Sharing Is Caring

Well, I’ve got a much more interesting following than I did a mere week ago. Now what to do with you… hmm?

Perhaps I could stalk all of your NaNoWriMo posts and post your word counts… MWA HA HA, no no… too evil!

Or you could volunteer your information, and I could dedicate a post to you fine ladies and gents beyond the typing glass! That’s entirely up to you, let me know if you’d be okay with that and I may have a weekly monday post that tosses out the previous week’s wins! This would also allow you guys to see who else is following along here as well as how they’re doing so you can offer them support just as I have you! That’s my hope, anyone seen that movie called… umm, what was it? Pay It Forward! That’s it! Well if you liked how you felt when some random guy swung by and tossed you a follow, or a like, or even a fabled comment; I ask of you to pay it forward and offer one of the struggling NaNoWriMo Writers your support so they can know, we’ve got their back too! If you guys would like me to post the title of your story or even a link to your NaNoWriMo page, let me know! I’m willing to go all out!

So I will be the first one to share my story with you… I always struggle to tell people what my story is about because it has been inspired by a number of things. Currently I am up to the eighty five thousand mark of the first edit for my novel, Jefferson And The Magician’s Curse. The lovely cover at the top right was made for me by a young lady who was offering free covers last year by the name of Fena Lee. She did a fantastic job and is actually part of the reason I pushed on. You see, she listened and made me the exact image that I had in mind for my cover and in taking that time she inspired me to be sure I finished the story. I told her that I would use her cover and I think even if I am heading out to get published, I may see if I can use that design as it is important to me.

Would you like to hear some details of the story? You would? I was hoping you’d say that! *Wink*Wink*

***

Magicians and circuses, orphanages and escapes; these are the obsessions of one young boy. As Jefferson the orphan escapes to the circus, he finds his obsession with illusions runs deeper than he ever imagined. Leaving the abusive carers he’d been entrusted to, he embarks on a journey of self discovery and lessons under Gabriel The Great. As they travel, Jefferson learns that most illusionists are part of a secret society of good magicians who protect the world from the forbidden arts.

The forbidden arts are guided carefully in the world by warlocks, evil magicians hell bent on destruction and power. The forbidden arts come with a price. Casting magic normally draws upon the caster’s own energy and spirit, thus limiting the type and strength of the spell cast. Yet the warlocks have the ability to channel the energy of others, through themselves, for greater spell power and destruction. Casting these spells links the caster mentally and spiritually with their victim for eternity, causing most warlocks to hear many voices and leading them into the depths of insanity. Their heart taints black with the Magician’s Curse, the veins blackening outward from over use of the forbidden magic.

Luckily for Jefferson, these magics are nearly forgotten… Unlucky for him, shadows move in the darkness and the forbidden arts begin to rise up, threatening the weakened societies of magicians and the world itself. Will Jefferson fall to the allure of power from the forbidden arts, or will his master’s teachings be enough to guide him through these dark times and into times of peace? As his destiny balances on the edge of a knife, two secret societies and the world await to see who will be victorious… and who will perish.

***

Okay, hopefully that sounds good. It does to me, but I am virtually sleep deprived and worked through… so it could be the equivalent of the song “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” and I might not even notice. Strangely enough though, I spelled that right on the first try. Good to know where my brain’s priorities are! I should be able to edit the final fifteen thousand words in the next week or so, but I also have to puppy proof my house. We get our pups (A Dachshund and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) around the seventh of December if all goes well, and here’s to hoping it does! But before that I need to completely destroy and rebuild the back garden and go all “Better Homes and Gardens” on its sorry excuse for a planter and install a raised veggie patch complete with a tiny peeing area for new pups. Should be fun! By the way, I’m a nerd and not handy in the slightest… so, does anyone know if IKEA sells raised planters? That’d make life easy!

In closing, if you do want to be mentioned in tomorrow’s post, please let me know! I’m hoping that everyone will be up for participating, I think it’ll make this particular group closer than others and it gives you that sense of, “I have to write so everyone can see my progress!” Remember, try my five tips from the last post if you’re struggling and I guarantee you’ll start to see results! Either way do what is best for you and good luck with your writing ladies and gents! Thanks for stopping by again!

NaNoWriMo's and Other Writers Unite!

Bam! Before I write anything, thanks again to everyone who is now following my blog! My visits went off like crazy and my phone is constantly vibrating with other writers commenting and messaging me to talk about writing! This has been a great time for me and I am so glad that I have opened up this Pandora’s Box of writers! I feel like I’m not using enough exclamation marks! What do you think?

Excitement aside, the effect of the community has pushed me to hit back at my editing and hit hard, going from being halfway through to editing roughly a quarter of the book in my past two days off. I edited from fifty six thousand words up to the eighty five thousand mark, and now all I see is the Matrix… but instead of numbers it’s nothing but Arial font, size ten. Thanks to all of you who have commented or followed me back, I have made these strides. If we all stick together, there is no telling how we can affect and influence each other’s writing! 

Today’s post is a post to see where everyone stands in their NaNoWriMo or Current Writing target. So consider this a support group. I don’t expect names or anything like that, but post in the comments your goal, your current word count and if you’re looking for a writing partner. When I say partner, I mean someone to check up on you. I’m fully on board with checking up on all of you if you’d like (I know I would) but if you wanted to break off and just check in with each other. Not everyone posts their progress everyday and knowing that random stranger is going to email you, may be the push you need to give it the priority you want. 

I know from past NaNoWriMos that it is easy to make excuses. Family events pop up, Christmas shopping to do, cleaning, sleeping from working hard, yadda yadda yadda… They all sound important. But I personally think the one thing that helped me the most get to my target of one hundred thousand words was making time for it. Sounds easy enough, right? Wrong. I am in no way a morning person, in fact I can avoid sleeping and be just fine(ish), but once I sleep, getting up is the devil. After re-evaluating my priorities, I decided that the only time that was never interrupted was the early morning. No one ever calls you at five AM to say “Hey, Let’s hang out!” So I woke up before work, before my partner, before the sun… and I wrote.

Some of it was drivel for the first while. (Did I mention I’m not a morning person?) Once the routine developed, I began to feel better. My creative juices began flowing easier. I was writing, with NO interruptions! It was a hard fought battle, but I had won! I will do it again for my next novel and I won’t think twice. So, I’ll leave you with the above homework (Comments, Goals, Partners) and the following things I did to get to my “redonkulous” target of one hundred thousand words!

1) Find an uninterruptable time to write, make it routine.

2) Do NOT include research time as writing time. Wikipedia will devour your soul (And free your mind).

3) Instead of setting a time goal, set a word goal. I used to say, I will write two thousand words today. I sat there. I wrote. It was painful sometimes, but it happened and it got easier as time went on. This also ensures you hit your goals.

4) Do NOT over structure. I set plot targets at every twenty thousand words, for example: the following events need to happen before this word target has been met. This allows you much more freedom and allows your characters to “play”. I found that if I designated every scene, the structure confined me where sometimes the characters were enjoying their moment.

5) Always write. No matter what. No matter how terrible you think it is. No matter how boring or unrelated to the story it feels at the time. Write it. The reason is forcing yourself to write through a block can offer inspiration into other directions and forces your brain into the routine you want. Only you can stop yourself from writing altogether, even if you can’t think of anything… just do it. 

Okay ladies and gentlemen, this has been a fun post to write and I am open to questions, comments, concerns, arguments (or discussions as I call them) and homework! If you’ve got the time- homework below and I’d love to know what you guys think of the five things I did to get to the one hundred thousand mark! Embrace the community I am trying to build here within my comments! Participation is key! Talk to you soon and happy writing! 😀

(PS- Thanks again, you… yes you! You may not know it, but you are my inspiration!)

A Quick Thanks!

Wow! So roughly twelve hours ago I decided to embark on a quest to seek out other writers in an attempt to find fellow struggling writers such as myself and give them support. What an awesome community us writers have! The quick comments and follows I’ve received back have been overwhelming and quite frankly made me eager to get back to my computer to see what has been happening! I went from my life time views being around thirteen hundred to over fifteen hundred in that short twelve hour span! My views have exploded and with like minded people! It’s all I could have hoped for! So thank you so much for your support and for all of you who have now followed me, you have my attention! If you need/want/would like anything, and I mean ANYTHING read or just want to chat, feel free to drop me a line!

Also, for those of you stuck during NaNoWriMo, I applaud you. Writing fifty thousand words on a deadline can be stressful and soul crushing. But from my own personal experience with the “Fifty Thousand Words of Doom” I can honestly say do not stress. If you don’t meet your target it is not the end of the world. NaNoWriMo in spirit is to give us writers a reason to get tapping away at those keys and unite us with a common cause; to celebrate the art of writing. People tend to think, “Oh woe is me, I have failed” when in reality, the fact they are writing at all is a success. The only failed writers are the ones who lose passion for writing altogether, so do not let the stress of NaNoWriMo kill your passion. If you need someone to check up on you, I dare you to keep me up to date with your word counts… maybe I’ll even post them here, MWA HA HA! Public shame! (For a good cause :P)

I am so amped up on life right now! Having this much interaction on my blog has really struck me and I have procrastinated most other duties I had for today just to rush back to this very page and speak to you all again! I haven’t been this excited about writing in a long time and I really hope that I can share my wins with you as I myself struggle to get the fabled published book. Because I’ve been so inspired, I must indeed rush off and get back to it and today I leave you with one of my oldest surviving pieces of writing (everything else was lost to floppy disk failures, failure to back up or the fabled room flooding) but here is my first published poem in a compilation from high school (Oh God, that was just over a decade ago…) aptly named, Not Quite Nostalgic (I’ve posted this awhile ago, but it still holds a special place in my heart). Hope you enjoy and stay tuned… I’ve got some wild ideas coming up! Exciting times ahead!

Thanks again everyone! TJ – The Canuck Amuck

 

Not Quite Nostalgic

A sea of hope, a beach of sand.
Some have never seen nor heard,
The whispering winds across the land.

Though I have seen many a time,
The lapping waves, in all their beauty,
Rising and falling, almost in rhyme.

The tide across the sandy beach,
No worries or cares, just silent sounds.
No lesson to learn, nor to teach,
Not quite nostalgic, yet my heart still pounds.

To Blog, Or Not To Blog… Perhaps That Is The Question.

Today’s mission for my blog is not to write something profound, something incredible. No, today it is something different.

Today I start seeking out other struggling writers. I seek them out because there are creatives out there working nine to five jobs who dream of success and want to get better. I seek them out because as I write the posts for this blog I feel as though my words fall on deaf ears. It sure is fun to get a few views. But wouldn’t it better if I got more? Of course!

Today I start to form my own circle of writers who want to be heard and want to read other people’s work. After all, some of us have to work at writing to be good, and only through reading and writing can we indeed get better!

Why am I doing this? Well if you read over my past posts, you’ll notice that I started writing with another person and that has proven quite fun and rewarding. The act of us bouncing a story back and forth has been interesting as we misinterpret each other’s ideas quite frequently; so where one leads the story, the other most certainly does not follow. The simple act of passing it back and forth has ignited some insane creativity flare which has me wanting more. It’s like a “Choose Your Own Adventure” novel where your choice is limited to a thousand words… and then your characters are left to someone else’s devices. 

If you’re reading this, I hope you’ll comment. I hope maybe you’ll shoot me an email. I hope that maybe after the hours and hours searching hundreds of blogs I may stumble across a few people who are like minded or at the very least excited about the creative process. I’ve reached out to you, read at least one post and now you may be returning the favour. If so, I whole heartedly thank you. 

I decided this year I wouldn’t NaNoWriMo… the reason being not only had I written a one hundred thousand word novel, but it taught me a thing or two about writing. I learned that if you just get out of your own way and write… it’s extremely easy. Is there such a thing as writer’s block? Perhaps. But sometimes smashing words into a keyboard mercilessly will prove worth the effort!

After reading this post over, I have decided to leave this as my fragmented thoughts for the day. I’ve been growing so frustrated with writing for no audience that after deciding to reach out I have followed many, many… sooo many blogs today searching for writing and NaNoWriMo tags in hopes to find and connect with those kindred spirits out there!

Also, as a final note… to any of you who may come through here while I sleep or have come through here while I have been on a whirlwind reading and post writing storm- Thank you. No really, just you ladies and gents stopping by is support, something to get me back into the habit of writing. Not only that, but it has been super hard in Australia to find people who share my passion for writing. Well, it has been easier now that I’ve switched stores to one closer to a University! But I do hope you all find something you enjoy on here or at the very least check back every once in awhile to see how insane I’ve gone!

Until the next post! 

The Lands of Anglia

Through the snow covered trees and far up the rocky mountain side, a society of men and women live in seclusion. They are considered thieves and barbarians, as they are among the only remaining creatures that still warship the animals they hunt and feed upon. Their homes are made of stone and ice, to shield them from the harsh climate however their weapons are made of wintersteel, a metal so cold that it regains its chill even after smelting. The barbarians are considered one of the first people in the land of Anglia and have lived in the mountains for centuries. They dare not stray from their gods of the hunt, strength, fertility and justice and nor do they stray from their star forge, where the suns rays radiate down through a large transparent rock wall to melt even the strongest and coldest of ores.

Meanwhile in the south, the lush green pastures and rolling hills are dotted with small inns and farms, leading to a great kingdom where heroes are born and legends are truth. The tall walled city of Ritharlia stands tall over the beautiful emerald forest surrounding it, its gorgeous white walls almost glowing in the sunlight. The city’s nightstone tiled roofs give the city a rich yet ominous feeling, as the dark blue color almost absorbs the light during the day. Some even say within the city’s walls it is darker than outside of them. The people inside the city range from the poorest of the poor to the richest of the rich. As Ritharlia stands in the middle of the contintent, it has become a trade hub for people from the port city further south or the people who dare come down from the northlands.

FInally the port city of Makta, is considered the gem of Anglia. Those from around the world know and have heard of Makta’s crystal clear waters and ports with fish so plentiful you can scoop them up with a rope and bucket. Considered to be the newest of the three major civilizations in Anglia, Makta was founded as a branch out to the nearby continent of Loras. When trade between the two continents exploded, Makta grew from the ship building dock it had began as into a larger area of commerce. Some even say the merchants who watch over the port wield more power and wealth than the high lord of Ritharlia.

Hidden away deep in the expansive forest surrounding Ritharlia lies the royal ancient forest. The forest is known to the barbarians as Sojourn. This is the place they believe the gods had come to stay before the white walls of the kingdom rose from the trees. It was once rumored a weapon of immense power was left in the hands of mortals and that the lineage of the Ritharlia has been defending it for centuries. That weapon was left behind in case the balance between the light and the darkness ever shifted unevenly. Only one with a true heart and neutral mind could wield the blade.

Tales of a once great city beneath the sea have been told for as long as the northlands have had pictures to convey stories. However, the mystery surrounding this city which had never been seen again is often regarded as tales or legend. The tales speak of the link between the elements and their respective ancient temples, and how the Altar of Agua is directly linked to those folk of the sea. However the ancient lores spoke of these temples and altars, yet despite the many adventures to find them, none have ever been found.

A final lore revolves around the Triad. Also known as the harmony, the Triad consists of three beings of immense spiritual power in: Discipline, Wisdom, Courage. There are many relics surrounding this relationship, however when the world is in complete and utter jeopardy, will the three align and beat back the evils to restore balance. No matter who, or what they may be.

*Three Short Introductions coming soon*

I've Landed! …in the iBookstore!

So after spending one night typing, copying and pasting over my Mac keyboard, I have finally found myself actually submitting a short story (thirty six pages of short) through the iBookstore and seeing it “published” to the masses. By masses, I mean Apple Users. By Apple Users, I mean only those who own an iPad. Well, lesson learned. I’ll work on getting it into more places as the process was interesting enough to learn and simple enough for anyone to complete. 

In case you’re interested in the finished product, click this link and remember… only available for iPad. Not sure if its available for Mac as well, so please if you download it to one of those… let me know!

Currently making some decent headway on the novel of doom… I’d rip the remainder of my hair out, but I’m already bald. There are some definite gaps and some actual moments of decent writing. I originally was worried, but some spans of writing are quality. After reading a bit, I forgot I was supposed to be editing and just kept reading. Hopefully that’s a good sign! Either way, that’ll hopefully be ready for the end of the month, if not then the new year!

Also, it appears my PDF version has gone live as well (Whoo more exposure!) but the ePUB version is broken virtually beyond repair (It took 37 pages and turned it into 1373 pages… I’m definitely not editing that). That link is over here and if you like it, please share it freely. After all, I made it free so I could get more feedback on my writing style (and to see if I have one).

Well, once again, it is past that midnight mark and I am growing tired. Looks like tonight was no time spent on the ole novel of doom, however I did watch Thor (which was awesome) and got my story more audience. All in all? Win! I just have to stay away from eBay… that place eats not only time, but money too! Take care out there, and thank you for your kind support! Also, if there is a format you’d like to see for future (or this) story, let me know!

Distractions Abound

As a man who when he puts his mind to anything, can most accomplish that said thing, I have the amazing ability to become absorbed into the many distractions that life has. In fact when it came time to figure out what to do today I simply sat down, laptop and book in hand, and loaded up facebook and email straight out of habit. That being said today has been a busy day with a Christening and Reception, and finally seeing the litter of puppies I’ve chosen my new pup out of. My god, it is hard to choose when all of them are half a foot of adorable.

Also, puppies are now on the list of distractions. As of December 7th, I will be the proud new owner of a miniature dachshund and he is a sleepy little pup. In fact all I can think about is how awesome it will be to have him come to my house, cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war (pun intended). Although I know he will take away from the millions of other things I would love to achieve, at the same time, he is my first pet ever so it will be an interesting experience overall!

Batman has taken a back burner, as well as Pokemon… and I judge myself for not devoting more time to these games I love. Especially when I know the PS4 is coming out soon as well as the new Zelda 3DS I’ve already slapped a deposit down on. At the moment, not having kids means getting virtually everything I want, so there is no rush on that! Probably should put more focus into editing my story, but going over it with a fine tooth comb has been rough. Editing is always the hardest part and ensuring that you haven’t let anything out. I think my goal is instead of NaNoWriMo, I’ll give myself until the end of November to complete the edit and pass it off to the first person to read it: My Lovely GIrlfriend. She has been patiently awaiting the moment she is allowed to read my story, so before any editors or anything… she’s first (And she can catch the mistakes I didn’t and ask the questions I knew the answers to).

Waiting for my iBook short story to be published has been a harrowing experience as I check for myself every single day to see if my story is up. There are a few people wanting to reread it and the presentation is crisp and clear with the iBook Author program. The price is free so everyone may enjoy the story but I am hoping that because it is free that I will get much more feedback and thus make myself a better writer! (I hope it’s not soul crushing…)

Lastly my obsession with the silk bound book has reached new heights as I attempt to hunt down the final three in the “Art of” series by Watkins Publishing. I am currently hunting “The Art of Strategy, The Art of Love and The Art of the Samurai.” I am torn on the Art of the Kamasutra as it doesn’t fit in with the others in my opinion. But also, it would complete the set… so… I blame Pokemon for needing to catch em all!

Lastly I need some new music… I need to renew my free JB HI FI NOW subscription as the last one ran out, but I used that thing all the time and now I don’t know what I did without it! My latest obsession is Nero’s Doomsday from the end of The World’s End trailer (which I still have to see!) but for some strange reason I feel compelled to… exercise… damn you dubstep, damn you.

On a final note, I dreamt the other night that my free iBook took off and got a huge cult following, people loved it and eventually I was involved in making a movie out of it. In my dream I was giving an interview about why I chose to give it away for free when I said the most pompous and arrogant thing I’ve ever said, dream or otherwise: Stories should be told, not sold. Sadly, the people loved it, and then it became my thing that all my stories were free and everyone and their friends downloaded them, but I made all my money from merchandise and movie rights. Not a bad business plan, maybe I’ll stick with the concept… but drop the higher than other author attitude. No one would like that guy! Anyway feel free to check out the last few posts for a retrospective and a poll!

Creative work… coming soon…

Without Looking Back, How Can We Go Forward?

Today’s post is a bit of a retrospective on this very blog here. Some followers are new and some have been around a while, but either way this will be a post gateway into the start of projects of the past (As some may resurrect soon) so with that in mind! Let’s hop into ye ole writing DeLorean and take a journey down memory lane! Also, we will take a brief look into the (hopefully) very near future with some projects that are nearing completion as well as some that are… moving along in the direction of completion! Without further ado…

The very first post just over two years ago was one that began as a self reflection post about who I am and how I came to be this way. This culminated into an eight post series into my history and life. If you haven’t read them, feel free as you’ll learn a bit about me.

Into the Looking Glass: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight.

Then I wrote many a writing and struggling writer post for support and to reaffirm what I’d learned. Eventually that lead to the episodic content short story entitled Unbiased Law about a robot detective who was struggling to solve a crime and got in way over his head. Have a read!

Unbiased Law:  One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty, Twenty-One, Twenty-Two, Twenty-Three, Twenty-Four, Finale.

Wow, I didn’t remember writing so many of those! Perhaps I’ll edit those and make them into a free eBook for all my adoring fans (out there… somewhere…). Either way, Episodic content became a fun addition to this blog and I enjoyed writing it so the trend suddenly started! It made sense for a blog so that way it was easier to plan my next post… also I treated it kind of like a radio drama! My next story began as the winner of a poll I had put out there to the readers. Super Zero was the story of a child going through the growing pains of attending school. Perhaps the story was too familiar or perhaps it wasn’t my most inspiring work, but it did fizzle off as something better appeared on the horizon.

Super Zero: The Start of Something New, Land of the Bullies, The “After Math”, Tale of the Green Ranger, A Cape of Courage, Girl With the Tangled Hair, After School Special, Eccentricity, Return of the Phantom in the Closet

As I continued writing I decided that the Film Noir feel of Unbiased Law and the Campy feel of Super Zero weren’t to my tastes at the moment so I started heading into a different direction. I began to write about a secret society of Super Heroes that experienced a death in the team. It was more drama than I’d really written before, so as it was my first venture into that subject matter, I don’t feel as though it was my best work.

Heroisms: Immortality, Nemesis, Sacrifice, Achilles Heel, Choice, Destiny, Impervious, Disguise, Vengeance.

Then I revisited an idea I will probably revisit a million times, the concept of a mediocre assassin trying to break into the world top ten. As a character scraping to get by, this modern day assassin is both cynical and demanding of sympathy. Everyone can relate to the everyday struggles, his are just actual physical struggles. I may bring old Sherman or Brad back out of retirement. I’d love to know what you think!

Middle Class Assassin: Tough Times, A Life of Routine, The Recruitment Process

Also there are loads of short stories and ideas and concepts littered through the hundred and some odd posts on here. If you’re new, drop me an email or comment! I’d love to hear from you!

In closing I have one last update to bring to you: My short story, Circle of Vengeance, is in the processing to be available for download through the Apple iBookstore in hopefully another week! This is hopefully the beginning of something good and either way at least it gets my name out there so when I finish my actual novel, I can link it back to that and hopefully it’ll drum up some buzz! Either way, I’ll let you all know when it hits the store and I will post again tomorrow, roughly same Battime, same Batblog. (I’ve been playing too much Batman.)

Games: Why Buy At Launch?

So, for those of you who know me… I am a gamer through and through. I buy games on launch to aid in the ever growing quest for publishers to have “great launches”. I don’t know if this legitimately helps them, but I feel better knowing I support the things I love. I do the same with movies, and this rant applies to both. As an avid supporter of the realm of media (digital or otherwise) I find myself at a crossroads where I never would have guessed I’d be.

I am slowly not buying games at launch.

Why you ask? Well I’m glad you did!

You see, it has become trend that not only do games drop in price or trade ins arrive after a game has been out for awhile but the person who picks it up on day one loses out on getting the whole package. Let’s use Skyrim for instance. I love Skyrim, so much to do, so much to explore and never quite the same experience twice. However I bought this game at launch. Got the game, no special edition, no downloadable content, not a thing extra. Then they announce some downloadable content, which after paying ninety dollars for my game they now would like an additional five or ten dollars. More content? More money. Even more content? Sweet! More money. So if you were the poor sucker who bought the game at launch and got all the content, you spent close to one hundred and twenty to one hundred and thirty dollars.

Ok, so you really loved the game. It was worth one hundred and thirty to you. Fair enough. Great game, great story. Then as a slap in the face they release everything you bought for a third of the price. Thanks for the giant slap in the face. So what I’ve been asking myself is this: Why buy a game at launch that you can buy in say a year’s time and get all the content for cheaper? I’d rather have the full experience than the expensive episodic experience.

So the problem is pretty apparent, game companies for some strange, unknown reason are slowly conditioning us to not buy their games at launch. They don’t see it now, but I can assure you I’m not the only person out there with this mentality. I have spoken with multiple people who refuse to preorder when they will wait until they can get the “full game” in a bundle or pack. Yeah, it is going swell for companies right now while people are coming to their senses… but parents are going to stop buying brand new, gamers are going to hold off and all it’s going to take is some time.

Assassin’s Creed IV just came out. It looks nifty. I’ll pick it up when it has a GOTY or Platinum Hits All included edition. I preordered the collectors edition of Batman because that statue of Batman and Joker rocked my world. That being said, give me something I can only get at launch. I know there was a statue for Assassin’s Creed IV, but frankly… what if I hated that character like I hated Ezio from Assassin’s Creed II? That’s a big risk. Replica Hidden Blade? Better.

My problem still lies in the fact that it all comes out later in a cheaper package. I think instead of buying the season pass or whatever “buzzword” they’ve marketed, it should come included at launch. Entice people to preorder for only the launch ones will have a full season pass. Then the next lot can pay ten bucks less, with no season pass. Then when the game of the year edition comes out, have it include the DLC on a disc. Have it at that original price point again or the ten dollar less one. Yes eventually that will drop in price, but it doesn’t condition people not to help you at launch.

Don’t get me wrong, gaming has changed considerably in the twenty five years I’ve been gaming. From my old Commodore 64 and Colecovision to my preordered PS4 and Zelda 3DS XL, it is fantastic to be able to get additional content for the games I love. But I just want that content to be an addition to the game, not a sore mark.

Finishing up, I love the new Batman game, but sadly I won’t get the additional DLC from the Playstation store. Same thing happened with Bioshock Infinite. I suppose as I grow older and find my ambitions higher and my time for gaming less, I’ll start prioritising how and when I spend my time and money. I mean it sucks when you buy a movie and then they release an extended edition or collector’s edition… am I right? Same thing with bands, new album, extended album with covers and unreleased tracks. Do you ladies and gents out there feel the same? Let me know via email or in the comments below.

 

New Writing Exercise – Not The Fat Burning Kind

As it currently stands I am writing 2 things per day and editing one monster. Editing is the most horrific thing ever. You go from a mode of complete and utter free creation. The only limit? Your imagination. Now head back into your beloved world, and hack at it like a machete while trying to sculpt a masterpiece. Also, good luck.

My newest exercise is co-writing a story with a friend. We have both been lacking in our commitment to writing and I suppose having a focus and a writing partner to assure you that you will write is a definite productivity booster. The plan is simple: I started the story. Set the stage, 1000 words and introduced the protagonist, a potential antagonist (or three) and a few issues. After my thousand words I left it for my partner in crime to continue the story, and he returned it thusly. We’re not very far in but it works on many levels.

  • It helps get the creative juices flowing.
  • Ensures we both write at least once every two days. 1000 words. If this keeps up for awhile, the word count will add up quickly.
  • It also challenges us both to think outside the box to throw the other guy, but at the same time keep the story moving.
  • Also it’s like a choose your own adventure novel where you write the page and that is your choice in the story. Finding it fun!

Also I just acquired my book collection for reading in the next few months. It seems a co-worker and I have the same taste in book aesthetics as well as content. I am even more interested in reading Machiavelli’s The Prince after discussing it with someone else. I think if I got my book published myself… I would want an edition that was silk covered and pressed. I love the look and feel of the books and it’s an odd feeling how these simple books appealed to me in this way. I’ve never wanted to own a book more. Strange.

Perhaps I should buy a silk bound writing book, perhaps it would make me want to write more as well. Or a day planner, so it’s something I have to use everyday!

My other writing task is this blog… I guess I will put the question out there, do you want more stories? Or more personal posts? I find it so much easier to conjure up a story about anything than to fill it with just simple words. Sometimes this becomes more of a journal than a portfolio.

Either way, I must head off as I am getting tired and I need my sleep for some decent creativity tomorrow along with the fact I work tomorrow night. Good news is Friday is Batman/Clean House/Garden/Read Art of War Day. If I can, I’ll try and push through some of my editing as well. I’ll be back soon enough!