Well, this will be my first Journal entry for DA (ever) and well... anywhere in a really, really long time. It’s odd because I don’t know where to start. I suppose, I should start from the beginning. Yeah, that would make the most sense.

Hello denizens of DeviantArt, my name is Stephen H. and I have just turned 20 as of today. I have a part-time job working in a local grocer as a deli clerk. I have to admit that my ‘ part-time’ job is more like a full-time one because I’m constantly on call and I get paid peanuts. Welcome to the real world, right? Anyway. I have a passion for art, literature, language and history and I would one-day love, love, love to travel the world. I have a small obsession with all things Asian, medieval and Old World. I am also a fledgling writer who spends most of his time writing on various Role-playing forums. Recently, I’ve decided to write a story. I’ve tried before, but I am more of an ideas-man and lack considerable follow-through. My idea has quickly turned into something else entirely and has caught the interest of my friends and girlfriend like wildfire or the H1N1.

It’s a Halo fanfic.

Or at least it was. It’s since become something that simply uses the Halo ‘Verse as a vehicle for my creative license.

I guess that’s why I’m writing this. I’ve got support and interested parties to keep me going, but not people who can give me educated feedback on what works, what doesn’t and what I should improve on. Though, I don’t know what I expect to happen from this. Currently, I’m still hammering out the overall plot. As it stands right now, my story is broken into two parts: formation and completion. They’re not called that, but it fits with the theme. The story will span six years in the Halo ‘Verse starting from 2525 and ending in 2531 and will focus primarily on the Civil War between the UNSC (UNSCDF more specifically) and the Separatists (Insurrectionists). It is a soldiers’ tale that follows the life of five friends as they enlist in the UNSC Army and up until their crossroads where they must make tough moral choices after they have become ODSTs. Spartan-IIs and Spartan-IIIs will have a very small impact on my story; cameos really, especially the Spartan-IIIs.

Anyway, as I go along I plan on uploading bits and pieces of information concerning my story. Currently, it doesn’t have a name and I am not actively thinking of one. Tears of Wolves or A Wolf's Tears seem to fit initially, but it is also a generic and cheesy title. I don’t know. Titles aren’t important right now.

On a more selfish note, I am dying to see some of my characters, places, things and events be penned out by some of the talented artists here, but we’ll see about that. Like I said earlier: I get paid peanuts and there are not enough nuts to go around.

Well, I think that’s enough rambling from me for today.

It’s good to finally take a more active role in this community. Cheers!