Titan and the Lost Manuscript

I recently found one of the very early drafts of Titan: The Midnight Hour. I can't believe I even sent it to literary agents the way it was. So much changed from this draft, which had to have been my 2nd or 3rd draft of the book.

 Michael and his friends were 17-18 yrs old and just graduating high school. I felt that the teen superhero story was so overdone. I wanted something a little more fresh, and I thought that was the best age. How many kids envision themselves as they are about to enter the first stage of adulthood. I know I did. In the end I felt that the editors were right and that I 14-15 yr old kid was more relatable to my target audience. Plus, how can I write an authentic 18 yr old when I can't have him do anything more sexually than kiss (no tongue) without becoming an adult book.

Also, in chapter 2: The Museum Heist, I started right in the museum and followed the character of Ned as he found the power ring and was drawn to it and the crooks chase across the city to Michael's street. This whole first section was cut, and all we ended up seeing was the end of the chase and whatever Michael and Carly saw on TV. I was trying to show the power and draw of the ring as it made its way to Michael, but in the end I don't think it worked as I wanted it to.

There were also whole other chapters and sections that were missing from the final draft such as the basketball tournament, the rooftop showdown with Titan and Mr. Midnight and Kaizen. Also, the character of Mr. Edwards very much liked Michael. That was changed though when I realised in that first book that their relationship had to challenges to overcome. I needed someone who opposed Michael. I think that changed worked great too. I was able to have Mr. Edwards view Michael in the same frame of mind as his brother Vince which of course would not sit well with Michael to be compared to him.

As I round the end of Titan 2's writing process I can assure that there is nowhere near as much that changed. I think much of it had to do with how much I had to learn about writing, plot structure, and character development.

Titan 2 Merch Release

I am hoping that by this fall that with the release of Titan 2: City Under Siege I will also be close to having the first batch of Titan merchandise coming out as well. That was a bog part of wanting to release Titan independently was to have full merchandise and product control as to how the brand gets out there. I would like to have some posters, coloring and or sticker books, and T-shirts. This will be very helpful in going to the schools and presenting Titan to those younger audiences. I tried a small batch of T-shirt with the last book, but feel confident that I can do better this time around. Posters and other art products will depend on artists of course.

Eventually I would like to get to the point of having mini mate types figures for the entire Titan universe. My ultimate vision would be to have two character sets that come with a small block of Delta City that connects with other parts. sort of like the old micro machine cities for the late 80's early 90's.

I would also like to add a flash games and other interactive tools to the Titan website in time. I wanted Titan to be a complete online comic book superhero universe. I would like to release the mini serials through this and also maybe segue into full Sunday comic available through there as well. I suppose I will soon find out how hard all of this will be to achieve.

Nighthawk vs. Grandpa Dale

One of the new characters in Titan 3 that I am very excited about exploring more of is the old veteran vigilante hero Nighthawk. He is an old superhero form the 1940's that is now teaching a young apprentice superhero, Myst,  the ropes. Nighthawk was a masked avenger that fought against Mr. midnight when he first broke into the scene. Nighthawk's career was cut short due to injuries, however. He has laid low for decades and watched as the city he once protected has fallen onto some dark times, until Titan arrived that is. with Titan arrival, Nighthawk feels inspired to get back out there but does not know how, until he discovers the Myst. One of the intriguing things about this character for me now is how Grandpa Dale will become linked directly to this grizzled old hero. Grandpa Dale it turns out remembers Nighthawk all to well.

Jealous Guy

In Titan 3: Shadow Games Michael and Carly's relationship will be tested once again, this time by...well, just a regular guy. Carly will be having to spend some time with a new study partner and Michael gets jealous. This will definitely bring about something of a love triangle. I know it may seem weird to think Carly would even consider another guy when she is dating a superhero, but I think that the normal aspect becomes a big part of that for her. She may just be craving the normal, the dependable, and reliable. Michael may have to prove himself to her once again and show her thta he i sthe only one for her.

Titan 3: Shadow Games Writing Progress

I am now making good progress in moving forward with the first draft of Titan 3 as I move into chapter 2. I thought Titan 2: City Under Siege was hard to balance with the action, main plot, and related characters and development, but Titan 3 is going to be a pure herculean effort to balance. Not only are there two major villain plots as well as new sub plots with many of the main cast, but there is simply a ton of new characters coming with this book. Some of my most favorite moments from the series are going to be in this book. from my count there will be five allies introduced and 4 villains that will join the rogues gallery. This book should move like a roller coaster with rocket strapped to its back. More to come.....

Marketing to a Younger Audience

One of the trickiest aspects of building an audience for the Titan series is reaching the audience itself. I believe that it may be easier marketing adult fiction independently with all of the tools that are currently at my disposal. Blogs, message boards, social medias are all tools that make it so much easier to reach and build an audience. Reaching kids aged between 9-14 seems a bit trickier. I'm not even sure anymore that publishing independently is the best way to go with books for that age group. I am debating about whether to attempt traditional publishing with the next Titan book, which may result in nothing anyhow. If I do continue to do the series independently I will look at trying to do more presentations at schools and getting the books into more school and public libraries. I just don't any other way to get to those younger readers right now.

Titan Vs. the Ice Queen

Titan 3: Shadow Games starts right in the middle of an epic battle between Titan and the Ice Queen with the whole of Delta City caught in the balance. When the scene opens Titan finds much of Delta City frozen in ice. The Ice Queen awaits him in the vast expanse of Campbell Park, which is now nothing more than a giant ice dome. She has taken several prominent citizens hostage and wants Titan. Using her magic sceptre she intends to render Titan and the city into another ice age. The scene itself is proving much more elusive for me than I had ever thought. Usually I have these scenes already plotted out and the action pretty much fully choreographed. I'm finding myself somewhat blocked, however, as I map out the full course of the story in this opening chapter. I had always had a specific vision for this chapter and character, but for some reason right now I can't make it come together the way I wanted. I will work more on it in the coming week and see if I can't make it work better.

Into the Fire

I have the second Titan mini serial outlined and ready to start. It will be Titan Vs. twin villains Shock and Awe who start the next Titan book. Where the forts Titan mini was mostly about a Titan of centuries past, this story will actually be told through the eyes of the villains themselves. We will see what made these pyro destructive twins turn bad and want to get our hero, Titan. Into the Fire pt 1 should be out within the next week!

Titan 2 Nearly Ready for Release

I am just about to enter the last round of editing of Titan 2: City Under Siege. Everything is coming together really well with the plot and character development as I wrap up the manuscript and I am able to step back and look and see there is very little left to do. This has been a much different yet very positive experience then when I wrote Titan: The Midnight Hour. I have been working around the clock to get this book done to maintain series momentum and do in a little over a year and a half what previously took me over five years to do. Titan 2 is bigger, faster, and takes you way deeper into the world of Titan. There is way more villain battles, great side stories with supporting characters, and action scenes that nearly rip Delta City in two. I cannot wait for people to read Titan 2.