A Letter From Rory (PLEASE READ!)
GREETINGS FROM A FELLOW "HIGHLANDER" FAN!!
Before anything else, thank you for taking the time to read my stories in the "Highlander Quill Club" and in this page. Some of you have emailed me with questions and comments and I would like to address these matters for your guidance. Hopefully, my answers to your queries will give you an idea as to who I am, how I work and what to expect from this page.
WHAT KIND OF STORIES DO YOU WRITE ABOUT?
If you are expecting the usual, "run-of-the-mill" kind of HL tales, let me warn you in advance: YOU WON'T FIND THEM HERE!! I am greatly influenced by the writing styles seen in Japanese manga and anime -- a lot of fantasy &/or horror elements with unique plot twists. Surprisingly, I found these writing styles work rather well in the HL universe. I push for originality and creative license in every story I write. For me, INNOVATION is the key word. In this regard, you may already expect in advance that the stories I have written or intend to write might make a lot of you uncomfortable.
WHAT IS YOUR APPROACH TO WRITING "HIGHLANDER" STORIES?
My MAIN RULE when writing stories is NOT to allow myself to be restricted by rules! In fact, I will admit it outright: I AM NOT A FIRM ADVOCATE OF "HIGHLANDER" CANON. All the so-called "Rules Of Immortals" to me, are meant to be broken and/or explained. Hence, they are perfect fodder for writing stories. The same also goes for the timeline. If Netpickers find something to argue about within the show's historical context, I don't see any reason why I should be subjected to this kind of hassle. Sometimes, too much attention to detail detracts from the writing of a good tale.
WHEN CAN WE EXPECT TO READ NEW STORIES?
I'm in a rather tricky situation so I'll be honest. I cannot create a schedule for when new stories will appear because I DO NOT have a computer. In fact, I do most of my work on my Internet Rental Access Center computer...and the steep rental charges at present here in the Philippines limit my surf time considerably.
Secondly, it is also a huge problem for me that, for some strange reason, I cannot write short stories; only LONG ones. Since I especially don't want my readers to read UNFINISHED works (I know how it feels to be very frustrated to wait for months on end for the latest installment in a series), I prefer to complete a tale first before putting it on the Web...although I have to make an exception to four projects (More on these later). However, one thing I do promise is that I have no intention of putting out an inferior tale. I'm a stickler for perfection so I will only give you the BEST I have to offer.
Thirdly, one important reason for the delay is that I make sure that EVERY STORY IDEA I have is COPYRIGHTED before I even place it on the Net. Being a Newbie, I have had the very unpleasant and frustrating experience of having people who claim to be my "best friends" steal my story ideas and claim them as their own. Also, it angers me a lot that these same people ask for my help and/or to collaborate with them on their projects and not give me credit (which was a lot). So to protect my stories, I go through the process of copyrighting them before posting. I'll go to the specifics in the final question.
DO YOU BETA READ?
On occasion, I do beta read stories. But I need the time to read it through since I am handling three jobs at the moment, one of them being editor for a magazine here in the Philippines. However, when I beta read, I mostly correct errors in grammar and spelling. I DO make suggestions on the improvement of the story but I give the writer the FINAL DECISION with regards to text revisions. I am definitely for preserving the integrity of a writer's work above all else.
Finally, the question that everyone's asking me...ANY WORKS IN PROGRESS?
At present, five stories are my priority. The first is the "Highlander" spoof of "Titanic", which will be appearing in "Glitter Magazine" here in my country. For those of you who have been asking me for a sequal to "Innocence Of Love", there will be TWO sequels focusing on the ongoing adventures of Duncan, Methos and Teddy. Plus, there are two crossover stories in the works. I can't tell you more because these two tales are rather unique.
As for FUTURE projects, there are actually quite a lot which I've already started on. There will be a LONGER version of "Swords at Sunset". Whoever said in the HLQC comments page that it seemed "rushed", YES, this story was a "rush write" and, up to now, I still can't believe it won with all those ghastly errors. I'll be continuing "The Passion Trilogy" project, which has been derailed when I was forced to shut down my fanfic site in GeoCities only a few days after I opened it. The first part in the Trilogy, "Passion's Torment", is in this site (Parts One & Two, that is!). Same also goes for the "Highlander" crossover with the Japanese anime series "Magic Knight Rayearth" (there are seven chapters completed in this story).
However, there are two specific projects which I am guarding like a bulldog. The first is "Animetrix University Slash Class", a major comedy crossover between "Highlander", "The X-Files", "Xena", "Hercules", "Forever Knight" and several Japanese anime (incl. "Ranma 1/2", "SailorMoon", "Magic Knight Rayearth", etc.). This project was actually the creation of a former friend and I helped her develop this. But since she did not see it fit to mention my creative input in the "Animetrix University" site in Tripod (it was MY idea to put the HL and other U.S. TV characters in this scenario), I am COMPLETELY SEPARATING this site from hers.
The second project is a HL series called "Kinsmen". "Kinsmen" is very important to me because it is a very original, ambitious storyline and no one has thought bring this plot to life. Besides that, I am extremely fond of the characters I have developed. There will actually be TWO versions of "Kinsmen" -- one for the "Animetrix University" scenario and the second is the more serious story. For a small hint on this project, it would involve that nasty demon Ahriman.
Well, I guess that's about it. I hope this answers any more questions you might have in mind.
Once again, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATRONAGE. I could only promise to give you the BEST my imagination has to offer.
Sincerely yours,
Rory V. Pascual
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