Okay, I was totally going to do my extended review on Cosmos Invictus Today (please check out the official review on Geek Nifty here) but I'm DMing a session and no longer have the time. So... quick and dirty blog post it is.
Let's take a look at a skill any writer and really anyone who wants to survive needs: rolling with the punches. So... today was hectic. I spent my morning trying to do some recording for my friend's podcast. And things didn't go as expected. Fortunately, being able to adjust on the fly, I was able to get a decent recording out. But I had to swap mics, ditch a recorder, restart a computer several times, and make some on the fly decisions. What does this have to do with anything? Well, I'm DMing a table top session with a group I haven't worked with in months and the notes of which I haven't touched in the same. So... since I don't want to put off this session any longer than it's been, I'm rolling with the punches. Storytelling on the go. Usually I have a lot more detailed notes, but today, I've got to improvise. And you know, you should be willing to roll with the punches when your story asks for it. I can't tell you how different my last draft is from the first. I've changed villains, added characters, changed the fundamental person that my protagonist is, and so much more. But because I was willing to roll with new ideas and accept that not everything I had written before was gold, I've been able to craft something that my betas seem pretty satisfied with. Okay, I need to get back to DMing. I'm literally writing this between calling for dice rolls. I'll have a better, more in-depth post tomorrow. Until then, Be Excellent to Each Other.
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Oh man, I almost forget to do a Paladin Playlist this week. I guess tomorrow I'll share my extended review of Cosmos Invictus, which you can see my initial review for over on Geek Nifty here. For today, however, I'm focusing on another song from my writing playlist that I want to share. From the Cowboy Bebop Soundtrack, it's The Ballad of Fallen Angels. Such a beautiful, yet haunting song. If you've not seen the anime, I highly recommend Cowboy Bebop. It made an indelible impact on me. The story was gorgeous, funny, and heartbreaking, and this song is one of the highlights. When I need something light, yet still powerful and moving, I can always count on this song, and really, just about anything from the Cowboy Bebop library. It's hard to really describe it, so I'm just let you hear it for yourself. Please enjoy The Ballad of Fallen Angels from the Cowboy Bebop OST. DFTBA So we have a power outage today. Which, if you’re a modern writer, I don’t have to tell you is detrimental to the writing process. Seeing as how I only have so much battery left on my cellphone, I figured I better post today while I still can.
I kinda wanted to talk about my latest game review for Geek Nifty today (which can be found right HERE) but with just a tiny keyboard and limited power, I’ll have to get creative. It occurs to me that my spiritual ancestors would have little concern for the problem that is currently ruining my entire writing day. Even as recently as my father’s day, he would’ve just busted out the typewriter and gone to work like nothing was happening. We’re so reliant these days on the convenience and connectivity that the modern world provides us, but you know what? I don’t think that’s a bad thing. It’s not like we lose our damned minds and run screaming into the streets when the power goes out. I mean, I won’t get any writing done until the power’s back, but when it’s back, I’ll have access to so much more than my predecessors ever did. Like I said in my last blog post, I have the ability I become versed in nearly any subject I want at a whim. I can write accurately and creatively thanks to the connectivity technology affords me. And when it’s done, I can have it in front of the eyes millions (dozens?) of people almost instantly. So, yeah. It’s sucks when the power’s out. And maybe we are reliant on the tech of today to function. But what we can do when it works is so valuable that it’s worth it. And if if you ever need a devil’s advocate for anything in particular, I guess I’m your guy. DFTBA While I wait ever so (im)patiently for my betas to get back to me, I'm getting closer and closer to completely my latest short story. I'm quite happy with the way it's turning out, especially for it being my first venture into this particular genre.
It did get me thinking, on an only tangentially related note, that writers have a wonderful resource in our time that our ancestors would have killed for. Or at least written about a murder for. A writer from even thirty years ago who wanted to write about something outside their experience was restricted to a library trip and good ol' Encyclopedia Britannica. If it wasn't there, they just guessed. This has led to some seriously weird and incorrect assumptions by authors over the years, but today we don't have the excuse. The internet allows up so much freedom and power. Sure, I have to put in the time and effort, but if I want to write about a small village in rural France, I can learn about one! I can read blogs about people who visited the area, watch YouTube videos to see what life's like there, and go over Google Maps to see where it lies in relation to everything else. Hell, I can even pull up a Wikipedia page, learn about its founding, population, and demonyms! This also lends itself to the most common joke in writer circles, of course, and that's government watch lists. How would I construct a bomb out of homemade materials? If I was going to shoot someone someplace nonlethal, what are my options? What does human blood taste like? What is the security in the White House like? Every writer comes up against this at least once in their career. You have an antagonist and you need them to think like a villain, but that requires information you don't possess. Information the FBI may not be keen on your looking for. Ah... c'est la vie! What about you? What government watch lists are you on because of your writing? Shoot me a comment. Don't Forget to be Awesome! Well, since I talked about home yesterday, it seems only fitting to talk about leaving home today. Because what kind of story would it be if the protagonist never left on their adventure? Slice of life, I guess...
The most important part, I think, of that separation is contrast. The protagonist needs to immediately understand that they are someplace new, someplace different, and they can't get back without substantial effort. I think Dorothy summed it up best when she looked around said "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas." It's a threshold, or at least according to the Hero's Journey it is. The protagonist needs to be someplace that, if not literally and physically different, is metaphorically different. Maybe culturally different. Just... something to take them out of their comfort zone. But now what? You've stepped out on an adventure, so what's a protag to do? Well, that depends on what you want of your story. The story arc usually starts and ends with stasis. When your character leaves and enters the hectic, strange world, they need to be searching for a new stasis, a new normal. Maybe they just want to go home, maybe they want a new home. Maybe it's about saving someone, or perhaps it's just adventure for adventure sake. I think the point is, you need to know clearly and early what you character wants so you can focus on it. So what makes that journey an adventure and not just a trip? Maybe I leave home and end up shopping in China town for groceries. That's strange and different for me, but is it really an adventure? I think the difference lies in a transformation for the person. Sure, I might have a good story about how had the opportunity to buy live eel for dinner, but I'm not that different afterward. After an adventure, though, I should be a different person. I need to grow or at the very least, change. My world view should be different, for better or worse. Furthermore, there needs to be a significant obstacle. Sure, I might not speak Mandarin (yet) so I'll have a hard time grocery shopping, but at any given time I can just walk out and ask Siri where the nearest Wal-mart is. A real adventure needs to challenge your protagonist, grind them down and refine them, or, perhaps, break them. Whether your character is out there to save the day, to seek their fortune, or just because they have no choice, a real adventure needs to reshape them and make them into someone that maybe even they wouldn't recognize. Be Excellent To Each Other. What does home mean to your characters? Especially to your protagonist? It seems like home has a lot to do with the best stories. My script writing professor once told me there's only two stories in the world: someone leaves town or someone comes to town. There might be a bit more nuance, but really, it's about leaving home, defending home, or trying to get home.
Obviously there are stories that don't include this. People can write whatever they want! But there's a reason the Hero's Journey is so popular (either as a guide or a warning). An important step in the Hero's Journey, as described by Josesph Campbell, is Separation. In fact, that's the entire first act! The hero has to be pulled away from their home, from their comfort zone. Whether it's the Call to Adventure or the Road of Trials, it's all leading up to Crossing the Threshold, the moment the Hero can't turn back. So what makes home? It's obviously important if so many stories give it such a focus. Well, while acknowledging that not all stories have a literal separation from home, sometime that "home" can just be the known, the familiar. Sure, your house is your home, but so is your hometown. Your school can be your home, or perhaps a friend's house where you feel comfortable. The point of the story is to take your protagonist and separate them from that safe, comforting feeling and thrust them into the unknown. What do you think? Do you know any good stories that don't separate their protagonist from a "home?" Or perhaps never give them one to start with? DFTBA Ah, home sweet home. I've been moving around a lot lately, both for short stints and for more long term ones. Home and what it means to me have really started to change.
I remember when I moved to Las Vegas, it was only supposed to be a short stint. I made a point of never referring to my apartment as home. I didn't want to think of it as home because I wouldn't be there long. Now... I'm starting to think about home as more of a place where I feel comfortable, where I feel safe, and where I have loved ones. Yeah, it's a bit sappy, but I've been going everywhere lately, which means I've been staying with friends. And you know what? I caught myself calling their houses "home." And you know what? They kind of are. I mean, if I had a more permanent living situation, I'd welcome any of my friends to call it their home, too. So now I think my mother's wanderlust has taken hold of me. I'm okay with moving around. I'm okay with settling down for a spell and calling wherever I happen to be home. As long as I have a loved one there, as long as it's someplace I look forward to going at the end of the day, I think I'm okay with calling it home. Maybe tomorrow I'll see if I can make something about this more pertinent to writing. Until then.... Don't forget to be awesome! I think this is the last day of my shoot. Hopefully I’ll be able to sleep in tomorrow and visit my brand new god-daughter.
Its been fun, more or less, minus the time I got our 15 passenger van stuck in the sand trying to find broll spots for them. That was miserable. Everything else has been passable, though. I’m currently sitting court side at Talking Stick arena, which I haven’t been to in so long I remember it being America West Airline Arena. It’s funny. I know this place is the “home of the Suns,” but it just doesn’t look right without a wrestling ring in the middle. I’ve seen some good matches in this arena. Always kinda hoped I’d see myself here, too. I guess that’s my update for today. Should, hopefully, be back to normal updates tomorrow. Thanks for putting up with my hectic week. Sheesh... I didn’t even get any writing done. DFTBA I’m sneaking in a quick Paladin Playlist while an interview is going on in the next room. I’m hoping they won’t need me long enough to post this. So, today I wanted to share another gem from Voltaire. I’ve said before that sharing his music is almost like cheating. His stuff is so inspiring and this song is no exception. When You’re Evil is one of the first Voltaire songs I heard from him and it locked in my fascination with his music. It’s light-hearted, yet still deliciously dark. When you need to write about evil, but a good kind of evil, this is your jam. Please enjoy When You’re Evil by Aurelio Voltaire. DFTBA Man. This shoot is not conducive to writing. I was thinking I’d have a little free time at the end of some of these days to write or visit friends, but it’s just a long slog.
Not that I don’t appreciate the work we’re doing here, I guess I just diidn’t understand quite what the gig entailed. Still, it’s an adventure. And I love adventure. Anything that lets me tell a good story later I suppose I can live through. Until tomorrow, enjoy this shot of a haboob I had to outrun. |
Matias TautimezKeep your eyes open for my debut novel, The Paladin. Archives
January 2023
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