Random thoughts from post Hallowe'en walk

Been doing more updates on twitter than actually blogging. Think it's helping keeping the writing style to a nice brevity mix. Can one make an update as to what they are doing within 140 characters? Easily.

Origin story for Hex Ranger is being molded into a third draft in my head. Going to go with a completely different approach. Making the character into the hero is the goal. Not by scientific explosion, mutant dna, or part alien... the hero is going to -become- the hero by the decision and action they make.

I'm going to have to give them the tools later on to get out of situations that will arise. Starting off a serial series with the origin story may not be gripping or have enough of a hook to show what the series will be like. Still debating to use the origin story as a 'mid-season flashback' story. The phrase, start with an explosion and then make it bigger keeps coming up. But I don't want that hype to overshadow the actual story... other examples of that end up in the bargain bin or used as examples of what sucked in the future.

Have to find that happy medium... but apparently there are none in the yellow pages, just the usual spooky mystical psychics. None of them happy, just spooky.

Also I must keep reminding myself of Mur Lafferty's advice on Writing, "It's okay to suck." Think that will be a great mantra to go with. And there comes a great freedom for me to follow that advice. As long as I keep writing, it will get better. I'm quite sure that DaVinci picked up a few scars along the way during his own research. I am definitely going to be using the serial series for a writers tool and posting up when it's got more thumbs up by my reviewers.

Nanowrimo is here, and I will not be participating, only in spirit. The plan for the serial series will get my writing skills into order. Actually getting the time to do it on a day to day basis will be the toughest part.

Stopped by the new Indigo Books shop in town, it's surprisingly light well. Seriously, the books seem to be highlighted perfectly, and when you step back, it's not so bright. Seemed busy, graphic novels have a selection, but seems that it's only the OMG newest stuff that is on the market. At least I can order and then pickup from that location. (But any comic hound in town will still go to 8th Street Comics and books. Best place for my geek needs. ) Was pleasantly surprised that Scott Sigler's "Infected" was there in paperback and in hardcover. Picked that up, along with Ray Bradbury's 100 best stories in paperback. I've also noticed that since I started reading Bradbury, my writing style has gotten compact, more descriptive. Also been listening to Mur Lafferty's 'I Should be Writing' has been helping out a lot. Her novel Playing For Keeps was not there though. I think I'll be giving out books to people for Christmas. Either that or gift certificates, depends if it's Dec 4th and I have time to plan it out or it's Dec 24th and I'm wandering around the aisles of a drug store looking for a suitable gift.

Thinking about doing an essay/blog post on the following
- All the things I said I would be doing a post on in the past
- The immediacy of communication and how it has changed to 'Need it Now' as opposed to planning things out ahead of time. There is no foresight into our method of our communication, it merely now satisfies our need to connect. A text version of a glance across a room. For example, texting in internet shorthand, to calling and talking to people on the phone. Writing letters and how those will be truly intimate details to another person, and those words should be as touching as a gripping hug from a loved one. If the medium is the message, does this mean that we're paying 10 cents a message just to find out what one's current mood is, as opposed to talking to them face to face? Think I've played that one one, shoot, there goes another blog.
- Pirates vs Ninjas, who will win? The audience or buying market, probably the bookies. Maybe they can have a preliminary round of 'Maim the phone solicitor/marketing agent'.
- Sex
- Clutch. How they should be worshipped until they become Rock Gods. And how they are the best kept secret that rock afficianados share with only their soul mates.
- Getting things done, how I should actually be doing as opposed to planning as a form of procrastination
- Really bad pickup lines like 'Wanna see something swell?'

Handy links for this post

8th Street Comics and Books
http://www.8thcomics.com/

Scott Sigler - The FDO brings you podiobooks to make your brain melt, and turn you into a junkie wanting more
http://www.scottsigler.com/

Mur Lafferty - Reigning Queen of Podcasts, Awesome. Check out 'Playing For Keeps' for a great original take on the superhero genre. ISBW for those aspiring writers like myself.
http://www.murverse.com

Podiobooks.com - My one stop shop for downloading podcasts for my walks, driving to work.
http://www.podiobooks.com/index.php

Ray Bradbury - One day, I might come close to writing as great as his. On that day, I'll probably accidentally hit delete.
http://www.raybradbury.com/

Jonathan Coulton - Skullcrusher Mountain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV3LP7P_8a4

Clutch - Electric Worry
http://tinyurl.com/2af2fw

Until later, I'll be still hopefully writing still,
Pearce Kilgour

I have been quit for 1 Year, 2 Months, 3 Weeks, 5 Days, 9 hours, 21 minutes and 24 seconds (453 days). I have saved $2,393.89 by not smoking 5,440 cigarettes. I have saved 2 Weeks, 4 Days, 21 hours and 20 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 8/6/2007 9:20 AM

Twitter handy how -to

Found these on another website, can't find the history to give props on it. Will edit post later. I saw people through twitter messaging each other, but couldn't figure out how.

Below is a handy list.

1. View updates from your friends in your home page at http://twitter.com/home
2. View @replies sent to you at http://twitter.com/replies
3. View your own tweets at http://twitter.com/account/archive
4. See the list of people you're following at http://twitter.com/friends
5. See the list of people following you at http://twitter.com/followers
6. See direct messages that have been sent to you at http://twitter.com/direct_messages
7. See direct messages that you've sent to others at http://twitter.com/direct_messages/sent
8. Change your own settings at http://twitter.com/account/settings

Next up, actually adding tags to the postings.

5 Sentence Stories

The new writing challenge I put out, as well as keep up myself, to keep myself writing. 5 sentence stories including my characters from City of Heroes/City of Villains. You've all read up on the six word story that Hemingway did, which did briefly spark a small genre response a year or two ago.

So just to get the writing skills non-rusty, it's just a five sentence story.
For a little background here's some info on the characters.

Billy Hartlan - Original boston native, pursuing his doctorate in media studies, aspiring gonzo writer, preferred weapon in the City of Heroes, bow and arrow. (TA/A defender)

Marshal Mac'Tjembo - Member of the Diamond Corp, intergalactic defender of justice. Blue hair, orangish skin. An homage to Green Lantern? Or Nathan Brazil? Or Machiavelli?

Boggart - A boggart
Khaled Maddox - Die hard detective


If you really want to know more, head over to RPCongress.com for some roleplaying goodness on City of Heroes, Pinnacle server.


Title : So that's why he's wearing that...

Billy Hartlan spent a minute working his arm out from under the sleeping blonde, spent the next minute working the blood back into it. Looking around the dimly light apartment, he could not find his clothing. The alarm on his comm pad bleeped again, swearing he grabbed the first thing he could and put it on. The pink frilly baby-doll neglige did not cover much of him, let alone his dignity. Billy crawled out the window, bow in hand to face the Rikti bombing run, to protect the city he had grown to love.

---

Title : Mass Consumption

The forever neon night of Tokyo reflected off the silver blue hair of the alien. The investigation into Godzilla proved that it was not a refugee from Epsilon Nine. Marshal Mac'Tjembo faced the vending machines and the complexity of humanity reflecting back at him. The mistranslated english on the labels was a curious flavor to the diamond as it reflected the proper wavelength of information along his nervous system. He paid for the bowl of instant noodles and shook his head at the conflicting social decay and growth, but he kept the fork.

---

Title : This is why we stick to chess...

"Sir, I'm sorry, but you got it wrong."
"What do you mean, Boggy? It was Colonel Mustard in the Library with the Candlestick."
"No Sir, it was not."
"I hate Clue," Khaled replied as he tried to rub away the pressure in his skull.

Self-Ping

Been a while since I've posted to the AS3, figure it would be time. The following is mirrored on the best stop smoking support site / group I've found.
alt.support.stop-smoking

Been working on my writing stuff, wow, was that first draft of the serial series rough. Was happy that I finished it, but hollee... luckily I have some honest friends who critiqued and pointed out what should be glaringly obvious mistakes. Oh well, the serial series I have planned to write, will be in the cliffhanger style. Going to have sci-fi/fantasy/adventure feel to it. I'm not going to nail down a specific genre for fiction on it, as this series will be a good writing exercise tool for me. I have been looking for a small laptop, preferably used, something that I can write with, surf, maybe watch a few videos. I'd be able to get writing done in the evenings on a machine that will not be able to do video games, plus keep me busy while the kid is in her dance lessons.

Other than that, I've only had a few cravings, mainly because of the work related stress. I've had 3 different hats to wear in the last couple of weeks and my direct manager reports on my job title, "You really don't have a job title." Well at least I'm showing that I'm flexible as I'm running from Returns to Expediting to Shipping. Its been strange though, I've smelled a cigar, and it smells good, but I've smelled smokers that come back in from their cigars at work, and they reek... Just to clarify, yes I do like those coworkers.

Fall season coming up, and it seems that everything has started to break down all at once. Monitor at home computer dead, in for store credit, time to pick out a new LCD for aging eyes. Desperately need 4 new tires for the car before hallowe'en. New fridge as the current one is still making weird ass noises... yes, like the ass has a couple extra sphincters and has a muscle spasm those kind of weird ass noises. The blade thingy for the blender fell apart, can't order from Canada, nearest cuisinart dealer is Vancouver. Television red gun is starting to act up, or the other 2 guns are dying out. Kid's mp3 player is acting wonky as well. I won't really start to worry unless the roof starts to leak or the floor starts to buckle... or the walls bleed.

But other than that, I'm still here,
Pike
I have been quit for 1 Year, 1 Month, 3 Weeks, 3 Days, 6 hours, 41 minutes and 20 seconds (421 days).
I have saved $2,426.56 by not smoking 5,055 cigarettes.
I have saved 2 Weeks, 3 Days, 13 hours and 15 minutes of my life.
My Quit Date: 8/6/2007 9:20 AM

Internet Memes

Feel like you've been missing out on the memes that people refer to on the internet.

Check this out, a timeline of internet memes

http://www.dipity.com/user/tatercakes/timeline/Internet_Memes

Enjoy, and keep on talking like a pirate today.

YARRRRRRR!!!!!

I'm still here,
Pearce

Avast!

Me hearties... it be Talk like a Pirate day.

You know what to do.

If you don't, well then look it up, and have fun.

I'm still here,
Pearce

Aural fixations/The Story's the thing

(In stream of conciousness kinda writing, sorry if it jumps all over the place, just kind of the mood that I'm in right now.)

Commercial radio sucks. There, do you hear that, that's the death knell of any remaining visage of a commercial radio career for me. If you do know me, I have worked in radio in the following capacities. On-line host/DJ, News and Sports Reporter, Producer, Creative content/Writer, Sales, Janitor

My heart still remains in that field, but not the method unfortunately. If I were to go back behind a microphone, it'd be a lot different. It would definitely have to be in an XM/Sirius radio capacity. And I'd have to have enough material to carry through... more on that later. (Unless I actually get decent pay out of it, I'll probably won't return to the field. There will probably be another rant/musing about my past radio life later on.)

I've found more and more that I am listening to audio books and podcasts, with the proliferation of content, there literally is something out there for everyone. I am quite sure that if you look hard enough there will be Care Bear/Lovecraft slash fiction that has been done in audio or youtube format.

You may shudder now.

My first audiobook was Stephen King's The Mist, on casette tape, it cost 35 bucks of well saved up allowance money. It features "Kunstkopf" binaural 3-D sound. It's amazing, full environmental sound that literally puts you right there where it's happening. And they managed to do that on a casette.The full dramatic cast only added more to the story and environment. I got into more and more of the older radio theater productions, while I read Batman and the death of Jason Todd, I listened to the eerie haunting laughter of the Shadow. While Buck Rogers was on television, I was listening to X Minus One.

There are only a few other authors that I've listened to as their audio books read by some actor. My alltime favorite has to be James Marsters and the Dresden File books by Jim Butcher. Those words got me through some very long shifts of very monotonous work.

I got (re)turned onto Podcasts in the past year or so. Via City of Heroes (my mmo of choice), came Secret World, written by Mercedes Lackey. (http://www.secretworldchronicle.com/) It's great, I'd rather listen to any of that stuff than the inanities of the morning show or Drive home show.

(Besides, there are no rock stations in the town I am living in. They may claim to be, but they
aren't. There's another rant later on, all I can say is that streaming audio and podcasts are my savior.)

But the new media is the new way to go. These are the James Brown's of the Podcasting world. The hardest working authors out there. Why? Because they do their own promotions for their works. They keep in touch with their listeners and their fan base. And these authors are working their ever living (insert body part here) off, and you know what? The fact that they love to write and do these stories just adds a wonderful yummy flavor to every moment of their works.

scott sigler - http://www.scottsigler.com/
I have become a junkie, which is what his fanbase call themselves. I'm still on Infected audiobook, Earthcore is next, but I want to space it out, so I have a reserve of podcasts to fall back on. Listener discretion is advised, not for the squeamish. But could be used as a gift to that squeamish relative you really don't like. (Yes, I am a bastard.)

Mur Lafferty - http://murverse.com/
I should be writing - A must for any budding writer, family friendly podcast.
Playing for Keeps - Superhero's and Villains, but not quite the way the stereotypes go. You can easily imagine her characters choosing a specific brand of cola from the childhood they had.

JC. Hutchins - http://jchutchins.net/
Can't really comment on his stuff, I've heard that it's really good. It is on my to listen to list.

The above three are the crowning jewels of podiobooks.com, go out buy a bigger mp3 player. Buy the books from their respective sites, its really good stuff.

And for the full family drives after the kid has finished her dance lesson
Decoder Ring Theater - Full drama cast with various genres. Find your favorite.
( http://decoderring.libsyn.com/ ) So far my favorite is a toss up between Red Panda and Black Jack Justice

(Gotta love http://podiobooks.com/ , they have donation links, so if you like it, drop off a few bucks, I believe their policy is up to 70 percent goes back to author. But if you really love their
stuff, go buy their books!)

But as for keeping up with all things geek, I have to go with Big Kev's Geek Stuff.( http://www.bigkevsgeekstuff.com/ ) In jokes include playing a certain theme song from a Joss Whedon TV series whenver the show name is mentioned. I'm not so much with the action figure segment, even at times I'm thinking how much of a geek they are, and make me feel like I have a boring life. Oh well, still a good listen.

But this will never replace a book. I'm not saying that books are better, lets get that clear now.
There isn't the same tactile experience, the smell of a library alone should be done as a perfume/deoderant... It'd be the number one seller for all the boffin's out there, in the bar, trying to hook up with the throngs of singles, and then, there she was, and the smell of polished wood shelves and dewey decimal cards that gently wafted off her. (Some of you who think I'm a freak now, go right ahead, but I know there are a lot of people right now that are thinking that would be so sexy hot.)

I can foresee that the book will become a valued gift again, a printing with leatherbound. A
real investment into an experience, which is what all stories should be... whether it's words in my
ear, or on a page.

So with that, I am planning my own serial series. What genre? I'm not going to specify, but it will
most likely include all of them. Sci-Fi golden age style, fantasy for richness, horror for the
creepout/disturbing level. I think this is more to not limit the options that my characters run into.

If I find a good groove, then I'll start specifying the genre, or possibly do a genre per 'season'. Here's the general goal for this serial series, one post per week on the blog, one story taking up 4
or 8 posts. Planning for an entire year of posts. Sounds a bit intimidating, but I know I can do it,
if I get into a decent schedule.

Will these see the light of day? I'm not too sure. These will be submitted to a group of people for critiquing. And I am open to any/all opinions. The only setback is that with content changes. I won't have to rewrite a novel, but a small detail could rewrite a whole series. Anyways, if anything, it will be a decent method to use as a writing treadmill. The fat will melt off, as I need to loose some of the weight of non-consistent writing habits.

Besides, it's not like I post on a regular basis to this blog as it is. Wow, was that self depricating
or what... Dear blog, frownie face emoticon, my soul is a black pit of black-pityness of dark
emotions...I am teh suckzors... *snrk* Yeah, right.

While we are keeping it true, a quick flash from the meter...

I have been quit for 1 Year, 1 Month, 1 Week, 4 Days, 10 hours, 23 minutes.
I have saved $2,156.51 by not smoking 4,901 cigarettes.
I have saved 2 Weeks, 3 Days and 25 minutes of my life.
My Quit Date: 8/6/2007 9:20 AM

Had a major craving last week. Thought I was over that portion of the addiction. Seeing someone else smoke, and I wanted to smoke right along with them. Guess it was the stress from work piling up, needed a crutch or a release of stress. Found walking helped out. By the time I got home, I had another few chapters of Infected listened to. But I couldnt' stand the smell of my clothes, so off they went and into the shower I went.

Will I podcast the serial series... hoo boy. I figure I can, but I have to get the writing skills up
to par. Not be afraid of that dreaded second draft of ripping everything down and objectively looking at the story and seeing the general tone and flavor. But as Mur, Scott, and JC mention in Episode 99 of 'I should be writing' ( http://isbw.murlafferty.com/podpress_trac/web/279/0/isbw_show099_080828.mp3 ) , they do recommend having the book done first, and have at least 4 to 5 podcasts before promoting the book.

Good advice, and words to plan and write about. I estimate if I want to get a good base going, it will be 2 years to go, then promote the hell outta my stuff. At least by that time, the new holographic home animation kit will be out, and I'll be wondering what that next media will be for me to try my stories out on.

So current wish list is up on Amazon, and with any luck I should be able to get that home studio outfitted with the microphone, and sound buffer. Who knows maybe I could pimp myself out as a voice over actor in the meantime? Definitely have to source out a laptop, nothing too big on specs, just enough so I can write, listen to mp3 and watch the occasional video. Think I'm going to spec out either a low end 800 mhz + unit, or try out one of the MSI Wind or Asus EEE laptops. But until then,

I'm still here, and trying to write more,
Pike aka Pearce Kilgour

A better theme for Hockey Night in Canada

So just to balance things out, here's a better theme, it's from one of the guys I work with. If you like, vote for it, if you love it get your friends to vote for it.

cheers,
Pike

Hockey Night in Canada Theme

Yep, CBC is looking for a new theme, I'll post up one of the best ones, this however... may make it to Little Mosque on the Prairies style theme.

Enjoy, or not.

Return of the Geek

First day back at work after 2 weeks holidays. Walked in, half hour early so I could get my bagel toasted. (mmm... bagel and hummus, so good.) The grindstone was sitting by my desk, looking at the clock, tapping it's feet. There was a lot of work to do, but at least this time, stuff was actually done and I don't have a 2 week backlog to go through. It's about a 3 day backlog altogether, so not so bad.

I have come to the conclusion that each of my vacations are preparation training for retirement... or the retirement career. I only wore pants once the entire time, nothing but shorts for me. People are just happier in general, and in better spirits without pants.

Feels weird right now too, as the steel-toe boots for work are heavy as compared to the sandals. Oh well, not as if I don't need the exercise.

I researched out new recipes, I read a lot, watched a few movies... overall, a good vacation.

So... the retirement career. Something to work towards, imagine that.

Place to live is going to have to be on lakeshore. Small town nearby or built up around the area, House will have to be higher up above the lake, looking down. Local population will have to be large enough to support a small brewery... Will have to research some more, what will it take to become a brewer? Apprenticeship? Not much to ask for is it? Ideally that would be the retirement career for me, brewing beer and spirits for the rest of my days. Enjoying lake weather, spending a morning checking on the brewing, afternoon sampling, evening promoting.

Beats picking fly crap out of pepper.