Come Sit With Me

I want to tell you a story. I want to tell you my story. I want to tell you why I need your help, as my readers and followers and fellow writers, to piece my life together. I want to tell you the story of why I haven’t written in a while and why my writing is spotty (and why it seems like my capabilities as a writer seem to fluctuate rather wildly). I want to tell you a story about why almost none of the work here is edited and why I disappear every night until the following afternoon on the social networks many of you connect with me on. I want to tell you a story of suffering, of persistence, and of survival.

This is the story of my life, my disability, and my struggle. And this is the beginning of your story where you do something small to save someone and keep an artist in the world.

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[Open Thread] Foggy Today

I can’t focus on my writing today, so let’s talk about things.

In fact, I’ve got something we can talk about.

Yesterday, I posted something that said “Let’s take it back” a few times. It was pointed out to me last night that this can be misconstrued as pushing marginalized groups to do things they don’t want to do, to participate in communities and do work they’re not interested in.

That’s not all a message I want to send. To those writers and artists, however, that want to do the work – I want to work with you. I don’t want to shame those that want to opt out, but instead to throw my energy into helping to lead the way toward integrating all of the narratives that exclude you, and us.

I think there is one set of narratives that oppressed groups can’t ignore, though. Those are the political and social narratives that dominate our national and international conversations. The narratives made up of crazy liberals and tax and spend radicals. The narratives that demonize us and marginalize us further by turning us into The Enemy and devaluing our voices. These narratives need to be taken back by everyone. We need to learn to speak their stories so we can fight them.

Now, what can we do about all or any of this?

Is there a genre or a style of storytelling that you wish was integrated but it’s to exhausting to fight for?

[Open Thread] Kickstarter Drafting

I’m working on a draft for a Kickstarter for the boardgame concept I recently posted about. Partly so that I can generate money to work on it, partly so I can find an artist, and partly so I can find out if anyone else is interested in working on the idea with me.

Part of why I want to find a nice, small team (an artist that doesn’t mind doing a lot of drawing and another mechanic designer) is so we can knock this out quickly and get it going. I’m kind of in a situation where I need to find a way to generate income pretty quickly that isn’t dependent on unemployment insurance, so. Yeah.

I also want to do this quickly so that I can get the essential mechanics out of the way. I’ve got an idea for doing expansions and new versions using different tropes and structures not long after the first game comes out. The reward levels for the Kickstarter would include some of these expansions at different levels (one level will include the first expansion when it’s ready to print, another level is also going to include the next version of the game when it’s ready). I think. Still have to work out this one.

Part of this discussion, as well, is me looking for advice on what levels to offer for the Kickstarter and the kind of things to throw in as incentives. So, if you have any suggestions I’d love to hear them. Especially since until I get the essential mechanics hammered out I don’t even know how to assess printing costs. I can say one thing, though – it’ll mostly be a box full of cards and tiles.

So, what are your ideas, opinions, and expectations? Would you chip in for the game?

[Open Thread] Let’s Chat…Again!

So I’m having a damnable time writing anything. Yesterday I spent most of the day working on a framework for a boardgame I might set up a Kickstarter for, if I can get the base mechanics worked out and find an artist who wants to work on it. Today I’m fomenting a rant on class and the problems of living just above homelessness (and the huge gap between those who can easily take advantage of public assistance and those who don’t need the public assistance – populated mostly by people who make too much to get help but not enough to do it themselves). I’m also working on ideas for the Victorian scientist-superheros, the steampunk sports story, Out of Thyme, Notes from the Abyss P2, and The First and Forgotten Hero. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to focus in almost a week on any of my stories. So, I can’t really write anything. :\

I was recently linked on Skepchick, though, which is really awesome. Makes me feel like I’m doing a good job with my rants!

So, tell me what’s going on with you, tell me what you’d like to see from me, and tell me about who unfair all of this is.

[Open Thread] Now That You Have a Place To Start

How do you plan to make the world a better place?

[Open Thread] Tell Me What’s Wrong

I’ve had a mixed day. Wonderful person to wake up next to, kind of awful followup after waking up, and looking forward to a good night. Hopefully some of the things that seemed to go wrong this morning will get patched quickly but I can never tell with these things. I’m terrible at people.

Tell me what’s going on in your life, though. Or, if you’d rather, suggest things to make my life better. Either way, this is a hate in. Let’s hate.

[Open Thread] Greatest Villain!

In the annals of evil, throughout all the books and movies, songs and shows that you have consumed, who is the greatest of all evils? What villain has stood apart from the others as the most vile?

It could be Saruman, it could be Torak, it could be Sidius, but it’s gotta be somebody.

[Open Thread] Combat. Bloody, Determined Combat

Let’s talk combat. Specifically, weaponry and tactics. I’ve got a fair amount of academic experience with medieval weaponry. Or, rather, hand to hand and limited ranged and siege weaponry through the Enlightenment when the Smallsword practically killed the rapier. I love to talk about it, I even enjoy talking about newer stuff a little. The form, function, the fatal systems and fine details.

Let’s talk about combat.

[Open Thread] Problematic Tropes

Tropes form the backbone of writing conventions in all mediums. We know who the hero is, who the villains are, what the setting is, and what the genre is thanks to tropes. A lot of tropes are good, many are useful, but a lot of tropes are problematic. Things from the Femme Fatale to the animation age ghetto to Men Are Dumb, Women Are Emotional there’s lots of tropes that support negative and false stereotypes that affect how people think of and interact with media of all types.

What are your thoughts on problematic tropes? What are your “favorites”?

Today I’m taking kind of a cop out.

I don’t have anything to write on today. The words just won’t come to me.

So, I’ve got a couple of things for you here. First, a discussion; help me plan a good fantasy story. I’m talking about really, really high level planning. Hero saves the girl, hero gets a magic weapon, hero is a girl who saves a boy and a girl. I don’t know. Just ridiculously high level plot stuff. Then I’ll fill it in with later posts here on the Engine.

The other thing, below the fold, is a game I’ve been playing. Though the one I’m working on right now is a doozy. Here are the rules.

You give me A Name, A Gender, A Writing Genre, and Three Things You Like About Yourself.

In return, I give you a brief description of a character. Easy as pie. Check out what I’ve done so far after the jump.