Turning the Keys

Comic Con 2010 wrapped up today...and again, I find myself marking the occasion like most mark a new year - with resolutions and promises to do things new and different before the next "end" comes to pass.

This blog is a first step, to try and chronicle, specifically, my journey as a writer. I've always known I like stories and story-telling...I've never known how to tell them myself, nor if doing so was viable or worthwhile. I've decided that it is, insofar as God allows it to be done. As the Proverbs say, "A man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." So, I will start to plan now, and follow the direction my steps take.

It is not lost on me that my submission to a higher power could be mistaken for a willingness to fail and chalk it up to divine will. Maybe that is the case. Perhaps my dreams of writing and telling tales in the mediums I love - comics and animation and fantasy/science fiction - will fall flat in the eyes of "the world". I think, finally, I'm alright with that idea; Alright enough to chase the dream until it outruns me, or is taken away.

This weekend, I read the graphic novel Creature Tech by Doug TenNapel, another professed Christian whose interests are remarkably similar to my own. I finished it late last night in the hotel room my wife and I rented for the weekend, looking out over the city of San Diego which I love to visit every summer. I thought to myself, "This work gives me permission to do my own." Then I thought better of saying that to TenNapel, because I didn't want to level too much credit at the author or sound like a raving fanboy.

When I went to talk to TenNapel this morning and thank him for his work, as it had inspired me to do my own with as much integrity as his, he jokingly said, "You've got permission now." And I realized that I did indeed. Not because he said so, but because he confirmed what I already thought I was being told.

So, as many kids who read or saw Spiderman know, with great power comes great responsibility. I feel like I've been given the keys to the family car, and before I really know how to drive. So I intend to learn, and get to driving. It's funny, because I've been asking for the car for years, and now that I've got it, I'm kinda scared to hit the road.

As for the title of this blog: The Gigantic Machine refers to an idea that has been kicking around in my head for a few years now. I've used it's conjunction, GigaMach, as my email address and online handle for years now, all the while keeping a safe distance from the true focus of that name. So, like an archeologist, I intend to discover the Gigantic Machine, and take the necessary steps to reveal it to the world.