Writing Excuses
Mary Robinette Kowal, Brandon Sanderson, Howard Tayler and Dan Wells
writingexcuses.com
Writing Excuses is a master class creative writing course broken up into bite sized chunks. Hosted by three best-selling novel writers and one of the internet’s most successful cartoonists, each episode goes surprisingly deep on a topic of craft in a very short amount of time. Their tag line, “Fifteen minutes long because you’re in a hurry and we’re not that smart,” is falsely modest. Each one is packed with useful tidbits from leading spec-fic authors.
Essentially secrets of the pros for those struggling to make it, Writing Excuses is on its tenth season and has a huge back catalog covering a wide variety of writing related subjects. The current season has been examining the process of creating a book from outline all the way to revision.
In addition to being useful, this podcast is also surprisingly entertaining. The four hosts have an excellent rapport with one another, and they also have a great stage presence. They also have frequent guest authors for more perspective.
In addition to the topic, each episode ends with a writing exercise or homework assignment to further illustrate the lesson.
Writing Excuses is like the greatest creative writing course you never took, taught by a quartet of engaging experts. If you are looking for an informative writing podcast, this one should be at the top of your list.
Hugh Likes Podcasts: Writing Excuses
November 18, 2015
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The Gamer’s Guide To Writing: Final Fantasy VII and 3 Act Structure Part I
November 13, 2015
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Three act structure is a form of plot found very commonly in film, but which can be used in just about every kind of story. As the name suggests, it consists of three parts: The Setup, the Confrontation, and the Resolution.
Final Fantasy VII was released by Square Soft for Sony Playstation in 1997. A breakout hit for the system, the game had a very cinematic style, and its clear narrative makes it a great example of a game with a classical three act structure. This might be at least partially due to the technological limitations of the system. FF7 originally came on three CD-Rom discs. We can look at each disc roughly equating to one ‘act’ of the three-act structure. Today let’s take a look at the first disc and how it introduces the story and characters. From here on in, we’re cutting right to spoiler territory
Disc one is the the Setup. We are introduced to ex-SOLDIER Cloud Stryfe, mercenary and former guard for the ruthless and world-controlling Shinra Electric Power Company, and Avalanche, the small band of eco-terrorists fighting against them. We meet them in Midgar, Shinra’s grimy, dystopian capital city, built in such a way that the poor are denied even sunlight.
The first act contains the Inciting Incident, the event in the story which changes the direction of the characters. In Final Fantasy VII, this is the murder of President Shinra. As the head of Shinra corporation, he serves as the main antagonist for Cloud and the others. They break into Shinra headquarters to confront him, only to discover he has already been killed by Sephiroth, a powerful SOLDIER thought to be dead. Sephiroth’s appearance as antagonist, and Shinra’s death, the trajectory of the story changes. Cloud and party escape the confines of the City of Midgar and follow Sephiroth’s trail across the expanse of the world, while they are pursued by the Turks, Shinra’s elite unit of special forces.
The first act ends with a plot point that again changes the direction of the story and propels the action into plot two. In Final Fantasy VII, this is of course another confrontation with Sephiroth and another murder. This is the infamous death of Aeris, a healer with an ancient lineage who may hold the key to stopping Sephiroth. Depending on the player, she is also probably Cloud’s primary love interest at this point. Aeris’s murder serves a dual purpose in the story. It is a setback which removes a potential solution to Sephiroth’s mysterious goals. It also raises the stakes by killing a party member and Cloud’s love interest, assuming the player chose her through his actions. This elevates the journey to find Sephiroth from a search for answers to one of revenge.
Next time, we’ll look at disc two, and discuss Rising Action as Sephiroth’s plan is put into motion, and Cloud comes face to face with who he really is.
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Hugh Likes Video Games: Dragon Quest
November 6, 2015
Hugh Likes Video Games Dragon Quest, Gaming, HLV, Hugh Likes Video Games, Mobile, RPG 1 Comment
Dragon Quest I for Android
Created by Yuji Horii
Published by Square Enix
Square Enix is not a company that is shy about porting its classic games to new platforms. WIth three of the most beloved Japanese Role Playing Game brands in their stable, it’s easy to see why. And with the ubiquity of mobile gaming, it is only good business for them to move into the tablet and phone market. But while many of these ports have been based on early updates such as the DS or PSP ports of early Final Fantasy games, the mobile port of Dragon Quest seems to be developed for the phone.
Dragon Quest, which was called “Dragon Warrior” when it was released in North America, was a full-on phenomenon in Japan but never quite took off in the United States. The U.S. never even saw the two Super Famicom itterations of the series until they were released for the Nintendo DS in 2009 and 2011.
The mobile version of Dragon Quest is a bit to get used to but retains all the charm of the original. The first surprise is that it runs in portrait rather than landscape orientation. I was put off at first, but it actually works with the game’s graphical style quite well. DQ is arguably the first true Japanese Role Playing Game, and a lot of the tropes of the subgenre start here. Like the original, battles take place in windows that pop up on the map rather than transitioning to their own screen. This actually works really well in portrait mode once you get used to it. The sprites seem to come from one of the 16-bit versions of the game, and look great, but remain simple. The soundtrack is a gorgeous, high fidelity version that sounds great, even out of the rear speaker on my Galaxy S5. The english translation is based on Dragon Warrior’s psuedo-Shakespearian script, which is fine, but reads oddly printed in an arial font. Windows have the original black bubble quality, but commands are on phone buttons that look a little off. These all felt a little distracting, but don’t get in the way of the experience.
The gameplay itself, aside from a few shortcuts from the menu, remains unchanged. This is great, but as the origin of the JRPG, it still has some rough edges. Be ready to spend a lot of time leveling up, and accept that sometimes the game will kill you and there will have been nothing you could have done to prevent it. Also be prepared to wander a bit. It’s still a fun and entertaining experience, but this game doesn’t hold your hand.
If you’re looking for a bit of a gaming history lesson, or if you’re an older gamer looking for a nostalgic refresher, Dragon Quest I for mobile platforms is a bit to get used to, but does an excellent job delivering a classic game. You can download it from your preferred app store.
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Hugh Likes Podcasts: Supervillian Corner
November 2, 2015
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Supervillain Corner
Written, Produced, and Hosted by Christopher Morse
supervilliancorner.podbean.com
How do you bring a super-villain to life? For actor and podcaster Christopher Morse, it seems like it’s as easy as opening his mouth. The creator of Supervillain Corner, Chris steps into the roles of a huge cast of powered villains and heroes, from the brilliant Professor Brainfever to the ever-vigilant Nocturnal Knight. Every wanted to how heroes find time to fall in love, or what to do when your diabolical plan is foiled? This podcast has the answers.
Each episode is hosted by a different character as they reveal a little bit of their world and give advice to would-be rulers of the world or saviors. And when Chris isn’t behind the mic, he gets a little help from stellar podcasting talents like Christiana Ellis, Dave Robison, and Veronica Giguere.
Obviously it can’t be as easy as all that, though, because the effort that goes in to each episode really shows. From the sharp-witted and gloriously nerdy scripts to the impeccable voice-work and sound design, this is an outstanding and enjoyable program worth more than any doomsday device. I especially enjoy the in-world promos that Chris includes in every episode. From Superhero tailors and costume designers to Henchperson H R services and Supervillain dating websites, they’re hilarious and spot on.
Supervillain Corner has been on hiatus for far too long, but has just launched its third season, “Supervillain World.” Chris has always peppered in an ongoing plot with his villainous hijinks and advice, and this is a great place for new listeners to jump onboard.
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Going beyond National Novel Writing Month
November 1, 2015
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Today is November first, and for the first time in ten years, I’m not starting a novel for National Novel Writing Month. I’ve taken part in the 50,000-word writing challenge every year since I’ve heard about it in 2005. I haven’t always won, and a few years I bailed on the project early when other things in my life overwhelmed me, but I always went for it. But I haven’t done much of anything with the manuscripts, even the ones I thought had real potential.
I’m not sure where my fear of editing came from, but what kind of writer doesn’t finish what he started? So rather than start yet another new project, I’ve decided to dedicate this year to editing. If I can write that much in a month, I should be able to edit a good chunk of it. My goal is to have a beta-ready draft of my 2014 NaNo project, “Fabulous Powers” to hand off to beta readers by the end of the month. This might be a bit ambitious, but I want to try.
National Novel Writing Month has always been about quantity over quality, but I’ve taken the ethos a bit too much to heart, I think. I’ve produced a lot of words, and never shown them off or polished them. So I’ve put my formal announcement here. Gentle reader, please hold me to account. Notice the widget on the side of the page, charting my progress to 80,000 words.
And if you are an aspiring writer, let me urge you to take the plunge in my stead this year. It still isn’t too late to sign up. National Novel Writing Month is a challenge, and it isn’t an easy one, but it was the push that inspired me to write in the first place. It gave me the opportunity to meet an incredible group of writers in my area, who gave me encouragement, inspiration, and companionship on my writer’s journey. NaNoWriMo was the starting gate for my journey as a writer, and while I’m not as far as I would like to be, I’d have never gotten there without it. See you at the end of November.
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Hugh Likes Comics: New Avengers
October 30, 2015
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New Avengers # 1
Written by Al Ewing
Drawn by Gerrardo Sandoval
Published by Marvel Comics
With almost an entire line of new comics coming out, Marvel probably has most of my immediate attention. Particularly after the variety of neat stories that came out of Battleworld. There are a lot of new ideas and re-imaginings to come, but one of the books I’m most excited about is New Avengers.
The interesting thing about the book is that by most marketing standards, it shouldn’t work. It’s a superhero team made entirely of legacy heroes, supporting characters, and C-listers. And that is why I really hope it succeeds.
Organized by mutant billionaire Roberto Da Costa (A. K. A. Sunspot,) the team consists of former Master of Evil/Thunderbolt Songbird, the newest White Tiger, Power Man Victor Alvarez (not Luke Cage,) Wiccan and Hulkling from the Young Avengers, and Squirrel Girl. Hawkeye is also presented as a potential recruit. Da Costa tells him he was ‘hoping for the other one.’ Squirrel Girl’s sidekick Tippy-toe is also a member. Together they represent Avengers Idea Mechanics, a global problem-solving team.
The thing that really works about this team is that writer Al Ewing really understands the voices of these characters and gives them all a chance to interact naturally with each other. The writing for everyone is very on-point, with Squirrel Girl attempting to reason with the bad guys and Wiccan and Hulkling showing characteristic empathy and concern. The whole concept of Sunspot trying to solve crises by throwing misfit teen superheroes at them from his Pacific Island Fortress is ludicrous yet so entirely in keeping with the character that I’m completely sold.
The art is solid, but not without its nitpicks. Sandoval’s designs have a delightfully energetic Saturday morning cartoon feel, with exaggerated features and not-quite proportional limbs. Stylistic choices aside, a few of the characters feel a bit off model, and occasionally drawn from unusual angles. Squirrel girl seems to be missing her tail, for instance. He feels a bit uncomfortable with the characters, but his style is charming enough that I hope he either relaxes or makes the designs more his own as the series goes on.
New Avengers is a delightful new comic that brings back some of my favorite characters without relying too heavily on an encyclopedic backstory to enjoy the book. It’s a great introduction, and I can’t wait to see where their adventures take them next. New Avengers is available from Comixology, the Marvel app, or your local comics shop.
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Hugh Likes Fiction: Envy of Angels
October 28, 2015
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Envy of Angels
Written by Matt Wallace
Published by Tor
What would you do for your dream job? Two struggling line chefs are forced to grapple with that question when they are hired by Sin Du Jour, a very exclusive catering company with a most unusual clientele.
Sin Du Jour caters for demons. And goblins, and a host of other supernatural creatures that the rest of the world thinks are myths. But when Sin Du Jour is contracted to serve a post-treaty signing banquet for warring demon tribes, the menu might be more than they can stomach.
Filled with quirky characters, shocking twists, and clever high concepts, Matt Wallace’s Envy of Angels is a delightfully weird novella. He has a wonderful talent of pulling out a new reveal just when you think the story has gone as far as it can. It’s not an adventure so much as it is a magic show. You keep turning the page less to see if the heroes will make it than to see what kind of three-headed fire-breathing rabbit Wallace will pull out of his hat next.
He mixes this with an ability to draw out sympathy for his characters in remarkably efficient language. He can make you hate a character and then deliver a get-punch you never saw coming in the space of a single paragraph. It makes for a fast read that is difficult to put down.
This brief and blustery novella might not be for everyone, however. The short length and large cast means that as much as I was rooting for these characters, I didn’t get to know them quite as well as I’d have liked to. We get one or two details, then the book barrels onward. Much of the second act is also set away from the kitchen, which puts supposed main characters Lena and Darren out of the reader’s eye to follow another team of Sin Du Jour employees. It still makes for an interesting read, but it isn’t a traditional narrative by any stretch. The ending also feels a bit abrupt.
Even though it doesn’t quite fill the belly as much as a novel, Envy of Angels is a satisfying first course in Matt Wallace’s “Sin Du Jour” series. Check it out in print or ebook!
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Hugh Likes Comics: Ms. Mavel
October 14, 2015
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Ms. Marvel
Written by G. Willow Wilson
Drawn by Adrian Alphona, and others.
Published by Marvel Comics
Spider-Man was the quintessential teen superhero. When he was introduced in the early sixties, teens in comics were either sidekicks like Robin, or less genre characters like Archie. But Peter Parker both fought villains and managed the travails of family and high school. Marvel has attempted to replicate this formula many times since, with varying levels of success. The most recent, and possibly most successful attempt, is “Ms. Marvel” by G. Willow Wilson and drawn by Adrian Alphona.
Kamala Khan is a Pakistani-American Girl living in Jersey City. When a supernatural event gives her superpowers, she has to figure out how to navigate being a costumed heroine like her idols, Captain Marvel and the Avengers, while also dealing with her daily life.
“Ms. Marvel” is great because it is authentic where most most pulp fiction goes over the top. That isn’t to say that this isn’t a comic full of super-heroic action and giant robots, because it totally is. But WIlson has taken great care in not only creating deep characters, but also presenting a broad range of characters within the community of Jersey City. Identity is the central theme of this story, and the level of nuance she brings to the topic is stunning for a funny-book.
In a marked contrast to Stan Lee’s throwing a mountain of slang against the wall and seeing what sticks, WIlson starts off her book talking about concern trolling. In a media landscape where the Muslim community is so often reduced to images of terrorism and privation, this is a huge deal.
Kamala’s rebelliousness and her struggle with her own identity plays out nicely against her shapeshifting powers. When she gains them, she says she would like to be her hero, Captain Marvel, ‘in the classic, politically incorrect costume, and kick butt in giant wedge heels.’ but when she turns into that, she finds it is entirely wrong for her. She’s at her most powerful when she uses her powers to stretch or heal herself. Basically, she’s a shapeshifter who turns into herself, which is a really clever concept, especially in a teenage book.
Alphona’s art is great as well. His style is sketchier here than it was in previous cult-hit teen comic “Runaways,” but he still shows that he really gets how to draw teenagers, who all too often in comics come out looking like slightly shorter adults.
While the directness of this comic might be a bit off putting to adults, this is a perfect comic for teens of all kinds. And the reveal of the bad guy, The Inventor, is so much perfect comics fun, that I won’t spoil it here. But is well worth checking out for that moment alone.
Ms. Marvel is available from Comixology, The Marvel Unlimited App, or your local comics shop.
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Hugh Likes Podcasts: The Fantasticast
October 12, 2015
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The Fantasticast
Stephen Lacey and Andrew Leyland
https://fantasticflameon.wordpress.com/
One of the advantages of digital comics is that issues that were once collectors items are easily available for modern readers. Wether through reprinted omnibuses, black and white ‘essential editions,’ DVD editions, or online stores, there are more ways to read comics than ever before. Which in turn means that issues that might have been lost to time can be reexamined, enjoyed, and picked apart. Which is just what the Fantasticast does.
A team-up of two veteran comics podcasters, Steve Lacey of “Twenty Minute Long Box,” and Andrew Leyland of “Hey Kids, Comics!” The Fantasticast sets out to summarize, celebrate, and take the piss out of every issue and appearance of “The Fantastic Four,” in order. With well over six-hundred issues and innumerable guest appearances, this is no small task. After 100-and-something episodes, they’ve just gone from their original appearance in 1961 to the early seventies.
I’ve been listening along issue-by-issue using the Marvel Unlimited app, and it is great fun. Andrew and Steve have a great rapport, and it is interesting to hear the perspective of British fans to so American a medium as silver-age Marvel comics. The show is a lot of fun, and balances humor, reverence for the subject matter, and intelligent perspective quite well. Their synopses are entertaining and complete, and listeners don’t need a long box handy to follow along.
The Fantasticast is certainly a by-fans-for-fans presentation, and I don’t know if it would hold much interest for listeners who aren’t interested in the origins of the Marvel universe, or the Fantastic Four in particular, but it is well done and worth a listen for the comics geek who wants a bit of light perspective along with their heroism.
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Hugh Likes Video Games: Castlevania Aria of Sorrow
October 9, 2015
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Hugh Likes Video Games: Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
Konami
Game Boy Advance, 2003
Today we’re skipping ahead a few years to look at “Aria of Sorrow,” the last of the ‘Metrovania’-style Castlevania games for the Game Boy Advance. This means that rather than consisting of numbered platforming stages that the player must complete in order, the game is instead one large 2-D map, with the player gaining access to new areas through the use of special abilities. For example, once the player gets the ability jump in mid-air, they can reach higher platforms and thus reach corridors they couldn’t previously. In the Castlevania series, this format started properly in Symphony of the Night for the Sega Saturn and Sony Playstaion.
Aria of Sorrow breaks with tradition in that rather than being set in the middle ages or 19th Century, this game takes place in the future. The game is set in 2035, but the future date doesn’t play much into it, except that you can score a sweet laser rifle later in the game. But at that point, your other options include powerful holy weapons, so it’s not really an upgrade. No cybernetic werewolves or anything.
The main character is Soma Cruz, an American teenager living in Japan. When he goes to watch a solar eclipse at a shrine operated by a childhood friend, he passes out. When he wakes up, he finds himself in Dracula’s Castle, and in possession of inexplicable power. As Soma makes his way through the castle in search of answers, he meets sinister missionaries, amnesiac exorcists, and other mysterious people.
Aria of Sorrow pushes the GBA to its limit with absolutely gorgeous graphics and a sprawling castle filled with monsters. Soma’s powers are a neat twist of the Castlevania formula, and encourage exploration in search of new souls to win and try out. It would be nice if they weren’t quite so rare, and packed a bit more of a punch, though. Especially early in the game, they don’t have the same heft to them as the classic subweapons. While this does give a sense of progress to the game as the player collects stronger and stronger abilities, it can be a grind to collect them.
Overall, “Aria of Sorrow” is a definite hit in the Castlevania score sheet, and not to be missed. If you can’t find a used copy of the cartridge, it is also available as a download from the WiiU store.
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