledging something to our Kickstarter. With your help, we can create a truly revolutionary experience.
Thank you,
The Children of the Wells Staff
Please support us. Please.
By Nick Hayden
January 22, 2015
Blank screen. Endless possibilities. I can write anything. Go!
(…)
(Er….)
An Epic Tale of Beauty
Once upon a time…. (Yeah, that’ll work.)
Once upon a time, there was a poet of great renown who was commissioned by a king to create an epic that embodied all that was noble and beautiful about his kingdom. This poet, whose name was…
(Crap. I need a name. I hate coming up with names. Let’s see. How about Tolkien Tolkyn Olkyn Talkynn Tal-kynn? Yeah. that’ll work.)
This poet, whose name was Tal-kynn the Shrouded, accepted the task with aplomb.
(Better check websters.com to make sure I used ‘aplomb’ right. It sounds right. “Noun. imperturbable self-possession, poise, or assurance.” Perfect.)
For 40 days and 40 nights, Tal-kynn the Shrouded labored in his poorly-lit den. During those days he ate no food and drank only water. He barely slept. The task at hand, to portray in human language the most noble aspirations of mankind, ignited his mind and inflamed his soul. (more…)
It’s a new year, which means it’s time for New Year’s resolutions! We decided to contact our delightful Children of the Wells characters–we’re authors; we can do that–and see what their goals are this year.
Calea: Stay alive. Or don’t. One of those. I don’t care which.
Bron: Relentlessly follow and protect Calea, no matter what she says or does to me. Wait–that was last year’s resolution. Let’s see. How about…own a dog?
Nyasha: Invest in a hard hat.
Jaysynn: Get a mask. And a cape. Girls love capes. Also, a theme song. I seriously need a theme song.
Kyrie: Have “the talk” with Jaysynn. He should know that just because I turn him invisible, I don’t want to be.
Mic: A few months ago I would have said, retire in peace. Now? How about keep Jaysynn in one piece?
Amira: Perfect shooting people while singing songs to my baby–what I like to call bull’s-eye lullabies.
Gunny: Goodness! I don’t know. I’m just happy to be alive!
Dracon: What’s my New Year’s resolution? The same one I have every year: try to take over the world!
There you have it, folks, the hopes and dreams of our fictional characters! See, they aren’t so different from you and me after all.
By Nick Hayden
November 20, 2014
Look, I’m no fan of turkey. I mean, sure, it’s tasty enough, but give me mashed potatoes, and I’m set. Always mashed potatoes, in a great big heap, with some gravy. And maybe some of that green bean casserole, officially the best use of green beans on the planet and most likely the reason they were invented in the first place.
Sorry–I got sidetracked. As you probably know, next week is Turkey Day, better known these days as Black Thursday. On the calendar it’s usually listed as “Thanksgiving,” but this is an antiquated nomenclature at odds with the more progressive capitalist (is that a contradiction?) view that understands that the fourth Thursday of November is the first day of Christmas. (In a decade, at most, the gateway to Christmas will be Halloween, but a few shreds of tradition still hold us back. That, and most people don’t like to associate skeletons with Christmas, Jack Skellington excepted.) (more…)
By Greg Meyer
November 6, 2014
Last week, I had the great fortune to travel to Ireland and Scotland. Having never left the United States before, it was an eye-opening experience for me, even if the culture-shock is lessened when visiting countries where English is the predominant language.
While exploring Edinburgh, I had the chance to go to a little coffee shop called The Elephant House, nestled in the heart of the city. What makes this seemingly ordinary coffee shop special is that it’s where author J. K. Rowling penned an obscure tale known as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Perhaps you’ve heard of it? Well, I’m a fan of the series, so I found it an interesting experience seeing where “the boy who lived” was born on paper. (more…)
By Nick Hayden
September 11, 2014
As you may know, Bron & Calea Volume 1, our print collection of the first three stories in the Bron & Calea saga, is now available on Amazon. If you’re uncertain about the necessity of purchasing the volume for your private collection, let me convince you. Here are TEN REASONS you need to buy Bron & Calea Volume 1 immediately.
10. Because when you support a starving artist, an angel gets its wings.
Seriously, read the reviews of these bears if you haven’t.
9. Because you need to add one more item to your cart to qualify for free shipping, and it’s either Bron & Calea or a five-pound bag of Haribo Sugar Free Gummy Bears.
8. Because Nyasha’s by far your favorite companion, even better than Rose, and certainly better than that loud…wait, what? You mean she’s not that Doctor’s assistant?
7. Because there’s nothing like reading The Well’s Orphan to make your bad day seem not quite so bad.
6. Because you’ve been meaning to read Children of the Wells for the last year, but things just keep getting in the way. Like doing your taxes. And having your second child. And spending those four months in the nunnery. But now–now–you have time to finally….just a second, the phone’s ringing…and the drying just beeped…and there’s some unwatched shows on the DVR….
5. Because you want to be a fan in reality, and not just in Thyrion. (Groan.) (more…)
By Greg Meyer
August 21, 2014
Hey Greg, I had a question for you. Would you like to work on a collaborative Sci-fi series Nick and I have been working on? -Tim
My Facebook phone app beeped at me as I took my dog out for another potty break. Whoever said dogs were intelligent must never have met my dog, because I can’t get her to properly use the washroom, something even a three-year-old child can do. Take that, Chloe.
Anyhow, I checked my message and saw that it was from Tim, my friend from grad school. I had originally met Tim back in 2009 during our first fall semester in Virginia Beach. I was enrolled in the Screenwriting program, while Tim focused on Editing. As I got to know the fellow Midwesterner with wild, crazy hair, we discovered we had many common interests. We were huge Mystery Science Theater fans, appreciated quality anime programs, loved Super Smash Brothers, and breathed air. What more could you want in a friendship? We only had one class together but that was enough to form a friendship. (more…)
