I have planned a month long holiday! That's right, for a whole month I will be going somewhere else. Will I be taking the kids and my beloved wife? No. Will I be leaving soon? No, I'm not going anywhere. This isn't a trip to the far east, a safari in Africa or a road trip across North America. Nope. I'm going far further than that.
I'm heading into a book.
I've booked tickets and packed my bags, damn, I've had my jabs and I've even let a few friends know where I'm going. You know, to make sure they know where to look if it it all goes wrong...and even though I'm looking at a trip into unknown territory I still have a map! How fucked up is that?!
Let me say before I go though, this is no normal map. There are no roads marked, no beaches, no mountains, no streams and no rules. I can spend what I like, travel where I want, but still, even if the mountains look divine and the waterfalls breathtaking, if it's not in the plan or against the rules then I'm going to have to keep on driving past and remember to come back again another year. Did I say there were no rules? Yeah there aren't...and yet there are. Trouble is the only person who knows the rules is me, but I haven't told myself what they are yet. I get an envelope each day and that will open with haste and find perhaps what before me is difficult, beautiful, taxing, upsetting...I just wont know. Fucked up eh? Yeah.
For this month I'm going to have to do all the things I normally do and yet I will almost certainly be elsewhere while I'm doing them. I'll nod and engage in conversation and be right in front of whoever it is I should be giving my undivided to and yet somewhere in the back of my head I'll be swinging through a whole different life. Someone else's story that just happens to be sitting in my head.
I hope no-one disowns me or thinks I'm being rude. I hope they simply know where I am and nod and say 'Ok, fine, when you getting back?'
Here's the plan as I see it. Ready? Cool.
I'm heading into the Nanowrimo for the month of November and I'll be hitting it hard. 50,000 words in 31 days. My fool hardy aim is to strike 20,000 of those in the first ten days. I aim to sleep less, write more and be as present as I can be while trying to not disengage from what I'm writing.
I will be on twitter. I aim to be here on the blog with updates and perhaps the cheeky post if I can squeeze it in. Stick with me please and I hope that in less than a month I will have something...something that needs loving and time and cuddles and understanding. Something that I'll be trying to craft into a novel that's better than last years (hey, I liked last years).
Wish me luck? Thank you. I'm going to need it.
Wednesday, 31 October 2012
Monday, 29 October 2012
Music Monday: Gamer
Its music Monday and I'm looking at giving you five tracks I have a great love for. This week I'll be opening the door very slightly and playing what I've played for my gaming groups and perhaps surprising you slightly...I hope.
As a role player and G.M (games master) I have a love for music that lends itself to high drama. I watch films and genuinely keep a clear ear on the soundtrack in the hope of finding something that I can buy to create mood and fill the session we play with a mood that allows the players to better play their characters.
Don't worry, tonight is not a instrumental movie night. Nope. For me, the really big moments are met with silence or sometimes a very carefully selected song. Something I connect an emotion with and try to channel that feeling into the room to create genuine drama and get real reactions from the guys and gals around the table.
Sometimes it really doesn't work. Here are five times that it did.
SAVE ME by Aimee Mann
The game was set in a future apocalyptic wasteland. Lots of vegetation and life by humanity was on the brink. I had a large group of players backed up by an expansive cast of support characters. A set of twins were separated and one was believed dead. The remaining character fought with depression and the players were very careful to keep a good eye on her.
I had the character commit suicide.
It was sad and we played the funeral. Genuinely sad feeling and something I'll strive for every single time; none combat based drama. The song made the scene.
ITS NOT DARK YET By Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan does it for me. I just love his music. So when I went looking for something for the end of a heavy session it was to him I went.
Same group, same characters and a similar feel, but on a much larger scale. The end of a large set piece battle, a battle which saw us wave goodbye to half the cast of the game itself. I cut away at least three support characters and it was clear to all that at least three players were dead.
It was a battle they narrowly won and certainly even more narrowly survived. When the dust had settled we said good bye to those characters to this song. It was a very strong moment to my mind. I hope the players look back and remember it as keenly as I do.
Magic.
THE FIRST TIME I EVER SAW YOUR FACE By Roberta Flack
I tasked my small team to start the session off each week. Give them the reins so to speak. Each player would have to give us the opening scene setter. It was on a subject that we'd agreed and they brought their own music.
Easy.
Not so easy when you're reading out something you've written, in character, in front of the team. Sometimes they weren't always in the mood, a danger that faces the G.M every week.
This particular week @mamacrow took a complicated relationship with a support character and produced some magic. The song started and she totally nailed it.
Amazing.
(by the way the song is fucking amazing too!)
SHUT UP AND LET ME GO By The Ting Tings.
The team have been captured. Two comedic super villains are monologuing, cutting into each others verbal 'gloat time', insisting they have equal amounts of rubbing the players noses in and arguing like a stereotypically grumpy old couple.
As they moan and bicker for several minutes the guys are laughing (as was the point) and this comes on. Lots more laughs. A well pitched comedic turn augmented with the right song at the right time.
To finish we have the next song I'm going to use. I'm always trying to bring the game to the players in a fresh way. I've written a weekly paper (too much work), I currently record all of the game in two blogs (an in-game one with news articles to support the sessions and an out of game one to give them updates, let them know who's playing, when, where and I also to keep a record they can check of what happened in every session so they can follow plot strands and be better prepared for the actual sessions).
This year though I've worked with one of the players and produced trailers for the characters and upcoming events. It's taken hours of getting used to the tech but we have a pretty good understanding of what needs to happen, when and where and we put it together so the players can get an extra kick out of playing and maybe when its all done they can look back over the c.ds we give them.
A permanent record of the story and a reminder of how much fun we had.
Here it is. I'm looking forward to working with this one.
That's it. Normally I wouldn't talk about the role-playing I'm involved in. I tend to predict sniggering people that point and think it means we aren't cool, I can live with that, but we aren't freaks.
I think we challenge ourselves to have fun by telling stories and maybe that's a more traditional, instinctive thing to do for our species than sit and watch t.v, the same sort of thing but without the interaction part.
See you next week folks. Something super different then I think.
Thanks for reading and listening.
As a role player and G.M (games master) I have a love for music that lends itself to high drama. I watch films and genuinely keep a clear ear on the soundtrack in the hope of finding something that I can buy to create mood and fill the session we play with a mood that allows the players to better play their characters.
Don't worry, tonight is not a instrumental movie night. Nope. For me, the really big moments are met with silence or sometimes a very carefully selected song. Something I connect an emotion with and try to channel that feeling into the room to create genuine drama and get real reactions from the guys and gals around the table.
Sometimes it really doesn't work. Here are five times that it did.
SAVE ME by Aimee Mann
The game was set in a future apocalyptic wasteland. Lots of vegetation and life by humanity was on the brink. I had a large group of players backed up by an expansive cast of support characters. A set of twins were separated and one was believed dead. The remaining character fought with depression and the players were very careful to keep a good eye on her.
I had the character commit suicide.
It was sad and we played the funeral. Genuinely sad feeling and something I'll strive for every single time; none combat based drama. The song made the scene.
ITS NOT DARK YET By Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan does it for me. I just love his music. So when I went looking for something for the end of a heavy session it was to him I went.
Same group, same characters and a similar feel, but on a much larger scale. The end of a large set piece battle, a battle which saw us wave goodbye to half the cast of the game itself. I cut away at least three support characters and it was clear to all that at least three players were dead.
It was a battle they narrowly won and certainly even more narrowly survived. When the dust had settled we said good bye to those characters to this song. It was a very strong moment to my mind. I hope the players look back and remember it as keenly as I do.
Magic.
THE FIRST TIME I EVER SAW YOUR FACE By Roberta Flack
I tasked my small team to start the session off each week. Give them the reins so to speak. Each player would have to give us the opening scene setter. It was on a subject that we'd agreed and they brought their own music.
Easy.
Not so easy when you're reading out something you've written, in character, in front of the team. Sometimes they weren't always in the mood, a danger that faces the G.M every week.
This particular week @mamacrow took a complicated relationship with a support character and produced some magic. The song started and she totally nailed it.
Amazing.
(by the way the song is fucking amazing too!)
SHUT UP AND LET ME GO By The Ting Tings.
The team have been captured. Two comedic super villains are monologuing, cutting into each others verbal 'gloat time', insisting they have equal amounts of rubbing the players noses in and arguing like a stereotypically grumpy old couple.
As they moan and bicker for several minutes the guys are laughing (as was the point) and this comes on. Lots more laughs. A well pitched comedic turn augmented with the right song at the right time.
To finish we have the next song I'm going to use. I'm always trying to bring the game to the players in a fresh way. I've written a weekly paper (too much work), I currently record all of the game in two blogs (an in-game one with news articles to support the sessions and an out of game one to give them updates, let them know who's playing, when, where and I also to keep a record they can check of what happened in every session so they can follow plot strands and be better prepared for the actual sessions).
This year though I've worked with one of the players and produced trailers for the characters and upcoming events. It's taken hours of getting used to the tech but we have a pretty good understanding of what needs to happen, when and where and we put it together so the players can get an extra kick out of playing and maybe when its all done they can look back over the c.ds we give them.
A permanent record of the story and a reminder of how much fun we had.
Here it is. I'm looking forward to working with this one.
That's it. Normally I wouldn't talk about the role-playing I'm involved in. I tend to predict sniggering people that point and think it means we aren't cool, I can live with that, but we aren't freaks.
I think we challenge ourselves to have fun by telling stories and maybe that's a more traditional, instinctive thing to do for our species than sit and watch t.v, the same sort of thing but without the interaction part.
See you next week folks. Something super different then I think.
Thanks for reading and listening.
Sunday, 28 October 2012
Monday, 22 October 2012
Music Monday: Hated
This week on Music Monday we look for four tracks that make me reach for a hammer. I hate these songs for various reasons. If you love them, that really is great for you, but for me? No. They are huge no no's.
THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER By D-Ream
I hate this song. I hate it, hate it, hate it! Why? Well it was a song someone I used to date loved and I've never broken up with someone nicely. Its always been bitter and unpleasant but that's not the old reason I hate it.
When I hear this I can only think of Tony Blair. Blair and his time at the top. If it comes on the radio goes off. If someone were to put it on? I'm out the room.
Hate it.
AIN'T GOT NO, I GOT SOUL By Nina Simone
Yes, I know, it's a bouncy, feel good anthem for those that love life and I never said this was going to be fair...but this pisses me right off!
Why?
I can take your arms, I can take your legs, I can take your senses, soul, bus pass, freedom and smile. Someone could! There are people out there, evil bastards, lining up to take all that you have and the tragedy is they certainly can take all that away from you and more.
I know that's not in keeping with the spirit of the song but fuck it. My brain hears this and says 'Yes I can.'
COTTON EYE JOE By The Rednecks
Do you even need to ask?! It's...it's...it's fucking annoying!!! ARRRGGGGHHHH!!!!
BLACKHEART By Stooshe
Why do I hate this song? Well, I suppose it's the casual acceptance of domestic violence and forgiveness of such actions. Am I too uptight? Do I have no sense of humour on this matter? Maybe.
To be honest I'm good with not having a sense of humour about it. This is a song I could happily cast into the abyss. I'd ban it if I had the power.
Finally I want to show we can all be together. If you love this list of songs above that's cool with me. I don't. So come on, lets get down to one I do love and forget all the hate above...though if you hate the one below I'm not sure this town is big enough for the both of us.
And as Bobby soothes you away we say goodbye. Next week will be a happy, friendly, music love in again.
Thanks for popping in.
THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER By D-Ream
I hate this song. I hate it, hate it, hate it! Why? Well it was a song someone I used to date loved and I've never broken up with someone nicely. Its always been bitter and unpleasant but that's not the old reason I hate it.
When I hear this I can only think of Tony Blair. Blair and his time at the top. If it comes on the radio goes off. If someone were to put it on? I'm out the room.
Hate it.
AIN'T GOT NO, I GOT SOUL By Nina Simone
Yes, I know, it's a bouncy, feel good anthem for those that love life and I never said this was going to be fair...but this pisses me right off!
Why?
I can take your arms, I can take your legs, I can take your senses, soul, bus pass, freedom and smile. Someone could! There are people out there, evil bastards, lining up to take all that you have and the tragedy is they certainly can take all that away from you and more.
I know that's not in keeping with the spirit of the song but fuck it. My brain hears this and says 'Yes I can.'
COTTON EYE JOE By The Rednecks
Do you even need to ask?! It's...it's...it's fucking annoying!!! ARRRGGGGHHHH!!!!
BLACKHEART By Stooshe
Why do I hate this song? Well, I suppose it's the casual acceptance of domestic violence and forgiveness of such actions. Am I too uptight? Do I have no sense of humour on this matter? Maybe.
To be honest I'm good with not having a sense of humour about it. This is a song I could happily cast into the abyss. I'd ban it if I had the power.
Finally I want to show we can all be together. If you love this list of songs above that's cool with me. I don't. So come on, lets get down to one I do love and forget all the hate above...though if you hate the one below I'm not sure this town is big enough for the both of us.
And as Bobby soothes you away we say goodbye. Next week will be a happy, friendly, music love in again.
Thanks for popping in.
Sunday, 21 October 2012
Friday, 19 October 2012
We Changed
So, lets get one thing straight; I don't go out a lot. Its not that I'm Agra phobic or anti social and I'm not talking about down the park. I'm talking down the pub.
I used to drink a regular amount, sometimes more than the regular amount maybe, but I was never an angry or regularly annoying drunk. No. I quit because I was happier when sobber, I came to hate the loss of control and lets face facts, I used to drink because I was shy around new people and I hated it.
Now I no longer need the crutch and you know that's great for me. Other people can drink and I'm cool with that too. You don't need the 'crutch' its just you like getting pissed. I get it. Its cool.
So there I went, heading to Brighton by way of car, zipping towards a night promising great music and laughter. Perhaps it wasn't always going to go that way for me but oh well. Screw it I went anyway. What could I do? It was my little brothers birthday.
We hit the bar (his local), a small corner pub built on its reputation for live music and to be honest you'd be hard pressed to swing a cat in the joint, and yet, it is a very friendly place. Picking up the first coke of the night the band were warming up and doing their sound checks in the corner and they were amazing, I've seen them before and they're top draw. The Mountain Firework Company. I've raved enough about them on twitter.
The band left to get a bite to eat and we checked out the reserved tables for us, yep, it was his birthday and so he had a whole corner of this local music Mecca all sewed up. Pretty neat huh? Well the many faces arrived and all started swinging and bang, in walks 'Sorry.'
If you read this blog regularly then maybe you recall the post? Well in she comes, looking healthy and its big smiles and to be honest, it was a bit weird. No, not romantically dangerous (obviously not) just weird. See, we were close and then not for many, many years and then she's right there and well, it was weird.
Moving on. I hit the back wall and got a seat and as people got hammered around me I waited for the gig to start. Now I am not an anti social person, but I wasn't drunk either and it became fairly clear I was a fifth wheel, perched against the wall, out of the action. I considered this as I sat not really mingling, waiting for the gig to start still and thought 'Why am I here?'
Simple answer, to show my face at my bro's birthday bash, bit more complicated answer? To hear the music, a band I love... and to show my face at my brother's bash. ;-) So was I that bothered if perhaps I wasn't the light and soul? Not really.
The gig started and the first act was just awesome! Brilliant! Small bar, big blue grass sound, magic. The intermission hit and the bar emptied and out they all piled to have a fag and a laugh and I joined them. All good. Still sorry and me are well and truly avoiding each other.
Second half the crowd got animated and led by my bro there was much dancing and falling about, which kind of killed the atmosphere of the small room band thing, but there ya go. It was his shin dig, the band was booked for him, go for it dude!
Come the end of the night we congratulated the super awesome band, mingled a bit and decided to head out fairly quickly. Driver (a great chap) went and got the car, I bumped into Sorry and we chatted for a brief time and it was time to go.
Now it was good to see her healthy and that in itself is something wonderful but it was clear I'd changed a fair deal and she was perhaps like her old self only with the volume turned up. We just didn't seem to be compatible any more.
That's not a sad thing you know. It's not. It's true that in life people change. Some folks say that people don't, but I think they do. Life changes you. Under your skin you learn and you become more comfortable, if you're lucky, and maybe sometimes it works the opposite way and you become more guarded because you've been kicked in the nuts too many times. But people do change.
So I had a good time. My Bro had a good time. Sorry had a good time.
Perhaps though this week has been spent reflecting on what 'those days' were like and whether I miss them? The clear answer is that I wouldn't go back and change them, but I'm glad they are gone.
I like 'me' a lot more nowadays.
I used to drink a regular amount, sometimes more than the regular amount maybe, but I was never an angry or regularly annoying drunk. No. I quit because I was happier when sobber, I came to hate the loss of control and lets face facts, I used to drink because I was shy around new people and I hated it.
Now I no longer need the crutch and you know that's great for me. Other people can drink and I'm cool with that too. You don't need the 'crutch' its just you like getting pissed. I get it. Its cool.
So there I went, heading to Brighton by way of car, zipping towards a night promising great music and laughter. Perhaps it wasn't always going to go that way for me but oh well. Screw it I went anyway. What could I do? It was my little brothers birthday.
We hit the bar (his local), a small corner pub built on its reputation for live music and to be honest you'd be hard pressed to swing a cat in the joint, and yet, it is a very friendly place. Picking up the first coke of the night the band were warming up and doing their sound checks in the corner and they were amazing, I've seen them before and they're top draw. The Mountain Firework Company. I've raved enough about them on twitter.
The band left to get a bite to eat and we checked out the reserved tables for us, yep, it was his birthday and so he had a whole corner of this local music Mecca all sewed up. Pretty neat huh? Well the many faces arrived and all started swinging and bang, in walks 'Sorry.'
If you read this blog regularly then maybe you recall the post? Well in she comes, looking healthy and its big smiles and to be honest, it was a bit weird. No, not romantically dangerous (obviously not) just weird. See, we were close and then not for many, many years and then she's right there and well, it was weird.
Moving on. I hit the back wall and got a seat and as people got hammered around me I waited for the gig to start. Now I am not an anti social person, but I wasn't drunk either and it became fairly clear I was a fifth wheel, perched against the wall, out of the action. I considered this as I sat not really mingling, waiting for the gig to start still and thought 'Why am I here?'
Simple answer, to show my face at my bro's birthday bash, bit more complicated answer? To hear the music, a band I love... and to show my face at my brother's bash. ;-) So was I that bothered if perhaps I wasn't the light and soul? Not really.
The gig started and the first act was just awesome! Brilliant! Small bar, big blue grass sound, magic. The intermission hit and the bar emptied and out they all piled to have a fag and a laugh and I joined them. All good. Still sorry and me are well and truly avoiding each other.
Second half the crowd got animated and led by my bro there was much dancing and falling about, which kind of killed the atmosphere of the small room band thing, but there ya go. It was his shin dig, the band was booked for him, go for it dude!
Come the end of the night we congratulated the super awesome band, mingled a bit and decided to head out fairly quickly. Driver (a great chap) went and got the car, I bumped into Sorry and we chatted for a brief time and it was time to go.
Now it was good to see her healthy and that in itself is something wonderful but it was clear I'd changed a fair deal and she was perhaps like her old self only with the volume turned up. We just didn't seem to be compatible any more.
That's not a sad thing you know. It's not. It's true that in life people change. Some folks say that people don't, but I think they do. Life changes you. Under your skin you learn and you become more comfortable, if you're lucky, and maybe sometimes it works the opposite way and you become more guarded because you've been kicked in the nuts too many times. But people do change.
So I had a good time. My Bro had a good time. Sorry had a good time.
Perhaps though this week has been spent reflecting on what 'those days' were like and whether I miss them? The clear answer is that I wouldn't go back and change them, but I'm glad they are gone.
I like 'me' a lot more nowadays.
Monday, 15 October 2012
Music Monday : History Ditties
Its Music Monday time and here we have five offerings that have a link to historical information or tell us a true story. Hopefully the link will work all the way through but we'll see how it goes.
Ready?
Lets begin.
OLIVER CROMWELL By Monty Python
This is a John Cleese special and its fabulously interesting as well as being brilliantly comedic. We got dates, events and bags of laughter. Enjoy.
THE HURRICANE By Bob Dylan
The story of Ruben Carter is well documented, certainly its very famous and its here for you in full on protest song mode. Carter was a middleweight boxer charged with a triple murder he didn't commit.
I'm happy to report he got out finally. I'm sorry to say it took some twenty odd years after he was found guilty. Its a harsh story and an amazing song...if you like Dylan.
P.S I love Bob Dylan's stuff. Just awesome!
SAILING TO PHILADELPHIA By Mark Knofler
I love this song, its gentle, calm and thoroughly relaxing and yet embodies the spirit of adventure that the song recounts. Knofler is a real master and this is a great song, hell, its a great album.
Go buy it.
32 DOWN ON THE ROBERT MCKENSIE By Paul Gross
Paul Gross is the dude from Due South. Yup. Benton Fraser the Mountie. He also writes, directs and sings. Bastard.
Anyway, here's a song that is based on another song, that is based on a nautical accident that claimed the lives of the entire crew of a ship. Gross was going to use the original song for an Episode of Due South but thought it may upset the families of those that were lost...so he wrote this.
I hope I got that right otherwise I'm going to look like a right dumbass.
Final one comes from Horrible Histories this week and its probably my favourite. The kids love the show and so do we. This is something I sing around the house, to be honest they all are, but this one gets belted out with a bit of gusto!
Thanks for reading/listening and hope you drop back in next week for another five pics.
Be excellent to each other.
Ready?
Lets begin.
OLIVER CROMWELL By Monty Python
This is a John Cleese special and its fabulously interesting as well as being brilliantly comedic. We got dates, events and bags of laughter. Enjoy.
THE HURRICANE By Bob Dylan
The story of Ruben Carter is well documented, certainly its very famous and its here for you in full on protest song mode. Carter was a middleweight boxer charged with a triple murder he didn't commit.
I'm happy to report he got out finally. I'm sorry to say it took some twenty odd years after he was found guilty. Its a harsh story and an amazing song...if you like Dylan.
P.S I love Bob Dylan's stuff. Just awesome!
SAILING TO PHILADELPHIA By Mark Knofler
I love this song, its gentle, calm and thoroughly relaxing and yet embodies the spirit of adventure that the song recounts. Knofler is a real master and this is a great song, hell, its a great album.
Go buy it.
32 DOWN ON THE ROBERT MCKENSIE By Paul Gross
Paul Gross is the dude from Due South. Yup. Benton Fraser the Mountie. He also writes, directs and sings. Bastard.
Anyway, here's a song that is based on another song, that is based on a nautical accident that claimed the lives of the entire crew of a ship. Gross was going to use the original song for an Episode of Due South but thought it may upset the families of those that were lost...so he wrote this.
I hope I got that right otherwise I'm going to look like a right dumbass.
Final one comes from Horrible Histories this week and its probably my favourite. The kids love the show and so do we. This is something I sing around the house, to be honest they all are, but this one gets belted out with a bit of gusto!
Thanks for reading/listening and hope you drop back in next week for another five pics.
Be excellent to each other.
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