Let's talk about Drive

Drive.

When you talk to people who actually watched the movie (which is a very small number) you will get a very binary review. Seriously, look it up on IMDB or any other review amalgamation site. People will either say it sucks all sorts of terrible things, or it should have swept the Oscars.

Because of this, I can't really recomend it. In fact, I can only tell you a cautionary tale. After watching this movie with one of my room mates, I loved it. We made so many jokes about this movie, like how awkward Ryan Gosling was as the film's serial-killer/getaway driver antagonist. We were captured in its Tarantino-esque charm. (Okay, maybe Tarantino is a bad comparison because it isn't intentionally funny. But the only other thing that even remotely resembles it that I've seen is Pulp Fiction.)

However, when I watched it with my dad, everything wrong with it became painfully obvious. The pacing is terrible. The music is atrocious. And then, a few things that were great about the movie, like Ryan Gosling's acting and chemistry with the love interest (played by Carey Mulligan) turned from gold to dog doo on your shoe.

So the moral of this story is be careful who you see this movie with. Just... make sure it's with someone who's irreverent and funny and likes movies with weirdness and violence.

Getting back into the swing of things

Finally, I have gotten myself together and posted some more story. Where last we left off, our friend David wasn't doing too well. Shot in the arm during a pitched shoot-out with Riker's goons, and one of his weapons non-functional, his only option is to attempt an escape. Can he make it? How can he do it with Rottweiler in control of the bottom floors?

Been Away Too Long

Yes, the title is a reference to the new Soundgarden single, and yes, Soundgarden rocks most of the time. But enough about them. You most likely came to listen to me talk about some random thing I've pulled out of my butt. Not an apology, although I may be mistaken.

While thinking about... well, I honestly have no idea what I was thinking about.

Anyway, when thinking about something important (in order of most important to most common: all the people/animals in my life who've been dying, finals, that paper due tomorrow that I had just started to write, that paper due in over a week I had started to write, video games, cafeteria food, etc.) I realized something. One of the most common criticisms of fictional characters is how dumb they are. For years, I have agreed with them. But then, for some reason, I thought about it.

The one thing inherent in all people, no matter what skin color, gender, religion, astral sign or whatever they are is that they are idiots. Ok, I suppose a term like "idiot" is hard to define, but its true. If you've ever known or observed someone who you think is exceptionally bright, you will see them do something stupid and think, "Man, that is dumb. How can someone that smart be so wrong?"

If, say, Albert Einstein can make a horrible mistake, then why can't some person in a movie? Also, if people can be dumb in real life, why can't they be dumb in that video game? However, the problem occurs when a writer keeps telling you a person is teh most smartest person evarr and keeps having that character act like an idiot. Or that stupid moron in horror movie investigates a strange noise after he knows three people have been murdered! [Author pants after screaming about stupid people in horror movies for five minutes.]

Anyway, after someone is in a movie does something stupid, please ask yourself several questions:

1. Do I know how I would react in his/her situation? In a horror or action story, or a story with a mystery, the characters are almost always under pressure. People under pressure make mistakes. When you are stressed after due to a heavy work load, you make mistakes. So, if the characters are being picked off one by one by someone or something hiding in the shadows, or if a bomb is set to go off in twenty seconds, forgive them their mistakes.
2. Have I been trained for this situation? Has the character been trained? The main reason I hate the movie Quarantine 2 is because of the SWAT officers in it. I admit that I have not been trained as a SWAT officer. But I feel I can make two assumptions: If ordered to fire, most SWAT members will open fire. When warnings to lie down and put hands above heads go ignored, most people with guns will see that excuse to unload the disobeying person full of lead. However, sometimes the answer to this question instead of making people seem like even bigger idiots gives them a perfectly good excuse.
3. Do I know something they don't?

What should Horsehead do?

Here comes Horsehead man!

This is Horsehead Man. His guitar has the ability to make people stop being violent. With this ability, he shall fight crime and defend the innocent around Worchester. Now, citizens, are there any super villains around?

State of the Blog #19

My cat is dying of cancer. I am one section behind (soon, in all realism to be two) in Algebra. I have to do a make-up essay for Sociology, plus another Soc essay and a tech essay. Add a new chapter of SWLC to it and I won't be leaving my dorm this weekend.

Question Number Has Nothing to do with Politics!

If anyone who looks at this blog is anything like me, (this being the internet and seeing the amount of page views I get) you just might be tired of politics by now. Possibly. So I have decided to save my left-leaning views for a time when it won't matter.

I have been playing a bit of FEAR 3 or F3AR as the people who can pronounce numbers call it with my more conservative room mate (he wishes Scott Brown would run for President, and will most likely get his wish in a few years.) However, we both really like F3AR. Even though I like FEAR 2 much better, F3AR probably has some of the best symbolism and character development. It is a good game DESPITE THE FACT THAT THEY KILLED OFF THE PROTAGONIST FROM FEAR 2!!!

I would really have liked it if they had given that character (his name and rank is, or was, Sgt. Micheal Becket, and he was cruelly raped while defending this country) some more character development. The people behind F3AR put so much work (and dare I say love?) into characterizing both The Point Man and his psycho cannibal brother, Paxton Fettel. It is rare that someone like John Carpenter (he made The Thing, which I also love) can be skilled in two mediums. I suppose Steve Niles was also a major contributor, but I don't know his work at all so I can't guess what he contributed.

I suppose that since they brought Jin back and gave her medic training (from sexy sniper to sexy nurse. Sorry Feminists!) that means Becket and his love interest Lt. Stokes can be brought back. (Spoilers: in FEAR: Extraction Point, Jin winds up just as dead as Becket.)

Anyway, my question is this: has any TV show, book, movie, game, or, since this is the day that the fate of the Republic is decided, politician that you liked suddenly thrown something annoying at you? Come on, comment!

Riker Retaliates

Hey there, Silent War Fans! Riker has another plan to kill David. Does it work? Well, in the chapter I have for you fine people, it goes a lot better than all his previous attempts. What does that mean? You'll see.

Horror Movies on Netflix

So, a few days ago, I was looking at Netflix to find something scary. It was Halloween, my roomates were both out and I wanted the crap scared out of me. The problem is, there were so many movies in the Horror section and I had neither seen nor heard about most none of them. I finally settled on a movie called Bitten. I didn't even watch a full hour of it.

So, please, fellow Netflix users, does Netflix have any good horror besides The Thing on its on-demand service? That is actually scary?

Wednesday: The First Break

Today is the first of the every-other-week schedule. I realize I have to talk about something. But what? Hmmm.....

Monday Question: Why do Politicians Need to Fight?

If you have been paying attention to the recent political shitstorm, I mean, the 2012 Election, you'll have noticed that politicians have gone from trying to be stately gentlemen to wild animals and boxers intent on getting as many crotch shots as possible.

More and more politicians, it seems like (me and my fellow Democrats included) seem to be wanting to get into office by claiming "they won't compromise." I'm sorry, but won't that just cause more problems? Won't that just make the Congressional approval ratings just slide further down the tube?

Honestly, those aren't the important question. The important question is why are they like this in the first place? I know the answer has to do with us, we're the ones who voted them in. But still: what have we told our candidates that would make them think treating debates like boxing matches is acceptable?

So, last week was not this blog's best. Sorry about that. However, there is some very big news today. I have come to the end of all the pre-writen Silent Wars stuff, so I've decided to move to releasing content every other week. I really want to do well on this one so I'm going to take care to keep quality up.

In other news, check out Rock of Ages. I admit, its a juke box musical, but there's a reason for that: it is celebrating the 80's. It's not artistic or pretentious and its got an energy that few films can match. Also, if you want to see some famous actors sing and don't want to spend a hundred bucks on a movie ticket, check it out. Right now.

I admit, the beginning isn't as strong as the end, and the songs at the start (like many other musicals) have the tendency to come out of nowhere, but the movie makes up for it by having every single song being awesome. That's right, there isn't a single song that sucks accidentally. (For songs sucking on purpose, see Undercover Love.  You can tell why the band that plays it gets forcibly removed from the stage.)

In short, if you want to see

1. Really good song and dance numbers
2. Fun (if not award-winning) acting
3. Something that makes you feel nostalgic for 80's rock
4. Tom Cruise act crazy
5. Tom Cruise without a shirt
6. Catherine Zeta-Jones singing
7. Strippers

then this is the movie for you. Buy it and the soundtrack.

The Silent Wars: Local Color #6

Summary of new Silent Wars: Local Color: Blake shares some his childhood secrets and David Gould goes shopping!

You know what? This is the first time I've mentioned Blake in my summary. The truth is that Blake is just as important to the story as David. Maybe more, as he's more relatable. After all, which is more common: an 18-year-old with a baseball scholarship who dreams of pitching for the Red Sox, or a 15-year-old who is able to... well, do what David does. As a hint to who I think is more relatable, Blake is based on a person I know.

State of The Blog #18

I have been editing for the past few weeks. While I should be putting more time into it, I find I am having trouble with getting things done in all aspects in my life. I haven't finished Borderlands, I haven't been getting that much done with math, and my attempts to do math things get in the way of everything else. Isn't college fun?

That being said, I think my writing quality has improved. Maybe not that much, but fixing mistakes can only help, right?

Silent Wars #5

Where last we left off, our anti-hero David Gould had broke into the headquarters of the mercenaries known as Rottweiler. After stealing a sweet ride from Rottweiler's leader, Riker, David heads off towards Chicago.

When we pick up this week, Riker has come back from a joyride. His discovery of the damage done by David, this already unstable mercenary goes off the deep end. Riker takes all his combat staff and leads them on a manhunt for the elusive David, never mind law enforcement. He also is beginning to prove the second biggest hazard to himself and his men after David.

How to stop bad movies: A Cry For Help

So, yesterday I watched a certain movie directed by a certain director who makes money by trolling fans of a certain medium. I really do not want to mention names here, not to protect this man, but to protect you, dear reader.

Yes, this director's movies are that bad.

The movie was one of the few times (perhaps the only one) where the director didn't take a beloved existing franchise and twist it into something terrible. It was about someone very similar to that psycho guy who shot up a theater of people watching The Dark Knight Rises, except this main character was fictional and killed more people on his little spree. While I won't tell you the name of the film, I will tell you that the only reason I didn't stop watching this travesty of a movie was because a) I thought the main character would die and b) I would enjoy watching the main character dying.

None of this happened. It was then I realized that this director makes his money by trolling people. I have to admit that his strategy is brilliant. If I identify him and his movies, then people will want to watch his movies just to see if they're as bad as I say they are. Then he makes money. Seriously, that is how the director works, and it is a genius strategy. Any one of his movies are guaranteed to get views. This person, if I am honest, is a genius.

So, how do I tell the world what I think of this person and the movies this person has made without generating views, and not being a complete dick about it? I mean, what if this director wasn't trolling his audience? I'd honestly kind of feel bad if he actually was bent on doing good.

Inside Rottweiler

Where last we left off, David Gould had figured out that he was being chased by the mercenary group known as Rottweiler Security. Instead of running away, however, David seems to be a bit more proactive.

This is where the book starts to really get into the action. I probably should have warned you before, but please, don't read it if you are under sixteen or don't like violence. However, if my warning doesn't apply to you, read away!

Can't think of anything

Hopefully, I'll have something to say by the end of this piece. It is ironic that the one time my room mate is sleeping is the time I want to do something loud. Sigh, this keyboard I'm using is too noisy....

Re-Continuing Silent Wars

So, the problem with what I had originally planned for this week was it didn't work. So, instead of re-writing it all at the last second, I decided to change to posting more Silent Wars instead. Now, this has several advantages for you. First off, I've written ahead in Silent Wars. By a lot. So I'm actually proof reading before I submit these stories for your enjoyment. Hopefully you can tell the difference.

But before we go off on this grand adventure once again, let's review where we left off. A group of teenagers break down in the Painted Desert. Oddly, it is right in front of the house of a strange man. This man then begins to tell a story about David Gould, an average fifteen-year-old until his family is murdered by an odd, yet professional kill team. David survives, due to gaining lightning fast reflexes, spontaneous martial arts skills, and access to several weapons.

However, his attackers aren't done with David yet. They have sent a team of mercenaries, led by the madman known as Riker, after David. One of them, Dennis, thinks he has the drop on David. This is where our story picks up...

UPDATE: To see previous segments, click here to see much of what I've posted online. Go ahead, its free.

Busy Week

Okay, so maybe I just forgot about The Monday Question yesterday. I am keeping busy though. Just with college work instead of blogging. I may end up having throttle back on posts to improve quality and so I actually have a chance to proof-read before I post.

Yes, I know I should do it. Part of the problem is I procrastinate a lot. The other part is that I don't have enough time even when I'm being diligent. That is if you leave out the part where I just don't proof-read. So, yeah, reading before I post is going to be a big thing in the future.

First Essay Ever!

So, as you know, this week I've decided to do something a little different. I'm uploading my first essay I've written to entertain all you blog readers. Here it is.

I have something more important to tell you all though. Follow your dream(s). There are reasons, I admit, why you should give up on a dream: it can't pay the bills, it isn't worth alienating the people you love, etc. I guess that those may be acceptable reasons. But what is unacceptable is giving up because one asshole says "You aren't good enough." If you seriously believe them, then you need to tell yourself that you will get better. Or ask someone who is kind and constructive and cares about you instead of attacking at you from the shield of anonymity.

But don't give up the dream if the dream is a good one. And, most likely, your dream is good, otherwise you would have never dreamed it in the first place. Now go: bring peace, love, and something interesting to to this world.

9/11

So, here it is. The week of September 11th. A moment of me shutting up in respect of all the innocents and American Sevicepeople that died in the attack and our subsequent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[Silence.]

Now, back to our regularly scheduled "me talking about nothing!" When I was writing my weekly submission for the week, I didn't realize the important anniversary that was this week. Yeah, that's right. Plus, the piece I've written for the week is better suited for Halloween. Anyway, enough of my inconvenient first world problems, there's important stuff to talk about.

As I may have already stated on this blog, I was sent home early a certain beautiful Tuesday, eleven years and three hundred sixty four days ago. There may or may not have been a speech, but I don't remember. I gave mom a note, and (hopefully) went outside to play, happy to be out of school early. Apparently, it was a beautiful day. This is a paraphrase of the note:

We took the students aside and told them what happened. But don't worry: We didn't use the words "towers" or "planes."

Needless to say, I don't exactly remember what happened that day. However, I do know that this single event has changed my view of the world. As an author, I have to study human emotions and motivations. Therefore, I must ask myself, and everyone else, "Why? What could make  them want to fly airplanes into some of our greatest monuments and institutions, killing thousands upon thousands?" I suppose you can post your 9/11 stories below, but I think its way past time some average person thought about the motivations of the terrorists.

It'll be a beautiful day tomorrow. Just like it was twelve years ago. Go out and enjoy it, and remember those who can't. Or ignore it and let it be just another day.

State of the Blog #17

The state of the blog is that I am very tired. Apart from that, I have only a few announcements.

The first of which is that next month is Silent Wars Month! I will be posting all Silent Wars next month, following the destructive coast-to-coast rampage of Riker as he desperately tries to take down David Gould. Partly, this is because it was the most-viewed story for months. Partly because anythings better than Camaboise.

The next announcement: over the next few weeks I will be experimenting with essays and poetry. I know you come here for stories, but hopefully you'll like these. I hesitate to say "as well" as I have no clue if you like my stuff.

Third, and finally, I will be trying to attract readers around the college I go to. One of the ways I plan to do it is reading in my dorm's common area. It will probably a chapter from SW:LC. Also, I will be updating my works page, to make it easier to back track.

Final Camaboise!

Yes! It's done, and Aaron Solomon is leaving Camaboise until I have a mental lapse or people demand to see him again. Seriously, I love the idea I had here, but I hated executing it. I actually liked this last entry. However, some of it was a pain to write, especially near the end. Maybe I should change the style if I write anything in this universe again.

Well, we haven't heard from a certain other person. If you'll think back to the beginning of my blog, you'll remember a certain mysterious and dangerous individual...

We'll hear from him in October.

Threatening calls in the night: part 1 of ?

So, last night we (me and my two roomates) were showing each other various horror games. Dead Space 2 was first, at sometime in the afternoon. Slender came second, sometime after dark. Then came FEAR 2: Project Origin. We also spent a good time discussing who would win a fight: Alma or Slender Man. It was a little after this that the incident happened.

One of my roomates, who shall remain anonymous, got an unlisted phone call at around 10:30. It consisted of someone singing Ring Around the Rosie, and promising to "get him." I speculated that it could be from Alma. He laughed, didn't deny the possibility, and said that this was actually a relatively normal thing to happen to him.

Now for the Monday question: Should I be worried?

A Tribute to Anton Chekov

Anton Chekov's stories are amazing. From drunk sadomasochists calling dogs socialists to constantly giving enemies, strangers, and friends knives then turning their backs, his characters are just so entertaining. They will gladly jump to false assumptions and gleefully plot the doom of themselves and others. They think they are racing straight to happiness, but instead find the exact opposite.

His version of police officers are completely different than how we Americans portray our police. Our police are almost always competent, though sometimes they are a little skimey. He portrays them almost always as bumbling buffoons, making assumptions and, consequently, making asses of themselves.

I seriously hope that my tribute won't make poor Doctor Chekov roll around in his grave, and maybe even impress him.

Monday Question: What do you think of Chekov?

So, this week I am taking a break from Camaboise and doing something a little different. I am doing a story in the style of Anton Chekov's short stories. So, out of curiosity, I just want to know what everyone here thinks of/knows about Mr. Chekov: his writing, his politics, his life story, etc.

Also, later today, I am going to post some cool pictures I've taken while at college. I hope you enjoy them.

State of the Blog #16

Site news first: If you look at the sidebar, you will notice it has changed. Now, no longer does it have my fellow bloggers, but also other places to find me and my work, including a handy-dandy index of many of my stories. You may notice that it does not include anything Camaboise. That is because I would like to forget Camaboise.

In other words, I am arriving at college tomorrow. If you need me, I'll be getting an education there, or writing on this site and Facebook. Actually, I'll probably just be playing Marvel Avengers Alliance on Facebook trying to obtain the White Queen before time runs out.

New Camaboise

Sorry about the past few days. Here is the new installment of Camaboise.

Three more to go!

If all goes as planned, this should be the third to last Camaboise! Of course, things sometimes don't go the way I plan (like how Covetous morphed from three to six parts) but I doubt that will happen here.

Is this not the silliest car ad ever?

Before you read any farther, click here. Then watch the video. Isn't this the most hilarious car ad of all time?

State of The Blog #15

I admit, I have been hardly working this week. However I have started a video tutorial that may be of interest. If you have ever wanted to fool around with something like Audacity, this will give you some idea on where to start. So far, I have two out of three parts done, but it gives you a good idea of how to do it.

Monday Story Post

God, did I have a pathetic amount of postings last week. My excuse is just as pathetic, so I don't think I'll even bother talking about it, and just ask for your forgiveness. Also, without further ado, here is the next installment of Camaboise.

Now, to solve the problem. One of the reasons I have been having so much trouble getting out new stories every week is that I'm starting not to like writing Camaboise stuff. I could go on and on and on, but I would like to know this: do you actually like it? If you do, or don't care either way, I will put all my effort into finishing it. If you don't, please respond in the comments section. Either way, I plan one more installment while you decide. Voting closes Friday.

The Dark Knight Questions Monday

So, who here has seen all three of Christopher Nolan's Batman Movies? As of Firday, July 20th, I have. And now, since I am a person who posts things on the internet, I will tell the entire world what I think of the most recent one, regardless of whether or not they give two cents about my two cents.

Honestly, The Dark Knight Rises was... okay. I am reasonably sure that Chris Nolan wanted the series to end so he could move with Superman and his own personal projects. Overall, the characters are all mostly bad ass. Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman was bad ass. Tom Hardy as Bane was bad ass (when you could understand what he was saying.) Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon was more than bad ass. And Joeseph Gordon-Levitt was bad ass as that-cool-detective-who-definitely-wasn't-Dick-Grayson.

However, there are some problems with this movie. For example: Bane. Next to The Joker, Bane is one of my all-time favorite Batman villains. And while Bane was certainly amazing, his dialogue was just weird at times, like the writer occasionally forgot he was writing Bane and not The Joker. Also, his voice was incredibly hard to understand. You can either make him talk like Sean Connery or you can make him talk like Darth Vader. Combine the two, and every other sentence is impossible to understand. And no, I'm not going to whine about Bale's Batman voice. Wait, change that: this was the only film where I started to get annoyed by the growl.


Also, only watch this movie if you can deal with plot holes and the fact it's less about Batman and more about his supporting cast. And if you don't know about al Ghul's family from the comics, the ending won't make that much sense. And don't spend the entire time comparing it to the other two, because it's just going to kill your enjoyment of the movie.

So, now for the Question part of this Monday Question. What did you think of this new Batman movie? What did you think of my review? Don't delay, post away!

State of The Blog #14

So, since I have finished with Game Design Camp, I guess this means I have no excuse for not continuing writing. However, it was nice to take a break for two weeks. Until further notice, my regular schedule will resume. I also just noticed there are two State of the Blog #12s. Sorry about that.

Quick Update

So, despite a ridiculous amount of things going wrong right before we needed to build the game, UDK decided to stab us in the face. At one in the morning, our deadline an hour away, we realized the audio didn't work, we couldn't transition from level to level, and objects in said levels weren't appearing. Joy.

So, we are compiling even as we speak. Thank God. I'm not allowed to actually give you the game (due to legal reasons) and even if I was, I'm not sure how. But I can show you the box art I made and my room's door sign. Gaze upon them and be amazed!

Quick update: do you remember me mentioning the counselor who looked like a certain hobbit? He has a Skyrim mod. If you have bought Skyrim on Steam, go to the Steam Workshop and look up Thir's Tomb. If it's by seanyp, then you've got the right one. Go and subscribe right now. 

Wednesday at EGD

I learn so much at nerd camp. A good chunk of it is useless, I admit, and some of it is due to the amount of time I spend on the internet. For instance, you should see this site with all these cool drawings of superheroes on it.

Also, the camp I go to is divided up into two sections. There are the eMagination Computer Campers (eight to sixteen years old, they do all sorts of stuff, commonly known as ECC) and then there's the camp I go to, called eMagination Game Design, or EGD. As (I think) you know, we are divided up into teams and make a game. What we EGD campers didn't know was what the ECC campers call us.

You see, ECC has less lab time than EGD. For an hour a day, they have to go outside. They also have no lab time after dinner, when at the dorms, we almost never venture below the fourth floor, and (if things haven't changed from when I was in ECC) they have to do this stupid ritual called "meal pass" in order to get food. Meal pass involves doing really dumb games, and the winner gets to eat first. Second goes second, and so on. Anyway, ECC almost never sees EGD in broad daylight. So, they think of us as vampires. The reason we're never seen by ECC is because "vampires have a high sneak ability."

I ****ing love nerd camp.

Oh, and I also now know the face of the enemy. I know someone who trolls the internet and Call of Duty for fun. The key to getting along with them is knowing when they are actively trolling you and keeping your mouth shut. Apart from that, he's actually reasonable.

EGD: it teaches social skills.

How do you deal with this?

So, at Game Design camp, my roomate has an Xbox 360. Awesome, right? I thought so until I realized I go to bed three hours earlier before everyone else. And every night, six exceedingly loud people come in and take over the entire room.

At camp, I can deal with it. However, how do I deal with something like this in college?

In other news, one of my counselors looks exactly like Elijah Wood.

State of the Blog #12

So, sorry about this post being so late. I am going to (hopefully) be interviewing/debriefing beta testers for the game I'm working on. Also, I've been doing some research on various Audacity effects which you can view below. It's cheap, it's cool, and very useful in games.

 

Also, being at camp is a perfect place to catch up on the latest internet memes. Like The Lonely Island. You probably knew of them before I did.

Also, if you care about video games, google Ten Cent Studios. They've bought the creators of League of Legends, have invested in Epic (the good people behind the Unreal Engine, Unreal Tournament, and Gears of War) and are current the biggest publisher/developer in China. Their buisness plan seems to go something along the lines of "First China, Then America, Then The World! Muahahahahaaaaaaaaaa!"

On Writing for Video Games

Sorry, no new Camaboise this week, due to . But you can check out The Camaboise Encyclopedia to catch up on the characters.

However, I still have things to talk about (shocker). The thing about writing for video games in this camp is that almost every team has the story YOU IS AMNESIAC ROBOT NOW FIGHT OTHER ROBOTS BECAUSE WE ONLY HAVE UDK! So, yeah, it's really easy to innovate there. However, there is a reason everyone goes with that story: the default character in UDK is a robot. And you can't even hope to change it until your third year here. And that is if you are a genius with code. Weapons are also a pain, too, but that isn't the point.

The point is, you have to write within the constraints of what the engine, and that can be very frustrating. Especially towards the end, when you realize you don't have enough time, or the boss can't be the size you want it to be, or you can't add in a weapon. When you're just writing, it's easy. Words in your head, words on your paper (or, in this case, words on the wonderful, terrible thing we call "The Internet.") Anyway, it is surprisingly annoying.

Are you a Spike, Timmy or Johnny?

Today in game design camp, I learned something really cool. Apparently, Wizards of The Coast, the company that makes D&D and Magic The Gathering has spent millions doing Psychographics on its fan base. (Psychographics is the study of the mentality of people who buy your product.) It turns out that there are four kinds (first three making up 90% of their demographic) of players.

1. Timmy wants to have the cool stuff. Double-headed dragon? Hell yeah! In a game like Modern Warfare, Timmy spends more time making a cool-looking gun then finding the best weapon. In fact, if you can make his (many) deaths awesome, he won't mind as much.
2. Spike, on the other hand, wants to win. He doesn't care if the gun is the ugliest thing, as long as Kill:Death ratio rises from 1:10 to 50000:0 he's happy. Oh, and if there is a build that will result in said stat change, he will find it. Or his buddies.
3. Johnny wants to explore, to find new ways of doing things. He probably was sucked into Skyrim longer than all his friends. A week longer.
4. Vorhese is that guy at the convention cosplaying as his favorite character. Or memorizing a fictional code of honor. Or learning a fictional language. He will get into character and sometimes has a hard time coming out.

So, which one are you?

State of the Blog #12

So, I am now settled in at Computer Game Design Camp at lovely Bentley College. Now, as I will probably be very busy for the next two weeks, I will not be doing a lot of writing. (Note: I held off on writing this post until I was actually was at computer camp.)

So, by  July 21st, I should be done with the game, and ready to resume my normal schedule. I thank you for your patience and hope to write to you all soon. Oh, and here is my door poster for this year.

Also, did I share this with you?

New Camaboise

Happy 4th of July, people! More Camaboise, as usual. Now, for the next two weeks, I'm going to be updating the Camaboise Encyclopedia. And now that I'm done with this week's story, I will think about how good it feels to be an American. To all my foreign readers, please think nice thoughts about America today, and I will think nice thoughts about your countries whenever I see that I have a hit from there. Now, let's see some fireworks!

Fall Out Boy on Monday

To all you aspiring writers (young and old) here's a few tips. With them and a little more luck (trust me, it wouldn't take a lot) you could be a better writer than me!

1. FIND SOMETHING YOU CAN ACTUALLY WRITE ABOUT. This is one of the ones I have the most trouble with. Sometimes (okay, every time,) my idea seems cool, but then I can't get it from point A to point B.
2. KEEP IT SIMPLE. For an example on how to mess #2 up, read every installment of Camaboise. Yeah, I know. The first two rules, and I've broke every one.
3. IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY IDEAS FOR CHARACTERS, CAST FAMOUS PEOPLE. Got a cool concept and need a character, but those are a problem? Need a secondary character? Watch a few movies, and think of actors you like. Then, build the character to act like the actor typically acts. For example: your science fiction manuscript that needed a plucky main character character? That main character now has a thick Austrian accent, a gift for one-liners, and is abusing an experimental steroid.
4. FIND SOMEONE WHO WON'T LET YOU GIVE UP. Then have them read your story. For me, that "person" is everyone who reads this blog.
5. MAKE A PLAYLIST. Seriously. If the songs match the mood of what you're writing, then you get more inspired.

Now, for the actual Monday Question: Any tips for me?

State of The Blog #11

A word to my readers: the week after next I will be going to Game Design Camp at Bentley College for two weeks. So don't be surprised if I cut off some of my story writing for those two weeks.

Also, one of the things I learned in my Becker visit: you have to study. Thanks to Professor Marzullo, I now know that while you only have to be in class fifteen hours a week, the workload is forty hours a week. [Nervous laughter here.] Well, it looks like this is going to get... interesting. So, can I make stories while doing something else for forty hours a week and still do other things and get sleep?

The short answer? Probably... no.

New Camaboise

So, here is the new Camaboise. If I've already shared it before, I apologize. I was on a college orientation tour yesterday. Specifically, Becker. I had a really good time there, what with Casino Night and a Hypnotist that ended at two in the morning. I woke up at six. Please give me a break.

Moralizing Monday Question

Today, I am going to ask a question based on an upcoming event in my ongoing Camaboise series. Please, God, let it end. Anyway, this actually is an interesting question.

Suppose you are in a position of power, like the president of a country, and you need to pass a law. However, one of the people you need a vote from is extremely corrupt. In fact, when you come to visit him during your campaign, you catch him in the middle of extortion. What do you do?

State of the Blog #10

And now, the tenth weekly State of the Blog. And I can't really think of anything interesting to put in here that really has to do with the blog. Oh well.

I know! I can talk about usability! Let us say you're a college. And you want to make students use this fancy network thing. Wouldn't it be smart to actually make sure it works and give said students detailed directions how to log on? Of course not. They're here to learn, not to be force-fed information.

Writing Camaboise is Hard

It is a slightly sexier installment of Camaboise, but still with the requisite overcomplicatedness, Aaron is meeting Sara Danoui's sister, Ayabella. And, of course, meeting her raises new problems. God, I'm writing myself into a corner.

I know, I know. I shouldn't be complaining. But when you're writing has become so complicated, you need a scorecard to keep track, something is going wrong. I will solve some of these, eventually. But, pretty soon, I'm going to need a break from all this. Well, on the bright side, it's fiction. Fiction that only a small group of people care about, so if I mess up on continuity (which, let's face it, I will) it's not horrible.

Monday Question

So, today, I am at my grandparent's house up in Maryland. I will be driving back to Massachusetts (should only take seven entire hours) but today I will be visiting other relatives in the Baltimore area. So, I have a question for all of you: what do you do when you visit relatives? I tend to eat, because all my relatives like to feed anyone within the boundaries of their property.

New Camaboise and the Dangers of Buying Used Software

So, as indicated in the title, here is some new Camaboise. Please read and comment.

Now, for the dangers of buying used software. One of the reasons I kick myself for purchasing Diablo is that I got the special edition used. Guess how much I paid for it? If you guessed $170 something, you would be sort of right. You see, when I got it, it turns out the scalper I had bought it from had already redeemed the codes. So, I didn't get the DLC, I didn't get the complete pack of Diablo II, and I didn't get Diablo III. Which is one of the reasons I bought the Diablo III Collector's Edition! I'm still angry about it. Especially that I spent $210 in total, which would be what I would have paid for it new. The lesson? If you want the special edition, pre-order it. And if you think buying used software will save you money... think again. Because it won't. It definitely won't.

Tuesday Question

Well, this is lame. This post should have come out yesterday!

I have been watching a lot of Teen Titans. As a person with no cable, I never realized how awesome this show was. The animation just oozed cool, the humor was really good, and I really like how bad-ass they made Raven. Seriously, if you have a library card, go borrow it from your local library.

Now, for today's question: what is your favorite animated TV show? Is it Teen Titans? Looney Tunes? Spongebob? Scooby-Doo? Something I haven't mentioned?

The Mystery Deepens!

New in the world of Camaboise: corruption and factional strife are one of several causes of the massive amount of hunger in Camaboise. Also, there truly is no such thing as a free lunch and Soup Souper just may be using Camaboise as a source of nuclear material. Read all about it in this exciting installment!

 Bioshock 2, as some of you probably know, is a very good game. While it uses some Skinner Box techniques, it is less bad then, say, Diablo 3. It is one of the few games where I have ever felt strongly attached to characters or sheer revulsion at certain actions.

It would probably help if I explained the story of the game. This game is set in the underwater city of Rapture, founded by the hardcore Objectivist, Andrew Ryan. Due to events in the previous game (which I haven't played), Ryan is dead. Also, his city has fallen into decay due to genetic splicing that gives the users super powers while also turning them into raving addicts. It's understandable. I mean, who wouldn't want to be able to zap people with lightning?

Back to the story. In the gap between the first game and this new one, a new power has arisen to replace Ryan: Sofia Lamb. Where as last game was an in-depth study of how pure capitalism fails, this game is a look at how Communism fails. Lamb is a megalomaniac, constantly threatening you while saying she cares for you. She goes on rants about Ryan's "monument to the self." And she is willing to sacrifice her daughter, Elena, for "the greater good."

Why do you care? The simple answer would be "because she's Communist!" The answer the game provides is she's taken your Little Sister. You see, in Rapture, the whole system of gene splicing is powered by this substance called ADAM. And there is this sickening, yet strangely heartwarming, system in place for gathering. Little Sisters gather ADAM. Splicers, the ADAM addicts, try to kidnap and harvest the Little Sisters. Little Sisters need protection from this, so Big Daddies were created to viciously murder any Splicer stupid enough to come close. In return for guarding the Little Sisters, they give the Big Daddies all the love a daughter could give their father. However, what makes this system morally repulsive is that these Little Sisters used to be normal little girls. Now they are being forced to wander around, harvesting and ingesting a substance that quickly drives them insane.

You play as a very special Big Daddy (see the image below). A prototype who was bonded to a specific Little Sister. That Little Sister just happens to be Elena Lamb. If you don't find her and save her from her deranged mother, than you die. It's also more than that. The entire story establishes that you were a better parent then Lamb. You still are. You are ready and willing to drill, shoot, and barbecue any person who stands between you and Elena.

On the way to Elena, you will have to gather ADAM to get new abilities. This means you have to adopt Little Sisters and lead them to corpses to gather ADAM. Once the Little Sister begins gathering, you will have to defend her as every Splicer in the area will descend on you. When the Little Sister has gathered from two corpses, you have the option of either leading her back to a vent, where you can set her free from the curse of being a little sister, or at any point you can Harvest her.

This game is very, very good at making you feel despicable for harvesting a Little Sister. It isn't a question of one character wagging their finger (or insanely huge drill) at you and saying "Bad Daddy." I accidentally Harvested a Little Sister once and the look on the poor girl's face... and normally, they trust you. They love you like a father. Harvesting a Little Sister is one of the most awful things you can do in this world. And the only reason you'd do it is for greed and a lack of pragmatism. I haven't finished the game yet, but it's up there with Crysis.

Monday Question: How Did You Graduate?

Hey, everybody! Time for a new Monday Question!

As a recent graduate of Maynard High School (the one in Massachusetts, not the one the other one) I was really impressed about how cool it is to graduate from High School: the mix of accomplishment, nostalgia, relief, triumph and expectation of what's to come is quite amazing. I particularly liked our principal's speech about how she felt like she was also a member of the class of 2012, how she had also come to Maynard in the summer of 2008, just like my class. And now, with all of us graduates, she was moving on. I also liked how she realized that she realized no person could make two amazing speeches (she had also made a very heartwarming speech about Senior Project at Senior Awards night,) so she had the students do most of the talking, either through a pre-written form read aloud by Mr. Keriganis (sorry if I misspelled your name) or one of several speeches given by students.

Now, for all of you who have graduated, what do you remember about graduating from high school? Was it a speech? Saying good-bye to your friends? Getting drunk at a party (don't worry if you post about that, only the entire internet will know)? Look back, and write it below in the comments.

State of the Blog #8

Hello and welcome, delicious readers, to the next State of The Blog! Yes, I know it has been a while, and for that, I apologize. To make up for it, I shall leave you with a tidbit of information: I will be juggling my Camaboise series with a secret project. What is it? It's a secret. I will be doing some research, and as little bitty hints, I shall let you know if my researches turn up anything interesting, awesome, weird, or just plain disturbing.

In other news, I got an awesome new laptop! An Alienware M17x, to be precise. Either it's the ambient temperature here in Maynard, or this laptop, despite having extra fans, is increasing the temperature of the area beneath it's hellish exhaust ports. I can't wait to test this monster out!

Some more Camaboise

Our newly-minted monarch has walked into his first conspiracy! Or did Aaron just notice it? The power plant Soup Souper has bequeathed to the people of Camaboise seems like its hiding something within its concrete walls.

In other news, you're getting this early because tomorrow, I'm going whitewater rafting with my fellow Class of 2012 graduates from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM tomorrow. As a bonus, I'm giving you my little Encyclopedia of Camaboise. If you have a Google account, please comment on it if you find any spelling, grammar, or continuity errors.

Monday Update

Okay, I am now getting things on track. There will be a story this week, and it will be as good as I can possibly make it. There will be a State of The Blog on Friday. This I promise. The only way I can think of to get back into the swing of things is to make a concentrated effort every day to do them.

Now for the Monday Question: are there ways that you know of to get out of writers block? Just in case it happens?

Finally, New Story!

Finally, I have a new episode of Aaron's adventures. I am ashamed I took so long to get you so little.

Tuesday Update

These past few weeks were unacceptable, weren't they?  I have lost loyal readers, (at least, I think I have) and rightly so. I did not follow up on content. I did not give what I had specifically said I would. I tried to work around it, but it still wasn't what you wanted.

However, you will get something this week. It may not be exactly what you want, but I hope it is enough. Maybe at some point I will re-evaluate my ability to produce content. Until then, I hope you will still read my stuff.

On Alan Wake

"Blinded by the light!/Revved up like a Deuce,/Another runner in the night"

 Blinded By The Light by Manfred Mann

Alan Wake. For those of you who don't know about it, it is a game about a writer who goes on vacation with his wife to the remote town of Bright Falls. They are only there a few hours before a living darkness kidnaps his wife.  He wakes up a week later in a crashed car, and is quickly set upon by locals possessed by this living darkness.

Let's get the good stuff out of the way. The writing is superb. You want to find out about what is tormenting Bright Falls. You care about the supporting cast, like the comic relief/Alan's sidekick/agent/best friend. You care about the sheriff and sympathize with her desire to protect her town from the darkness. You're charmed by the Anderson brothers, who half-believe that they're the Viking gods Odin and Thor. Despite wanting to punch the FBI Agent, you are curious why he's chasing after Alan, and what he knows. Also, the "light up monsters to kill them" mechanic is really cool, and the graphics (especially the lighting) is amazing.

Now, the bad stuff. And the bad stuff ranges from just weird to manipulative. Throughout the game, everything makes sense. Unt Complete and perfect sense. Then you drown (I guess,) meet a weird double who exudes an air of craziness, and have to get to the cabin by shining your flashlight on weird glowing words.to form objects. To quote the Nostalgia Critic: "What the fuck am I looking at?"

Also, the game's camera and controls are just weird. At random points in the game, you will be looking over Alan's left shoulder, his right shoulder, or you will be centered perfectly. It was just a strange design choice, like the choice of having the dodge button be the same as the sprint button. This caused dodging to be more a matter of chance then anything else.

Another problem is that the game just isn't scary! The story's great, but at no time was I ever truly scared. Their weak attempts at creeping you out with the monsters mumbling were just not creepy. The jump scares just didn't seem to be scary. Okay, maybe I was creeped out one or two times. But they missed every opportunity to actually scare me.

But the opportunities that weren't missed were the attempts to sell things. Remedy used every single skinner box technique to sell you batteries. Seriously, those batteries for you flashlight? Energizer Bunny logo visible on them. Also, some of the TVs play Verizon commercials instead of snippets of story. But you will mind the ending.

The boss fight is anti-climatic. Then Alan writes the end of his story. And it is just an opportunity to sell you fifteen dollar DLC. Then it ends with David Bowie's Space Oddity. No. I am sorry. I was going to buy your DLC. You only had one item of DLC for me to buy. Then you pull this crap on me. I am sorry, but the very least you could have done was end with Manfred Mann.

And people complain about Mass Effect 3's ending.

Scheduling Difficulties

Dear readers: with finals and other shenanigans coming up this and next week, and my recent illness, getting you a new story this week is in question. I will try to finish it this week, but probably not.

However, doing a much-needed renovation of the site won't take too long. Would that be a reasonable goal for this week?

Awsome Comic Movie Team Ups

Everyone loves a good superhero team ups. Just look at the Avengers, and how its already made millions worldwide. It is awesome, by the way, and you should go see it. Unless you hate superheroes. Now, since I have nothing else for you, I will give some ideas for good superhero movie team ups that probably would never happen.

1: Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) vs. The Joker (Heath Ledger)

Now both of these characters are amazing. Nick Fury has an unfair advantage in the sheer awesome department because he's played by Samuel L. Jackson. And Samuel L. Jackson is usually the best part of any movie he's in (sorry, Master Windu.) And then there's Heath. F'ing. Ledger. As the Joker.

Fury: I am going to wipe that smile off your face. You have made me a very, very angry man.

Joker: Really? I thought it was just your name.

2: Batman (Christian Bale) teams up with Wolverine (Mark Harmon)

Now, why did I choose Mark Harmon instead of Hugh Jackman? Well, up until X-Men: First Class, you may have as well called the movies the Wolverine movies. Jackman just seems to have that ego. Whereas Harmon can have a strong character without taking over the scene or entire movie. Just watch NCIS. Also, Batman and Wolverine have very different outlooks. Batman won't even kill the Joker. Wolverine, however, has no problem maiming, killing and even torturing.

Wolverine: Listen, bub, I'm the best at what I do-

Batman: Which is wrong!

Wolverine: -and what I do isn't very nice. But if you want to save those people, you'll have to do it my way.

And that's it.

More Sickness!

Hi everyone. I'm still not feeling my best. I also have loads of work I need to catch up on, so please don't expect much. I may not get you guys your stories this week, but I hope you'll be patient and understanding, especially since we're all lucky I'm in enough shape to write this.

Extra, Extra: Camaboise Gets an Army!

New Camaboise episode: In this, the Camaboise Army is equipped with new weapons, and Aaron is forced to question why he made the army in the first place. Next up, Camaboise will be issuing its first visas and creating new corporations! What's next?

rant

In the meantime, I (the human known as "Adam Sherman") have learned an important lesson all critics should learn: don't judge too harshly! If you do, people will judge you. And you, if you have much human decency, will be ashamed. Or they will find something on you, to mercilessly batter you with. Either way, it will be uncomfortable.

/rant

Monday Question: What would you do if hit by a turkey?

Note: names have ommitted changed to protect identities and obscure the ignorance of the author.

So, a friend of my mom's had just been told her child had been in a car crash. She decides to go visit her child in the hospital. On the way there, a turkey jumps out in front of her car. This being Massachusetts, turkeys are quite common on the road, both the animal and humans who deserve to be called turkeys.

Anyway, the turkey is much closer than usual. So close, in fact, that she notices that it's in her windshield and she's covered in glass before she realizes it's a turkey. So she pulls over, and spends the next five or ten minutes "screaming at God." Her exact words.

Now, dear reader, what would you do?

PS: Again, I am sick this week. If you liked my previous offering (a review/rant) please let me know.

State of The Blog #7

Good news! I am feeling better, and hopefully will have you a story next week. For future reference, sinus infections suck. I would be more descriptive, but I am trying to create a less foul-mouthed, more intellectual image. I honestly don't know if I'm succeeding.

Another Apology

I am sorry, but posting a story today is just not happening. I can barely screen-suck, in order to give you an idea of how sick I am. There will be something for you next week. I promise.

In the mean time, how about an analysis of Stan Lee's work that will probably prevent me from ever working at Marvel?

I take it from the rotten tomatoes, boos and jeerings that you're all fans of silver age comics. For those of you who aren't, please go out and read his stuff before taking my upstart, rascal opinion to heart.

For those of you who don't have any idea who Stan Lee is, he is the man who created such American superhero comics Thor, Iron Man, Spider Man, The X-Men, and many other characters. He was a bold, visionary man who did so much for comic books. His characters and themes have usually stood the test of time. Even some of the things that seemed like mistakes at the time, usually came back. For example, the X-Men were originally considered a fail.

However, I can't stand reading his comics. Maybe I'd have liked them better if I was born at the time, but writing wasn't one of his talents or strokes of genius. However, I would like to thank him for letting him let other writers for playing in his universe. For example, compare Essential Spiderman Volume #1 to Ultimate Spiderman Volume #1: Power and Responsibility. Seriously, do that before reading any further. Now that you've done that, I can safely give you my opinion that I like Brian Bendis and Peter David (see X-Factor.) Hopefully, I need not do any more explaining than that.

Monday Nonsense

Well, this is embarassing. I don't have a question for you. Yesterday, I put the state of the blog up, and at least six of you read it. If you were one of those people, you know that I am going to be doing scholarship essays this week. So, I guess the question for this week is to ask what I should ask next week.

Oh, and in other news, I am going to Becker College.Wish me luck!

State of the Blog #6

The thing about vacations is that they throw off your schedule. For example, I haven't been as diligent at maintaining this blog as I've said I'd be. There are other things I haven't been diligent about as well. Like a scholarship. I have eight days to complete it, so I'll be neglecting my blog for a few days. However, once it's done, I promise I'll get back to you guys.

In other news I have earned forty entire cents from advertisements! Maybe, if I do well enough, I will get a dollar next week!

Let Us Answer a Question on Monday!

Now, as I write my story, I wonder if I have enough political issues for the story to keep going. I know my characters can interest me for a while. However, I want to hear some possible suggestions for my story. Like, how could my character get in trouble with the people? In what way could the US and Camaboise mutually piss each other off?

Also, I have been playing some Star Wars: The Old Republic and Just Cause 2. Both are huge games. However, I have played Just Cause 2 long enough to recommend it to anyone who would want to spend the day gleefully high-jacking helicopters and blowing military bases to teeny, tiny pieces. Also, it is surprisingly intelligent. In other words, it's almost as dumb as Congress instead of being dumber than Congress. It is on Steam for $15. Buy it now.

Star Wars: The Old Republic is a different story. While still really good, I don't know if it is good enough to warrant its subscription price. Do yourself a favor, and have at least one really good friend who plays it before going out and buying it. It is that kind of game.

New Camaboise

New Camaboise up! Aaron's got an army now, and soon the army will have weapons! Now all he has to worry about is educating, protecting, feeding, and clothing his people. Hey, at least when Tio Saraos comes back with his army, Aaron can kick their butts into the Atlantic.

State of The Blog #5

So, as you can no doubt see, there have been some changes made to my blog. The site counter is in a different place, and there are also some social networking features added. However, one more change is coming: advertisements. Seeing as how my site got a hundred and sixty one visits last month (yay!) I hope this means I'll be making more than five cents a month soon.

I still plan on continuing the Camaboise story. Hopefully, I'll have more time for it over vacation. More time means improved quality, just so you know. If you don't like the story, however, please comment. Thank you.

More Camaboise

Aaron Solomon is back! It is the same day as last time, and Aaron is going inside the palace to meet with the Reo and discuss his duties. However, one of those duties is survival. If Aaron can't stop the ultra-nationalist group led by Tio Saraos, he's dead. Literally. Thankfully, Saraos hasn't started yet, giving Aaron a chance to plan.

Dealing with Sickness

Hello, everyone. My head is hurting and my throat is sore. I also have a bunch of schoolwork, so this will be my post for Monday. If I haven't posted anything by Friday, consider this my excuse. Please don't feel ill-used, and stop reading.

New Camaboise!

New Camaboise story! Aaron is becoming a Junior in high school. However, in order to get to his Junior year, he needs to survive being crowned king of Camaboise, a small island nation. In this story, he faces the first challenge to his rule: a party of extreme isolationists and their leader.

In reality, I am going to be changing the site around. I'll be adding some social networking features and changing the hit counter. Also, I will be adding ads. I need to pay for college somehow, and this seems like a fine way of doing it.

Monday Question

I am planning a site redesign soon. First off, the hits counter is showing the hits for all the site's history. I think I'm going to change it. Should I change it to one week or one month? Secondly, I will have ads. Please click on them occasionally. My plan is to have one at the top and one at the bottom. Is this reasonable? Please answer these questions in the comments section.

More Silent Wars!

The next stage of Aaron's adventures in Camaboise will be coming next week. I thought I would have more time this week. I was wrong. Instead, I have a visit to Southern New Hampshire University. Which is actually good because it gets me out of high school.

Now, instead, I have some more Silent Wars! Hope you enjoy it.

Where Do You Come From?

So, for a while, I have been wondering: how many readers do I have? Also, why do people read my stuff? I think I'm good, but I just want to know why people think I'm good. I would also like to know where people come from. So, if you would be so kind, just log in, post where you come (be as specific or vague as you want,) and why you read my stuff.

State of The Blog #4

Yesterday, (when I was supposed to post this) was a day of mistakes for me. I may have made a few mistakes during the play (fixed those.) Plus, I forgot to post the State of The Blog. Not good.

In other news, I posted a survey on my story post this week. No one answered it. Maybe it wasn't clear enough where to find it. So please, click here to fill it out or cut and paste the link below.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/embeddedform?formkey=dGtsbTdiS1hsNGtfa3dzR0VpcXdYYXc6MQ

Camaboise 6/15/10

A Visit to Camaboise is the story of a boy who wins a soup contest. He thought he'd just win a private island. He didn't count on being the king. This first section talks about how it was revealed to him that he had won the throne.

Also, please take a few moments to fill out this survey.

The Monday Question #2

Okay, people, this week I would like to ask a favor of all of you, my readers.

As a few of you know (Nicholas Angelini and Pat Rico,) I make mistakes.However, since I start something new as soon as I finish another, I don't have time to check what I've finished. So, I decided to humbly ask you guys to help me. I am going to make Covetous able to be edited. The procedure will be you highlight something I messed up on, and I go back and fix it. These are all Google Docs, so you just need a Google account (Gmail, Google+, etc.)

State of the Blog #3

Okay, people! Third State of the Blog! In the future, I'm going to open all my work to comments, so that some weeks I can work on fixing the weird copy and paste errors Google Docs make and the dumb, dumb mistakes I make.

Speaking of weirdness, at some point, I am going to show you all the places people who look at my blog come from. Not to say that Germany and Russia are weird, but would you guys explain to me how you found my blog? Just curious.

Double Feature: Covetous Part Six and The Silent Wars: Local Color Part Two

So, to apologize for last week, I am posting some parts of a story I haven't posted publicly (both this week and last week) as well as the final chapter of Covetous. Now, next week, I will have both a new story for you and a survey I'd like you guys to fill out

Speaking of surveys, have you seen my post Monday? Please check it out, and answer the question.

The Monday Question

Mondays. When have I ever posted on Mondays?

You see, I have a problem. If you make a scatter graph of my posts with days on the week on the x axis and time I've been doing this on the y axis, you will see that Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday have no posts. I might even mean that literally. So how do I fix this?

I have an idea. Every Monday I ask a question, and you comment on it to post your ideas. Of course, I should ask you, my readers, what I should post. Is the Monday Question a good idea? Or do you have another, better idea? Leave your answer below using the comments button.

State of The Blog #2

Well, people, welcome to State of The Blog #2. This week, something very important happened. I missed a post. I have been thinking about this and the only solution I can come up with is to finish a story on Tuesday. Then, instead of uploading it manually, I have blogger upload it on a certain date. Again, I hope you like the replacement I offered up instead.

 Also, I got some recognition! Check it out! I know some of my school has.

In other news, the man pictured below is wanted for crimes against humanity. Even though he hasn't attacked the US and probably never will, we need to bring him to justice. Kony 2012.

Off-Mainstream Recognition

Guess who's in the Maynard High School Newspaper? I am!

Apology

People, I am sorry that my story is late. To make a long story short, the last part of Covetous is kind of long. I also have been interrupted by rehearsals for my school play, 13. This could be good for you. I have been working on a little something I like to call Silent Wars: Local Color. I hope you enjoy.

You will be pleased to know that I have learned lessons from this debacle. The plan will be laid out in this week's State of the Blog, and updates to the header will be made. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to share this apology on Facebook and Google+.

Sorry, people, but today's story may be delayed. The reason you're getting this is thanks to Kevin Bell lending me hi iTouch. The reason you're getting so little is due to the play I'm in and my overambitious goals.

State of the Blog #1

So, so far, the blog has been doing fine. It's only been three days, but the blog has already gotten seventeen views! And one of them was from Germany! I know, seventeen isn't really that much (especially for the internet) but it's a start. To help, please send the link to all your friends.

Now, on to the stories. For those who've read Covetous, and been following my Facebook and Google+, you'll know that this has gotten... out of hand. If you'll recall, it was only supposed to be three parts. Now, I swear: it shall only be six parts long! For those of who may doubt I'll be able to keep this promise, well, you're in good company. (Me.)

Also, this kind of post should be a recurring thing. Every Friday, I'll put up a blurb of similar length. If there are no events that directly influence the reader, then this will not be a very long post, and I may have to talk about... politics! (Dun dun dun).

Covetous Part Five

Covetous part five is in! For those of you who don't know, Covetous is the story of Victoria Nealson's abduction and her escape from the clutches of the mysterious terrorist known only as "Jack," his henchman, and a sentient darkness that wants to escape with her. Where last we left off, Victoria and her frequent tormentor Angelica have just escaped. Now, they are trying to escape from the island before anything else happens.

Previous parts of the series:

1. Part One
2. Part Two
3. Part Three
4. Part Four

My First Post

Hey everybody!

My name is Adam Sherman, known to some as T4nky (pronounced tanky). For those of you who don't me, I live in [Insufficient Security Clearence], Massachusetts. I am just about to go to college, and the purpose of the blog is to give people a way to read my stories. So far, I've only got two finished stories and one that's ongoing, but there's more on the way.

List of stories:

1. Stand UP
2. Speed
3. Covetous (part 1)
4. Covetous (part 2)
5. Covetous (part 3)
6. Covetous (part 4)