June 2014

Dracula Untold and Vampires in Virgil’s World

I wanted, so very, very much, to hate this but it actually doesn’t look half bad. Did Dracula need an origin story? No, certainly not, and definitely not as the hero, but it looks like it’ll be better than Maleficent or I, Frankenstein. I have yet to see it, but if the trailer and reviews are any indication, it was horrible. At least Frankenstein’s Monster is a bit sympathetic, I don’t know how they screwed it up so badly. Trailer for Dracula Untold on TrailerAddict. I’ve been wanting to write a short story about Vampires for a while, and this just might have goaded me into action. I hate that Vampires have lost their monstrous quality, that the only dynamic anyone wants to tell anymore is that of the sympathetic, abused, misunderstood, glittery, romantic immortal. Even in stories like Underworld, where the vampires are the baddies, they’re really just guys…

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The Game of Thrones is About to Jump the Rails

I don’t really watch GOT. I’ve seen the first season, which was very enjoyable, but I have neither HBO or the patience and talent to obtain the series in a more illicit manner, nor the finances to buy each season. Nevertheless, I have followed how the series progressed. I, like most readers, loved watching people’s reaction to the Red Wedding, along with the other major moments like the Red Viper’s death. The memes have been great and watching the world learn to love and appreciate the Imp has been something I never really thought I would get to see. So, even though I don’t watch the show, I’ve kept up with it. There have been a lot of articles about what GOT will do if it catches up with the books. This is a valid concern, one that is stressed by the way A Feast for Crows and A Dance…

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Pillars of Eternity

Didn’t realize this had a name beyond Project Eternity. This was started back before Kickstarter really shook things up or was well known. I didn’t pledge then, but I certainly have now after seeing this. For those that don’t know, Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn is basically the best video game of all time. Ever. No, you don’t understand. There is no hyperbole here. I am ranking it against Bioshock, Pokemon, Chrono Cross, Deus Ex, Half-Life, every single game that I have ever experienced and that has helped mold me into the person I am today. Nothing has ever topped the experiences I had with Baldur’s Gate. When I have those ridiculous fantasies all authors have of their book being turned into…everything, you know, movie, tv show, comic, video game, that’s how I picture it. Because that is perfetion. Seriously, ever. Anyway, I don’t know if Eternity will live…

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I Love Amazon but the Fire Phone…Snore….

I followed a bit of the Amazon announcement during lunch yesterday, then recapped it later. I’m not exactly in the market for a new phone, I’ve had my Note 3 for almost a year and enjoy it just fine, but I was interested to see a new player on the market. Apple and Samsung have been conquering as far as smartphones go, and frankly it’s just sometimes fun to find a new gadget to want that I can’t necessarily have. After seeing what they’re offering though, I’m nothing but underwhelmed. Amazon is a fantastic company and I use them for a number of things. I’m a Prime subscriber (though I do prefer Netflix for streaming) and I love them for ebooks and music and most everything else. Oh, yeah, and they’re my numero uno for selling my own books. Nevertheless, they’re not the best hardware maker. I have a Kindle…

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Writing FayTown Calling 6/15/14

Better today than last night. This afternoon I worked on the section that’s been troubling me, adding 1,250 words to the story. Not a lot more than that. Usually, I have something to add about storytelling or writing…but, nope. Anyway, this week is going to be a bit dicey as far as time goes. That’s not really any different than usual, it’s what held up last week, so I’m declaring a plan. Get up early and spend time making new words with a goal of a thousand before I leave for work. At night, do the same thing, or, edit. There is a lot of polish I need to start adding to the story now that things have passed by, so it’s time for that second coat of paint. That’s the plan. See ya’ll tomorrow.

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