Writing – Page 43 – Blue Ink Alchemy

Tag: Writing (page 43 of 47)

Everything’s Cooler In Space: Mood Music

Kicking around in the back of my head as I work on novels, video entries and freelance gaming submissions, the sci-fi tabletop project continues to slowly but surely take shape. Assisting that is a few pieces of music. I’ll list them for you, talk about their merits & nuances, and what they mean to this project.

Holst – “Mars, the Bringer of War”
[audio:http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/uploads/mars.mp3]

This is the opening movement to Gustav Holst’s famous suite on the planets. To me, there are few pieces of music that capture the excitement, pioneering attitude and downright scariness of true science fiction. It moves with a purpose, shifting between almost militaristic cadences and long, sweeping passages.

It fits this project for a variety of reasons. There’s the spectre of impending war that hangs over the interplanetary landscape, the feeling that mankind is teetering on the edge of something it doesn’t quite comprehend even as it quarrels with itself and the knowledge that the machinations of ambitious or even insane men are at work behind the scenes to drive the fate of humanity in one direction or another. “Mars” captures all of these feelings pretty well.

VNV Nation – “Sentinal”
[audio:http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/uploads/sentinal.mp3]

The first vocal track from their latest album, VNV Nation’s music has always captured a mood somewhere between revolutionary and soulful. Behind the strong beat and cascading note sequences, there’s a feeling of weariness. While there’s a desire for change, to better one’s self, there’s also the impression that a lot of time has been spent dreaming of a better tomorrow while greater forces in the world work against that goal.

In the future envisioned with this project, battles have been fought both great and small, with no clear victor in the end equation despite accolades and propaganda on both sides. The players, in a way, begin somewhere in the middle, where they can either move to an overarching view of the volatile situation or choose an allegiance with one side or the other. The reason for doing this, on any scale, is to usher in better days, be it for a particular faction or humanity as a whole.

Tool – “Lateralus”
[audio:http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/uploads/lateralus.mp3]

Incorporating the Fibonacci sequence and featuring a refrains scored in a rotating 9/8,8/8,7/8 time signature, the title track from Tool’s third studio album talks of man’s desire to explore himself and his interpretation of the world around him. The idea is to be unafraid of the unknown, willing to explore beyond the boundaries of what we know and learning to accept the things we do not. If someone can do that, if they can move across the borders between the everyday and the singular, one just might “go where no one’s been.”

To me, this song encapsulates the mentality of the foolishly brave men and women willing to hurl themselves headlong into the void of space. It fits perfectly with the dark sci-fi nature of the project. Also, by seeking to be different and transcend the particulars of their origins, players can move into new territory for them, influencing struggles of power between entire planets and possible redefining the destiny of mankind itself.

It may sound a bit ambitious, but I’ve never been accused of thinking too small.

PT: Sit Down & Get Off Your Ass

November 19, 2009 / BlueInkAlchemist / 2 Comments

Unless you’re a large business with the right sort of representation to bitch & whine to the government for a bailout, you can’t get something for nothing. You need to work to be successful. Even geckos know that. And you don’t want to be outdone by a gecko, do you? I didn’t think so. I mean, he’s cute and all, what with the big expressive eyes and the adorable accent, but if a tiny lizard can do it, what’s to stop a human being with a fully-functional frontal lobe, or even the likes of Sarah Palin?

I know I said I was going to avoid political commentary in this webspace, so all I’m going to say is that Ms. Palin has gotten a book published. I could continue to rag on Stephenie Meyer and Dan Brown, but at least when they throw up on their keyboards something colorful comes out. Ms. Palin’s vomit has all the color and variety of the Bonneville Salt Flats. Anyway, let me meander back to my point.

My point is, if you want your stories to be experienced by people other than your mother or your long-suffering spouse, you need to do some work. And let’s face it – work sucks. Even when you’re doing something you enjoy, it can quickly become a chore. We’d all rather play with our kittens or fire up video games or tune into favorite shows rather than work.

It’s worth keeping in mind, however, that the end result is why we work. The goal is what we’re aiming for. Nobody plays soccer just to kick the ball. Sure, footballer’s wives get their jewelry, MGs and pool boys regardless of how their footballer plays, but the actual athlete wants to score points on the field. That net taunts them, and they want nothing more than to kick the ball hard enough to send it sailing past the tender and into the net’s smug imaginary face.

There’s a dust jacket, out there, that’s acting like a net for you. It’s all set to wrap around an edition of your story or stories, sit on a shelf and tempt consumers into buying it. It’ll gladly protect the cover of the book and the signature you’re going to put in there for a fan. And it’s patient – it’s not going anywhere. But it taunts you. It tells you that you’re not going to put anything into it. It’s more than willing to take in your work but it knows you’re struggling to motivate yourself.

Are you going to let that dust jacket win? Well, are you?

Okay, my metaphor’s stretching a little thin, but I think I’ve made my point. This struggle, the lethargy and procrastination, only lasts as long as you allow it. You are the only person who can tell that story that’s kicking around in your brainpan, and you need to be the one to sit down and bang it out. And you know that tangle of emotions that’s tripping you up on the way to your writing desk, typewriter or keyboard? They’re negative emotions you can use.

So get off your ass and do it. And by “get off your ass” I mean “walk to where you need to write, sit down on your ass, and write.” So by getting off your ass, I’m saying sit your ass down.

You heard me.

Works in Progress III: Video Crossroads

November 18, 2009 / BlueInkAlchemist / 1 Comment

The writing continues apace. I haven’t had another burst of words like last Monday night, but I’m still close to finishing another chapter of Lighthouse. I’ve been commissioned to write a Pathfinder adventure of 8-10k words, which I’m chipping away at with the hope of having something to deliver by the end of the week. Even an introduction would show I’m being diligent about the assignment. With Up arriving today from Netflix, I’ll have two movies to write up reviews for in addition to recording audio. Plus there’s the day job, gaming and spending time with my wife as well as doing chores and preparing for trips to Allentown and Charlottesville. That’s Thanksgiving and my cousin’s wedding, respectively.

However, the deadline of the Escapist Video Contest looms and I’m continuing to struggle with my concept. Or rather concepts. I have two of them now, solid ones I can execute on my own with a minimum of fuss & effort, and there are pros & cons to each concept. Like the Scissor Sisters, however, I can’t decide.

Powerless

The original idea I’d mostly settled upon before my muse fondled me the other day was this: every video there’s a reason the power’s out. It could be a down power line, a water main break shorting out a substation, a flood, zombies, nuclear holocaust, etc. Anyway, without power to run any major gaming console, I’d need to find another way to amuse myself, right? Right. So I’d talk about tabletop games and the like: how Chrononauts works, why all the versions of D&D are still valid, the awesomeness of Arkham Horror, etc. I know Alex Macris would dig it.

I just don’t know how long I could keep coming up with contrived excuses for the lights being out.

Spoiler Warning

So we have Zero Punctuation talking about games in general and Unskippable MST3King every intro cutscene in sight. But nobody so far seems to cover the endings of games, how utterly contrived they can be or how blatantly they expect a sequel to come next. This is something I could do, pointing out little things like bad characterization or stupid plot twists in a John Madden-like fashion, but without the extra 200 pounds.

I don’t think it’s as strong an idea as Powerless, but it might last longer since new games are always coming out. I’d try to give a game a few months before I skewer its ending, of course.

Lock the doors & close the blinds, we’re going for a ride.

If you have any thoughts either way, please share. I’d like to get some/most of the work on one of these out of the way this weekend so I have time to tune it up before the deadline.

Jotting in the Margins: Do-Over

November 11, 2009 / BlueInkAlchemist / 0 Comments

I picked up Dragon Age: Origins because I’m a sucker for both fantasy role-playing games and BioWare’s writing. Sure, they’ll dump extensive write-ups into your journal (or Codex in this case) at the slightest provocation and some of the conversations can be a little long-winded, but the writing is so good and the character stories so interesting that I take those things in stride. However, sometimes the game system can be a little weird. The first major hang-up I’ve encountered, however, is entirely my fault. It’s something of a case of Did Not Do The Research, but I’ve been building my mage character wrong. I’m 7 levels in, and some of the time I spent on the first attempt can get shaved since I know my way around the system a bit better. But the point of me bringing up this little bit of geekery is so I can discuss something we’ve all indulged in since childhood: the do-over.

You remember do-overs, right? Someone would throw the dodge ball incorrectly, or you’d forget to fill your water pistol before shooting at a sibling. “Do-over!” would be the cry. “Do-over!” The previous attempts would be wiped away in the nascent young minds and play would begin again as if the last block of time never happened. It’s something that’s found its way into gaming in general. If a title has “replay value,” you can basically leave one save-game alone and start over, making different choices and experiencing the game in a different way.

You can pull do-overs in your writing, as well. I’ve done it on more than one occasion, most notably with my first novel, and every time I’ve declared a do-over, the resulting writing has been a marked improvement. I’m not saying you should always wipe out what you’ve written if a better idea comes along. I’m merely suggesting that you should never feel restricted by your previous efforts. If you want to try something new, try it. Nothing’s stopping you.

And it goes beyond that, as well. I’m going to wax philosophical/religious for a minute, so if you’d rather not think about it you can jump ship now.

Still with me? Fantastic.

A lot of people in authority, from conservative pundits to religious leaders to your boss, might tell you that everything in your past defines who you are now. You need to pick a career and stick with it, says the prevailing capitalist sentiment. It doesn’t matter how much pigeon crap is in the hole, this is where you belong. Credit scores and employment histories are just a couple of examples of how we like to track where people go in their lives to show that they don’t change.

But people are not generic, hot-swappable modules. The only thing all people in the world have in common is that they’re all different, and all of them are capable of change. You’ll be called a failure or a quitter if you try to change, but I only really see someone quitting if they either commit suicide or convince themselves that what they want in life is impossible to attain or not worth pursuing.

Guess what? You are the only You in existence. In all of Creation, only you can do the things you dream of doing. Your stories haven’t been told by others and they won’t get told if you don’t tell them. Sure, other people have climbed Everest or swam the English channel or split the atom. That doesn’t make what you want to do, what makes you passionate, what gets you out of bed in the morning and propels you through a generic hot-swappable day job any less unique than the things that do that for me. If you change jobs, or pursue a dream, people may think you’re a quitter. I tend to think you’re just the opposite – you’re starting something wonderful and you can’t really fail at it. You might fall short of the ultimate goal, but you made the attempt, and probably learned a few things about yourself and your place in this world along the way, which is more than a lot of people can say.

It’s one of the things that maintains my faith in Christ. Outside of the rhetoric of televangelists or the stoic zealotry of pro-life clinic bombers or the “God bless us and nobody else” isolationist tendencies of some congregations, the message of Christ is really pretty simple.

You weren’t meant to suffer. You shouldn’t have to bear the burdens of a daily life plagued by self-doubt and self-recrimination. And you don’t have to. I’m more than willing to help you with your struggles. All you have to do is ask. If you have the courage to admit that you can’t make it on your own, and the open-mindedness to appreciate this world and acknowledge that there’s more to it than what you can see, I’ll let you in on a secret. Your entire life is a do-over. Pick up the dreams you thought were shattered. Mend the heart you felt was broken. I can’t guarantee you’ll get everything you desire, but in following Me, you might just find something you were seeking without ever knowing you needed it.

I know, I know. I’m a dew-eyed optimist and the cynicism of the world is going to try and grind me into a fine powder for an unfeeling corporate master to snort off a hooker’s cleavage while sitting in traffic contained in a luxury car on his way to a meeting on the greatness of his company.

But until that day, I’ll keep believing and keep writing. Even if I have to call a do-over now and again.

Cut Scenes & Cut Characters

November 10, 2009 / BlueInkAlchemist / 0 Comments

Lighthouse is, I feel, benefiting from a lack of perspective. I want my heroine to maintain her unique voice throughout the story, which means periphery scenes told from an outside perspective need to be cut. This means that several of the characters I’d meant to introduce early in the story will also not make their actual appearance until much later, if they appear at all.

Take for example the mercenary recruiter and somewhat diminutive French stereotype De L’Ombre. Cool name, right? “Of the shadows” is a nice way to describe someone picking up unsavory talent for a mysterious employer. However, looking back on the scenes I’ve cut, I think the character falls a bit flat. He’s the kind of underling you’d expect from a Bond film, sure: an underhanded backstabbing enthusiast interfacing with the talent so the Big Bad doesn’t have to. That’s ground which has been fairly well trod, I think.

And then there’s Grosse, a big Eastern German dude I introduce just for Morgan to blow up. Seriously, Grosse’s German for ‘large.’ Clearly I was in my creative prime when I dreamed this guy up.

“I am good at what I do,” Grosse replied in a cold, business-like fashion. “As we have sat here I have determined 37 ways to kill you and make my escape from this country before the police even arrived here. And only 14 of them involve the firearms I carry.”

Grosse spoke as if he was discussing options on a bathroom accessory. De L’Ombre stopped in mid-sip. His thin lips curled into a smile around the lip of his cup.

“Marvelous,” the Frenchman told the German. “I believe you are exactly the kind of man my employer is seeking.”

If I were still aiming for the pre-Daniel Craig Bond film demographic, this would be fine. But I’m going in a new direction. One that doesn’t involve dialog so campy the characters are pitching tents.

Moving on from these guys, we have the Mongoose. I do plan on keeping him in the story, but it’ll be without this introduction.

The sounds of the Pit were almost drowned out by the background of the city – all the fighting, cursing, lovemaking, singing and vomiting that constituted so urban an area. De L’Ombre felt simultaneously repulsed by the raunchiness of the environment, and drawn to the vibrancy and diversity of life here, on what some considered the underside of the world. But the Pit was his objective, and he would not be distracted. With a wad of cash pressed into the burly guard’s palm, he made his way down the narrow, rickety staircase into the poured concrete basement that was the Pit.

The Pit had many names, but everyone who knew of it knew it served only one purpose. There was the unmistakable sound of a fist striking flesh and bone, followed by the howl of the crowd. Bodies jostled and shoved for a better view into the gravel-filled hole in the floor, arms waving bills as two men circled each other in the 12-ft. wide space. One was easily over two meters in height, a foreigner to these parts, German perhaps; blond hair cut very short, body spotted with tattoos. The other was a head shorter, either Korean or Vietnamese, about De L’Ombre’s height, with jet-black hair and calm, almost lazy eyes. The German had his hands up in a classic boxing stance, while the other kept his arms at his side, his every move possessed of deadly grace. De L’Ombre suspected this boy to be the Vietnamese fighter he sought, but he had to be sure. So he watched, and waited.

The German took a wide swing at the smaller man, who easily ducked back. Using that momentum, the Oriental fighter leaned to his right and propelled his left arm towards the German, the first two knuckles of his hand striking the side of his opponent’s elbow. There was a resounding snap, the unmistakable sound of bones breaking, followed closely by the roar of approval from the mob. Cursing loudly (and in German, so that at least was confirmed), the larger man flailed with his other arm, trying to bring his meaty fist in contact with the side of the smaller man’s head. But again, the Vietnamese fighter was simply too quick, dropping into a crouch and then, with catlike speed and movements, he spun and kicked out his right leg, catching the German in the back of his shin. Caught off-balance, the huge fighter toppled, and in a heartbeat the boy was on top of him, literally crouched on his chest. There was a moment, where the mob quieted and the young man stared down at the European with unblinking eyes. Then, with a movement like a cobra snapping at a rodent, the victor’s right arm snapped out again, and the German gasped, eyes wide, as the bony knuckles of his opponent’s right hand crushed his windpipe with frightening speed and accuracy.

What I like about the Mongoose (real name Vanh Minh Thao) is that he’s smart. He knows De L’Ombre’s a slime ball, especially when he makes his proposal.

Vanh’s mouth twitched. “I do not normally fight women, let alone kill them.”

“Nevertheless,” the Frechman told him, “this woman needs to die. She is between my employer and his business, and that cannot be. She is to be removed, and my employer is willing to pay that fee for your service.”

“Where is this woman?”

“America.”

“Why not hire an American to do this thing, then?” the Mongoose asked, seeming annoyed. “Why come all the way to Kowloon making such offers?”

“My employer wishes to continue to enjoy the pleasures of anonymity. Besides, talents like yours deserve to be paid for in such a manner,” De L’Ombre replied with a thin smile.

After the gunplay in the upcoming action scene I plan on writing tonight, a fight between Morgan and the Mongoose is likely to feel both more intimate and more intense. At least, that’s the goal I have in mind. Posting these clips from my old manuscript helps to show me how far my writing has come. Chuck Wendig is right in that by writing more, even if it’s crap, we learn how not to write crap and maybe, just maybe, write something that’ll get read by someone besides Mom.

But I’m definitely leaving De L’Ombre out. And no, it’s not because he’s French.

Tag: Writing (page 43 of 47)

Everything’s Cooler In Space: Mood Music

PT: Sit Down & Get Off Your Ass

Works in Progress III: Video Crossroads

Jotting in the Margins: Do-Over

Cut Scenes & Cut Characters

Buy This Book!

Search the Blog

Recent Posts

Getcher Updates!

Works

Legal Stuff

Categories

Archives