UPDATE 12/13/2016

Currently, I am working on tying up loose ends with some older stories before I continue with "Voyager" and any newer projects. I'm hoping to bring new skills and experience that I pick up with "Limerance" and "My Hatred, My Obsession" to the "Voyager" series in order to make an even better story.

Some writers have asked me to be their beta reader. Unfortunately, I currently don't have the time to do this. However, I've included a list of recommended reading below for writers who might be interested in picking up a few reference materials. I've sifted through many books like this over the years, and those I've listed are the highlights that have truly been useful to me personally.

UPDATE 11/10/2016

The complete map of Gaia used in the story "Voyager" can be found AT THIS LINK. Just in case it still doesn't work (because this website is known for its bugs), my DA name is KyndredRaven. The map may be located on the first page of my gallery.

Additional information about the differences between the original and the rewritten "Voyager":

For fellow writers or readers who are just curious, I decided to write out a bit more information about how the story will be structured. As a novelist, I really enjoy doing this sort of thing because I'm always super analyzing my work and the work of others. Hopefully, this will amuse and entertain _

The original "Voyager" story was written in first person, something that I chose not to do stylistically due to the way this version of the story is being told. The world of Gaia, as I imagine it, is massive. I hope that I've managed to capture that in my map images, but I would also like to give that feeling to my readers through my writing. For this reason, the story will be told in a very character-driven style, with interconnected events and characters all over the continent that come together to tell an epic tale of war, strife, love, and destiny. I believe first person narrative would have been too limited, and I don't enjoy swapping POV between characters using the first person perspective.

The story will focus primarily on four main characters (Hitomi, Van, Allen, and Azriel) and a handful minor characters (Dilandau, Millerna, and Chid). The four main characters will be the driving force of this novel while the minor characters will add details and fill in gaps where needed. Though the pairing is asserted as primarily Van/Hitomi, I want to build a realistic relationship between them rather than immediate and unwavering adoration left over from the anime series. This may mean that Hitomi and Van may have rivals in their love and obstacles that they must overcome in order for true love to blossom.

I felt the movie did a wonderful job with this, giving their relationship a steady pace rather than throwing them at each other as destined lovers (though I think that was quite awesome and romantic).

My version also carries much darker themes than the original, though I won't bog down the narrative with graphic violence or unnecessary gore. When and if certain themes appear that may shift the rating higher, I will be sure to provide warning tags.

Some future scenes between characters that I found interesting and iconic in the original Voyager may make an appearance and have similar themes explored within them, but all writing and world building is my own. When adopting this story, I mostly adopted the starting premise. I can't reveal too much about that since that particular aspect hasn't been addressed in the story yet (can't allow spoilers, right?), but that premise was basically the only thing I kept from the original Voyager.

I loved the title, and I loved the idea of a more "adult" and "high fantasy" Escaflowne continuation. I admired the way the writer took it seriously and focused on the world rather than just romance. Though that writer is no longer able to work on their story, I wanted to carry that torch and inspiration into an original work that would give credit for its foundation to the original writer while still staying true to my own style and imagination.

This project is, as mentioned in various places, novel length. I anticipate it to have at least 50,000 words if not more. As you may have seen from the map, there is a lot of Gaia to explore, and the tale of Van and Hitomi's reunion is just the start of an amazing adventure.

Thank you to those who have alerted, faved, and commented on the story so far. Your support means a lot and helps me keep writing and working with confidence.

About Me:

Hello,

My name is Kyndred Raven.

That's a good place to start this introduction, isn't it? I'm the average, semi anti-social, introverted, college student struggling to find my place in the great wide world. I can't say I have a specific dream or goal that I'm striving for. Maybe that throws me out of the running for being categorized as an ambitious, driven, human being. However, among all of my apathy, there is one thing that makes me truly happy.

Writing.

If I had the chance to go back to the beginning of college, I would have chosen to get a bachelor's degree in English. Writing is the single thing in my life that makes living worthwhile. I have a few friends, a significant other, and a few relatives who care about me. They also make me happy. But, what truly fills the unexplained void in my heart is the written word. Reality is, well, reality. It's a set of rules that we can't bypass no matter how good we are at hacking. However, writing gives me a chance to make my own world and to share that world with my readers.

I'm still struggling to get over a few obstacles with this hobby, such as feeling dejected when I don't hear back from readers. Life is busy; the majority of readers are lurkers; just because many people don't reply doesn't mean my work isn't good - I know, right? The logic is there, the spirit is willing, but the emotions weigh me down (I guess that just proves that I'm human after all).

Currently, I'm in the middle of finishing up several novel projects. While these project are taking up most of my time, I still find myself wanting to expand and work on other things. I've been writing fanfiction since middle school, and although many of my stories have been very successful here, I have a bad habit of getting discouraged in the middle of projects and leaving them unfinished. I took a long break from recently, you see, and felt terrible for leaving one of my most popular stories unfinished. However, I've recently had a few moments of enlightenment that spurred me to start over. So, I figured it was time to start something new - to turn a new leaf on my writing so to speak. To actually finish something.

If you do like my writing, let me know. I always love to hear from my readers, and I always respond personally to each review. Yes, I'll say those things at the risk of being labeled a "review [insert impolite name for loose woman here]". What can I say? Sometimes I need that little "oomph" of inspiration to help me stay up a few more hours and finish the chapter. Suggestions that lead to my improvement are always welcome.

If you've read this profile text all the way though, I'm very impressed. Feel free to grab a virtual cookie from the virtual cookie jar - organic, gluten free, low fat, and full of genuine affection.

Ways of Finding My Work:

I've recently started expanding across the net in an effort to get more exposure for my writing. Below, I can provide some links to the websites where you can find more about me and my work. These links will take you directly to my profiles.

Archive of Our Own (Ravenna_Corvin) - this is a very interesting website where many talented writers post both their fanfiction and original work.

DeviantArt (KyndredRaven) - Yes, I love drawing too! If you're curious or want to see my art, please visit my profile here.

Dokuga (Kyndred_Raven) - This is an amazing website dedicated to the Sesshoumaru/Kagome fandom.

Recommended Reading for Writing Reference: (I don't know why the site underlines everything from here on out. Seems to be some sort of bug)

--"Characters, Emotion, & Viewpoint" by Nancy Kress

--"Character Traits" by Linda N. Edelstein -- This is a great book if you really want to know your characters

--"Beginning, Middles, & Ends" by Nancy Kress

--"Characters & Viewpoint" by Orson Scott Card

--"Writing with Emotion, Tension, & Conflict" by Cheryl St.John

On Reviewing:

As the world of fanfiction has grown and evolved over the years, I've seen a change in attitude towards reviewing. I remember the days when writers would hold their chapters "hostage" until they met a certain review count. This has always puzzled and confused me. I don't feel that readers should be forced to rate/review any works that they read online, even ones they pay for. As writers, we are all here to make others (and most importantly ourselves) happy with our trade. Needless to say, I'm glad those days are in the past.

I do miss the days when my stories would receive more responses than they do today. A lot depends on activity and popularity of the fandom we choose to write for, of course. But, in modern times, more and more readers have become "lurkers" who prefer not to leave a trace of their passing. There's nothing wrong with that. However, I wanted to write a little blurb here about my personal take on reviews and what I feel is the most important question:

Why should you consider leaving a review?

I've been asked this question several times (well, maybe more than several) during my career as a writer by both readers and writers alike. As I moved from lurking into active writing, I noticed that I, myself, often didn't leave reviews for things that I read. Becoming an active writer gave me a new perspective on the topic. Since I realized how important reviews are to me, I began to stop and leave more detailed reviews on people's work in the hopes that someone would be kind enough to do the same for me.

So what's the big deal about reviews?

I believe that reviews play several very important roles.

--Reviews give an author confidence. I can't emphasize this enough. If there is any reason to leave a review - even the smallest of encouragements - then this is it. Writers work tirelessly on their stories, especially longer projects. This often involves heavy research and planning. Even the best of writers have down days, and this is when reviews can make the most difference for us.
--Reviews inspire authors to keep going. Let's face it. Nobody is getting paid for writing fanfiction. All of us have hundreds of reasons why we choose to spend our time and write anyway. My motivation is the joy I get from weaving tales and interesting plots. For someone else, it may be other things. But, at the end of the day, life often gets in the way of our hobbies. When we come home tired from work or other issues are weighing heavily on our minds, it helps to know that we have readers who are waiting for us to update. It helps to visit our reviews page and see the words of encouragement there. This support is the best gift you can give us as readers. We're here for you, after all, and if we know you're waiting we will work that much harder to update.
--Reviews help authors understand their readers and build relationships with them. This is especially true if a writer is working on original work that he/she seeks to publish. These days, it's important to understand your target audience and connect with them. Social media and the evolution of the internet has given us writers new tools that help ease this process. Before, fan mail was the best way of communicating with our readers. Now, we can do so at the touch of a button. It's really quite amazing. So don't be afraid to PM your favorite author and share your opinions and suggestions with them. Even if you think that what you have to say isn't important, I can assure you it is. We love hearing from our readers!
--Reviews give insight into the writer's work and can help them improve. Flames were in style back when I first started reading fanfiction, but as the years passed I saw them taper off and die out almost entirely. These days, people are usually polite when they leave comments on works of writing. Constructive criticism can go a long way to helping us better ourselves as writers.

These aren't the only reasons, but I feel they are the most important. If you've read this far, then I hope you have a better understanding of why we always ask for reviews. I hope that this will encourage more exchanging of such kindness in our community.