For those who have been following my writer's journey for a while, you know that there have been a lot of roadblocks and pitfalls along the way. Distractions abound in the writer's life, not the least of which are earning an income. Add on a social life and a love life, and it can be a titanic effort to find time to write anything.
Then there's been my work with Comic Booked. It's a dream come true to be working for a comic book news site, a goal of mine since I read my first Wizard Magazine. But the joys of reading and writing about comic books has distracted me from other writing as well, and there comes a time when you have to reevaluate what you really want out of life. The things you do should support your passion and build your future, and if it's not serving either of those two necessities, it's time to move on.
So, it's time for me to move on from writing.
It's been fun writing and publishing short stories, even writing and rewriting my first novel, and I'm proud of my work for Comic Booked. But at the end of the day, the frustrations of being a writer far outweigh the benefits, especially from the financial end of things. Your work should be something you love with all your heart, and I haven't been doing that at all. It's time I fixed that.
From here on out, my writer's blog will be a musician's blog. I've had a passion for it since elementary school, learning multiple instruments and even conducting my own school band, but I gave it up after high school to pursue this pipe dream of making it as a professional writer. No more. I'm pulling out my old clarinet and dusting it off, and I'll be diving back into my musical pursuits with the goal of joining the L.A. Philharmonic. I hope you'll stick around for the ride.
I appreciate all the support you've given me as a writer, and I hope you'll continue supporting me as I rededicate myself to becoming a musical virtuoso.
Oh, and happy April Fool's Day!
Showing posts with label comic booked. Show all posts
Showing posts with label comic booked. Show all posts
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
WonderCon 2012
Now that I'm mostly recovered from WonderCon, I might as well talk a little about my experience covering the convention for Comic Booked.
Although WonderCon is a comic convention in a similar vein as Comikaze Expo, the two couldn't have been more different. For one thing, Comikaze was a very new convention experiencing its first year and all the growing pains that go along with trying to establish an identity. WonderCon, while experiencing its first (and perhaps only) year in Anaheim last weekend, is a 26 year old convention that has firmly established a reputation in the Bay Area. It's a miniature version of the San Diego Comic-Con, which is to say that it's still a large and popular convention, just not as massive as SDCC has become in recent years.
Comikaze was small enough in size that it was pretty easy for one person (namely me) to cover all two days with little difficulty. Heck, I even played handler for one of the web series celebrities at the con and still managed to meet a number of people and pick up some interesting info to put up on the site by the time it was over. WonderCon, however, is large enough that it takes more than one person to cover the glut of information that the companies bring with them to the panels, especially with so many awesome panels overlapping. And while I know I wasn't the only one on Team Comic Booked at the convention, it sure felt like it from the cries of "MORE COVERAGE!" coming from some of the team members who weren't there.
Admittedly, it must be a bit dismaying to see another site posting news from WonderCon when you know there's at least two people there from the site attending these panels. However, coming down on the people in the trenches for not doing a better job while they're frantically trying to cover as many panels as they can and make as many contacts in the attending companies as possible for future news items can make an already stressful convention experience even more so.
It used to be that comic conventions were nothing but fun for me. Now it's a job, with all the accompanying stress. So when I mention the tiredness of the weekend in my official write-up of the convention, only part of that is the typical con fatigue after three days of a comic convention. The other, much larger, part of that is the anxiety of others breathing down your neck while you're working, with none of the pay to show for a job well done. And while I did enjoy the convention, I can't help but wonder: Am I really building my future as a writer by taking on these assignments, or should I scale back on my involvement with Comic Booked to further my own projects, like my long overdue trilogy?
Either way, you can read all about my convention experience in WonderCon 2012: Post-Convention Musings over at Comic Booked!
Although WonderCon is a comic convention in a similar vein as Comikaze Expo, the two couldn't have been more different. For one thing, Comikaze was a very new convention experiencing its first year and all the growing pains that go along with trying to establish an identity. WonderCon, while experiencing its first (and perhaps only) year in Anaheim last weekend, is a 26 year old convention that has firmly established a reputation in the Bay Area. It's a miniature version of the San Diego Comic-Con, which is to say that it's still a large and popular convention, just not as massive as SDCC has become in recent years.
Admittedly, it must be a bit dismaying to see another site posting news from WonderCon when you know there's at least two people there from the site attending these panels. However, coming down on the people in the trenches for not doing a better job while they're frantically trying to cover as many panels as they can and make as many contacts in the attending companies as possible for future news items can make an already stressful convention experience even more so.
It used to be that comic conventions were nothing but fun for me. Now it's a job, with all the accompanying stress. So when I mention the tiredness of the weekend in my official write-up of the convention, only part of that is the typical con fatigue after three days of a comic convention. The other, much larger, part of that is the anxiety of others breathing down your neck while you're working, with none of the pay to show for a job well done. And while I did enjoy the convention, I can't help but wonder: Am I really building my future as a writer by taking on these assignments, or should I scale back on my involvement with Comic Booked to further my own projects, like my long overdue trilogy?
Either way, you can read all about my convention experience in WonderCon 2012: Post-Convention Musings over at Comic Booked!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
It's One of THOSE Months...
Every now and then, I have a month where I'm so crazy busy that I forget that I have a blog to write in. This is one of those months.
Mostly, it's because I've been gaining more and more responsibility at Comic Booked in the past couple of months. In addition to my usual reviews and editorials, I've been writing a weekly series called Story Mode: Justice League Alternates that is, at its core, a narrative retelling of my gaming group's weekly misadventures. I'm also their designated Aspen Comics liason, and I've been writing up press releases and overseeing staff review copies sent to me by their Sales and Marketing genius, CJ. So, between balancing comic books and gaming for the site, I'm pretty busy.
Don't think that means my trilogy is on hold, however. It's a fine balancing act between Comic Booked, the day job and my original fiction, but none of these are lacking these days. It does, however, mean that I've been focusing on other writing and neglecting my blog, for which I offer my deepest apologies. This is a new kind of busy for me, and I'm still trying to figure out how to fit everything in my day so I can still relax and unwind!
Mostly, it's because I've been gaining more and more responsibility at Comic Booked in the past couple of months. In addition to my usual reviews and editorials, I've been writing a weekly series called Story Mode: Justice League Alternates that is, at its core, a narrative retelling of my gaming group's weekly misadventures. I'm also their designated Aspen Comics liason, and I've been writing up press releases and overseeing staff review copies sent to me by their Sales and Marketing genius, CJ. So, between balancing comic books and gaming for the site, I'm pretty busy.
Don't think that means my trilogy is on hold, however. It's a fine balancing act between Comic Booked, the day job and my original fiction, but none of these are lacking these days. It does, however, mean that I've been focusing on other writing and neglecting my blog, for which I offer my deepest apologies. This is a new kind of busy for me, and I'm still trying to figure out how to fit everything in my day so I can still relax and unwind!
Monday, January 30, 2012
I Launched A New Weekly Series!
Talk about the best of all possible worlds!
This past Saturday, I merged my love of writing, comic books AND gaming into one glorious project for Comic Booked. It's been a long time coming, to be honest. I knew right from the first month working with the Comic Booked staff that I wanted to carve out my own corner of the site with some original content, likely a series of articles that would let me geek out on my favorite topics, comics and gaming. I wasn't sure what sort of format I wanted to use for that, though. Do I do it all as editorial pontification? How would I mix the two topics without it being a horribly mismatched explosion of geekitude in text?
The answer came to me, of course, through my Tuesday night gaming group. We were all bringing different games to the table that we could each run: D&D, Cyberpunk, World of Darkness. I tossed DC Adventures into the arena, and declared my intention of putting the players' superheroic adventures onto Comic Booked as a weekly series. It would definitely be original content, and it'd explore previously uncharted geek territory on the site in terms of gaming. The players were all on board, so I started planning for our game.
Once we wrapped our in-progress games, we got to work on DC Adventures. It was a shaky start, to be sure, because it was a new roleplaying game for all of us. We were still learning the character creation system (even well into our second game session), and combat is still a work in progress in our fifth session. Still, we put the focus on the story and let the rules complement the adventure instead of getting in its way.
Meanwhile, I presented my idea to the staff. They loved it, and while we didn't have a solid category for it at the time, a tabletop gaming division was born from the discussion. Sure, it was an idea that was already simmering in the company's developmental pot, but I'd like to think that the energy and enthusiasm that rose up from the discussion of my idea helped to fast track its implementation.
The end result? Well, see for yourself! Read all about the roleplaying game I run for my group in Story Mode: Justice League Alternates, Part One at Comic Booked!
This past Saturday, I merged my love of writing, comic books AND gaming into one glorious project for Comic Booked. It's been a long time coming, to be honest. I knew right from the first month working with the Comic Booked staff that I wanted to carve out my own corner of the site with some original content, likely a series of articles that would let me geek out on my favorite topics, comics and gaming. I wasn't sure what sort of format I wanted to use for that, though. Do I do it all as editorial pontification? How would I mix the two topics without it being a horribly mismatched explosion of geekitude in text?
The answer came to me, of course, through my Tuesday night gaming group. We were all bringing different games to the table that we could each run: D&D, Cyberpunk, World of Darkness. I tossed DC Adventures into the arena, and declared my intention of putting the players' superheroic adventures onto Comic Booked as a weekly series. It would definitely be original content, and it'd explore previously uncharted geek territory on the site in terms of gaming. The players were all on board, so I started planning for our game.
Once we wrapped our in-progress games, we got to work on DC Adventures. It was a shaky start, to be sure, because it was a new roleplaying game for all of us. We were still learning the character creation system (even well into our second game session), and combat is still a work in progress in our fifth session. Still, we put the focus on the story and let the rules complement the adventure instead of getting in its way.
Meanwhile, I presented my idea to the staff. They loved it, and while we didn't have a solid category for it at the time, a tabletop gaming division was born from the discussion. Sure, it was an idea that was already simmering in the company's developmental pot, but I'd like to think that the energy and enthusiasm that rose up from the discussion of my idea helped to fast track its implementation.
The end result? Well, see for yourself! Read all about the roleplaying game I run for my group in Story Mode: Justice League Alternates, Part One at Comic Booked!
Sunday, January 15, 2012
The Greatest Batman Game You'll Never See
In addition to finishing the rewrites for Book One of my trilogy, I'm still creating new content for Comic Booked. Why, in just a few hours, I'll be meeting with some of my fellow writers through Skype about a new division of the site that I'll be contributing to, one in line with a passion of mine that I discovered back in high school. More on that, however, when plans are firmed up and I can give solid information on it.
One of the things I love about writing for Comic Booked is getting all of the comic book related news as it happens. Sometimes this is as simple as finding out if a book is cancelled or switching creative teams, but sometimes it means getting a first look at something that the rest of the public won't see for another couple weeks yet. And not just comic books but the products spawned from them: TV shows, movies... and video games.
Artwork surfaced just a couple days ago about an allegedly rejected pitch for a video game that would introduce the world to a whole new way of looking at Batman. It's based off of an excellent and highly recommended comic book story created over 20 years ago, and while the video game developers passed on it, I eagerly volunteered to snatch it up and give it some excellent publicity.
Read all about why I think this is The Greatest Batman Game You'll Never See at Comic Booked!
One of the things I love about writing for Comic Booked is getting all of the comic book related news as it happens. Sometimes this is as simple as finding out if a book is cancelled or switching creative teams, but sometimes it means getting a first look at something that the rest of the public won't see for another couple weeks yet. And not just comic books but the products spawned from them: TV shows, movies... and video games.
Artwork surfaced just a couple days ago about an allegedly rejected pitch for a video game that would introduce the world to a whole new way of looking at Batman. It's based off of an excellent and highly recommended comic book story created over 20 years ago, and while the video game developers passed on it, I eagerly volunteered to snatch it up and give it some excellent publicity.
Read all about why I think this is The Greatest Batman Game You'll Never See at Comic Booked!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Out With 2011, In With 2012!
I totally meant to write an elaborate blog post last night to wrap up 2011, but then I went out with a friend and came home to SWTOR. Bad blogger, no biscuit! But I will say this much, even though I'm not ending this year on the high note that I did last year, I still accomplished a lot this year:
I moved out of my apartment and into a house. I still have roommates (housemates), but it's a far better living situation than I was in before. I can now rest easy in a place that feels like home with people who don't make my skin crawl, and I feel like I'm one step closer to living on my own at last.
I had a great relationship that didn't last. I'm sad that it ended the way it did, but glad that I was able to share something wonderful with someone while it lasted. She helped me open my life up to things I'd been denying myself over the years, and for that, I'm very grateful. I wish her nothing but peace and joy.
I let my writing take flight in the public domain, first as staff writer for Comic Booked, then as a self-published author. My writing is now up on Kindle and Nook, which was a huge step for me in getting my fictional world out to a wider audience, and I look forward to watching that seed grow in the new year.
Finally, I survived a number of hardships thrown my way this year. Between losing my job, getting into an accident, and going through a break-up, there were times when the old me, the mid-20s me, would have thrown in the towel. But I persevered, and the challenges of this year have fueled my writing in unexpected ways.
2011 wasn't a horrible year. It held great promise, some of which delivered and some of which fell short, and built the foundation for what will surely be a successful 2012. Even so, I'm not sad to see this year pass. If I had to do it all over again, I don't think I'd change a thing. Well, I might have released Everyday Divinities a little earlier, but aside from that...
Now, let's hit the ground running in 2012 and make some magic happen before the world ends in December!
I moved out of my apartment and into a house. I still have roommates (housemates), but it's a far better living situation than I was in before. I can now rest easy in a place that feels like home with people who don't make my skin crawl, and I feel like I'm one step closer to living on my own at last.
I had a great relationship that didn't last. I'm sad that it ended the way it did, but glad that I was able to share something wonderful with someone while it lasted. She helped me open my life up to things I'd been denying myself over the years, and for that, I'm very grateful. I wish her nothing but peace and joy.
I let my writing take flight in the public domain, first as staff writer for Comic Booked, then as a self-published author. My writing is now up on Kindle and Nook, which was a huge step for me in getting my fictional world out to a wider audience, and I look forward to watching that seed grow in the new year.
Finally, I survived a number of hardships thrown my way this year. Between losing my job, getting into an accident, and going through a break-up, there were times when the old me, the mid-20s me, would have thrown in the towel. But I persevered, and the challenges of this year have fueled my writing in unexpected ways.
2011 wasn't a horrible year. It held great promise, some of which delivered and some of which fell short, and built the foundation for what will surely be a successful 2012. Even so, I'm not sad to see this year pass. If I had to do it all over again, I don't think I'd change a thing. Well, I might have released Everyday Divinities a little earlier, but aside from that...
Now, let's hit the ground running in 2012 and make some magic happen before the world ends in December!
Friday, November 11, 2011
My Awkward Adventure at Comikaze Expo
So, I covered my first comic book convention this past weekend, Comikaze Expo. It wasn't the first convention I've ever been to, not by far. That honor goes to San Diego Comic Con 2002, which instilled in me a love for conventions when I got to meet Peter "Chewbacca" Mayhew in person and ended up sitting at the booth with him talking about Star Wars. That was before SDCC turned into the absolute clusterfrak of pop culture that it is today.
Comikaze was almost perfectly situated in my life, too: I got sick before the convention, not during, and my beloved broke up with me right after it. The timing of these two events meant that I was able to enjoy the convention well enough without coughing or sneezing all over the people I was meeting, or in such a heartbroken funk that people would avoid me on sight. Timing, as they say, is everything.
It was a great event, though, even with so much going on. I spent most of the time that weekend in the company of my friends Eric and Jessica, then met up with my friend Jesse, and even spent some time with my mother (pictured above with me and Marina Sirtis) and her boyfriend. I met a lot of new people, made some new friends, and ended up with one of the best convention experiences I've had since 2002.
You can read all about My Awkward Adventure at Comikaze Expo, Day One and Day Two at Comic Booked!
Comikaze was almost perfectly situated in my life, too: I got sick before the convention, not during, and my beloved broke up with me right after it. The timing of these two events meant that I was able to enjoy the convention well enough without coughing or sneezing all over the people I was meeting, or in such a heartbroken funk that people would avoid me on sight. Timing, as they say, is everything.
It was a great event, though, even with so much going on. I spent most of the time that weekend in the company of my friends Eric and Jessica, then met up with my friend Jesse, and even spent some time with my mother (pictured above with me and Marina Sirtis) and her boyfriend. I met a lot of new people, made some new friends, and ended up with one of the best convention experiences I've had since 2002.
You can read all about My Awkward Adventure at Comikaze Expo, Day One and Day Two at Comic Booked!
Monday, October 24, 2011
Quick Take On My Comic Booked Widget
Take a second to check out the new feature on my blog! It's over there in the far right column, between my NetworkedBlogs and Goodreads widgets. Yes, it's my very own Comic Booked widget!
That's right, thanks to a code-savvy co-worker, you can now stay up to date on ALL of my Comic Booked writing, not just the event and movie reviews that I've posted here on my blog so far. You can scroll down to see the opening text of my last 15 articles and click directly on the article title to go straight to that entry, all without leaving my blog. How awesome is that?!
I'll post later in the week about my upcoming ebook release, so stay tuned here for that update. In the meantime, check my new widget to see what else I'm writing about these days!
Edit the first: And, of course, the day I decide to draw attention to it is the day it's not working properly. Check back later in the day, it should be fixed by then.
Edit the second: And it's working again! Yay! Enjoy!
That's right, thanks to a code-savvy co-worker, you can now stay up to date on ALL of my Comic Booked writing, not just the event and movie reviews that I've posted here on my blog so far. You can scroll down to see the opening text of my last 15 articles and click directly on the article title to go straight to that entry, all without leaving my blog. How awesome is that?!
I'll post later in the week about my upcoming ebook release, so stay tuned here for that update. In the meantime, check my new widget to see what else I'm writing about these days!
Edit the first: And, of course, the day I decide to draw attention to it is the day it's not working properly. Check back later in the day, it should be fixed by then.
Edit the second: And it's working again! Yay! Enjoy!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Happy Birthday To Me!
Yes indeed, another year older, another year wiser. Although some might debate that last part...
I look back at this previous year, and while I haven't come as far as I had the year before, I still made some excellent progress this year. I've grown as a writer, both in my creative writing and as a blogger, which landed me in the role of staff writer for Comic Booked. It's been an amazing experience working for them, and I look forward to growing with them as we hit the big time.
I moved out of my old place, which was a big step for me. I hate moving, but I recognized a bad situation when it was staring me in the face and took steps to change my situation. I also survived my first real car accident, and I couldn't have made it through both of those experiences without the foundation that the previous year had built. I also owe a lot of that to the love and support of the people closest to me.
Finally, I'm in the first great relationship I've had in years with a wonderful partner. Loki is a constant source of joy in my life. I wasn't even really looking for that special someone, but that's often when magic happens. It's so good to be with someone who shares some of the same interests I do without being a carbon copy of me. And even better, he's OK with me being a writer!
All of the above has had a profound impact on my year, and I've come through it stronger than I was before. Now I have a new year ahead of me, full of new trials and triumphs, with a great foundation to meet it head on. You hear that, birthday? I'm ready for you! BRING IT ON!
I look back at this previous year, and while I haven't come as far as I had the year before, I still made some excellent progress this year. I've grown as a writer, both in my creative writing and as a blogger, which landed me in the role of staff writer for Comic Booked. It's been an amazing experience working for them, and I look forward to growing with them as we hit the big time.
I moved out of my old place, which was a big step for me. I hate moving, but I recognized a bad situation when it was staring me in the face and took steps to change my situation. I also survived my first real car accident, and I couldn't have made it through both of those experiences without the foundation that the previous year had built. I also owe a lot of that to the love and support of the people closest to me.
Finally, I'm in the first great relationship I've had in years with a wonderful partner. Loki is a constant source of joy in my life. I wasn't even really looking for that special someone, but that's often when magic happens. It's so good to be with someone who shares some of the same interests I do without being a carbon copy of me. And even better, he's OK with me being a writer!
All of the above has had a profound impact on my year, and I've come through it stronger than I was before. Now I have a new year ahead of me, full of new trials and triumphs, with a great foundation to meet it head on. You hear that, birthday? I'm ready for you! BRING IT ON!
Thursday, October 6, 2011
The DC New 52 Wrap Party!
For those of you who haven't seen the commercials or read about it in the blogosphere, comic publisher DC Comics carried out a massive relaunch of their characters, both new and iconic, in an event they call The New 52. The goal? To bring new fans into the comic book fold and show them why these characters have endured for so many decades.
I confess, I haven't had the finances to buy a lot of these new books, but the ones I did read impressed me greatly. And as The New 52's first month came to a close, I figured I should cover the event's wrap party for Comic Booked to see what kind of crowd my FLCS (that's "friendly local comic shop" to the uninitiated) could pull in from this event.
It was HUGE. And I covered it all by my lonesome.
Jump over to Comic Booked and read all about The DC New 52 Wrap Party!
I confess, I haven't had the finances to buy a lot of these new books, but the ones I did read impressed me greatly. And as The New 52's first month came to a close, I figured I should cover the event's wrap party for Comic Booked to see what kind of crowd my FLCS (that's "friendly local comic shop" to the uninitiated) could pull in from this event.
It was HUGE. And I covered it all by my lonesome.
Jump over to Comic Booked and read all about The DC New 52 Wrap Party!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Tell The Truth Tuesday
It's that time again!
Yes, it's Tuesday morning, and it's about time I turned out another Tell The Truth Tuesday. So, by the numbers:
1. Speak Out With Your Geek Out was a fun event, and I'm glad I got to take part in it. I've always tried to display my geekitude in positive ways to show that it's not as scary as some people make it out to be, and I'm glad so many others felt the same way. It was a busy week for me, though, so I didn't get to delve into as much detail as I wanted to for my three posts last week. Then again, maybe that's a good thing. I could write an entire book on my geeky life, rife with more pop culture references than any two Tarantino films.
2. Did you know I was once asked to help create a horror movie that would feature RPGs? It's true! The players of the game would have been killed off through the movie by the villain/GM, and while character death is not foreign to gaming, I was not about to help facilitate the demonizing of the gaming community by working on that kind of project. I do, however, have a script in my head for a film that would put RPGs firmly in the fantasy action/adventure category. Maybe one day I'll put it down on paper...
3. ...But first, I should finish my trilogy. I must admit, the past few months have been hard on my creativity, and the next month isn't looking too much better. Sometimes, you need to take care of business to allow that creative energy to flow freely. Once I'm back on track, then I'll be able to rededicate myself to finishing my trilogy once and for all!
4. My anthology is almost ready to be digitally released to the wild! Just as I haven't had much time lately to dedicate to my trilogy, I haven't had time to get it formatted properly or to get a decent cover to my short story collection. Rest assured, though, it's coming!
5. My readership has gone up! Thanks to my Comic Booked reviews and the "Speak Geek" event, there's been a pleasant increase of readers on my blog, and I'm very grateful for the new page hits. Welcome, new people! I hope you enjoy what you read here and stick around for a while, there's plenty to get you caught up in the archives.
6. Star Wars was re-re-rereleased (again) this past week. I have not bought it. I probably won't buy it until the DVDs I have are no longer viewable, and by then, we'll have the entire series in 3-D for a re-re-re-rerelease. Sheesh!
7. I link to some of my Comic Booked articles here, but not all of them. While I like giving you all an easy way to see what else I'm writing when I'm not on this blog, I don't know if you really want to read all of my press releases, or my write-ups of comic book movie-related sightings, or even my reviews of comic books. But then, I've never asked you, my loyal readers, what you think of that content. Do you want to see more of it, and if so, how much? Would you rather I not link to it at all here? Let your voice be heard in the comment section below!
8. On a related note to the above question, are there any writing topics you'd like me to focus on for future posts? I try to give a little of everything and pass on information that might be useful or insightful to writing and being a writer, but the worst part is writing in a vacuum. Feedback is always welcome, and greatly prized by writers of all stripes! Just put it in the comment section below!
9. I love autumn because of the Pumpkin Spice Latte. I hate autumn because the changing season screws with my head, both mentally and allergy-wise. When is Daylight Savings Time over? I can never remember...
10. I almost forgot! I have a Tumblr account now, where I put all of the geekiness that I refrain from bombarding you with here. You can check it out at the link here, but be warned, it's pretty crazy geeky!
And on that note, I think I'll call it here. Until next time, loyal followers!
Yes, it's Tuesday morning, and it's about time I turned out another Tell The Truth Tuesday. So, by the numbers:
1. Speak Out With Your Geek Out was a fun event, and I'm glad I got to take part in it. I've always tried to display my geekitude in positive ways to show that it's not as scary as some people make it out to be, and I'm glad so many others felt the same way. It was a busy week for me, though, so I didn't get to delve into as much detail as I wanted to for my three posts last week. Then again, maybe that's a good thing. I could write an entire book on my geeky life, rife with more pop culture references than any two Tarantino films.
2. Did you know I was once asked to help create a horror movie that would feature RPGs? It's true! The players of the game would have been killed off through the movie by the villain/GM, and while character death is not foreign to gaming, I was not about to help facilitate the demonizing of the gaming community by working on that kind of project. I do, however, have a script in my head for a film that would put RPGs firmly in the fantasy action/adventure category. Maybe one day I'll put it down on paper...
3. ...But first, I should finish my trilogy. I must admit, the past few months have been hard on my creativity, and the next month isn't looking too much better. Sometimes, you need to take care of business to allow that creative energy to flow freely. Once I'm back on track, then I'll be able to rededicate myself to finishing my trilogy once and for all!
4. My anthology is almost ready to be digitally released to the wild! Just as I haven't had much time lately to dedicate to my trilogy, I haven't had time to get it formatted properly or to get a decent cover to my short story collection. Rest assured, though, it's coming!
5. My readership has gone up! Thanks to my Comic Booked reviews and the "Speak Geek" event, there's been a pleasant increase of readers on my blog, and I'm very grateful for the new page hits. Welcome, new people! I hope you enjoy what you read here and stick around for a while, there's plenty to get you caught up in the archives.
6. Star Wars was re-re-rereleased (again) this past week. I have not bought it. I probably won't buy it until the DVDs I have are no longer viewable, and by then, we'll have the entire series in 3-D for a re-re-re-rerelease. Sheesh!
7. I link to some of my Comic Booked articles here, but not all of them. While I like giving you all an easy way to see what else I'm writing when I'm not on this blog, I don't know if you really want to read all of my press releases, or my write-ups of comic book movie-related sightings, or even my reviews of comic books. But then, I've never asked you, my loyal readers, what you think of that content. Do you want to see more of it, and if so, how much? Would you rather I not link to it at all here? Let your voice be heard in the comment section below!
8. On a related note to the above question, are there any writing topics you'd like me to focus on for future posts? I try to give a little of everything and pass on information that might be useful or insightful to writing and being a writer, but the worst part is writing in a vacuum. Feedback is always welcome, and greatly prized by writers of all stripes! Just put it in the comment section below!
9. I love autumn because of the Pumpkin Spice Latte. I hate autumn because the changing season screws with my head, both mentally and allergy-wise. When is Daylight Savings Time over? I can never remember...
10. I almost forgot! I have a Tumblr account now, where I put all of the geekiness that I refrain from bombarding you with here. You can check it out at the link here, but be warned, it's pretty crazy geeky!
And on that note, I think I'll call it here. Until next time, loyal followers!
Monday, September 12, 2011
I Speak Out With My Geek Out!
I'm freestyling this one instead of writing it up in Word first, because it's late but I still wanted to get something up for Speak Out With Your Geek Out. My apologies if this is not as polished as some of my other posts here, but I hope you'll bear with me.
I won't retread any geeky ground as I revisit my path to geekdom here. I've already done my fair share of, well, sharing little peeks into that world of video games, comics and roleplaying games here, here, here, here and here. I try to keep from going geek overload on this blog, instead using my Tumblr for the kind of stuff that doesn't quite fit into a blog about writing. Still, this event focuses on writing about being a geek, and since I'm a geek who writes, I should take the time to address that huge part of my life.
As I write this, I'm surrounded by pieces of my geek life. Cloud and Tifa stand atop my computer, guarding it with a wild-eyed dragon, though my name tag from the DigitalLA panel on digital comics infiltrated one side. When I pause to take a drink and consider my words, it's from a travel mug adorned with J!NX stickers. Behind my monitor, Cap's shield peeks from behind like a rising sun, a souvenir from my coverage of a comic book store event for Comic Booked. To the left of me are boxes of comic books and my World of Warcraft hoodie. To the right, a bookcase that is patrolled vigilantly by Optimus Prime, Spike, and a trio of characters from Kingdom Hearts. Behind me lies another bookcase full of role-playing books, predominantly from White Wolf Publishing, and mostly Mage books.
My life is filled to the brim with geekiness. On Tuesday nights, my friends and I get together around a conference room table and roll dice for Game Night. On Wednesday night, I'll get together with other friends and tear it up on either Xbox or Wii. I drive to work with fuzzy d20 dice hanging from my rear-view mirror, and my rear bumper is decorated with the blood elf emblem. On my wrist is a bracelet that says GEEK. I may be dressed in a button-down shirt, but my undershirt says "U.S. Department of Gaming Affairs" on it... and I may or may not be wearing Transformers boxers. And that's only my work attire. Once I'm out of the office, I fly my geek flag proudly with a legion of geeky t-shirts that declare my dragonslaying prowess, or my love of 8-bit games, or that my d10 does indeed go up to 11.
I love my geeky life. I love that I write about comics and pop culture for Comic Booked. I love that both Star Wars and Star Trek are part of my lexicon thanks to my mom. I love that I can quote Ghostbusters or The Princess Bride and my friends will follow it up with the next line of dialogue. I love that I have friends who draw comics and create shows for the web and sing about Buffy the Vampire Slayer villains. And I love that the world is full of people just like me who live geeky lives and aren't ashamed to admit it.
I also love that my gorgeous partner Loki brought over The Crow tonight... both the graphic novel and the movie. I'll cut this short, but expect more geekiness later in the week!
I won't retread any geeky ground as I revisit my path to geekdom here. I've already done my fair share of, well, sharing little peeks into that world of video games, comics and roleplaying games here, here, here, here and here. I try to keep from going geek overload on this blog, instead using my Tumblr for the kind of stuff that doesn't quite fit into a blog about writing. Still, this event focuses on writing about being a geek, and since I'm a geek who writes, I should take the time to address that huge part of my life.
As I write this, I'm surrounded by pieces of my geek life. Cloud and Tifa stand atop my computer, guarding it with a wild-eyed dragon, though my name tag from the DigitalLA panel on digital comics infiltrated one side. When I pause to take a drink and consider my words, it's from a travel mug adorned with J!NX stickers. Behind my monitor, Cap's shield peeks from behind like a rising sun, a souvenir from my coverage of a comic book store event for Comic Booked. To the left of me are boxes of comic books and my World of Warcraft hoodie. To the right, a bookcase that is patrolled vigilantly by Optimus Prime, Spike, and a trio of characters from Kingdom Hearts. Behind me lies another bookcase full of role-playing books, predominantly from White Wolf Publishing, and mostly Mage books.
My life is filled to the brim with geekiness. On Tuesday nights, my friends and I get together around a conference room table and roll dice for Game Night. On Wednesday night, I'll get together with other friends and tear it up on either Xbox or Wii. I drive to work with fuzzy d20 dice hanging from my rear-view mirror, and my rear bumper is decorated with the blood elf emblem. On my wrist is a bracelet that says GEEK. I may be dressed in a button-down shirt, but my undershirt says "U.S. Department of Gaming Affairs" on it... and I may or may not be wearing Transformers boxers. And that's only my work attire. Once I'm out of the office, I fly my geek flag proudly with a legion of geeky t-shirts that declare my dragonslaying prowess, or my love of 8-bit games, or that my d10 does indeed go up to 11.
I love my geeky life. I love that I write about comics and pop culture for Comic Booked. I love that both Star Wars and Star Trek are part of my lexicon thanks to my mom. I love that I can quote Ghostbusters or The Princess Bride and my friends will follow it up with the next line of dialogue. I love that I have friends who draw comics and create shows for the web and sing about Buffy the Vampire Slayer villains. And I love that the world is full of people just like me who live geeky lives and aren't ashamed to admit it.
I also love that my gorgeous partner Loki brought over The Crow tonight... both the graphic novel and the movie. I'll cut this short, but expect more geekiness later in the week!
Monday, August 29, 2011
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
Loki and I went to the drive-in near him the other night and took in a double feature of "Fright Night" and "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" horror remakes. It was my first time at the drive-in, and I had a lot of fun. It's nothing like you see in the movies. The speaker boxes have been replaced with radio stations for each screen, and the parking spaces are angled so you can see above the cars in front of you. And while there are some issues in watching the movie that you don't have to deal with in a theater, seeing two movies for $7 per person is so worth it.
While I liked both movies for different reasons, I gave the full review treatment to "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" over at Comic Booked. Jump on over and read my Movie Review: Don't Be Afraid of the Dark!
While I liked both movies for different reasons, I gave the full review treatment to "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" over at Comic Booked. Jump on over and read my Movie Review: Don't Be Afraid of the Dark!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Print vs. Digital: Can They Coexist In Peace?
"Print is dead."
—Egon Spengler, Ghostbusters
Not yet, Egon, but those words definitely mean more in today’s publishing world than they did back in 1984. While concrete statistics vary depending on source and the increased availability of devices that can be used as e-readers over the years, one thing everyone can agree on is this: Sales of digital books are dramatically rising, and sales of printed books are not.
Jump over to Comic Booked and read all about Print vs. Digital: Can They Coexist In Peace?
Friday, August 5, 2011
Zak Hennessey and the Cybertooth Project
I first met Zak Hennessey many years ago over a shared pastime: pen and paper role-playing games. Not only did he exhibit some impressive storytelling talents by running some of the best original scenarios our game table has ever seen, he added an amazing visual aspect to the games by drawing our characters and illustrating both key scenes and “what if” parody images. It came as no surprise, then, to find out that he was a comic book creator.
Though it’s been a long time since those game nights, the Colorado resident and I have kept in touch through the interwebs and the occasional convention-related visits, reminiscing about those long nights of dice-rolling and sharing stories of our new projects. Zak’s latest comic book creation, The Cybertooth Project, is an exciting new foray into the world of digital comics for him, and one that is set to be the cornerstone of his new publishing company, Biotoxic Studios. In-between prepping this new series for launch and the varied demands of running his own independent comic book company online, he answered a few questions about his new project and the decision to move into digital publication.
Jump over to Comic Booked and read all about The Cybertooth Project: An Interview with Creator Zak Hennessey!
And when you're done there, head over to The Cybertooth Project Kickstarter page and donate a few dollars to help a creator's dream become a reality!
Though it’s been a long time since those game nights, the Colorado resident and I have kept in touch through the interwebs and the occasional convention-related visits, reminiscing about those long nights of dice-rolling and sharing stories of our new projects. Zak’s latest comic book creation, The Cybertooth Project, is an exciting new foray into the world of digital comics for him, and one that is set to be the cornerstone of his new publishing company, Biotoxic Studios. In-between prepping this new series for launch and the varied demands of running his own independent comic book company online, he answered a few questions about his new project and the decision to move into digital publication.
Jump over to Comic Booked and read all about The Cybertooth Project: An Interview with Creator Zak Hennessey!
And when you're done there, head over to The Cybertooth Project Kickstarter page and donate a few dollars to help a creator's dream become a reality!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Tell the Truth Tuesday
I’ve been pretty busy this past week. Not so much with the Comic Booked articles, though I’ve been doing that, too, but generally trying to keep an income flowing in. Also, spending time with my beloved, who is celebrating a birthday this week. (Everyone say “Happy birthday, Loki!” in the comments below!) But with everything that’s been going on, I didn’t want you to think I’m only going to be linking to my Comic Booked articles on my blog. So, let’s take it by the numbers, shall we?
1) Working for Comic Booked is exactly what it is, work. I used to go to events and talk to comic book creators as a fan, now I’m doing it both as a fan and as a professional. I talk to people and pull together information for an article, then go home and write it all up in MS Word. Then I edit the piece, maybe even have someone look it over for me if I’m lucky and have the time. I log into WordPress and copy over everything I’ve written, adding in links and uploading images to flesh it out and appease the SEO requirements, along with tags, article title, description of article, etc. Then I submit the article for the editors to review for publication on the site. All in all, it’s pretty involved and not nearly as simple as writing up a little piece and sending it in.
2) Though it may be work, writing for Comic Booked is an excellent learning experience. I didn’t even know what SEO was until I started working for them. Getting trained in how to put together an article for them has helped my own writing significantly (specifically in terms of my own blog), and I’m sure there’s still more to learn.
3) I don’t work in a vacuum. There are other members of Team Comic Booked out here, like Nicole Sixx and Cousin Matt, and they’re good people. I’ve covered three events now with Nicole, and I’ll likely cover more with her as time passes. Cousin Matt, it should be noted, is the Comic Booked forums guru, and a fellow gamer!
4) As awesome as it is to write about comics and comic-related events for Comic Booked, they’re not paying my bills. No, I’m picking up every odd job I can to make ends meet, and I’ve been hired as a consultant for two people who own their own businesses this past month. I’ve also been working my organizational magic for a law office, and I’m hoping to get steady office work again soon. Gotta find a steady gig again so I can afford to write, right?
5) In other writing news, I haven’t forgotten about my trilogy or my anthology, it just got pushed back a bit in the wake of everything else happening in my life. More news on this soon, I promise!
6) Captain America was a much better movie than I thought it would be. Tommy Lee Jones is awesome in it, and Chris Evans really sells Cap as more than just an overgrown boy scout. Hugo Weaving did an excellent Red Skull, even if the role was pretty two-dimensional. Very much looking forward to The Avengers, and if you haven’t seen Cap yet, stay for the awesome after-credits sequence!
7) I’m seeing Cowboys vs. Aliens today, which I’m totally hyped about. C’mon, you have James Bond and Indiana Jones in a western version of the alien invasion movie! What’s not to love?!
8) I got Jim Butcher’s new Dresden Files novel, Ghost Story, and blew through it in record time. I maintain that each Dresden book is better than the last, and this one is no exception. Wow. Very powerful story.
9) The completion of Ghost Story means I can get back to the next Percy Jackson book on my list, The Titan’s Curse. So far, it’s pretty entertaining, and I really like this series. It’s no Harry Potter, but that’s not a bad thing.
10) I’m very hungry, and I should probably get my day started. Lots to do, so it’s time to get to it! …Right after I eat.
1) Working for Comic Booked is exactly what it is, work. I used to go to events and talk to comic book creators as a fan, now I’m doing it both as a fan and as a professional. I talk to people and pull together information for an article, then go home and write it all up in MS Word. Then I edit the piece, maybe even have someone look it over for me if I’m lucky and have the time. I log into WordPress and copy over everything I’ve written, adding in links and uploading images to flesh it out and appease the SEO requirements, along with tags, article title, description of article, etc. Then I submit the article for the editors to review for publication on the site. All in all, it’s pretty involved and not nearly as simple as writing up a little piece and sending it in.
2) Though it may be work, writing for Comic Booked is an excellent learning experience. I didn’t even know what SEO was until I started working for them. Getting trained in how to put together an article for them has helped my own writing significantly (specifically in terms of my own blog), and I’m sure there’s still more to learn.
3) I don’t work in a vacuum. There are other members of Team Comic Booked out here, like Nicole Sixx and Cousin Matt, and they’re good people. I’ve covered three events now with Nicole, and I’ll likely cover more with her as time passes. Cousin Matt, it should be noted, is the Comic Booked forums guru, and a fellow gamer!
4) As awesome as it is to write about comics and comic-related events for Comic Booked, they’re not paying my bills. No, I’m picking up every odd job I can to make ends meet, and I’ve been hired as a consultant for two people who own their own businesses this past month. I’ve also been working my organizational magic for a law office, and I’m hoping to get steady office work again soon. Gotta find a steady gig again so I can afford to write, right?
5) In other writing news, I haven’t forgotten about my trilogy or my anthology, it just got pushed back a bit in the wake of everything else happening in my life. More news on this soon, I promise!
6) Captain America was a much better movie than I thought it would be. Tommy Lee Jones is awesome in it, and Chris Evans really sells Cap as more than just an overgrown boy scout. Hugo Weaving did an excellent Red Skull, even if the role was pretty two-dimensional. Very much looking forward to The Avengers, and if you haven’t seen Cap yet, stay for the awesome after-credits sequence!
7) I’m seeing Cowboys vs. Aliens today, which I’m totally hyped about. C’mon, you have James Bond and Indiana Jones in a western version of the alien invasion movie! What’s not to love?!
8) I got Jim Butcher’s new Dresden Files novel, Ghost Story, and blew through it in record time. I maintain that each Dresden book is better than the last, and this one is no exception. Wow. Very powerful story.
9) The completion of Ghost Story means I can get back to the next Percy Jackson book on my list, The Titan’s Curse. So far, it’s pretty entertaining, and I really like this series. It’s no Harry Potter, but that’s not a bad thing.
10) I’m very hungry, and I should probably get my day started. Lots to do, so it’s time to get to it! …Right after I eat.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
After Comic-Con Monday Meet-Up Party!
The San Diego Comic-Con has come and gone, leaving geek culture reeling from the flood of news that pours out of the convention. For those who spent the better part of a week roaming the convention halls in search of their favorite artists, writers, creators and celebrities, it’s a time to wind down and take stock of everything they walked away with; be it autographs, exclusive comics or just plain booth swag. They’re not the only ones enjoying the downtime, though. The same artists, writers, creators and celebrities also take time in the aftermath to decompress from the hectic schedule of signings and panels and reconnect with their fellows in ways that they can’t while in the midst of the Comic-Con crowd.
This is where Golden Apple Comics in Los Angeles steps in.
Jump over to Comic Booked and read all about the After Comic-Con Monday Meet-Up Party!
This is where Golden Apple Comics in Los Angeles steps in.
Jump over to Comic Booked and read all about the After Comic-Con Monday Meet-Up Party!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Captain America-Fest!
Captain America: The First Avenger is coming to theaters on July 22! To celebrate the movie’s upcoming release, Golden Apple Comics in Los Angeles, CA hosted a Sunday Cap-Fest, and the turnout was amazing!
Yours truly was there with Nicole Sixx to capture all the fun as Golden Apple Comics converted their parking lot into a patriotic festival ground. There was so much to do, I scarcely knew where to start!
Jump over to Comic Booked and read all about Captain America-Fest!
Yours truly was there with Nicole Sixx to capture all the fun as Golden Apple Comics converted their parking lot into a patriotic festival ground. There was so much to do, I scarcely knew where to start!
Jump over to Comic Booked and read all about Captain America-Fest!
Friday, July 15, 2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
A couple days ago, I was able to see this last installment of the Harry Potter film franchise as an exclusive screening, thanks to the L.A. Times Hero Complex. My partner in crime, James Lentzsch, braved the increasingly crazed L.A. drivers to get to my neighborhood, and we drove down together to experience the journey’s end in IMAX 3D. We also got there astoundingly early for fear of a mind-bogglingly big crowd, and ended up this close to the start of the line:
Because of that, we got astonishingly good seats, free popcorn and drinks, and a night of epic sorcery and witchcraft.
Jump over to Comic Booked and read my Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2!
And if you'd like to see any of the video from the Q&A after the movie, you can see clips from it here and here.
Because of that, we got astonishingly good seats, free popcorn and drinks, and a night of epic sorcery and witchcraft.
Jump over to Comic Booked and read my Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2!
And if you'd like to see any of the video from the Q&A after the movie, you can see clips from it here and here.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Quick Take On My First Comic Booked Article!
Ladies and gentlemen, I'm very proud to present to you my introductory piece for Comic Booked! It's all official and live on the site, and so exciting to see on the site's main page!
Follow the link to check it out!
Follow the link to check it out!
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