NerdCon: Nerfighteria! Recapping and Musing

Good Morning Nerdfighters!

A Recap of my Weekend in Boston at NerdCon: Nerdfighteria!

 The Convention Schedule Cover

Not long ago on February 25th & 26th, at the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center, was NerdCon.  Only the second convention I have ever been to (the first was ConnectiCon last July) and it was AWESOME!

I became a Nerdfighter sometime between 2013 and 2014.  It's hazy because I didn't realize what I had stumbled into until at least 2014, but I know I was watching Vlogbrothers for at least a year before that.  And to be honest, saying I only became a Nerdfighter then is a lie, because those of us who relate to the Nerdfighter community have always been Nerdfighters.  We just didn't know it, yet.  I knew I found something I liked when I first saw a video of John discussing literature in one of my Education classes when I was studying to become a teacher after I had already graduated from Rutgers University.  I made a point to remember the channel and well, the rest, as they say, is history.

I'm very glad I went to NerdCon.  I wasn't sure what to expect and the fact that there was so much going on that I couldn't choose which panel or activity to go to was both awesome and frustrating because I wanted to do ALL THE THINGS!  That said, what I went to I enjoyed, even the somewhat awkward moment when I realized I was in the wrong room (which I had entered a half an hour earlier) and the right room was full.  It freed me up to do something else I wanted to do.  

I got to attend a few panels I enjoyed.  The first was a Q&A with Laci Green & Dr. Lindsey Doe (moderated by Matthew Gaydos) about their sexual education channels.  The audience had many questions to ask in the 45 minutes we had with Laci and Lindsey, ranging from how to reduce stigma about getting tested for sexually transmitted diseases/infections (STDs/STIs) to what healthy sexual discrimination looks like (how a person chooses a partner) to how they deal with negative people online.  They put time into each response, even when that response was to refer to a lengthy video either of them had already done.  At first, I felt bad for the one asking to receive an answer that meant they had to look elsewhere, but since the two have covered so many topics (and let's face it, we all had YouTube pocket edition with us) it was the best way to answer some questions.  Afterward, they spent a few minutes talking to anyone who stayed at the end of the panel.

Having a Job While YouTubing Panel

Another panel I attended was about Having a Job While YouTubing, featuring Craig "Wheezy Waiter" Benzine as moderator with Dr. Aaron Carroll, Ahsante Bean, Kristina Horner, Emma Mills, and Nathan Zed.  Here we had an interesting range of experiences balancing careers and YouTube.  Dr. Carroll has the privilege of having a career in medical research where what he does for his career relates directly to his work on Healthcare Triage, meaning he has almost no conflict.  Others on the panel work for corporations like Microsoft and PBS Digital Studios, and only got started in their careers after creating a portfolio on YouTube.  Their chief bit of advice was to make time.  Even if just a little, and to avoid thinking you need to produce an entire video in one go.  They suggested taking some time to edit, to write scripts, research, and record on different days when short on time.

My Prompts for NERDOWRITO!

One of the events I went to was NERDOWRITO, an idea created by Kristina Horner.  A writer herself and a participant of NaNoWriMo, she wanted to have a super condensed writing session with all willing attendees of the convention, so I made sure to be there.  The exercise was to write as much of a story as possible in 45 minutes.  To get us started, we were given three cards with the parts of a prompt on it: a character; an adjective; and something to be said in dialogue.  Mine are pictured above.  Those in attendance then had the rest of the session (about 45 minutes) to write.  I will be sharing my polished short story on the blog in the future.  I had a good time writing my story.

The other event I attended was a show featuring John and Hank Green, the two vloggers who started Nerdfighteria and Vlogbrothers.  It was a recording for their Podcast "Dear Hank and John."  We were all handed name tags with "Ryan" written on them, the best name in the world (accord to John and Hank).  It was a humorous hour of dubious advice, news from Mars, and plenty of inside jokes.

The rest of the Con I spent in the expo hall looking at different vendors that were there, including DFTBA Records, and few different causes who came to spread awareness such as NaNoWriMo, This Star Won't Go Out, To Write Love On Her Arms, and Partners In Health.  There was also The Giant Pizza to Decrease World Suck.  If you donated to any of the charities present at the convention, you would get a 'topping' to put onto the Pizza.  On the same display, were several places where con-goers could write and draw things related to Nerdfighteria, DFTBA, bridges, and why the day was awesome.

While I don't expect this convention to happen again, due to it being an anniversary celebration, I had a great time.  I hope anyone who went had a great time as well.  I'll leave you with a video I made from a humorous portion of the convention.  As they say, Don't Forget To Be Awesome!

It's been a Year!

Happy (Belated) Anniversary!

So a little over a year ago, I started writing in this blog.  It began as a flood of content and quickly became a slow drip, but it's here and I'm glad I started this.

Lately, my two jobs have left me unmotivated to write much, as it has turned into a chore.  I have stared at my screen wanting to review movies and felt very uninspired.  I've tried to work on my novel and just felt unable to think of anything I'd want to read.  I know that drafts aren't meant to be readable but I can't even get myself to write out a scene that I literally blocked out in bullet points.  

That said, I haven't been completely unproductive, you guys just haven't been able to see any of it.  I'm trying to get myself set up to record myself playing video games (the one activity I am motivated to do these days) so I can review them or show off fun things and so on.  I have this idea to play XCOM 2 with all my soldiers being made in the likeness of friends, or by recreating notable SPARTANs from the Halo universe as XCOM soldiers, because fighting a superior force of aliens is what they do (and because mods make anything possible).  The problem with this is that my desktop does not have the power supply to run the game and render the video at the same time, and so the PC just crashes less than a minute into the recording.  So for the moment this project is on the shelf until I can shell out the dough for the parts I need.  I'm also going to get another hard drive to store the videos on and at the same time get some parts to repair my laptop (it needs a new hard drive as well).  Once that is settled, I'll be recording and posting here and on Youtube.

So ta-ta for now.  NaNoWriMo is coming up and I do want to get some writing done.  It got me going last year so hopefully I can write more this time around.  I may not be writing a brand new book in a month, but it's a great time to find motivation to write.  See ya next time.

The End of NaNoWriMo

The End of an Era (of frantically trying to write)

So the end has come to National Novel Writing Month a few days ago, and I am happy to say that I wrote 4241 words, a mere 8% of the goal of 50,000 words.  That said, I finished off Chapter 6 and wrote the entirety of Chapter 7.  So I'm happy with myself.  Considering this was my first attempt, I'm not ashamed of not writing more.  NaNoWriMo is meant for authors to try and write a new 50,000 word novel.  I've been using it as motivation to write my existing novel which currently sits at 28,023 words across seven chapters.  Given I've been working on this draft for about two years, I'm happy with my slow but steady progress.  This month's goal is to write Chapter 8, if not more, before the New Year.  Then, it's a chapter a month for 2016 and by then I should be done!  Wish me luck!

I'm gonna need it.

Taking a Break & NaNoWriMo Update

In case you were wondering where I've been, I decided to take a break from blogging for a bit to focus my writing time into my book.  I realized I was writing more blog than book, and that was not what I intended to do with this.

I have plans to review StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void.  I've been playing that in my free time when I'm not writing, much to the dismay of my fiancee.  Also, trying to finish a friends novel so I can review that for her.  And a post about a particular online RPG that's near to my heart.  Hope everyone is having a good week.

NaNoWriMo Update!  In the past few days I've written 1189 words in my book.  totalling 2205 so far.  I'm gonna try to break 10,000 by months end, but we'll see.  Just haven't had the time to put into NaNoWriMo, but then again this is my first time trying.

Not Enough Time (Fail Blog Part 2)

Just a quick post.  I'm working on another World Building post but just haven't had time to get it completed.  Been too busy the past few days despite having more than the usual amount of 'free time.'  Just got too wrapped up in stuff to do.

NaNoWriMo has also suffered this week.  I barely wrote anything and I'm not feeling good about it.  Hopefully this weekend works out better for me.  I hope everyone else's weekends turn out better.

The Legacy of Beowulf

Hail, Beowulf!  King of the Danes!

So I'm sitting on the couch watching Star Trek: Voyager with my fiance, and an episode comes on called "Heroes and Demons."  It's about a crew member who vanishes while experiencing a "holo-novel," a holographic recreation that's interactive, of the Epic of Beowulf.  In the episode, two senior crew members vanish seeking the third, and it takes a fourth crew member, a holographic medical officer, to figure out how to 'defeat' Grendel, an monster from the Beowulf legend.

I find it amazing how much popular culture is inspired by that ancient tale.  A legend ancient even when it was written down by monks almost a millennium ago, the tale has inspired books, movies, and television either with direct adaptations, or using the material to tell other stories.  You've read how Tolkien looked to how the character of Beowulf acted and proved himself when writing his character Aragorn.  Michael Crichton's* The Eaters of the Dead and the movie adaptation The 13th Warrior take the tale of Beowulf and tell it through the eyes of a historical figure, a Persian historian who is said to have visited Scandinavia, where he meets Danish warriors as he left his homeland.

I find it amazing.  It might not even be a terribly complex feeling but I just couldn't help myself.  I had to talk about it.  So much of what we think is modern is influenced by the ancient.  I see it all the time on TV (when I watch it).  Marvel Comics love to take from the Norse Mythology for their Thor titles.  The show Stargate SG-1 used all manner of Egyptian and Norse mythology as inspiration for the Aliens that humanity once thought were gods.  In fact a Neil Gaiman novel that recently received major rewards for writing is called "American Gods," and it features versions of ancient Gods competing against the 'new' gods of wealth, fashion, and money.  It's just fascinating to me, and I love discovering these influences, especially in things that I love.

Did you know that the original Halo games (1-3) have a heavy Biblical influence?  I may have to write about that some time!

NaNoWriMo update!  536 words over the past 3 days.  Not the best but at least I've been writing.  Chapter 7 has been coming quicker than I expected but some of the details I'm anxious about putting on too strongly.  A certain character is quite negative toward the protagonist, but I don't want to make the character into a caricature. However, at the same time, I want to just write it, and iron out the hiccups later.  Thanks for reading!

*Corrected a mistake I made.

Things that Inspire, Part 1: Long Live the King!

Large and In Charge

Many things inspire my writing. Chief among those is "The Lord of the Rings," which I've mentioned many times, but even more so, specific things in "The Lord of the Rings" inspired specific things in my novel. For instance, my main character. In my earliest drafts, my Protagonist was inspired by my favorite character in TLotR:  Strider, aka Aragorn, son of Arathorn, heir to the throne of Gondor

Aragorn II Elessar, son of Arathorn, King of the Reunited Kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor, and all around bad ass. Early on, my main character was almost a rip off of the movie adaptions' version of Aragorn: ratty clothes, soiled leathers, elven hunting knife, born of some special legacy, gets "The Sword" and becomes "The Hero." I won't use that 'C' word but, yeah. I was a teenager and that was what I liked. Not much has changed but my character has, for the most part.

Apart from the tropes I liked, the character also appealed to me because of how the actor, Viggo Mortensen, portrayed Aragorn. In the novel, Aragorn is a character who knows that he is the heir to a kingdom and a mighty legacy, but he tends to make sure everyone knows it, too. He leaves Rivendell with the Sword of the King (unlike in the movie) and basically lets anyone who doubts him because of his vagabond appearance just who he is and why that sword he's carrying shines with the light of the sun and moon. Some quick literary analysis: Tolkien based Aragorn on the heroes of myth and legend from Northern Europe, such as Beowulf. Beowulf, if you read the translations of the surviving manuscript, is pretty much that guy who knows he's the best there is and decides, "Yeah, I can kill that beast Grendel unarmed and naked." And then does it. Then takes the next step and kills Grendel's mother. And then a Dragon. Solo. While no one-on-one monster slaying is done by Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings books, he does have some suitably heroic encounters. He faces off with all nine Ringwraiths, some of the most deadly fiends in Middle Earth, with nothing more than a mundane sword and a torch in the Fellowship of the Ring.

In the movies, however, Aragorn is portrayed as a reluctant hero. He still knows that he is the heir to a great legacy and the elves can't wait to remake that awesome sword so he can go save the world with it, but chooses a humble and honorable life as a ranger to protect those in need, fearful of the corrupting influence of power. It was that version of Aragorn, the hero that's heroic only because duty calls and would rather just be left in peace, that inspired my character. In my story, the protagonist just wanted to be a respected hunter in his village, but an encounter with an ancient plague and a need for someone to do something about it (and a dash of certain people not liking him) ends up propelling him along the heroic story arc. I don't want to spoil anything, so I won't go on any further about the plot. The other part of the character of Aragorn that inspired my own character wasn't so much something specific to Aragorn, but it's something common to the archetype Aragorn represents: The Hero. And in myths and legends, the Hero almost always has The Sword. I mentioned a few times already that Aragorn gets "The Sword" for his particular book. That sword is Anduril, the Flame of the West, forged from the shards of Narsil! Basically it's the weapon that the Bad Guy even fears because it can hurt him. Common trope. And teenage-me loved it. Get the awesome sword, be the awesome hero. Simple formula. Works just about every time. From Luke Skywalker to Eragon to Bilbo to Arthur. Getting "The Sword" means you're "The Hero," and so it shall remain for my book. Nothing new, I know, but hopefully the context within the book itself will make it better. That tends to be how these tropes work. It's not the trope itself but how it's used which makes a book unique. Again, won't divulge much, but you will see "The Sword" of my book soon. It's pretty cool.

NaNoWriMo update: Another busy day as you can tell by the late posting, but productive. Chapter 7 is under way with another 261 words typed, totaling 1277 words so far. I'm pretty sure I will get this one done this month. I have it planned out almost from start to finish, so just need to add the details. But you know what they say: The devil is in the details. Wish me luck!

Quick note:  This had pictures in it but Blogger must have messed up the html somehow, so I removed them until I can fix them.

I do not have the time to blog the armies of Mordor...

But I will blog none the less!

Lord of the Rings Reference.  Congrats if you got it.

That said, I really have had a bad day for free time.  I was considering writing a review on the Halo 5 single player campaign, but I want to do a good job and haven't had the time until 6:30 pm today.

That also means I have had little time to write for NaNoWriMo, though that does not mean I haven't written anything.  The current word count is 1016, and I finished Chapter 6!  So, I consider that an accomplishment.  At this rate I could reach 30,000 words for the month, which is no small feat!  When I edit my 'chapters' I anticipate a lot of things being reshuffled and actual chapters being made of pieces of the chunks I write.

*Two Hours Later*

Wow!  I let the night get away from me!  Today is not a good day for the blog.

A Change of Plans

The Struggle is real...

Seems my initial plan that I could get something meaningful written every day before 3pm was a gross overstatement.  That first week was easy.  But it has gotten exponentially harder to select a topic every day that would not sound like I'm rambling just to have something written.  That said, I still hope to post each day but the posts will likely be much later in the day.

As for NaNoWriMo, I have a total of 759 words typed as of this post.  At this rate I will definitely not get close to 50,000 words for the month, but we'll see what happens.  My main difficulty so far has been deciding which way to write things.  I am currently working on a segment where my main character is entering a new place, and he encounters the residents, who initially are hostile to the newcomer.  So I've been struggling deciding how they react and what those reactions would lead to.  The next part that becomes a struggle is when I get to that new area and have to describe it.  While I always have an idea of the generalities of a locations features and landmarks, translating it into words so a reader can appreciate the vision in my mind.  I stumble a great deal, often because I worry about missing details, or because I feel my initial description is suddenly inadequate.

If you would like to help, leave a comment mentioning a feature of a forest/mountain lake that would be interesting.  I happen to be a writer that loves input, because I can refine it into something that works for my novel, regardless of what it is.

That's all for today.  Since today is Election Day in the United Stated (and since I promised, "No politics") I could not think of anything substantive to discuss today.  I am also not ready to delve too deeply into novel specifics yet.  Thanks for reading!  Feel free to suggest topics for me to discuss, books I should read, games I should play, or even YouTube channels to watch.  Best wishes!

National Novel Writing Month

NaNoWriMo

AKA "Write.  Your.  Book!"

Hello readers!  Happy NaNoWriMo!  November is the time of the year where both veteran and novice writers can set a goal for themselves:  Write their d@mn book!  Or more accurately, write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days.  On top of that, there is an organization dedicated to this endeavor that offers a place for writers to post their work as well as offering tools, advice, and even encouragement to keep writing.  In order to write 50,000 words in 30 days, you have to write an average of 1667 words a day.  That's a lot, to be honest, however, it is a lot to think about.  On a good day, I could blast that out and be happy with it.  But for 30 consecutive days?  Without getting caught in Revision Hell?  Without writers block or an idea not developing properly?  Hence the support structure.

Perosnally, I know I can't write a 50,000 word novel in a month because I haven't even written 50,000 words in 12 years!  I am however, keeping track this month.  So far I have written 308, all of which come from today.  We will see how far I get by November 30, but my goals are as follows:

1. Write as much as possible.  Not a specific goal but still something I need to have as a goal because "Write as little has possible" as been my goal for a while and its not helping me write!
2. Finish chapter 6 for Tolkien's Sake!  I've had my sixth chapter staring at me for over a month or two and it's driving me crazy!  It's also a terrible reminder that I write too slow, so, "Finish It!"
3. Start chapter 7 and  also finish it!  Fingers crossed!
4. Start chapter 8, bonus points for finishing.
5. Write as much as possible.  Just so it sinks in.

I will probably compell myself to write more after posting this, but I will keep the total words typed count running all month.  I hope it gets close to 50,000!

For more about National Novel Writing Month, click the links below, and Happy Reading and Writing!

Link to the NaNoWriMo Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/nanowrimo/

Link to the NaNoWriMo Home Page:  https://www.nanowrimo.org/