How write you are.

Yes, it's a stupid pun, I know.

I'm taking a break from A Game of Thrones (Which is awesome by the way, can't believe I haven't read it yet) and am reading a few books that I hope will get me started in my own writing. It's something I've wanted to do for years and well, no time like the present to start.

The first book I read was How Not To Write A Novel by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman. A few hundred examples of how to easily make your novel unpublishable, unreadable drivel. Most of which are actually pretty entertaining to read in an "It's so bad it's good" way. I went and looked back at a few things I've written before and it's nice to be able to go back and see my mistakes and try and correct them.

The two I'm reading now are a book that actually tries to teach you how to put together a compelling story, and one that analyzes stories that have been told the world over and have withstood the test of time: The Anatomy of Story by John Truby and The Hero With A Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell.

The Anatomy of Story is taking me step by step through the process of identifying the type of story I want to tell, and how to build a premise into a coherent and entertaining piece of literature. What I love most about it is Rule #1: "Write something that will change your life." I mean, how can you back down from that if you're serious about getting published? Once you decide to write something that you know will leave you changed when you've punctuated the last sentence, even if the book isn't published haven't you accomplished something? And doesn't the drive to complete it just become greater? Well, I hope so.

Campbell's book was first published back in 1949, and remains today inspiration for some of the world's finest filmmakers and novelists. Certain executives and actors from Disney and LucasArts even tag it as "The most influential book of the twentieth century." In an era that saw works ranging from The Grapes of Wrath, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, and To Kill A Mockingbird amongst dozens of others that is some pretty heavy praise. Campbell's work breaks down the role of myths in the course of humanity, why they are similar the world over despite no cross contamination of ideas, and in the end plots the course of the heroes journey, and the paths of those he meets along the way. It is an incredibly informative read which I am very much enjoying, and though it sometimes reads like a textbook, it has been well worth it so far. I highly recommend a copy to anyone thinking about writing seriously and to any person who is even slightly academically inclined to pick up a copy.

Once these books are both done I should have something resembling a story outline, or maybe even a first draft if I'm lucky of something that I consider worthy of writing. Even if it doesn't eventually get published, it's a start.

Back to King Minos and his failure to complete the cycle of death and rebirth.

Seriously, go pick it up.

Really.

Really really.

Music Moves Me

Today's post title comes from a song I learned back in chorus in elementary school. I was walking to class today and I started humming a song, and it took me to while it was a song I had learned when I had barely turned 10. I was astounded that I still knew at least a few verses of the song's lyrics. I never believed my director that I would remember this stuff for the rest of my life, and I guess so far she's right and I'm wrong.

The point of this post however is not just to reminisce about when songs were a hell of a lot simpler to learn, but to remark that music does move me, moves us, it's something that is in all of our lives whether we are really into it and devote our lives to becoming a part of it or just like rocking out at a bar. Think about it, it's rare that we don't have some sort of music on around us, in the car, in the shower, in the kitchen, working out, on TV, a song stuck in our heads, or you could go August Rush, and hear the distinct beats of the wind and of the neighbor kids playing hockey, and of the people walking around you.

And the sheer variety of it is staggering. There is something for everyone. Even for people that hate music, there are artists that have songs that are nothing but silence. The entire track. People listen to books on tape, they listen to comedy, or the sound of the ocean on 6 CD's for pete's sake!

I don't care if you listen to classical, prog rock, rap, country, metal, show tunes, soundtracks, eight tracks, rock, roll, bluegrass, or Gregorian chants. As long as you have music in your life, I'm a happy man.

Now playing: American Idiot (The Original Broadway Cast)

Yeah, it's actually pretty good.

Also, for your listening and viewing pleasure, courtesy AniMusic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toXNVbvFXyk&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyCIpKAIFyo&feature=channel

It's been a really long time since...

I've done a book review. In fact the last one was my second post since starting the blog. And though it was incredible, John Dies at the End did NOT manage to stay at number one throughout the entire year. The book (Or series really) that managed to take number one for the year 2010 (Though it was not published in 2010, I just read them then, hey a rhyme!) is The Codex Alera by Jim Butcher.

Not only did the Codex displace JDatE as my book of the year, it is now fearlessly fighting with the Ender Quartet by Orson Scott Card for my favorite series of books in any year, ever.

Butcher's characters are wonderful and (Though a little predictable) some of the most loved ones I've ever experienced. His plots and stories and subplots are all fantastically interwoven and I can not remember ever being drawn this far into a story to the point where I bought the first 5 books TWICE (Once in print once in E-Book) just so I could have them on a shelf and carry them all around together.

Even if you aren't that interested in fantasy, please, do yourself a favor and read them.

The full story from Book 1: Furies of Calderon to Book 6: First Lord's Fury follows citizens of the little known Calderon Valley, a place so isolated from the rest of Alera that it is often only remembered as the place the Princep's of the realm died. As the story goes along young Tavi, our main protagonist, ever starry eyed and filled with will and hope stumbles on to a plot to overthrow the realm that has lasted and withstood all threats for 1000 years. This boy Tavi who unlike the ENTIRE population of the rest of Alera is without his own furies.

On to the topic of furies Butcher is very different from your standard Tolkien-esque fantasy filled with dwarves, elves, and trolls. As a matter of fact not one of those creatures is to be found in The Codex. Instead you will be treated to the monstrous yet wise Canim, a giant race that can only be described as wolves who walk upright and stand nearly 10 feet tall. And also to the viscious Icemen of the North, who have been warring with Alera past the time when anyone remembers why. The Marat also are of critical importance, looked on as savages but who are wise, strong, and lead a much simpler and as they are inclined to think (And are probably right) better life than most Aleran fools. And a dark enemy, older than all of the land of Carna, whose name still brings fear to even the most skilled and fortified warriors.

But as the last paragraph alludes to the furies are what set Alerans apart. They are spirits of the earth, sky, water, metal and flame. Alerans alone control them, giving them strength, speed, unnatural extended youth, and the power to become masters of their own land. It is in Tavi that we find will and courage and a quick wit are true weapons, and no amount of furycraft can replace a sharp mind and an unbreakable spirit.

6 out of 5. 10 out of 5. Amazing series and one everyone should at least try before the die. I loved it from cover to cover, and it will always hold a cherished place on my shelf, and in my heart.

Dusty in here

So as you all have probably noticed (All two of you anyways) I've been gone for quite some time. Why you ask? Well, as I told my other inquiring friends (Ok you got me, inquiring friend) it is a giant mixture of laziness, work, and a whole lot more laziness.

Anyways I figure before I get back to writing here I should catch up on some stuff.

First of all is my weight. I've hit a setback. Well more like an angry red brick wall covered in unhappiness. I fell off the wagon and topped out at 284.4 last week. However I'm back on the wagon as of that weigh in and am now down to 279.2 and falling.

In the hopes of tricking my brain into co-operating more with the workout routine I just today went out and purchased a Kinect for the Xbox 360 my wonderful girlfriend of five years bought me for our anniversary.

Second of all I've started reading a hilariously amazing new book by Timothy Ferris entitled The Four Hour Body that promises if I should follow it I can be at my goal weight (185) by the time I go to Europe on May 18th. That five pound loss mentioned above was week one of my diet involving lots and lots of lean protein and cutting out dairy and carbs. (Basically) And since this past week was filled with adjusting to the new diet and a bit of cheating, I feel that the next few weeks are going to go even better.

Back to losing weight and the Kinect I did have to go about making space for it in my room. And the messiest place in my room just happens to be my closet. I've been meaning to clean it out for a very long time, years actually. I never imagined that it would hold so much CRAP though.

Behold my crap:



And that isn't even showung the fullness of the bin on the right, the stuff I have crammed in the bags on the left, and the stuff that is actually piled BEHIND the bed. Now that it's all in the basement though I have this:




A place to put my shoes, and stash all of my games in an organized manner.

Here's hoping this New Year let's me clean up more than just my closet.

There are also a few happy little memories I found inside my closet while cleaning it though, like this little guy:



At one time filled with sugary goodness and now just a cool little trinket from the one I love.

And this:



A wonderful picture of a thinner me and my lovely Sarah at the Empire State Building. I think this was back in 200...6? 7?

Lordy how time doth fly.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled zombiepocalypse

I recently got back into a great low-tech browser based game called Urban Dead. The closed off city of Malton has been overtaken by pseudo-mindless flesh eating meat bags and only the residents and the military that's been dropped in remain. The graphics are low, but the gameplay is pretty immersive. The history of the game is also pretty staggering, and what got me in in the first place.

The Malton Iditarod, where the bravest and boldest race around the city limits from corner to corner, avoiding zombies from street block to street block. The winner gets bragging rights for the year, the losers generally wind up wandering zeds. But they can be revived so all is cool.

Ridleybank. Zed headquarters. The center of the city and off limits to all but the most powerful and daring survivors. The nerve center of the entire zombie operation has never been held for more than a few days, but I was part of one such siege and depsite the lack of graphics and sound a moment in gaming has never been more tense.

Mall Tour and the Legend of Caiger Mall. In a zombie filled world, a land filled with supplies, stores of all kind, and heavily barricaded doors is very very well guarded. Until a group of zombies started to gather to historic proportions and swept through the city streets one by one. Destroying hospitals, police stations, pixelated lives one by one. And the malls fell, each in their own turn, one by one. But then...at the end of the tour, when the Horde was at it's greatest and humanity in Malton down to it's last desperate holdout...one mall stood up. Caiger mall repelled the zombies week after week, and eventually Mall Tour ended not only in failure, but as the first great victory for humanity, and the first great Human Citadel of Hope.

I recently came back as a newbie, having forgotten all my old characters names and passwords. Caiger is a zombie held hellhole, the surrounding area zed haven or ghost town, devoid of all human life and zed non-life. The south of Malton has developed into new human strongholds, previously zombie territory. Ridleybank is still very much off-limits, as is most of Northern Malton now.

Join the fight my fellow air breathers! Urban Dead awaits! I will hopefully be keeping a journal of the daily travels of Jacob MacCrain, an advanced scout forgotten by the military and without resources in a foreign combat zone.

The Sleeper Has Awakened

So for the past few weeks I've been really good on my diet and workout schedule. I did work out this morning and got a pretty good one, but I overate terribly today, which in the past usually means I step on the scale the next day and I'm 4 or even 6 pounds heavier. Today however, I'm barely a pound heavier than my last weigh in despite copious amounts of over-eating.

It seems that my metabolism, long since put into a coma by years of World of Warcraft, videogames and processed crap food, has actually started to wake up and become a semi-efficient fat burner. Really it's pretty awesome.

School starts monday so I'm gonna have to wake up earlier, which in the end is just gonna make the ride cooler anyways. I'm interested to see what the final weight count is when the summer ends, because I started it almost topping 300 pounds.

I'm hooked

So I really have become addicted to biking and have gone at least 20 minutes for the last few days. I've got a few playlists to pedal along to as well. And the route through my neighborhood is a good mixture of flatland, gradual long climbs and quick descents, and if I go the other way around short dramatic climbs and long gradual descents. Though I really doubt the climb one way is considered dramatic, or a climb for that matter. It's uphill leave me be.

But you see the thing is after a week of the same route in any number of combinations it gets boring and that is the last thing I want to happen as I really for once am enjoying the exercise I get. So yesterday I found on my day off a very nice, reachable, scenic route that runs between 6 and 5.6 miles depending on how much I swerve around the animals that don't know the rules of the road. I'm looking at you Geese.

If you're looking for an easy (Depending on the winds) ride and maybe even some good food or a place to rest then look no further than Dug's Dive.

Dug's Dive is a fairly historic, decently tasty, very scenic restaurant right across from the Ohio St. Exit of the Father Baker Expressway in Buffalo. Dug's is also a convenient place to park, unload the bike, and start moving. To the South of the Dive is a short trip, less than 2 miles, to the end of the trail but it is very picturesque and ends on a small pier above the water. Going back the other way, about 100 yards past Dug's is a small fishing cove with a bike path that only lasts for a mile or two, but the view is awesome. Out one way is Lake Erie, sailboats moving by, the water actually looks clean and clear! The other is long fields covered in long grass, with a view of the Skyway and industrial city beyond. It's mostly flat, and the winds coming off the lake only cover a very small amount of the course, less than half a mile. As it is it's a decent workout for someone my size trying to lose weight, or for someone smaller than me trying to maintain, or even just have a nice ride.

The sidewalk path does go further down the road, though I haven't followed it yet but hopefully on my next day off I can head on down and see where it takes me.