I realize that this post is a bit early, according to my last update, but I wanted to talk about Dungeons and Dragons again. It's been a long time since I've mentioned it, and in that time, our group has gone their separate ways for now, having other obligations that needed tending to. But let me start by saying that I really miss playing D and D.
The main reason I loved to play was first and foremost, the friendships that I was able to forge amongst the other players. We all had common interests, similar senses of humor, and a deep love for rich, in-depth storytelling in our gaming experiences. The fact that I was able to meet these people at all, much less around the table of an awesome D and D campaign is something that I'm not likely to play off as coincidence.
I'll openly admit that I am what many would call a nerd. In fact, I'm so comfortable with it, that I don't even take offense to it anymore. It is who I am, and I'm perfectly fine with that. I find high fantasy and science fiction to be among the coolest genres out there. I find dragons immensely fascinating. Hell, I even played World of Warcraft for the longest time. But I'm going off on a tangent. What I'm really trying to say here is that I miss meeting with these people on a weekly basis. That interaction was most often the highlight of my week, and not having it there anymore is honestly a very depressing... hole, for lack of better terms.
Secondly, I loved both the game itself, and its mechanics. Prior to last year, I hadn't actually ever played Dungeons and Dragons, or any other table top role-playing game for that matter. I'd played games using similar mechanics, but under the shiny interface of some kind of video game system. It was the first time that I'd gotten really down into the dirt that is the math beneath the flash. In fact, the game that I've been playing for the past few days, Knights of the Old Republic, happens to use almost the exact D and D system that I had learned during the past year. So, going back and playing it again gave me a new appreciation and understanding about the mechanics behind all of the fancy lightsaber swinging and blaster shots, thereby enriching my time playing the game.
And if all of that wasn't enough, the game was FUN. Ask just about anyone what the most important part of gaming is, and many of them will tell you it's all about having some fun. Between the amazing people and the interesting gameplay, and adding in some very adaptable storyline, Dungeons and Dragons happens to be one of the most fun games I've played, and trust me, I've played more than enough to know what I like. Besides, in what other game would you be able to slay the dragon using nothing but a tin can and some string?
Anyway, I think I've rambled on long enough. I'll still be updating next Sunday with something or other, so if you're interested in whatever I'll have to say, please, feel free to stick around.
Showing posts with label Dungeons and Dragons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dungeons and Dragons. Show all posts
2/03/2011
11/07/2010
Daylight Savings Time
Many of you probably already know this, but it's time for the fun little half-year of DST to say bye-bye. I, for one, could not be happier. Not only does this give me, and in fact all of us, an extra little hour push for the day's writing, but it provides something fairly valuable besides just that. It gives us a bit longer in the sunlight.
Sunlight is good. It feeds the grass and trees (unless it's fall, in which it allows us to watch all these wonderful things wither and die), it signifies the day time, and of course, it's most important job, in that it provides us with a great source of light, as the name might ever-so-subtly imply. But, of course this all depends on whether or not it's being covered by a generous helping of clouds or not.
Anyway, beyond what magic happens in the realm of the sky, or what sorcery turns time back and forth an hour every other season, it's still time to write. And, as we are all probably aware, writing is good too. Which brings me to my first reason for bothering to write a blog post at 2:30 in the morning.
As I said in my post a couple of days ago, I had to somewhat stop myself in my conquest of my novel's progress in order to attend the weekly Dungeons and Dragons game. I had a plan, and I didn't adhere to it quite as well as I had... well... planned. My original thought was that I'd use small breaks in the action and write a little bit in the notebook at all possible times. Of course, this didn't happen. Well, I at least managed to bring the notebook and a writing tool, but everything else just kind of fell flat. So, yesterday, I found myself needing to play just a small game of catch-up to jump from my 21-or-so-thousand word count up to 30 thousand, in keeping with my 5k a day attitude.
I'm proud to say that I made it most of the way in another vastly helpful 6,500 word day, which leaves me short just less than a thousand words from 30k, which means another 6k day is in order for me to be back on track with myself. But, on the plus side, I've got a hook for a possible sequel. Maybe next year?
And that, boys and girls, is what will segue into my advice for today. Not the part about the sequel, but the whole word count thing.
Sunlight is good. It feeds the grass and trees (unless it's fall, in which it allows us to watch all these wonderful things wither and die), it signifies the day time, and of course, it's most important job, in that it provides us with a great source of light, as the name might ever-so-subtly imply. But, of course this all depends on whether or not it's being covered by a generous helping of clouds or not.
Anyway, beyond what magic happens in the realm of the sky, or what sorcery turns time back and forth an hour every other season, it's still time to write. And, as we are all probably aware, writing is good too. Which brings me to my first reason for bothering to write a blog post at 2:30 in the morning.
As I said in my post a couple of days ago, I had to somewhat stop myself in my conquest of my novel's progress in order to attend the weekly Dungeons and Dragons game. I had a plan, and I didn't adhere to it quite as well as I had... well... planned. My original thought was that I'd use small breaks in the action and write a little bit in the notebook at all possible times. Of course, this didn't happen. Well, I at least managed to bring the notebook and a writing tool, but everything else just kind of fell flat. So, yesterday, I found myself needing to play just a small game of catch-up to jump from my 21-or-so-thousand word count up to 30 thousand, in keeping with my 5k a day attitude.
I'm proud to say that I made it most of the way in another vastly helpful 6,500 word day, which leaves me short just less than a thousand words from 30k, which means another 6k day is in order for me to be back on track with myself. But, on the plus side, I've got a hook for a possible sequel. Maybe next year?
And that, boys and girls, is what will segue into my advice for today. Not the part about the sequel, but the whole word count thing.
11/05/2010
On Various Things Vaguely Related to NaNo.
At the outset of this post, I left the title line rather blank. Not because I didn't know what I wanted it to be, but because I was unsure of how to phrase it. This, admittedly, happens more than I like it to. Titles are supposed to be an indication of what something contains, and as such they should be clear and concise, and all of that fun little nonsense. But no one ever tells you in schooling, what makes a good title? Is it how short it is, or how detailed it is, or is it just how cool it happens to sound while remaining in the ballpark area of what's within? Whatever it is, titles are not today's topic.
As I've stated before, I've been enjoying great success in my National Novel Writing to date, putting in an average of at least 5,000 words per day (although I am quite proud of my 6k day yesterday, that was refreshing!) and not showing the least bit of interest in slowing down. However, tonight, all that has to change due to prior obligations.
That's right, it's Dungeons and Dragons night. And I'm fully expected to be there.
So, what am I to do? Well, I've already decided that I'll be taking a pad and a pen to the game and at every chance I'm able to get, jot down a few hundred or so words, or whatever I happen to be able to fit in the time I'm given. During breaks, that's when I'll get up to about a thousand down or so. And when the night's all said and done, I get to come back home and transcribe. This also gives me the chance to edit some of the work to flow better and not sound so... disjointed.
And that brings me to the true topic of the day: editing during NaNo.
I went around to a few different writers' blogs yesterday in an attempt to slow myself down just a little, and I came across a few stating their opinions on the taboo that is editing in November's writing insanity. I'd just like to say one thing in opening: without mid-writing editing, I would be a lost soul. I rely on a few bits of editing here and there to soothe my minor bouts of OCD (no, I don't actually have the disorder, but my brain works in such a way at times.), so that my inner editor is calm enough to allow me some time alone to write whatever fancies me.
I seem to have perfected the art while I was busy writing fan fiction stories. I was never one for drafting, and often times, the very moment I finished a chapter I would publish it on the website, so that meant that I needed to have a relatively readable and at least somewhat edited piece of work ready when I did so. How did I manage this? I used the trusty old pencil-and-paper technique. I find it allows for quick and easy edits during the transcription process, because as you're typing the information in, you yourself are forced to read what you wrote and see if it just so happens to work. If it doesn't, make changes as you type. All the time you spend in writing your story longhand comes back to you in transcription, with the added bonus of more quality to show off to all of your wonderful readers.
And the good thing is, that it works both ways. Say you're pressed for time, and you'd like to keep a paragraph or two that you've typed in on your computer for context. Write it down in your notebook, making small edits to that little snippet, take that notebook with you, continue where you left off, and when you're ready to sit back down at the computer, take those paragraphs and rephrase them using the edits in your notebook. You'll thank yourself for it in December, I promise.
But, what about classic editing? You know, reading line by line in an effort to find even the smallest discrepancy? Don't do that, unless you find yourself very far ahead in your writing or if you find yourself stuck. For instance, if you're stuck, there's a good chance that going back and looking at what you've written already will clue you into some things you can write to continue on and move not only your novel, but your word count into higher territory. Just don't do it too much. That can be a bad thing and perhaps even dissuade you from writing anything at all, which is definitely not good.
So, with all of that having been said, I'm off to begin writing today's 4k so that I can keep my pace up and hopefully hit the halfway mark of NaNo's 50k today. Happy NaNoing, everyone.
P.S.: I almost just hit the 'publish' button without titling the damn post. Curse you, title fairy! Also, quick question for you guys. Do you like to title your chapters, or do you prefer to leave the chapters as mere numbers?
As I've stated before, I've been enjoying great success in my National Novel Writing to date, putting in an average of at least 5,000 words per day (although I am quite proud of my 6k day yesterday, that was refreshing!) and not showing the least bit of interest in slowing down. However, tonight, all that has to change due to prior obligations.
That's right, it's Dungeons and Dragons night. And I'm fully expected to be there.
So, what am I to do? Well, I've already decided that I'll be taking a pad and a pen to the game and at every chance I'm able to get, jot down a few hundred or so words, or whatever I happen to be able to fit in the time I'm given. During breaks, that's when I'll get up to about a thousand down or so. And when the night's all said and done, I get to come back home and transcribe. This also gives me the chance to edit some of the work to flow better and not sound so... disjointed.
And that brings me to the true topic of the day: editing during NaNo.
I went around to a few different writers' blogs yesterday in an attempt to slow myself down just a little, and I came across a few stating their opinions on the taboo that is editing in November's writing insanity. I'd just like to say one thing in opening: without mid-writing editing, I would be a lost soul. I rely on a few bits of editing here and there to soothe my minor bouts of OCD (no, I don't actually have the disorder, but my brain works in such a way at times.), so that my inner editor is calm enough to allow me some time alone to write whatever fancies me.
I seem to have perfected the art while I was busy writing fan fiction stories. I was never one for drafting, and often times, the very moment I finished a chapter I would publish it on the website, so that meant that I needed to have a relatively readable and at least somewhat edited piece of work ready when I did so. How did I manage this? I used the trusty old pencil-and-paper technique. I find it allows for quick and easy edits during the transcription process, because as you're typing the information in, you yourself are forced to read what you wrote and see if it just so happens to work. If it doesn't, make changes as you type. All the time you spend in writing your story longhand comes back to you in transcription, with the added bonus of more quality to show off to all of your wonderful readers.
And the good thing is, that it works both ways. Say you're pressed for time, and you'd like to keep a paragraph or two that you've typed in on your computer for context. Write it down in your notebook, making small edits to that little snippet, take that notebook with you, continue where you left off, and when you're ready to sit back down at the computer, take those paragraphs and rephrase them using the edits in your notebook. You'll thank yourself for it in December, I promise.
But, what about classic editing? You know, reading line by line in an effort to find even the smallest discrepancy? Don't do that, unless you find yourself very far ahead in your writing or if you find yourself stuck. For instance, if you're stuck, there's a good chance that going back and looking at what you've written already will clue you into some things you can write to continue on and move not only your novel, but your word count into higher territory. Just don't do it too much. That can be a bad thing and perhaps even dissuade you from writing anything at all, which is definitely not good.
So, with all of that having been said, I'm off to begin writing today's 4k so that I can keep my pace up and hopefully hit the halfway mark of NaNo's 50k today. Happy NaNoing, everyone.
P.S.: I almost just hit the 'publish' button without titling the damn post. Curse you, title fairy! Also, quick question for you guys. Do you like to title your chapters, or do you prefer to leave the chapters as mere numbers?
10/30/2010
NaNoWriMo Countdown: 2 Days.
So last night was Dungeons and Dragons night, and as per pre-NaNo preparations, I told the group my intentions for the next month, and that I was definitely going to be above my word count goals for every Friday so that I could come and play with everyone instead of being a lonely miser. So, now this provides the all-important mid-November incentive and one of those fun (and more than a little creative) distractions I mentioned a few days ago. And, of course, I developed a few more scenes for the novel in dreams that I can eventually use to beef out the story and characters. Those are always good.
Today's post, however, has almost nothing to do with NaNo. It has to do with gaming, my other great love.
I mentioned D&D at the top of the post, a thing I regretfully only just found enjoyment in a few months ago. I believe that any gamer who is in the least bit interested in story-based gaming should give it a go at least once or twice. As for me, fancying myself a writer, as well as someone who enjoys a grand fantasy story, I should have found my love for this long, long ago. Okay, so that line about being about gaming, but not NaNo? You probably guessed by now, but I kinda lied. NaNo-ers can draw great inspiration from a Dungeons and Dragons campaign, no matter which era it happens to be. I personally am plying my fourth edition experience into my writing style.
Unfortunately though, tabletop gaming has seen a large decline (but definitely not death) at the hands of console gaming, and someone like me is left wondering how such a thing could happen. These things should coincide with each other. Tabletop gaming is a wonderful thing, and can forge great friendships, or perhaps strengthen those that already exist. But, what is really satisfying about games such as D&D is the interactions between two or more players in-character. This is the stuff that many writers should really pay attention to, because this interaction is just about as real as if the characters existed in the 'real' world. It provides important insight into character background, gives them their own voice, and most importantly, brings them to life - a skill that some, like myself, have struggled with in times past.
So, if you're a writer, make an attempt to go down to your local tabletop game store, see when they run (if they run) their D&D (or similar) games and sit in on one or two of them, you might be surprised with what you can come up with. Or, if you're feeling really adventurous, see if you can join in on the fun.
Today's post, however, has almost nothing to do with NaNo. It has to do with gaming, my other great love.
I mentioned D&D at the top of the post, a thing I regretfully only just found enjoyment in a few months ago. I believe that any gamer who is in the least bit interested in story-based gaming should give it a go at least once or twice. As for me, fancying myself a writer, as well as someone who enjoys a grand fantasy story, I should have found my love for this long, long ago. Okay, so that line about being about gaming, but not NaNo? You probably guessed by now, but I kinda lied. NaNo-ers can draw great inspiration from a Dungeons and Dragons campaign, no matter which era it happens to be. I personally am plying my fourth edition experience into my writing style.
Unfortunately though, tabletop gaming has seen a large decline (but definitely not death) at the hands of console gaming, and someone like me is left wondering how such a thing could happen. These things should coincide with each other. Tabletop gaming is a wonderful thing, and can forge great friendships, or perhaps strengthen those that already exist. But, what is really satisfying about games such as D&D is the interactions between two or more players in-character. This is the stuff that many writers should really pay attention to, because this interaction is just about as real as if the characters existed in the 'real' world. It provides important insight into character background, gives them their own voice, and most importantly, brings them to life - a skill that some, like myself, have struggled with in times past.
So, if you're a writer, make an attempt to go down to your local tabletop game store, see when they run (if they run) their D&D (or similar) games and sit in on one or two of them, you might be surprised with what you can come up with. Or, if you're feeling really adventurous, see if you can join in on the fun.
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