WRTN Stories & The Journey To Master Storytelling
DescriptionAn article focusing on the journey from essay to creative writing.
MessageStories home of our best creative works. It's where new worlds, stories, poems, and more, like The Asteroid Saga, stream, all exclusively on WRTN.
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WRTNIntroductionFor as long as I remember, I always wanted to tell a story. Whether it was via playing with stuffed animals, writing silly tales in school, or venturing on my own in the hopes of constructing a platform for my work, I always wanted to build things that only I could ever do. And since March 13, 2021, I've had that opportunity, going into the unknown by releasing and creating content for all to read. One of the many parts of this opportunity was a move into storytelling, advancing my creative writing skills and furthering my future in the art I love so dearly. This was brought even closer to a reality with the release of The Asteroid Parts on WRTN Day 2022, and then The End on May 17. Slowly from there, I have been keen on improving that sector of our business, of my business, starting the largest journey of my life to master storytelling. So, here's how it happened....
The Asteroid Parts (2017)The year, 2017. The grade, fourth. We were assigned to create a story, something that could fit into a "white book," also known as a blank booklet that you could write and draw in. I needed a narrative to tell, a new adventure to explore. And I came up with The Asteroid Parts. The story follows two astronauts, Tim and Claren, as they crashland on an asteroid while heading towards Pluto. As they are stuck stranded on the rock, they come across an alien, who, to their surprise, can write in English, and knows where they can get parts to fix their ship. But they are protected by a dangerous king, who guards them with a monster. Together, the three of them make the hard decision of going forward, knowing death was certain if they don't. Unsurprisingly, they win the fight, gaining the parts and sending the two men off, completing their mission and making a new friend along with way. The original story is quite optimistic and unique, only created with the intent of completing an assignment over five years ago. But this is where things get interesting.
The Asteroid Parts (2022)At the beginning of this year, I make a resolution for myself and this site: to build a narrative page from scratch. Now, that is an extremely hard task, as I had nothing, and knew I needed at least three stories to feel accomplished. Though I didn't know what to write and how to write it. So I took a serious risk and looked back at the past, searching for inspiration. And I found it. That silly story for five years earlier, The Asteroid Parts, sounded perfect for a bit of an expansion. I have always loved the story idea, but was never able to fully see it all that time ago. But now, with WRTN, I could do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted to. That is where the current version of this story comes from: a mission and an old story. So I got to work, adding thousands of words and dozens of pages to the original outline, though struggling massively, as this was my first ever venture into the narrative world on such a scale. Essays have been my thing for years, but creative writing was a whole new beast. Character arcs, a cohesive plot, interesting villains, unique traits, and working within the confines of the original work made it much harder than I expected. The only regret I have is that I stayed too loyal to the 2017 version, which is why it feels disorienting and dumb sometimes. I was and still am not a competent enough writer to recognize that and fix it. Though that is where the next story comes in, the next piece of work for WRTN Stories: The End.
The EndThe End took a much more serious twist on an age-old concept: our extinction. It was released on May 17, and quite literally, as the title states, is about the end of the world, and one man appears to remain on Earth. Just as he is about to lose hope, a mysterious figure shows, telling him that if he just holds on a bit longer, if he starts to believe in Eden, he will be saved. Though what exactly is Eden and what does he have to do to believe in it? He doesn't know. The story finishes with the man eventually getting to Eden, learning that if he never believed, he would have never made it. The process of making this short story was extremely difficult, as it was totally out of my comfort zone, as religion is something I have never tackled in my life. So, why did I write it? To experiment, to learn, to try something out. In all honestly, I knew it was going to suck to some degree, but I am happy with the end product (no pun intended). It is a story of hope, of belief, of happiness, regardless of its mishaps. And I hope someday, down the line, I can come back to it, just like The Asteroid Parts, and make it truly what I envisioned. But the epilogue of this narrative is likely its most important component, as it sets up the very next story within the saga: The Asteroid War.
The Asteroid WarNow, strangely enough, the concept for this story also came from school, but many years later. In ninth grade, we had to invent our own version of Romeo and Juliet, and somehow, The Asteroid War came to me. Originally, it was about two lovers on different sides of a war, one led by the new King Trimdin, while the other was led by elitist Quinten, fighting it out for power in the asteroid belt. Though obviously, if you read the real version of the story, it is much different. This sequel to TAP keeps the idea of a fight between the newly crowned Trimdin versus Quinten, but changes the motivations for each and takes out any notions of love. It more goes in the direction of a war in space, as Trimdin attempts to keep the belt safe from tyranny. Tim and Claren have seemingly exited the picture, only coming in the epilogue to set up the third in the trilogy. Altogether, this newest story came out on August 8, and is truly one of the best on the site, as it focuses on exactly where it should: Trimdin and his struggles with being a ruler. Every character develops, ending up in different places than before, and growing over the time period. TAW is paramount towards the development of The Asteroid Saga, while also assisting in the development of my writing skills. But, what comes after this?
The Asteroid HomeThe Asteroid Home is currently slated to release on December 31, 2022, but admittedly, it may need to be delayed until WRTN Day 2023, depending on how progress goes. Now, for what reason would it need extra time? Well, first, I am quite busy, but second, it is an extremely large story and the end of an entire trilogy. I want to make sure it is as close to perfect as possible. So far, this story will focus on Tim and Claren's return to the belt, as the Earth has been destroyed by nuclear war (The End). Now, they must find sanctuary with their alien friend, as they learn about their society and attempt to integrate into a new life as appointed Gods and the last of the human race. Together, they grow, learn, and change, leading to the ultimate resolution that I shall not spoil. Nevertheless, this final addition to the saga's original trilogy is quite a show, and I can't wait for you all to read it.
ConclusionAt the end of the day, I have battled many hardships throughout the making of these stories for WRTN Stories. It has been quite the trip, one riddled with mistakes but ultimately satisfying. Four shorts in the span of a year is quite an achievement, but I would like you all to know that after TAH, I will be taking a slight break, focusing on larger, better BOOKS, not just stories. These have all been trial runs, experiments to say the least, as I hop into a space I have little skill in. These small narratives are meant to lead to bigger things, and I can tell you, they have. Now I can finally reach higher heights, better balance; I can go a bit crazier. And that's the journey of WRTN Stories, that's my journey to "master" storytelling: by sucking at first, but improving each and every time. I know that The Asteroid Parts and War are goofy at times, I know The End has its problems, but they are meant to be that way, they are meant to be lessons, as practice. I am learning right along the way, and I am happy that it is succeeding. So, for aspiring authors out there, for those who want to break into something just like me, I have one rule: nothing is ever a failure if there is a lesson to be learned by it. It's okay to suck at first, to struggle, because remember, it's a journey, not something that is just going to be given to you. If you are driven, you will get there. That, I can 100% guarantee, no matter what.
The Asteroid Parts (2017)The year, 2017. The grade, fourth. We were assigned to create a story, something that could fit into a "white book," also known as a blank booklet that you could write and draw in. I needed a narrative to tell, a new adventure to explore. And I came up with The Asteroid Parts. The story follows two astronauts, Tim and Claren, as they crashland on an asteroid while heading towards Pluto. As they are stuck stranded on the rock, they come across an alien, who, to their surprise, can write in English, and knows where they can get parts to fix their ship. But they are protected by a dangerous king, who guards them with a monster. Together, the three of them make the hard decision of going forward, knowing death was certain if they don't. Unsurprisingly, they win the fight, gaining the parts and sending the two men off, completing their mission and making a new friend along with way. The original story is quite optimistic and unique, only created with the intent of completing an assignment over five years ago. But this is where things get interesting.
The Asteroid Parts (2022)At the beginning of this year, I make a resolution for myself and this site: to build a narrative page from scratch. Now, that is an extremely hard task, as I had nothing, and knew I needed at least three stories to feel accomplished. Though I didn't know what to write and how to write it. So I took a serious risk and looked back at the past, searching for inspiration. And I found it. That silly story for five years earlier, The Asteroid Parts, sounded perfect for a bit of an expansion. I have always loved the story idea, but was never able to fully see it all that time ago. But now, with WRTN, I could do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted to. That is where the current version of this story comes from: a mission and an old story. So I got to work, adding thousands of words and dozens of pages to the original outline, though struggling massively, as this was my first ever venture into the narrative world on such a scale. Essays have been my thing for years, but creative writing was a whole new beast. Character arcs, a cohesive plot, interesting villains, unique traits, and working within the confines of the original work made it much harder than I expected. The only regret I have is that I stayed too loyal to the 2017 version, which is why it feels disorienting and dumb sometimes. I was and still am not a competent enough writer to recognize that and fix it. Though that is where the next story comes in, the next piece of work for WRTN Stories: The End.
The EndThe End took a much more serious twist on an age-old concept: our extinction. It was released on May 17, and quite literally, as the title states, is about the end of the world, and one man appears to remain on Earth. Just as he is about to lose hope, a mysterious figure shows, telling him that if he just holds on a bit longer, if he starts to believe in Eden, he will be saved. Though what exactly is Eden and what does he have to do to believe in it? He doesn't know. The story finishes with the man eventually getting to Eden, learning that if he never believed, he would have never made it. The process of making this short story was extremely difficult, as it was totally out of my comfort zone, as religion is something I have never tackled in my life. So, why did I write it? To experiment, to learn, to try something out. In all honestly, I knew it was going to suck to some degree, but I am happy with the end product (no pun intended). It is a story of hope, of belief, of happiness, regardless of its mishaps. And I hope someday, down the line, I can come back to it, just like The Asteroid Parts, and make it truly what I envisioned. But the epilogue of this narrative is likely its most important component, as it sets up the very next story within the saga: The Asteroid War.
The Asteroid WarNow, strangely enough, the concept for this story also came from school, but many years later. In ninth grade, we had to invent our own version of Romeo and Juliet, and somehow, The Asteroid War came to me. Originally, it was about two lovers on different sides of a war, one led by the new King Trimdin, while the other was led by elitist Quinten, fighting it out for power in the asteroid belt. Though obviously, if you read the real version of the story, it is much different. This sequel to TAP keeps the idea of a fight between the newly crowned Trimdin versus Quinten, but changes the motivations for each and takes out any notions of love. It more goes in the direction of a war in space, as Trimdin attempts to keep the belt safe from tyranny. Tim and Claren have seemingly exited the picture, only coming in the epilogue to set up the third in the trilogy. Altogether, this newest story came out on August 8, and is truly one of the best on the site, as it focuses on exactly where it should: Trimdin and his struggles with being a ruler. Every character develops, ending up in different places than before, and growing over the time period. TAW is paramount towards the development of The Asteroid Saga, while also assisting in the development of my writing skills. But, what comes after this?
The Asteroid HomeThe Asteroid Home is currently slated to release on December 31, 2022, but admittedly, it may need to be delayed until WRTN Day 2023, depending on how progress goes. Now, for what reason would it need extra time? Well, first, I am quite busy, but second, it is an extremely large story and the end of an entire trilogy. I want to make sure it is as close to perfect as possible. So far, this story will focus on Tim and Claren's return to the belt, as the Earth has been destroyed by nuclear war (The End). Now, they must find sanctuary with their alien friend, as they learn about their society and attempt to integrate into a new life as appointed Gods and the last of the human race. Together, they grow, learn, and change, leading to the ultimate resolution that I shall not spoil. Nevertheless, this final addition to the saga's original trilogy is quite a show, and I can't wait for you all to read it.
ConclusionAt the end of the day, I have battled many hardships throughout the making of these stories for WRTN Stories. It has been quite the trip, one riddled with mistakes but ultimately satisfying. Four shorts in the span of a year is quite an achievement, but I would like you all to know that after TAH, I will be taking a slight break, focusing on larger, better BOOKS, not just stories. These have all been trial runs, experiments to say the least, as I hop into a space I have little skill in. These small narratives are meant to lead to bigger things, and I can tell you, they have. Now I can finally reach higher heights, better balance; I can go a bit crazier. And that's the journey of WRTN Stories, that's my journey to "master" storytelling: by sucking at first, but improving each and every time. I know that The Asteroid Parts and War are goofy at times, I know The End has its problems, but they are meant to be that way, they are meant to be lessons, as practice. I am learning right along the way, and I am happy that it is succeeding. So, for aspiring authors out there, for those who want to break into something just like me, I have one rule: nothing is ever a failure if there is a lesson to be learned by it. It's okay to suck at first, to struggle, because remember, it's a journey, not something that is just going to be given to you. If you are driven, you will get there. That, I can 100% guarantee, no matter what.
