How I write

With my hand. Well it's true! I prefer the feeling of writing by hand. Yes, it does take longer, but that gives me time to really think about what I am writing. And there is something oddly satisfying about scratching out a word you didn't like, or something misspelled, or an ugly cliche. Slamming on the backspace just doesn't have the same effect. And it is convenient because you can write anywhere. For the past year and a half I have always made sure to have some type of notebook with me to write when I get ideas. Any of us who write know how frustrating it is to have this great idea, and then lose it when our mind suddenly wanders off. So anytime I am waiting anywhere (I got a solid 8 hours of writing done at the courthouse when I was waiting for Jury Duty) or bored, I just pull out the notebook and write. I can write anywhere, which can't be said for laptops. I've got nothing against laptops, I just don't have one.


The process in which I find myself concerning the Legend of Seven is typing it up. This is when I can really go over my work and see what I have written. I can add, delete, change and shuffle bits around. This is my personal editing process. I find that I very often forget the words at the end of a sentence or the letters at the end of words. Luckily, it is not hard to relocate the proper endings. Sometimes I really surprise myself when reading over my work; either at my own bone-headedness or my own ingenious...ness. This is my strategy, it may not be perfect, but I like it.

And so it was that the lieutenants granted their power to those who sought them. Men are interesting creatures, they thought, let us see what good they can do. But the lieutenants were most unfamiliar with men, and if it were wise describe them as naive, they would be. So men used their new powers, and it was not long before those powers, those gifts, betrayed them. The ones to whom the gods had entrusted their power had to watch as those same powers brought about the unimaginable destruction and death of many souls. The earth grew ravenous, unfilled by the cities it had devoured. Fire, too, hungered and consumed all that its maw could reach. Water turned to flood, turned to ice, turned to crushing death. Wind would not be outdone however: she blew through the lands, making a collection of homes and crops, families and flocks. The sun made little difference to light and day. Nor to the night and her darkness. Man had the power of the gods, but they lacked the age and the experience of them. The lieutenants, guardians of the foal planet, would intervene.

Chapter 1, The Legend of Seven.

About myself

I suppose I should start with a little about who I am. My name is Daniel Jensen, I live in this little city called Rio Linda, California. I'm six foot tall, brown curly hair, blue eyes, and the occassional beard. I love playing video games, reading, singing, and writing. Which leads me to the point of this blog.
Admittedly, I've never done a blog, nor have I had a purpose to do so before now. I don't think I've done anything exciting enough to merit a blog. However for the past few years I have discovered just how much I enjoyed writing. I certainly can write better than I can speak, and I'm not a bad speaker. I never feared public speaking, and I even won a bronze medal in the 2004 Academic Decathlon for my speech on music. Its so easy to write about things you love. In high school I was a fair writer; a fair writer with terrible handwriting. It wasn't until after high school that I began to write for recreation. Well that's not entirely true either. In junior high i did start this book... It's about a guy who creates a time machine, but then it goes haywire and instead of transporting the vehicle through time, it brings the entire planet. And where do we end up? in the time of dinosaurs. But this is for another time.
The book in which I have placed the most effort is what I am calling so far: The Legend of Seven. And yes, I know that the title is the last thing you need. And yes, I know that this can and probably will be changed at some point, but its the name that has stuck with me during my entire writing. I started writing... well I can't put an exact date but sometime about a year and a half, two years ago. A lot of people will start writing, and after maybe a chapter or two will quit. But I couldn't. I was enjoying it way too much. There were times when I did not have the time to write or I suffered from the clichaic (if its a word) sydrome known as writer's block. But I always found my thoughts drifting back to it. I felt like I was on to something good so I kept writing. At the end of last year I surprised myself by completing the first draft of this book entirely by hand. I love the feeling of writing by hand. I am now in my own editing process whilst typing it up. I am looking to publish my book and my cousin suggested a few critics or editors to review it. One that I searched was one Janet Reid. At the behest of her blog, I began my own.
If you want to find out more about the book, I guess you're gonna have to come back later to check it out. I can't just give it all away now, can I? Well... I suppose a little won't hurt none.

"In the beginning there were gods. They created planets and worlds and then left them to their own devices. Whether this was a hobby of theirs, or perhaps a charge, possibly an experiment, we shall never know. That is unless one chooses to return to its child and reveal itself to the inhabitants thereof.
Each god had its own dominion, an element or a part of life to which its power was dedicated. On each planet created, the gods would leave a lieutenant, a guard as it were, over their respective powers. Their duty was not only to watch over the child, but to maintain the balance therein. On this, our planet (for we assume there are others), man is found. Men sought to know the gods, but they had left. They found instead their lieutenants that had been left behind. These guardians would grant a portion of their power to these men; it was then that magic was discovered. There were in fact seven of these guardians after whom were the most sought. Men sought first control the power of earth, to farm, to till, to grow. What good would the land be with no water? So men besought the guardian of water for life. The wind helped to keep their crops growing, and it spread the seeds of new life. It was fire last, as a warmth and light, and when needed: a weapon. Separate, yet not independent came the elements of light and dark. However, their history is less known, and their power all the more closed to our eyes. And it is the seventh element that is the most mysterious. For of this element the common man has no knowledge, and as such, he has no control."

Chapter 1, The Legend of Seven. (this is the book in the novel, not chapter one of the thing I am writing. ok I am writing but its not the thing you'll be reading. Ok yes you'll be reading it, it just... oh forget it, you know what I mean)