Pop quiz: is that a man, or a woman, slaying that dragon? I’ve been playing a lot of Skyrim lately, between shifts at the day job and stabs at the rewrite. Even when it’s not entirely on my brain, the experience lingers, reminding me of quests to finish and things to craft at my local… Continue reading The Women of Skyrim
Don't Go Easy
While working on the revision for the fantasy novel, I realized something that’d passed me by on my previous edits. Well, I say ‘revision’ but mostly what I’m doing is falling under ‘rewrite’. I’m taking large chunks of my old draft, keeping what works, and cutting out what doesn’t. There’s a brand-new opening for our… Continue reading Don't Go Easy
IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! The Last Samurai
[No audio this week; RIP old headset. 🙁 ] I had originally planned this for no other reason than the sake of novelty. I am, after all, not the only small-time Internet movie critic consistently cranking out reviews for the benefits of whomever takes the time to read my words. I have a Canadian counterpart… Continue reading IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! The Last Samurai
Giving Thanks
This is just a quick list of things for which I’m giving thanks this year. I’m employed by a good company with great coworkers, decent pay and actual benefits. I have a place of my own to live in even if it gets a bit cramped sometimes. My wife continues to put up with me,… Continue reading Giving Thanks
More Commanders Gather
Modification work by hyperespace, original art by aditya777 While I’ve been interested in Friday Night Magic and standard formats since Innistrad has hit the shelves, Elder Dragon Highlander (“Commander” for you latecomers) remains perhaps my favorite variant of Magic: the Gathering. It favors creative deck construction, the gameplay is best when shared with multiple people… Continue reading More Commanders Gather
That Skyrim Bug
This world is what you make of it. He worked the bellows, breathing more life into the forge’s fires. Any moment the flames would be hot enough for him to begin beating the iron into the appropriate shapes. He wondered if any of the early morning passers-by in Whiterun found it odd that their thane… Continue reading That Skyrim Bug
Flash Fiction: Number One with a Bullet
For the flash fiction challenge, “Frog Powder Seagull Tower Scissors“. The soldier emerged from the water, as silently as possible. The fort was made to repel entire armies, not one man. He crept through the corridors, storerooms and shadows. Every step brought him closer to his goal. The general was bent over his map. The… Continue reading Flash Fiction: Number One with a Bullet
IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! La Femme Nikita
[No audio this week; RIP old headset. 🙁 ] In 1990, American film audiences were clearly craving action films like Die Hard and Lethal Weapon over the ultra-macho likes of First Blood, Commando and the works of Charlie Bronson and Chuck Norris. Even in the groundbreaking days that set new standards for such entertainment, women… Continue reading IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! La Femme Nikita
The Desert Bus Cometh
(With apologies to Lewis Carroll) The time has come, (the Alchemist said) To talk of many things: Of busses — and cards — and handmade-crafts Of children and of kings. Once a year they gather there, A fanciful base on the moon – (Granted, we know it’s actually Canada, but don’t spoil it so soon!)… Continue reading The Desert Bus Cometh
The Dark Depths of Writing
Courtesy Floating Robes You can’t say I haven’t warned you. Living with writers is a tricky business at times. Look here, here and here for some of the proof. Over and above any cautionary tale you might here from the trenches is a deeper truth that is ever-present but rarely discussed. Writers, especially creators of… Continue reading The Dark Depths of Writing