Phil sat in traffic and waited. The day had been a complete mess. A river of red taillights spread out ahead of him, mirroring the color of the slowly sinking City Sun. It was usually sunny, and inclement weather was rare in The City. Rain you couldn’t feel took away from the illusion and freaked people out. Finally, traffic began to move. There was a cop directing things somewhere ahead of him, manipulating a pair of giant glowing sticks like an air traffic controller. Finally. Phil had places to be. He needed to log out and pick up his kids.
The City: 076: Phil
January 12, 2015
Free Fiction, The City 140 Characters, Drabble, Phil, The City, Traffic Leave a comment
ICYMI-Doings for the week of January 4, 2015
January 9, 2015
In Case You Missed It Bloggoing, hugh, ICYMI, podcasting, review, The City, The Way of the Buffalo Leave a comment
Here’s to the end of the first full week of 2015! It’s been a busy one around here, and you may have missed something, so here’s the week that was in the world of Hugh:
On Sunday, I announced my Page of Awesome writing and podcasting goals for the year.
On Monday, I launched a new article series, The Gamer’s Guide to Writing. We’re starting off with an in depth look at plotting with Final Fantasy IX. You can check out our introduction HERE.
On Tuesday, I reviewed the podcast Wham Bam Pow with Cameron Esposito!
Wednesday saw the release of The Way of the Buffalo Podcast episode 79! Go and have a listen to the short story “The Pen Was Mightier,” by Rish Outfield!
On Thursday, I reviewed “The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl” #1, written by Ryan North and drawn By Erica Henderson!
And of course, there were five new installments of The City: A Story in 140 Characters!
That’s not a bad start to the year, if I do say so myself. Keep this site bookmarked for more free daily content, and if you like what you’re seeing, leave a comment, or support me on Patreon!
The City: 075: Erin
January 9, 2015
Free Fiction, The City 140 Characters, CPD, Drabble, Erin, Midas Corp, The City Leave a comment
Erin stood in the crowd that ringed the barriers, and hoped her record function was getting all of this. The crowd was full of Citizens and Daytrippers. In a disaster, class was irrelevant. She was a reporter, and this was her moment. The fire and smoke had cleared away, leaving half the building ruined and sooty. The glass had vanished rather than shattered. The top few floors were gone as well, as though they were never there. In their place, there was a tear in the sky, pulsating violet and black. It was like staring into the face of God.
Hugh Likes Comics: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl
January 8, 2015
Hugh Likes Comics, Review Erica Henderson, HLC, Hugh Likes Comics, Marvel, review, Ryan North, Squirrel Girl, Unbeatable Squirrel Girl 1 Comment
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #1
Written by Ryan North
Drawn by Erica Henderson
Published by Marvel Comics
Some comics are meant to amaze. They sculpt years of storytelling continuity into jaw-dropping moments of greatness. Some comics are meant to shock, taking familiar tropes or safe concepts and turning them on their head by framing them in the harsh light of gritty realism.
And some comics are just plain fun. I suspect “The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl” falls into the third category. The eponymous S G is Doreen Green, a jokey Z-lister with the a fluffy tail, a prominent overbite, and the proportional strength and speed of a squirrel. She also has no idea how to operate outside of the superhero mode, which is about to make her first day of college very interesting.
Written by Dinosaur Comics creator Ryan North and drawn by indie artist Erica Henderson, this book will feel familiar to anyone familiar with their work. It’s a light, breezy tale filled with misappropriated superhero theme songs, squirrel (fish) out of water humor, and even alt text printed on the bottom of each page. Even the art has a softer, more cartoonish quality that lends itself well to North’s wacky script. This isn’t going to be one of those comics that changes everything, but it was a lot of fun, and I can’t wait to see what kind of trouble Doreen and her pet squirrel/sidekick Tiptoe get into with her cat-obsessed roommate, oh, and it looks like she might have to save the world after all, too.
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl is available from Comixology or your local comics shop.
The City 074: Harold
January 8, 2015
Free Fiction, The City 140 Characters, CPD, Drabble, Harold, Kumar, The City Leave a comment
While his partner swore and tried to find a non-clogged street route towards the bay, Harold frantically checked the police band. Something bad was happening back at Midas Tower, but in the chaos, he couldn’t sort out what it was. The system didn’t have a dispatcher, and the computer algorithm couldn’t keep up with the traffic
“We should go back,” He said. Kumar scoffed.
“We should get the bastard that did this. Maybe he’ll know how to stop it.”
“But there could be officers down back there.”
“Virtual avatars. Just bullshit to cover his escape.” Kumar blared the siren
The City: 073: Sol
January 7, 2015
Free Fiction, The City 140 Characters, Drabble, Midas Corp, Sol, The City, Zombies Leave a comment
Sol worked on the 87th floor. She was an accountant, and she thought working ‘on site’ in The City to be the most tedious and ridiculous part of her job. The commitment to simulation cost her at least ten man-hours a week alone! She was in the supply closet, searching for virtual toner her virtual printer, grumbling, when the wall of fire hit. As a result, she was the only survivor. Afterwards, she peeked her head out, and saw the charred ruins and the prone bodies, horrified. She screamed and ran when the dead stood and shambled towards her.
Hugh Likes Podcasts: Wham Bam Pow!
January 6, 2015
Hugh Likes Podcasts, Review Cameron Esposito, Hugh Likes Podcasts, movies, podcasting, review, Rhea Butcher, Ricky Carmona, Wham Bam Pow 1 Comment
Hosts: Cameron Esposito, Rhea Butcher, and Ricky Carmona
Presented by the Maximum Fun Network
I really enjoy movie review podcasts. But the podosphere is clogged with them, and most of them, while fine, often boil down to the same thing: White dudes arguing about Star Wars. “Wham, Bam, Pow!” is something a bit different.
Hosted by comedian Cameron Esposito, along with her fiancé Rhea Butcher and Ricky Carmona, it is a movie podcast with nary a dude-bro in sight. The hosts have a different perspective on ‘dick flicks’ like “Interstellar” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” than your typical podcast. In addition to being refreshing, insightful and hilarious, the hosts tackle issues like gender and race representation in Hollywood.
In addition to reviewing a film each episode, the trio discusses movie news and includes segments such as movie snack recommendations and making fictional movie pitches, which are great, although not quite as sharp as Disasterpiece Theatre.
Wham Bam Pow is a smart, funny movie review podcast that will change the way you look at movies. It is a part of the Maximum Fun network, and can be downloaded from iTunes or your preferred podcatcher.
The City: 072: Kastor
January 6, 2015
Free Fiction, The City 140 Characters, CPD, Drabble, Kastor, Midas Corp, The City Leave a comment
Kastor stood by the stairs and listened to the chatter on the police band cut off. Floor by floor it just cut out. In an analog system there would have been static, but it just cut to eerie silence in a staccato rhythm as whatever was happening hit floor after floor. The disarming didn’t go as planned, apparently. He swore and patched in.
“This is Petrosky on Floor 75. Change of plans. This is now an evacuation. Get the whole building cleared out, on the double.” He opened the door to the cubicle farm and hoped there was enough time.
The Gamer’s Guide to Writing: An Introduction
January 5, 2015
Gamer's Guide to Writing, Gaming, Writing Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy IX, Gamer's Guide to Writing, Gaming, Writing 2 Comments
IMG courtesy of Gamefaqs.com
Like many genre writers, I enjoy playing video games, and I often complain that my gaming addiction is taking time away from my writing, and vice-versa. But I’ve found that in some ways, my love of gaming has had a great impact on my writing. Even in a genre that is generally panned for its presentation of script and plot, an observant writer can still pick up pointers about what to do, and what to avoid. This blog is a look at some of the lessons I’ve picked up in my many years behind a game pad.
A game I’d like to look at first is “Final Fantasy IX.” Launched in the U.S. in November of 2000, it is often overlooked because of the timing of its release. It came out at the tail end of the Sony Playstation’s lifecycle, a full month after the blockbusting premier of the Playstation 2. Even though the game pushed the console to its limits, it was competing against more dazzling technology. It also has an awkward place in the franchise, between the panned “Final Fantasy VIII” the next year’s revolutionary “Final Fantasy X” for the PS2.
None the less, FFIX is an excellent source for writers looking at plot, structure, character, and theme. Over the next series of posts, I’ll be drilling deep into the plot of the game, examining the presentation and hunting for literary gold, as Dave Robision would say. Think of this like a very different sort of walkthrough. Instead of looking for secrets to success in the game, I’ll be looking for hints to improve writing craft. Spoilers obviously will be a part of this project. So if you have an old set of discs gathering dust, or a few bucks of Playstation Network credit lying around, come join me as we examine how a classic game tells a great story.
Next week, we’ll look at compact character introductions, and what we can learn from the title screen!
Final Fantasy IX was originally released for the Sony Playstation and is also available as a digital download on Playstation Network.
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The City: 071: Anka
January 5, 2015
Free Fiction, The City 140 Characters, Anka, CPD, Drabble, Midas Corp, The City Leave a comment
Anka glared at the police officers as they wound their way through the maze of cubicle half-walls. Who did they think they were? The cops were the company’s token nod to the idea of an outside authority, a fictional check against the truth: Midas Corporation ruled The City, absolutely. What purpose did they think to serve by this ridiculous show of force? Eventually, they would have to withdraw, embarrassed and humiliated. Midas would issue a statement of ‘apology’ and things would carry on. Midas was invulnerable. These were her last thoughts before the wall of flame swept the office.
