So first update to the official rulebook:
1. Added names to the spells for ease of reference. No actual mechanical changes to the spells.
2. Shifted description of the currency and where it came from to the section just before Equipment rather than under Setting.
3. Rather than a constantly soaked wasteland (which was annoying since I would have to figure out how constant rain would alter the world) I have made it EITHER constantly raining water, or raining the soul devouring fire that was created by the God Engine. This strange weather only occurs in the parts of the world touched by the Unthinkable. First paragraph of the Setting describes this event in more detail.
I don't believe I can attach files to blog posts, so I am emailing the updated guide to those who it is relevant to.
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Campaign
So my roleplay setting, The Recollection Paradigm, has been completed at least temporarily. Good news indeed since next Sunday will be the beginning of the campaign I am running to introduce it! I have been so preoccupied I have had little time for anything else, but that isn't too irritating since the setting is shared with my next book series. All of the background I am developing for TRP is helping me with the series also! Very nice in my opinion. So just a heads up, I will be posting updates about the setting and campaign on here, mostly for the use of the players, but also for anyone else interested in my progress there.
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Update!
So a lot has happened since my last post, mostly because it was two weeks ago.It is always hard for me to write on work days as I am tired when I get home, and the last two weekends were jam packed. My brother had a surprise wedding (which we were all told was an engagement party), there were another two surprise parties as well. Then I was sick for a week, then my wife was sick. So yeah! But I am back (again), and here is what I have been managing to get done:
1. Revising of Spires of Respite: I have read through the proof and listed all errors, and now need to simply run back through and correct them. It shouldn't take too long to do, and then I will be able to publish it! Expect an announcement of that very thing within the week.
2. Sadly no progress was made on Shroud of the Martyr, so still three more chapters to go.
3. Recollection Paradigm: I can't remember if I mentioned this, and really don't want to go back through and read to find out, so here we go. My current plot in progress is going incredibly well, so well in fact that I have decided to make a roleplay system based off of it. This is also going very well, SO WELL IN FACT that I have been chosen to run the next campaign for the nerd group in Colorado Springs. (if you don't follow any of that, you probably wont care anyway). Both of these endeavors are going SO WELL IN FACT that I have also begun to create a custom tarot card deck to go along with both the game and the series. All of this is going incredibly well, if you didn't catch that before, though it might take a great deal of time for any of it to be seen officially.
So that is what's happening. Any questions, comments or requests for more info, please post in the comments below!
1. Revising of Spires of Respite: I have read through the proof and listed all errors, and now need to simply run back through and correct them. It shouldn't take too long to do, and then I will be able to publish it! Expect an announcement of that very thing within the week.
2. Sadly no progress was made on Shroud of the Martyr, so still three more chapters to go.
3. Recollection Paradigm: I can't remember if I mentioned this, and really don't want to go back through and read to find out, so here we go. My current plot in progress is going incredibly well, so well in fact that I have decided to make a roleplay system based off of it. This is also going very well, SO WELL IN FACT that I have been chosen to run the next campaign for the nerd group in Colorado Springs. (if you don't follow any of that, you probably wont care anyway). Both of these endeavors are going SO WELL IN FACT that I have also begun to create a custom tarot card deck to go along with both the game and the series. All of this is going incredibly well, if you didn't catch that before, though it might take a great deal of time for any of it to be seen officially.
So that is what's happening. Any questions, comments or requests for more info, please post in the comments below!
Monday, June 15, 2015
Sympathy for Idiots
Watching an episode of Supernatural (if that doesn't clue you in, spoilers). A bunch of film enthusiasts walking around with their cameras all the time, and one of them gets bitten and begins turning into a werewolf or something. They are freaking out of course, but stumble across the fact that the two FBI agents investigating the murders (Sam and Dean) believe it is a werewolf. And thus the stupidity ensues.
1. You now know for a FACT that a pair of authority figures have knowledge of this condition which is freaking you out. And yet your solution is to try and spy on them.
2. You then ignore the problem until the infected person kills someone. Kinda hard to go back now.
3. After this fact, they discover who the original wolf is, and the human idiot confronts him and forces him to turn him into a wolf as well.
4. Oh yay, and now the insecure one picks a fight with his friend, just because he is confident and can get a girl. Ends up killing his friend and forcibly turning the girlfriend.
5. Only smart move of the whole ordeal is when the girlfriend, who is now a wolf too, kills the insecure kid and asks the hunters to not come after her. Of course, Sam and Dean give her a shot too, which is also a good move.
So essentially a whole episode is wasted trying to get us to feel sympathy for three of the poorest decision makers in the world. I personally tend to not feel bad when people dig their own graves. It is a little harsh admittedly, but hey, there were so many times you could have tried to get this fixed. Instead, you got an innocent person (who admittedly was a jerk) killed and only made things worse from there. There was a point where this was salvageable up there before step 1, and everything after that is what led to two of the three of you being dead.
1. You now know for a FACT that a pair of authority figures have knowledge of this condition which is freaking you out. And yet your solution is to try and spy on them.
2. You then ignore the problem until the infected person kills someone. Kinda hard to go back now.
3. After this fact, they discover who the original wolf is, and the human idiot confronts him and forces him to turn him into a wolf as well.
4. Oh yay, and now the insecure one picks a fight with his friend, just because he is confident and can get a girl. Ends up killing his friend and forcibly turning the girlfriend.
5. Only smart move of the whole ordeal is when the girlfriend, who is now a wolf too, kills the insecure kid and asks the hunters to not come after her. Of course, Sam and Dean give her a shot too, which is also a good move.
So essentially a whole episode is wasted trying to get us to feel sympathy for three of the poorest decision makers in the world. I personally tend to not feel bad when people dig their own graves. It is a little harsh admittedly, but hey, there were so many times you could have tried to get this fixed. Instead, you got an innocent person (who admittedly was a jerk) killed and only made things worse from there. There was a point where this was salvageable up there before step 1, and everything after that is what led to two of the three of you being dead.
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Publishing and WIP
So part of the reason that I have been absent so long is because I have been speaking to a publishing company. They contacted me about a month ago regarding The Spires of Respite. I decided not to mention it until I was sure one way or another what was going to happen, to avoid raising and crushing hopes. Turns out it was a wise precaution.
After four or five attempts to meet, all of which were eventually called off by the publisher, I have decided that I am done being jerked around. If they want to publish my book, they can come to me now. Since I am no longer waiting on them, I will finally be moving forward with a few projects.
Primarily, I have submitted The Spires of Respite to Createspace for review. I should be able to order a proof by Monday, and sometime next week the book will be available in hard copy and on Kindle. I am very excited about this book, as it is more than twice as long as Cloak and I think much higher quality as well.
I have also continued writing the sequel to Cloak, though that was delayed by my own laziness. I am a few chapters from done, and I am hoping to do at least a chapter a day. At that rate I should be able to pass it on to my editor later this week as well.
Last but not least, my next actual project is about ready to get going. The series is called the Recollection Paradigm, and I have two books that I could start for it. I am very excited for this project and am quite happy it is ready to move forward!
So that is the current news as far as my writing goes. Hope you guys are as excited as me!
After four or five attempts to meet, all of which were eventually called off by the publisher, I have decided that I am done being jerked around. If they want to publish my book, they can come to me now. Since I am no longer waiting on them, I will finally be moving forward with a few projects.
Primarily, I have submitted The Spires of Respite to Createspace for review. I should be able to order a proof by Monday, and sometime next week the book will be available in hard copy and on Kindle. I am very excited about this book, as it is more than twice as long as Cloak and I think much higher quality as well.
I have also continued writing the sequel to Cloak, though that was delayed by my own laziness. I am a few chapters from done, and I am hoping to do at least a chapter a day. At that rate I should be able to pass it on to my editor later this week as well.
Last but not least, my next actual project is about ready to get going. The series is called the Recollection Paradigm, and I have two books that I could start for it. I am very excited for this project and am quite happy it is ready to move forward!
So that is the current news as far as my writing goes. Hope you guys are as excited as me!
Friday, June 5, 2015
Heroes
So today was my awesome brothers birthday and we went out to dinner with him and his fiance, and my mother and her boyfriend. Great fun was had by all, but the reason I bring this up is because of the rather interesting discussion that arose during dinner about Bruce Jenner.
As you can imagine with any hotly contested political or social issue with members of the group on either side, the discussion got somewhat heated at times, but I was very happy to see that it remained productive and thought provoking, and at least as civil as any family discussions ever are. A great many arguments were made, points gotten across, points countered, etc, and I am not here to recreate the entire half hour discussion. What I want to focus on is this. What makes a person a hero?
My brother and future sister in law were of the opinion that Bruce Jenner (Caitlyn Jenner now) could be considered a hero for his decision to have a sex change. The rest of us were of varying opinions, but suffice it to say that we objected to some degree or another to the use of the term hero. Now, I don't want to recreate the arguments of my fellows and get them wrong, so I am going to be stating my own opinions and arguments and invite them to put their own in the comments below. I am much more eloquent when I have time to mull subjects over and write them down, so hopefully this will get my viewpoint across more effectively than the verbal discussion did.
To begin with, I would like to define a hero as I see them. I believe a hero is not just someone who stands up for another, who supports another or helps them. Certainly these people are role models, leaders, inspirations, but not heroes. To me a hero is someone willing to make a sacrifice, to lose everything they have, for the sake of others. Soldiers, police officers, fire fighters, these are heroes because of what they risk. I would not put most social movement icons or leaders on their level. Some exceptions would be black people who peacefully protested and were beaten or arrested for it during the Civil Rights movement. They are heroes because they took action and risked much for their beliefs. However, simply being black during this time does not make you a hero. You may have survived, gone through a lot of hardship, but until you take on additional burdens for the sake of others you are simply surviving. Jewish people during the Holocaust were survivors, struggled, but not all were heroes. Those who were not Jewish and helped them escape or hide, that is heroic. Jews who could have fled, but stayed to help others were heroic. Being in danger doesn't make you a hero, putting yourself in danger for others does.
Now I do not know the personal motivations for Jenner. Perhaps he simply was wanting to find his own identity and become who he feels he is meant to be. Maybe he is trying to become an inspiration for those around him. But I do not believe that he deserves the title of hero. As before, inspiration, icon, role model, sure. But I do not consider him getting a sex change on the level of fighting and possibly dying for people you do not even know.
Now, I would also like to mention the circumstances of this event. A decade or two ago, coming out in this fashion would be sparking a much needed social movement. There would be little support, a great deal of danger, and pretty much certainly social repercussions. Had he come out when he was an Olympic athlete, saying that they could kick him out if they wanted, he was going to stand up for his beliefs, that is heroic. But he did not, whether it was out of fear or simply because he was not ready, or did not know who he truly was. I am not blaming him, simply stating a fact. A decade or two in the future? I doubt that this will even be something worth discussing. Just another guy who was a woman on the inside, no big deal.
I am not trying to say that he planned it, that it was on purpose, or even that he is in any way responsible for the timing. But it does come into play. Someone who stands against the Nazis in Germany during WW2 is a hero, but someone who says that the Nazis are wrong today is not a hero. There is no risk to stating that in the modern day, and little impact. It is widely accepted that Nazis were wrong, just as it is widely accepted that being Transgender does not make you a bad person. The context of the act has as much relevance as the act itself.
I do believe Jenner is brave for the decision he made. I think that it will be difficult for her to go forward from this point, and I am sure the media scrutiny is hardly fun to endure. Certainly there are people very angry with her for this choice. Death threats are most likely being sent. But I believe that at least 90% of the country would be outraged if any action was taken against Caitlyn. When you have the majority of the country behind you, when public opinion and the law are on your side, I do not believe you have earned the title of hero.
Now, if you want to contest whether or not public support is with Jenner and transgenders, alright. I do not have statistics for you. All I have is my observations of the public. And today, America is ludicrously politically correct. Any act against anyone who is any kind of minority is responded to with riots, violence and protests, whether the act is justified or not. It is one of the best times in history to be different.
Now that is just my view, and I would love to hear the views of others. Particularly if they are the views of those who shared in this discussion with me earlier. It would hardly be fair to argue against you in type after mulling it over without giving you the same opportunity to respond. Please do post what you believe makes someone a hero! Minds cannot be expanded and viewpoints corrected (if necessary) without discussion.
As you can imagine with any hotly contested political or social issue with members of the group on either side, the discussion got somewhat heated at times, but I was very happy to see that it remained productive and thought provoking, and at least as civil as any family discussions ever are. A great many arguments were made, points gotten across, points countered, etc, and I am not here to recreate the entire half hour discussion. What I want to focus on is this. What makes a person a hero?
My brother and future sister in law were of the opinion that Bruce Jenner (Caitlyn Jenner now) could be considered a hero for his decision to have a sex change. The rest of us were of varying opinions, but suffice it to say that we objected to some degree or another to the use of the term hero. Now, I don't want to recreate the arguments of my fellows and get them wrong, so I am going to be stating my own opinions and arguments and invite them to put their own in the comments below. I am much more eloquent when I have time to mull subjects over and write them down, so hopefully this will get my viewpoint across more effectively than the verbal discussion did.
To begin with, I would like to define a hero as I see them. I believe a hero is not just someone who stands up for another, who supports another or helps them. Certainly these people are role models, leaders, inspirations, but not heroes. To me a hero is someone willing to make a sacrifice, to lose everything they have, for the sake of others. Soldiers, police officers, fire fighters, these are heroes because of what they risk. I would not put most social movement icons or leaders on their level. Some exceptions would be black people who peacefully protested and were beaten or arrested for it during the Civil Rights movement. They are heroes because they took action and risked much for their beliefs. However, simply being black during this time does not make you a hero. You may have survived, gone through a lot of hardship, but until you take on additional burdens for the sake of others you are simply surviving. Jewish people during the Holocaust were survivors, struggled, but not all were heroes. Those who were not Jewish and helped them escape or hide, that is heroic. Jews who could have fled, but stayed to help others were heroic. Being in danger doesn't make you a hero, putting yourself in danger for others does.
Now I do not know the personal motivations for Jenner. Perhaps he simply was wanting to find his own identity and become who he feels he is meant to be. Maybe he is trying to become an inspiration for those around him. But I do not believe that he deserves the title of hero. As before, inspiration, icon, role model, sure. But I do not consider him getting a sex change on the level of fighting and possibly dying for people you do not even know.
Now, I would also like to mention the circumstances of this event. A decade or two ago, coming out in this fashion would be sparking a much needed social movement. There would be little support, a great deal of danger, and pretty much certainly social repercussions. Had he come out when he was an Olympic athlete, saying that they could kick him out if they wanted, he was going to stand up for his beliefs, that is heroic. But he did not, whether it was out of fear or simply because he was not ready, or did not know who he truly was. I am not blaming him, simply stating a fact. A decade or two in the future? I doubt that this will even be something worth discussing. Just another guy who was a woman on the inside, no big deal.
I am not trying to say that he planned it, that it was on purpose, or even that he is in any way responsible for the timing. But it does come into play. Someone who stands against the Nazis in Germany during WW2 is a hero, but someone who says that the Nazis are wrong today is not a hero. There is no risk to stating that in the modern day, and little impact. It is widely accepted that Nazis were wrong, just as it is widely accepted that being Transgender does not make you a bad person. The context of the act has as much relevance as the act itself.
I do believe Jenner is brave for the decision he made. I think that it will be difficult for her to go forward from this point, and I am sure the media scrutiny is hardly fun to endure. Certainly there are people very angry with her for this choice. Death threats are most likely being sent. But I believe that at least 90% of the country would be outraged if any action was taken against Caitlyn. When you have the majority of the country behind you, when public opinion and the law are on your side, I do not believe you have earned the title of hero.
Now, if you want to contest whether or not public support is with Jenner and transgenders, alright. I do not have statistics for you. All I have is my observations of the public. And today, America is ludicrously politically correct. Any act against anyone who is any kind of minority is responded to with riots, violence and protests, whether the act is justified or not. It is one of the best times in history to be different.
Now that is just my view, and I would love to hear the views of others. Particularly if they are the views of those who shared in this discussion with me earlier. It would hardly be fair to argue against you in type after mulling it over without giving you the same opportunity to respond. Please do post what you believe makes someone a hero! Minds cannot be expanded and viewpoints corrected (if necessary) without discussion.
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Hiatus
So it has been quite a while since I wrote anything. Almost a month in fact. I don't even really have that good of an excuse, just was taking a break. Plot developing, trying to get a hold of a publisher and work for the most part. Ah yes, there was also moving into a new apartment, a birthday (I think... :D) and a great deal of excitement with the Knerd Circle. So it has been interesting for me, I guess I just didn't feel the need to write about it at the time. Oh yes, and a wonderful concert!
So I am back! I may or may not post some stuff detailing my adventures this month, depends on my mood. But know there will be more sometimes witty, occasionally entertaining and always mildly psychotic words here in the future! ^_^
So I am back! I may or may not post some stuff detailing my adventures this month, depends on my mood. But know there will be more sometimes witty, occasionally entertaining and always mildly psychotic words here in the future! ^_^
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)