Charlie's Umbrella Archives

A Brief History

Born and raised in Riverview Michigan, I had no shortage of worlds to be immersed in as a kid. From the imperial-capitalist revolution of The Hunger Games books to the pastel space opera of the cartoon Steven Universe, I fostered my love of storytelling with everything I could find. Eventually my passion could no longer be contained; I "borrowed" my dad's laptop and wrote a multi-chapter novella for the high-society heists of the Sly Cooper games. That's when I found the answer to the age old question every child faces: "What do you want to be when you grow up?"Since that day I've never stopped writing, paying tribute to many other worlds while developing ones of my own. Along the way I began helping friends with their own stories, helping with their narrative flow and working together to create something that they can be proud of. Whether it's writing myself or helping people develop their own stories, I always have my pen at the ready!

"Charlie is a master of dialogue and revealing character's inner selves through conversations... I have no
doubt that he will succeed in whatever genre he chooses to pursue. He's the real thing; and I
hope I get to work with him again." -- Sarah Messer, Poet and Instructor

"Charlie worked closely with the team to figure out a direction for plotlines, and wrote out detailed outlines for each required chapter of the story, keeping tone and characterization well in mind. The writing was well-executed and very satisfactory for what we needed." --@Lethal-Highway, moderator for A Date in Time

"Charlie was an invaluable voice when it came to editing Monarch Sunrise [their Bugsnax story]. I especially appreciated the punchy dialogue suggestions he gave and many of them were used in the final version of Monarch Sunrise, lending his unique voice to it and enhancing the collaborative nature of the story." --@Bombcollar, Editing Client

"Thorough and effective editing work with a great eye for detail. Each assessment is personal and aimed at the specific scope requested, though the care provided to the aspects outside of it ensure quality and consistency across the entirety of the file. The consideration to details or aspects behind the meaning of each word are also well noted, providing a rich investment into your work and a great contribution to make it stand out above the original piece." --@LynnesGalaxy, Editing Client

Developmental Editing Project -- "Fire Emblem Conquest Rewritten"

As the 14th entry in Nintendo's strategy franchise, "Fire Emblem Fates" has gained a fair amount of criticism for its (at times) frustrating writing. Utilizing line and developmental editing, this project puts a spotlight on one version of the game -- Conquest -- to draw out the latent story potential hidden beneath the surface without changing its core themes and plot points across its 70,000 word script.

Domestic Short Fiction -- "Graham Mason, Grandmaster Food Wizard"

As other kids are celebrating their survival of 5th grade, the imaginative Oleander sulks back home after just barely passed Math and Science. Finding company in her colorful new neighbor Graham, she discovers that there may be a way to solve her troubles in the magical, alchemical world of gastronomy. Artwork by TheGalleonsNest on Twitter

Longform Fanfiction -- "Life, Death, A Secret Third Thing"

An ongoing derivative work based off of "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish." With one wrong step, Fuilana Cortez ruins her entire life and comes face to face with El Lobo de la Muerte. Desperate to keep living, she challenges The God of Death to one last game.
At over 80,000 words, it stands in the 96th percentile for view rates in the Puss in Boots category (against 1,100 other published works). Artwork by Swanpit on Tumblr

Fantasy Worldbuilding Scene -- The Canvas Canopies

A segment of writing for my prospective novel, "S0U1." Focusing less on character interaction, this scene is meant to draw the reader into the world of The Valley by following the protagonist, Aria, through one of its many regions: The painted forest of The Canvas Canopies.

Haunting of Hill House -- Solidarity in Suffering

The titular Hill House from Shirley Jackson's hit novel is a curious creation: lacking any ghosts or ghouls, Hill House simply exists, being the cause of its own phenomena. It has an agenda, but it no malice can be found. Instead of labeling the Hill House as evil, what perspectives can be found in how it treats the protagonist, Eleanor?

Beauty, Ugliness and Evil in Fairy Tales

Fairy tales have had a legacy of tying together ugliness and evil in their antagonists, mostly pioneered by Walt Disney. But this was not always the case, as several fairy tales before the Grimm's collection did not have this trend. What exactly does this shift in cosmetics imply for the characters, and the narratives that they are a part of?

Original Character Concept Art
"La Escultora de Mil Manos"

Concept art for a sibling character to "El Lobo de la Muerte," the central antagonist for the latest Puss in Boots film, 'The Last Wish.' Efforts were made to carry over a similar "simple-yet-distinct" outfit to their counterpart to retain a thematic consistency.

Water-based Marker Portrait "You Know? Like..."

To fit the more passionate and ambitious personality of the character above, I used vibrant water-based markers to achieve an appropriate palette. Nearly every color is blended with another.
Character belongs to funkfuzzles on twitter

QUERY INBOX: OPENWant me to help you in your next creative endeavor? Looking to query for a book? Feel free to fill out the form below to send me an email! Whether it's a book, a script or even a visual novel, I'd be glad to help out however you wish!For Query Letters, send me the first chapter / twenty five pages of your book and a brief pitch including the genre and synopsis. You don't have to worry about pitching your history, I believe anyone can write a truly compelling story regardless of origin. Don't forget that I prefer fiction!

Creative Consultation

Perhaps you're unsure of what exactly your story needs. Maybe you haven't started writing quite yet and need help forming the idea. Maybe you have, but you still feel like something is wrong but can't place a finger on it. For your troubles I provide creative consultation! Consultation spans a wide number of services, which are detailed below.
If you have questions regarding any of these services, feel free to email me using the link at the bottom of the page.

Line and Copy Editing

For those who have an informed view of what they wish to achieve in their writing and need a helping hand in doing so. Line and Copy editing goes through the story word by word to help build stronger emotional consistency or simply wish to check for grammatical errors.
Both of these services include a minimum one page editorial letter detailing points that need to be addressed in revisions.

Developmental and Content Editing

A more hands-on approach to the various services provided in Creative Consultation. Developmental and Content editing focus on the broad plot beats of a story rather than going line-by-line to ensure that the writing has a strong narrative through-line. While content editing tackles these issues in revision, developmental editing is done while the writing is in progress.
Both of these services include a minimum one page editorial letter detailing points that need to be addressed in revisions.