100516.23
As things evolve here, so will the website...some crew bios are undergoing overhauls (and most of them could stand updating- sorry dear readers, we're working on it) so some of the links in one or two bios may be dead- apologies. I'm working on cleaning it all up. So many webpages, so little eyesight.
Speaking of webpages, I'd like to thank Lt. Commander Dengar again for his assistance in formatting and sending posts out these days- things are running much more smoothly again with his help and we're truly grateful. Thanks, Danger!
Hope you're all enjoying the current mission and if you are- tell your friends!
We love it when people read and enjoy what we write as much as we enjoy writing it and reading what our crewmates write (still with me?).
Since we're all still without a Trek TV series, I think this kind of writing is very much the future of Trek- accessible to all on the web and written by people who love it as much as you do- and we do, believe me, we do. I've been doing this for thirteen years and we still have so many stories to tell.
So enjoy and stay tuned, our current mission is about to go into overdrive...
In other news, I recently really enjoyed attending the semi-annual Great Lakes Art Expo. Believe me, nothing makes you appreciate beautiful art more than losing your sight and then getting it back.
Ten minutes before closing on the last day, I happened upon the extraordinary artwork of painter James Douglas Draper.
If you're reading this, you love Star Trek and if you love Star Trek you love nebulas and all that beautiful space-type scenery. The first thing I thought when I saw his work was, the Trek crowd has to see these paintings.
James paints all kinds of things, nebulas among them and I found his work to be truly extraordinary. He's also a fascinating guy and very kind.
Here's a low-res picture of his glorious painting Wayfarers Rift (posted here with the artist's kind permission) which is so very vibrant and even moreso in hi-res and in print.
Just gorgeous.
More of his beautiful work can be found HERE- if you love art and you love space- you have to check him out. Thanks, James, for loving what you do, so we can love looking at the results of your hard work.
As for me I've got to go- Keiran O'Sullivan and William Lindsay are still locked up aboard the USS Poseidon and we have to do something about getting them out...
~ZL
100322.15
Finally got the last three of the six writer interviews I've received so far up on their corresponding Writer's Notebook pages.
Apologies to Vol and Salvek for it taking so long.
I don't have time to apologize to myself- I'm in a rush and likely I'd hold a grudge against myself anyway for being such a slacker captain.
In fact I'm so annoyed by the delay that I may never speak to myself again.
Anyway, they're up now. A little ways down the page on each notebook entry.
Enjoy.
-=/\=-ZL
100218.02
I've only just realized that as busy as I've been the past several weeks that I failed to finish posting the rest of the crew interviews (including my own *laugh*) for 2010; apologies to the folks I've missed. I will remedy the situation as soon as possible.
For now, I have just added Chief Engineer Dengar's interview to his From the Writer's Notebook page for your reading enjoyment. Tryst, Salvek, and then my own will follow soon.
Our new mission is officially under way and it's going to knock your socks off...I'm loving it and its sub-plots so much already.
I want to express my gratitude to Captain William Lindsay for volunteering to take on the creation and oversight of such an ambitious story arc. It's really fun for me to get to be surprised by the writing again for the first time in a long time. I don't know exactly how it's going to all play out but I do know you're doing a hell of a job. Thank you.
I must say that everyone is doing a great job these days supporting the game, the plot arcs and and each other's character development. A few cases in point: Blane/Blakeslee threw a huge, very cool surprise curve at us recently creating a sub-plot and by extension one of the best posts I have ever been privileged to write with anyone at any time (As Important as Angels) and we're just getting started. Salvek is now doing his thing with what Blane started now and of course Jariel and Hartcort are also really rocking yet another sub-plot.
Guest star Alison Schneider is helping with that as well and our beloved Vol Tryst has been all over the place keeping everyone's stuff together. Good times. Mellice Cem is almost but not quite officially aboard (story wise) as a permanent character.
Everyone's been writing and it's so great to get back into the swing.
2010 is going to bring some amazing adventures for us all.
Please keep at it, guys. You're the best there is at this, and I'm so lucky to get to write with you.
Thanks again for your dedication to the Sera and to eachother's passion for writing. It's truly a thing of beauty and in action, a sight to behold.
Onward.
~ZL
-=/\=-
100130.00
For now, I have just added Chief Engineer Dengar's interview to his From the Writer's Notebook page for your reading enjoyment. Tryst, Salvek, and then my own will follow soon.
Our new mission is officially under way and it's going to knock your socks off...I'm loving it and its sub-plots so much already.
I want to express my gratitude to Captain William Lindsay for volunteering to take on the creation and oversight of such an ambitious story arc. It's really fun for me to get to be surprised by the writing again for the first time in a long time. I don't know exactly how it's going to all play out but I do know you're doing a hell of a job. Thank you.
I must say that everyone is doing a great job these days supporting the game, the plot arcs and and each other's character development. A few cases in point: Blane/Blakeslee threw a huge, very cool surprise curve at us recently creating a sub-plot and by extension one of the best posts I have ever been privileged to write with anyone at any time (As Important as Angels) and we're just getting started. Salvek is now doing his thing with what Blane started now and of course Jariel and Hartcort are also really rocking yet another sub-plot.
Guest star Alison Schneider is helping with that as well and our beloved Vol Tryst has been all over the place keeping everyone's stuff together. Good times. Mellice Cem is almost but not quite officially aboard (story wise) as a permanent character.
Everyone's been writing and it's so great to get back into the swing.
2010 is going to bring some amazing adventures for us all.
Please keep at it, guys. You're the best there is at this, and I'm so lucky to get to write with you.
Thanks again for your dedication to the Sera and to eachother's passion for writing. It's truly a thing of beauty and in action, a sight to behold.
Onward.
~ZL
-=/\=-
100130.00
The Crew's list of choices for our best posts of 2009 have now been added to the site. If you're interested in how we write here or just looking for some great reading, this is the place to start.
My own list of great moments from last year can be found here.
Lara Valera Ryn and TC Blane's 2010 crew interviews have been added to their respective pages in the From the Writer's Notebook section, about halfway down their pages after their general character info. Other interviews will be added soon- they were all very entertaining tihs year, don't miss em. ~ZL
My own list of great moments from last year can be found here.
Lara Valera Ryn and TC Blane's 2010 crew interviews have been added to their respective pages in the From the Writer's Notebook section, about halfway down their pages after their general character info. Other interviews will be added soon- they were all very entertaining tihs year, don't miss em. ~ZL
100117.18 Coming Soon: The Best of Star Trek: Alchemy list for 2009 as chosen by crew and captain...
Also, the 2010 editing of the now annual crew interview has gone out...responses will be posted to your favorite writer's From the Writer's Notebook page as soon as I get them back. Stay tuned, I'll announce on this page as each update is made.
In other news, we're working on wrapping up the current mission as expeditiously as possible and already the next one is in the planning stages. I'm looking forward to everyone getting a bit of cabin fever as most of us (all but one lucky member of crew for whom it is currently summertime) deal with wintertime blahs to get people psyched about posting.
If my eyes will just keep from doing anything stupid for five minutes I may actually be able to post something myself soon!
Once again I have to thank our Chief Engineering Officer Rada Dengar for the program he wrote for me that allows me to format our posts to Blogger with the press of a mouse button. It's so freaking cool I still giggle like a loon every time I use it because of all the time and eyesight it saves me. So thanks again, Rada, you went above and beyond the call of duty.
I hope everyone had safe and happy holidays and once again wish you the best in 2010.
I'm toasting you all with my coffee mug: here's to lots of good writing this year by the greatest crew a captain ever had.
My crew.
-=/\=-ZL
Happy Holidays!
91227.22
I don't remember putting more eye problems on my 'to-do' list for the month of December but there they were. Laser surgery was required to spot weld my retina back together. Life goes on. I've had to recover though and am still not back up to par quite yet so that explains why the Captain has been MIA. Nothing kills your writing productivity like an outright ban from your doctors on reading or writing while your eye heals.
First thing I asked when I saw the laser waiting for me was, "Can you set that thing for stun?" Everyone laughed.
So we're starting back up hopefully, and soon will come a new edition of Ask the Crew and I'll post their interviews on their From the Writer's Notebook pages! I can't wait, I love those. If any of our readers have questions they'd like to see asked of any of our writers, just drop an email with your question and the writer you'd like to address it to and I'll see what I can do about getting it answered for you.
Hope that 2010 is a safe and happy year for all our writers, readers, and lurkers *waving* Hi guys! Happy New Year! *laugh*
-=/\=- ZL
91201.22
What did you do in November?
If you were among our writers, the answers varied. Some November activities included:
Working your tail off
Studying for and taking seriously mind boggling university exams
Graduating from university
Working on your dissertation
and visiting with family.
Those were the fun things!
Others not so fun November activities participated in by members of crew included:
Falling down half a flight of stairs and needing a week to recover (Salvek)
Seriously overestimating the limits of their vision and general health (yeah, that'd be me)
...and a host of other not so fun things that kept folks from posting.
But we're still here!
In and among those not fun things here though, we did something exceptionally fun.
In addition to everything else we did in November, Commander Salvek and I also each wrote a novel in 30 days for NaNoWriMo.
Oh, how I love NaNoWriMo. It's the closest thing I have to a religious experience (Chris be with you).
I actually had to write my novel in 24 days because my eyes are still giving me fits and there were days I just couldn't use them to write.
Another year, another NaNo is in the books and let me tell you, I love everyone at The Office of Letters and Light.
Seeing so many crazed, sugar and coffee laden, sleep-deprivation inspired writers from all over the globe dreaming of stories as yet untold to the world is just...brilliant.
The final numbers aren't quite ready to 'geek out on' yet (and geek, I shall) but the last estimate is that about 170,000 people signed up for the challenge and a new record of 19% of participants 'won'; meaning that they met or exceeded the 50k word goal before midnight in their timezone on November 30th.
30 days.
3 Wrimos in our house (including one first time YWP participant with a 20k word goal)
We all exceeded goal, and the feeling of accomplishment at the end when you look at your novel is amazing.
When you go back to really read it and see that not every single line of it is complete trash, it's even better!
I started and finished with huge days: more than 10k words the first and last days and almost that much on a couple in between. It was lunacy. It was exhausting.
It was incredible.
If I ever get hit by a truck,(or finally vaporized by the Romulans)please do not send flowers (or have a party to celebrate).
Instead, send money to these people.
If I ever do manage to get published, I'm really gonna earn that halo over my NaNo user name.
A side note here to Chris Baty should he ever Google his own name, fall through the Bajoran wormhole and end up here:
--
Chris, you are one of my biggest heroes.
Seriously.
I could cry, you inspire me so much.
Thank you, for all you've gone through to give us NaNoWriMo. You are adored.
--
Our total household word count: 156,008.
I'm rather attached to those last eight words, too, I'll have you know.
I like to imagine they come from random scenes in my novel and are words such as dearest, or canvas. Maybe Twinkies, Quapla, or perhaps even Muppet.
Yeah. I like those words.
Great words, all of 'em and we didn't even write sci-fi!
Still, as fun as it was I really missed my crew.
I'd like to publicly thank them now for their patience while we had to go on semi-hiatus.
I had hoped to do it all. Then I learned the hard way that while the spirit was willing (and seriously amped up on caffeine)the eyes are still weak.
I missed you guys, and all of your colorful characters. Now that we're all done with exams and being novelists and hopefully falling down stairs as well, we can get this mission finished.
It's good to be home.
~ZL
90915.21
Congratulations, Serendipity crew, on reaching the milestone of 950 posts. The last hundred have been hard won, but the quality of them, I believe, still speaks for itself and sets our writers apart from any other group in the Trek RPG world. You guys are and ever will be the best.
It's been a hell of a month, to be honest.
The crew has been swamped from all angles, with people taking multiple trips out of town for business and family emergencies and illnesses. There have been job changes, our Second Officer's computer was fried and sadly is no longer with us and a new one is being built to replace it, and myself I've had two eye surgeries (the second due to complications from the first) and an unrelated hospitalization and that has really slowed us down a bit.
But we're still here, we're still writing, and I am hopeful that we'll be moving on to a fun, and entertaining mission very soon, for both our writers and our readers to enjoy.
Thanks for your patience, stay with us.
I believe the best of Star Trek: Alchemy is still to come.
~ZL
-=/\=-
90826.12
The crew has decided that they aren't going to give up on their Captain so easily.
Stay tuned for further developments as the story is still in progress.
-=/\=-
90826.12
The crew has decided that they aren't going to give up on their Captain so easily.
Stay tuned for further developments as the story is still in progress.
-=/\=-
90825.00
The crew of the USS Serendipity wishes to welcome our newest writer, Mellice Cem! Mr. Mellice is a character with a long history in other platforms so we are very happy to have him with us. Welcome aboard!
90801.00
Command of the USS Serendipity and oversight of the Star Trek: Alchemy RPG have officially been transferred to the capable hands of Captain Salvek.
Congratulations, Salvek.
Good luck to you and your crew on all your future adventures.
//// Admiral Gemini Lassiter
-=/\=-
A word from Zanh Liis O'Sullivan...
90715.00
It's with overwhelming gratitude to the best crew in the history of RPG that I am announcing that I am, as of now, retiring from writing.
It's been an amazing experience, and I thank you all for the gift of all the words you've given me. I regret that I have no more left to give you in return.
I will maintain the website and it is my hope that you will all continue on with Salvek as Captain.
We have to discuss the particulars yet but it's my plan that Liis and Keiran will get that retirement in Ireland that they've always wanted. Perhaps they'll teach.
In the 'real world', I hope to return to the non-profit work I've done before even if only able to do so in a smaller capacity.
In any event, the momentum of life changes on you sometimes and you find you're headed in a different direction than you ever imagined you would be. Then, you have to get your bearings and continue on in that new direction and that is what I am doing.
Thank you, so much, for everything.
Updates to the site (roster, etc) will progress as decisions are made as to how exactly it will continue on.
If nothing else the archives will remain as long as I can keep them on the web. Your work deserves to be seen and I myself know that I will come here to read it again and again.
Words cannot express what an honor it's been to write with you all. I am humbled to have spent so long blessed to be in such company. I'm going to miss you all more than you know.
I can't wait to see what you write in the future.
To quote Walt Disney: Keep moving forward...
I have to, at this time, thank everyone in the Walt Disney World Monorail Operations Department for all that they've given me.
The time I spent with them over the past weekend and the ability to attend the vigil for Austin Wuennenberg has been a life-altering experience and I truly thank them all. I won't ever forget.
I will post a more appropriate tribute page...as soon as I can find the words to write it. ~ ZLO
For older News and Updates entries, click here. . .
