Inside the Brain of E.C. Henry

The Need for a New and Improved STORY Bible for E.C.'s Epic Fantasy Novel

YES, the time has come.  Here in my editing fumblings, as I re-write a 1000+ page, epic fantasy novel, I'm starting to see the need of a new and improved story bible.

What triggered this epiphany was the fact that while re-writing, I was trying to remember the names of minor characters references in spot throughout the story.  Namely rulers of other kingdoms that my main characters talk about from time-to-time.  

Sometimes the totality of a story as big and grand as one I'm currently working on becomes rather crushing to the writer.  So much to remember.  Like names of minor character referenced from time to time.  What's there autority, how are the remembered by the main characters in the story.  

Yes, I am rewriting and re-envisioning a lot, but along the way I need to keep things straight, not lose sight of plot logic and not change who the minor characters are as the story goes on.   And that's where a story bible is going to come in handy.  

When I wrote the previous draft, I kept a corollary character bios file.  Unfortunately, that character bios file is skimpy in spots, and though the names of the characters are all there, in spots I'm missing key information.  

Well-p, Skippy, that shit's about to change!  You see when your story starts to overwhelm you, there are steps you can take to make things easier on yourself.  I just went back and re-visited my original character bios file and found I had over 75 names of character is it.  Now, don't freak out.  E.C.' epic fantasy novel doesn't have THAT many characters the reader has to keep track of--but the author does!  Does that make any sense?

I'm hoping that with an undated character bible, I can track my characters more efficiently, and not suffer the embarrassment of setting up a character one way, then later on revisiting that character later in the story change who that character is.  

My epic fantasy story is rather sweeping.  Yet, it plays a lot like FOX's "24" series, where as the story continues new heroes, villains, and confidants arise and fall away.  When you have a story over 1000 pages that's gonna happen.  The trick for author is to rein in this world in its totality, and make put order to it.   And I can't look to another soul to do this for me.  This is my story, I need to take responsibility for it.  Even if I had that girlfriend that was fantasy of mine for years of having, where she helps me write the story and we have a lot of sex in between (hey, I a heterosexual guy what can I say, just being real here), it's still me responsibility to make sense of it all and keep things in order.

And THAT'S where a tool like a story bible comes in handy, or as I just looked up online a cannon.  Used to hearing terms like story bible out there for franchises like "Star Wars" or an on-going series with lots of characters who come and go.  Well now it's my turn to develop my own story bible.  

I'm also toying with the idea of writing notes at the end of ever chapter to highlight the action, and narrow in the affect I'm trying to achieve in places.  It's kind of an outline in reverse approach.  

Still, the show most go on, and whether I'm temporarily overwhelmed or not, I need to keep forging ahead.  I've already got 7 pages of of notes to myself since I embarked on the massive re-write.  But I also know that it's only going to get better and better the more I work at it.  Still a long way from being ready to show this to an editor.  As my goal is to get the novel written to the best of my ability then pay a freelance editor to read it back and give me some suggestions for improvement.  

Trees through the forest.  One step at a time.  And one of those steps in the process of making it through the forest of this epic fantasy novel is an updated, story bible!  

Writer's Retreat: W.I.P.: Day 2-3

Hello, me again, here to post on-going coverage of E.C. Henry's own self-imposed writer's retreat.

Sorry I didn't post yesterday Typepad wouldn't let me log on.  

Here's what happened days 2-3:

1. Found out I'm good for 2-3 hours of writing, then I need a break.  So what I've done the past couple of days is write 2 sessions in the morning, and 2 sessions in the afternoon.  Got a lot of good work in, wrote a lot of new stuff too.  Did some line editing on the prolog using Dragon Natural Speaking's audio playback feature.
2. Visited one of my brother's friends candy shops up the beach, and was shocked to find they left one bad location, which was not on the beach, to an even more remote location, which was not on the beach, that was even WORSE than their first place.  Now this couple is retired and technically "living out there dream" but really?  Going from one bad spot to another?  
3. Ate a crab dinner last night and really paid for it later that night.  Too rich of food for me, upset stomach, had a hard time sleeping.
4. Today I went out for dinner at an Australian theme restaurant, and was served by a girl--who looked like Joe Elliott, the lead singer from Deff Leopard!  Eeek.  Now Joe's not such a bad looking bloke, but to be a female and look like him?  Double eeek!!  Told ya that this region of the country is filled with homely looking people!
5. Near constant rain the last 2 days kept me off the beach, mostly.  Though I did hit it before the rain started and took some pictures, which I hope to post in later post.
6. Had breakfast at a local restaurant, and got my ear jibber-jabbered off by a local taxi cab driver, who took it on herself to tell me all about the area I'm in.

Lessons learned:

1. I will probably NEVER go on another self-imposed writer's retreat again.  It's just too lonely an experience.  Now I know that writing is primarily a solitary thing, but I've learned that I don't need to leave town to get things done.  I could have just as easily got all the work done I did back at my house--and been happier doing it that way.
2. People in remote, coastal towns are a strange breed.  So to all the wannabe's out there I say, if you write about a rural, remote town, you really owe it to your story and to truthfulness to put some weirdos in it.  First hand knowledge speaking here.
3. Don't stay in a hot tub for more than ten minutes.  YES, you go into a hot tub to relax your body.  But a hot tub is like alchol; you need to know when to say when. The first night I went to the hot tub I stayed in about 25 minutes; more is better right?  Wrong!  I had to drag myself out of the hot tub, and was lethargic for the rest of the night.  Pulling back, limiting myself to only 10 minutes left me relaxed, and I felt relax and FUNCTIONAL afterwards.  Life lesson learned.
4. Life is better when you're living it with other people.  Hermit writing isn't for me.  I DON'T wanna write alone, I actually WANT to share with others.  I may be alone, but it's not by choice; I want other people to share the journey with.  
5. I can write on the road, AND I can write at home.  My productivity is the same regardless.
6. I can be trusted when off alone to actually get some work done.  I'm in the midst of a vacation spot with plenty of distractions, but I've proven to myself that I can hanker down and get some work in.  Hawaii's next!  (Just kidding)

So I drive back tomorrow, AND since I have a 2nd shift job, I'm actually going to work later in the day...  Still, I go back refreshed, ready for whatever challenges await, and along the way I learned a lot about myself.

- E.C, Henry from Bonney Lake, WA

Writer's Retreat: W.I.P.: Day 0-1

Having a blast on day 0-1 of my self-imposed writer's retreat.  Not crazy about going on vaccations on my own, but that withstanding I am having some fun.

Here's some of the highlights so far:

1. Got pulled over by the state patrol about 1 mile from my destination, they claimed I had a license plate light off.  I didn't even know that was a law?  Feeling rather cocky as the police officer didn't give me a ticket, as I thought he pulled me over fishing for  a reason to give me a ticket, I went in back of my car and in the dark couldn't see that I actually had lights back there so I told the police officer that my car wasn't even wired to have a license plate light.  THEN earlier today I did re-check that in the light and found that yes indeed I do have licence plate lights--and neither one of them work.  So tomorrow I'm going to try to fix that..   After I mouthed off to the state patrol officer he followed me to my hotel before finally turning around.  Weird.
2. Went running on the beach along the Pacific Ocean.  Sure, the weather was overcast, but I was smiling all the time.  Had praise music booming off my iPod, AND I was actually in the moment too searching for things to add to my epic fantasy story.
3. Did do several bouts of writing, probably around 7 hours.  NOT real proud of that, I should have done better.  I was real happy with the way my prolog was sounding in Dragon Natural Speaking.  Spent a lot of time re-editing the first two pages, BUT a least I have a couple pages now that don't totally suck... I hope.
4. For a place on the Washington Coast I was SHOCKED at a restaurant I frequent that had crab in its name, didn't have Dungenesse crab available on their menu.  The waitress said this was the worst season for crab in 25 years. 
5. Did a run on the beach, and thought I'd mark my re-entry point to the surf with a log and a colored board.  Unfortunately on the return trip I missed my mark, as the surf all the the same, and I missed my mark.  End up over-running and got very sore legs.  
6. Hit the motel's hot tub and that really set me right.

All-in-all I'm having a good time, though I'm quite lonely.  This whole trip has a "Dan in Real Life" feel to it, and that makes me good.  Too bad I haven't met my "Marie" (Juliette Binoche's character), and there's really no hope of that happening--at least not with one of the locals.  I swear this era I'm in is filled with some of the homelyest you will ever see.  And it's quite impoverished, which is surprising for a tourist area.  

Till we speak again, cheers!

Love,

E.C. Henry, who is enjoying his writer's retreat vacation.

P.S. I'm learning new things too.  Like how to use my labtop and the Internet using WIFI on the road. 

Getting to Be There: The Fun Part of Writing

A few days ago I had a very good day of writing.  Not that I accomplished all the much, I think I re-wrote like 3 pages of the epic fantasy novel I'm working on.  But where I was in the story and the intersection of character arcs and the greater theme I saw playing out, made it a fun day at the office.  

Not everyday of writing is a magical experience.  I'd be totally lying if I said that was the case.  I say a good 80% of my creative writing falls on the drudgery side of the ledger.  Not everything I write is inspired right of the bat.  I'd be the first person to admit that I'm not very smart or gifted, rather I get by mostly by tenacity and and inner resolution to be great.  

But back 20% side of the ledger, which is FAR more funner to talk about.  What got me so jazzed about today's writing, was I started to realize I'm writing a relatively happy story.  Now, you may be thing, "E.C., you're a strange dude."  But lemme explain myself and give you a little background of where I'm coming from.  Over the last few year I have written some very dark stories.  "A Heart Built on the Sand" is all about a woman descent to the place where she returns to her job and guns down everyone in sight.  I knew that was a dark place.  YES, it was inspired by a woman I met in real life in one of my jobs in the 2000s, where I played with the idea of how a corporate company can put the screws to someone so much so that they snap.  And then there was "The Commune" and "The Commune II" which features evil aliens, demonic possession, and cloning.  More dark place.  YET I was sooo dedicated to story I let myself go there, and did my best to maximize the sci-fi horror element.  

BUT that's not who I am.  

And for a while I was fearful that I had stayed in these dark places too long, and now that's the only kind of story I was capable of writing.  I don't know about you, but for me that was a scary proposition.  Because again, in my heart of hearts I don't see myself as a dark person, like say Rob Zombie, who EVERYTHING about that guy points to dark.

Okay, so let's get into my breakthrough moment.  It was realizing that, yes, I could write a story that had a very strong FRIENDSHIP element to it.  Friendship, what a concept, huh?  Kinda foreign to a lonely writer like me, YET that that's where I'm at now, and tinkled pink to be here.  The kind of friendship I'm eluding too is a Jonathan/David kind of friendship that is described in the bible.  We're talking Old Testament here, Holmes: 1Samuel chapters 18-31.  You see ol' E.C. DOES have a deep side to him, and he's not afraid to bring in spiritual matters and actually instill that in his writing.  To God be the glory!

Friends, creatively I'm at a good place right now.  Good for me creatively -- and emotionally.  And the cool thing is, I get to be there!

For starters tomorrow, after my family and I have an Easter dinner together I'm off for a three day, self imposed, writer's retreat.  I'm actually to a place in the epic fantasy story, where the story begins.  Going to stay 3 days in hotel and soak up the town I write about.  Next Forks from "Twilight" fame?  Hate that comparison, Holmes.  I HATE "Twilight" in much the same way I HATE all the "Harry Potter" movies.  Why?!?  It's the element those two franchises attempt to glamorize to today's youth that really bothers me.  "Twilight" glamorizes vampires to teen romance, and "Harry Potter" endorses youth to embrace witchcraft.  It's not even that I hate vampires or witchcraft so much, it's that I hate corrupting youth who in the midst of forming their opinions on life to be attracted to elements such as vampires and witchcraft.  Are you feeling me?  Do you understand what I'm saying?  Because it sickens me to think of all those wide-eyed teenagers out there growing into the men and women they will later be letting gross movies like "Twilight" and "Harry Potter" shape their character and world-view.  Don't be naive or a dumbass about this, but get where I'm coming from and consider the world view and truths that these two franchises promote and reinforce.  Do that, and maybe you'll come to the same conclusion I have:

Hollywood has FAILED our youth.  

"Twilight" and "Harry Potter": don't both EVER saying anything nice about either of these two franchise ever to me, either outwardly or inwardly I will roll my eyes at you as what these movies represent makes me wanna vomit.  

And yet I use that fuel to fire me up to write my own stories which I hope will one day MINISTER to today's youth and not only entertain them, but steer them in the right direction.  And what is the right direction?  It is to the Lord, it is for the Lord.  It's not rocket science; is what you're advocating pro-Christ or is it anti-Christ?

So I'm going to the town where my epic fantasy novel begins.  Hoping to get a lot of work done.  Hoping for added inspiration.  And I'm looking for a little R & R too.  Gunna TRY to go alcohol free on this one too.  Want a clear head.  Want the Lord to speak to me.  

My job is going to hell in hand basket.  Things are deteriorating as my company continues to try to cut costs, as one of our chief clients keeps cutting their costs.  The result is people are devalued and the working environment and most people's moral has gone to shit.  Lots of competition and backbiting; I trust very few people in my department.  There is palatable sense of uneasiness in the air where I work.  But what am I to do?  If I get fired, I get fired.  This job is not my God, the Lord is my God.  He provides all for me--even the money making jobs I get.  I got to keep reminding myself of that fact, as right now I feel the underow of the devil at work.  

The things is my seniority date is about to rollover.  This may give my company added incentive to let me go; fire me before they're on the hook to payout an addition 120 hours of vacation/sick time.  I don't know.  But I've also carried over the maximum number of hours I can, 80.  In fact right now I'm over that, and with prospect of giving away 3 days of vocation as of May 3rd, I've decided to take those three days, which I did by getting approval for this vocation.

My heart is not in what I do for a living right now, it's not my destiny, my end place; which for many of my coworkers, it is.  You can see that reality on their faces.  But enough about work, that's just the means which allows me to follow my heart, which is as a writer.  Point: E.C. may soon be out of job, but he's not going to let that get him down, but is resolved to keep looking up and moving forward acting in faith that somehow God will get him through.    

It is about being there.  Not so much physically, as mentally.  One of the things I love about writing, and something that I think is a real strength of mine, is my ability to place myself there mentally.  To see and feel what my characters see, experience and feel.

Writing is a lot of fun when you try to see to things from an alternative perspective.  And it goes so much deeper than "what a character wants".  Why do I say that?  Because in real life I don't think people are that singular, that driven; they don't always know what they want.  Sure, fictional characters need to have some focus, as a the story drives them, but I like to go waaay beyond the simple trigger of wants.

And so as of tomorrow, I'm off!  Off to that place I write about.  Going to be literally be there Sunday night - Thursday morning.  A mini writer's retreat.  Going to eat well.  Going to keep my mind clear so the Lord can speak to me.  Yeah, I may be the one writing this story, but God gets the glory for bringing me to this place where I'm in position to write this story.  I don't know if I told you this is or not, but at one point in my life I was on verge of suicide; I had a load hunting riffle and everything.  And one night I woke up and was torn between doing the grizzly act or speaking up and getting some help.  Obviously I chose the ladder or else I wouldn't be here right now.

The devil has a way of making everything look worse than it actually is.  God is so much greater that the devil, greater than the devils I face.  And despite all the uncertainty I face, I can't help but admit in the midst of the great sins I've committed, I deserve all this.  

Faith.  Getting to be there.  Fun in writing.  All God things.  Thank you Jesus I'm still alive to get to overcome what I need to overcome and have fun writing things I love to write.  To God be glory!

The hotel room I have has a wi-fi connection, and I'll see what I can do about maybe doing some posts from there.  Hopefully after some inspired sessions of writing.

Till we speak again.  Yours truly,

E.C. Henry from Bonney Lake, WA

Draft Plough

Well-p, guess it's time for a little writing update.  Been logging in time on the keyboard working on that epic fantasy novel.  Sometimes the going is easy.  Sometimes the going is rough.  But I plough foreaward.  

The crazy part is though technically I'm not writing a first draft, what I'm doing now feels like I'm writing a first draft.  Does that sound strange or what?  Chalk it up to such a long delay between when I put this story down over 10 years ago, to now picking it up and trying to bring it to a higher state of completion.  But what I'm finding is I'm using the previous manuscript to re-write vast majority of the story as if from scratch.

So the going has been slow--like rototilling in rocky soil, hence the picture off to the right.  BUT I am making discoveries, and writing myself a lot of notes.  Good stuff.  Deep stuff.  Stuff like considering the symmetry of my heroes initial clash in the epic fantasy world vs. the end battle clash, where they have matured and are now ready to engage their foes.  I share a lot of what I'm writing with my mom, and one day she asked me if I had the story complete, like if I was still making stuff up out of blue with no set course or end destination in sight.  I of course laughed at my mom, as YES I do have a completed story and do know how it ends.  And I don't think that's going to change much.  But what is going to change is the writing.

I'm going deeper.  Deeper into how each character arc is related to the character arcs.  Heroes vs. villains, yeah sure.  But it's all going to be better, I promise.  When I'm done with this story I will have heroes and villains that are better then the ones in "The Lord of the Rings" and C.S. Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia."  Lofty goals?  You bet!  But this is the gold standard which I hope someday to be in the conversation with.

It's just going to take a lot of ploughing to get there.

The good new is, the soil in which I'm working is ripe with potential.  THAT'S the reason why I keep playing with the idea, mom.  It's not that I don't know what I'm doing.  It's just I realize the importants of draft(s), that's right dratts plural.  You don't just write one draft of your story and call it good--not if you're a professional.  Plus I have a highly complex array of things going on, and I want them all to interconnect and prove to meaningful and moving to a reader, and ultimately to mass audience at the movies.  The villains arc must intersect with the heroes.

And trust me I have some really cool villains in this story.  One of my second tier villains really resonates with me and my mom.  I love him.  He's one my favorite characters I've every created.  And one of the good guys I've written who mentors the ultimate protagonist of this story, but about mid-story goes astray as his entire life if flipped up-side-down IS my favorite character of all-time.  Favorite character I've ever written.  Bringing this 2nd tier hero to life is a joy to me.  I love him, and I can't wait to share him with you.  Yes, he's that good, the best character I've EVER come up with.

You see this story is starting to come alive to me again.  And it is very engrossing.  Epic fantasy is engrossing.  If fans can get carried away with it, how much more the authors who attempt at pulling of this Houdini feat!

And I am committed to making this story readable.  With the goal: every sentence an ice cream sundea.  Is that a lofty ambition or what?  Every sentence so succulent it just deliciously savored by your brain as if were an ice cream sundae.  

The commitment to excellence is unwavering with me.  I will not stop until I get it right.  I have no idea how long it will take me to get my masterpiece to place where I'm ready to show it off.  Show it off to my mom? Well, I do that on a daily basis.  I bounce ideas off here, most of the time she doesn't get what I'm trying to do, and I really hafta explain it to her, as she is not a writer.  An artist, yes; but a writer, no.  What I'm getting at is that the deeper things writers do, like thinking on the levels of dropping foreshadowing so that later in the story there is a playoff goes right over her head.  Sure, in the movie form she gets it, but pre-discovered authors don't have such a luxury.  No, they must write and create with the hopes of someday getting their work filmed.  

But to readers?  That's a different story.  When I think I got it close I need to find a good editor.  Who knows maybe I'll start going back to PNWA functions again.  The PNWA is local organization in Washington for writers, the only things is most of their focus, when I was there earlier, was on memoir writing and shit like that.  

So I'm still "in the game" it's just right now I'm very much "in the story" in the world I've created trying make it all jell and be a good ride for anyone who reads it.  The characters are there.  I just need to add better writing to them--and that's on me and I know it.  I've also got some set pieces that are to die for.  Not only do I have characters but I have them doing heroic things, as this quest unfolds.  I told my mom about some of the set pieces in this story.  One of them completely creeps her out, because it was build off a phobia she has.  But that set-peice re-write is a long way off.  It happens about 2/3 of the way thought the story.  

The more I write this story, the better I feel about making it a 3 part trilogy.  It's just got a lot in it, and I don't think I can squeeze it into two movies.  We'll see.  The things is I have a GREAT movie break point that will leave moviegoers clamoring to see the next movie to see how things work-out.  At least I think I have a great cliff hanger and it comes when the mentor turns on one of the heroes...  Regardless of how I tinker with ideas in this story, THAT plot point will never change.  It is so cool.

Lots of good stuff here. And the story starts of with a bang-- a dragon fight!
Okay, so it's not EXACTLY like the picture above.  It is cool, however, and ripe with high stakes that sets the rest of story in motion beautifully.  And I sooo want to share it with you all.  You see one of the most frustrating things about being an author is seeing your work in your mind's eye as completed work already, YET when you read your work to yourself you see it isn't there yet.  Good writing doesn't happen in a day.  I think people who aren't writers, and just mythically worder about it all miss that truth.  

- E.C. Henry from Bonney Lake, WA

Are Hollywood Movies Contributing to End Times Desceptions?

Do you believe that movies have the power to shape societal beliefs?  I do.  I've seen the phenomenon in play.  Most notably when I was in high school in the mid 1980s and I saw some of my peers mimicking the behavior of Bill and Ted from "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" and then just a few years ago, I remember a co-worker asking me what I thought about "The Passion of the Christ".  

The crux of this post comes in response to going to see Darren Aronofsky's "Noah", which is a biblical adaptation of sorts.  Now I would LA-OVE to work with Darren Arononofsky some day, as I think his movie "Black Swan", which stared Natalie Portman, was great movie.  But in seeing "Noah" with my mother last weekend I was SICKENED by Darren's overtly wrong portrayal of "the watchers".  

Why did Darren Arronfsky chose to portrayal the watchers as celestial beings who came to earth to help man, but then got transformed into Transfomer-esque rock creatures, who in the movie helped build the ark then defend it against raiders.  Now I know when you take a story, especially one like the biblical story of Noah, you have to take some creative licence.  But Darren's "Watchers" we're so far of the mark from how the real "watchers" of the same time period as depicted in the Book of Enoch are portrayed.

In the Book of Enoch, it states that heavenly watchers made a pact to come to earth and mate with women.  The Book of Enoch states that these watchers left their proper abode and taught men various thing including witchcraft and the act of warfare.  From some of these angelic sons of God's union with women came mighty men of renown, but also from these unions came giants which terrorized the land.  God was not happy with these "watchers" who left their proper abode, having put a bastardized race on earth and helped to fill the world with violence God actually made hell for these "watchers".

Now I having seen "Noah" I am of the opinion Darren Arronofsky had to have read the Book of Enoch for himself.  How then after reading that book can you possibly portray the watchers/the sons of God who left proper abode and had sex with women after making a bind pact with themselves, as helpers of Noah building the ark, then taking action to defend it.  This is blasfamous, and HIGHLY MISLEADING, irresponsible storytelling which only serves to mislead the naive. 

When you adapt a biblical story have you no sense of honor, or respect for the source material, Darren Arronofsky?  Furthermore in taking on biblical story, what about the Creator's role in all of this?  Why did you leave Him out of the story?     

I saw other flaws with the film, which are in opposition to the scriptural record, but nothing as blatantly wrong as misleading as the portrayal of the heavenly watchers.  In the movie, when the floods came, the watchers even cried out to God asking for forgiveness and were received back into the sky with streaks of fire.  But the Book of Enoch states that even when the fallen watchers tried to use Enoch to make their appeal to God for forgiveness, God was unwilling to forgive them and even chastised them for resorting to use Enoch to make supplication on their behalf.

I am also now getting more and more concerned about the proliferation of superhero movies, as I fear this too may be part of the end time deception.  Why?  How can that be?  You may be asking.  Because I fear the superhero type may be a front for the fallen angels when the come back in the end times, a way for the fallen angels to be described, as in one section of the book of Revelation 13: 11-17 says:

"Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon.  He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence.  And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.  He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out heaven to the earth in the presence of men.  And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image of the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life.  And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.  And he causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name."

I am of the belief that in the horrifying end times as described in various sections of the bible, and most notably in the book of Revelation, that Satan and his minions will be very active in the world around us, enslaving us as they behave like demented superheros of sorts advancing the kingdom of the devil, until God puts an end to his shenanigans.  

Think of all the superhero movies with being with supernatural powers flying around.  Kinda like angels.  My point is that these movies may indeed be serving a dark purpose to desensitize people to the reality of seeing fallen angels moving around in their midst.  

And consider Luke 17: 26-27

""And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: there were eatting, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.""

And what was the time Noah known for?  Genesis 6:2-8

"... that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whoever they chose.  Then the Lord said, "My Spirit shall not strive with men forever, because he is also flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years."  The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterwards, when the sons of God came into the daughters of men, and they bore children to them.  Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of reknown.  Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was very great on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.  The Lord said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man ot animals to creeping things to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them."  But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord."

Doesn't that section of scripture break your heart?  It should.  When I read it, I feel something within me WANT to be different.  I don't want God to be angry with me like he was with the people at the time of Noah, when you had wicked people all over, AND you had the sons of God and their offspring in the mix.  

 

I just find it all so interesting that the movie "The Son of God" (which I actually liked) came out one month, then the next here comes the "Noah" the next month.  Could the Holy Father be using Hollywood for His purposes?  I think He is in this case.  "The Son of God" to remind the populous about His glorious son, Jesus; His choice for salvation for us all.  "Noah" to peak peoples interest in what really happened way back when.  And why is that?  Because the earth is full of wickedness once again and is heading towards a destruction akin to mass destruction in the times of Noah.  

Now did I receive divine knowledge that this is the case?  No, I did not.  I am of belief that you really need to preface your opinions as just that, and NOT claim to be prophet, unless the Lord Himself confirms you as His voice to the people.  So please don't misread or misinterpret me there.  I do not have a divine revelation of what is to come.  But what I do have are books like the bible and the Book of Enoch which I can read, and like any other person alive glean spiritual truths were were recorded by people who God did confirm as His mouthpiece to the populous.  God's word needs to be studied.  And not just to know what is to come, but to know the character of God.  If anyone ever tells you God is unknowable, they are lying.  Reading the bible you get to know what God likes and what he doesn't like.  You also get some of the broad brushstrokes of history.  Not all the details mind you.  But in studying God's word you can pickup some key, unmistakable details.  Me and my mother squabble about this kind of stuff all the time.  She is insistent that we are in the end times.  I'm not so sure.  You see in reading the book of Revelation you get some key details, destructions, the mark of the beast, that kind of stuff.  Now if it ever comes down the pike that you have to have a mark on your forehead or right hand to buy or sell, realize that you in the end times and be strong for your own eternal sake and resist.

As I wrap up this post, I hope that I have stirred in you a desire to read God's word.  You need to find out for yourself what the true account of the bible is for the story of Noah, and now Revelation sums up and capstone on history.  I am of the belief that were are heading towards the horrific events are foretold in the book of Revelation, I'm just not sure how much time we have until the truly bad stuff starts happening.  But irregardless it's my and your best interest to stay close to the Master, Jesus Christ, and deepen the bonds of faith and love I have--and you should have too while we still have breath.