Heeeeey, long time no see!

Let's be honest: It's been a while. This blog is kinda dead. It happens.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

On the bright side, I have a brand new site to check out! Never fear, I'll be keeping this blog up for archival purposes (just in case you want to relive that time I saw a real life UFO or when I subjected you to weird tree pictures), but if you want to follow some more recent exploits, come visit me at my new home!

squidinksarah.wordpress.com

JOURNEY

Okay, I've tried to write this post three times without any level of coherency. First it was going to be part of another 5 video games writers should play post. Then it was going to be another ost lowdown post. And now it's just a ridiculous mess and to hell with it.

Uhh . . . Journey?
Journey is a video game designed and developed by thatgamecompany for the PlayStation 3. And I love it. Irrationally, irrevocably, and, uhh, irresistibly.

thatgamecompany describes Journey as "an interactive parable, an anonymous online adventure to experience a person’s life passage and their intersections with others" . . . which just sounds weird. And Journey is more than that. While there's a plot, this is a game you experience instead of just play . . . so there's a huge emphasis on atmosphere and mood and what you as a player put into it.

This isn't your standard shoot-em-up. This is a game about feelings.

And if that's not enough to hook you, there's singing and scarves and magical carpet things and ruins and sand and glyphs and mysterious other players and a mysterious history to uncover. *flail*

Let me tell you how lovely it is
Because it's really lovely. Just look at these pictures. Tell me they aren't epic. I dare you.

Okay, MAYBE I'm biased. And MAYBE I'm like a crow with something shiny . . . but still, you've got to admit: pretty! thatgamecompany may have picked a fairly simple aesthetic, but it works.

And the visuals are only half the package--the score for Journey is some of the best music I've ever heard in a video game. Yes, it's that good. I just . . . there's no way to describe this without sounding ridiculous. But if you like sweeping, epic glory, you'll love it. And if you like writing to sweeping, epic glory, you'll really love it. Seriously. And if you need one more push, you might be interested to know that all 18 tracks are on iTunes (or the PSN) for only $5.

You should care
Yes. Yes you should. And here's why: as writers we are trying to create stories that make people feel something. We want our writing to have power.

Although Journey is simple, it achieved that goal and made freaking waves in the gaming community. Not only has it become the fastest selling game on the PlayStation Network ever, but it freaking moves people (including the tough dudes playing those aforementioned shoot-em-up), and the reason you can buy the soundtrack is because fans demanded it. Craziness!

So I guess my point is that I've learned things from Journey. And it was beautiful and heartbreaking and wonderful and I want you to learn them too. So play the game if you can, or at least give the soundtrack a quite listen. You won't be disappointed.

Okay, now that I've babbled like a fangirl and italicized half of the words in this post, I want to hear from you. How do you feel about video games? Have you ever played one that moved you, or are you mostly familiar with Angry Birds? Give me a heads up in the comments!

I'm a Platform-Building Campaigner!

Well, after some hefty consideration, I've finally decided to participate in Rachael Harrie's 4th Writers' Platform-Building Campaign. Woo!

If you've never heard of it, the Platform-Building Campaign is a pretty big deal. I've never participated before, but from what I've heard, it's a great way to meet other writers online and forge friendships. There are a ton of people participating (including my peeps, Brenna and Daniel), so it looks like it'll be pretty exciting.

Registration is open until the 15th of February (that's this Wednesday people), so if you're interested, take a look at the information page. I hope to see you participating by my side!

Have you ever participated in one of Rachael Harrie's Platform-building Campaigns? If so, what'd you think? And if not, well, why not? Tell me all about it in the comments.

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Speak out against SOPA and PIPA!

5 MORE webcomics writers should read

Hey, remember the last time I talked about webcomics? The basic gist was as follows: Writers love stories. Webcomics are home to all sorts of awesome stories. Unfortunately, I don't know of so many writers that profess the joys of webcomics. So, here, five awesome webcomics for you guys to check out.

And today? Well, today is a sequel to that post! Because, frankly, there are a ton of webcomics out there, and I enjoy far more than just five of them. So here, friends, five more favorites that you should definitely check out!*

The Meek
This is probably one of the biggest webcomics online right now, so if you haven't read The Meek yet, get to it! This one is all about a complex, fantasy, interweaving storyline, so if you're looking to observe those elements, this is the comic to check out. Not to mention the fabulous world building and, of course, the artwork.

Gastrophobia
This is the story of an exiled Amazon warrior and her son, who live in ancient Greece. Plus some crack (we're talking a My Little Pony vs Care Bears story arc). Gastrophobia is different from many webcomics in that it's essentially a collection of short stories. Which is awesome. Especially if you're looking for something quick and entertaining.

Thistil Mistil Kistil
As the comic's website puts it, "Thistil Mistil Kistil is a comic about vikings, Norse gods, and their adventures together (or against each other)." Simply enough, the research and thought behind this comic is astounding. The level of depth goes from locations, to characters, to the artwork itself, and that's something that anyone can learn from.

Monster Pulse
Monster Pulse is a relatively new comic, but I like where it's going thus far. Basically, there's some dubious science and body parts that transform into battling monsters. The concept is super interesting, which is really half the battle, and the execution has been spot on too. Doesn't help that all of the characters (and monsters) are super charming!

Great
Great, is the kind of comic that started as something small, that, well, turned into something great. It's definitely a good show as to how one can take a bunch of different and random elements and create a cohesive story. But there's some depth too, as Great explores the highs and lows of life, and what it really means to be "great."

And there we go! So, if you guys read webcomics, what ones have you read? Any of these? Or do you have some favorites that I've never heard of? Either way, tell me your thoughts in the comments!

*BTW: As you may have guessed, none of these images belong to me. Shocking, huh?

NaNoWriMo public service announcement

Well, it's getting to be that time of year again. Yes, NaNoWriMo time. And yes, I am one of those people.

If you've never heard of it, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. The idea is that you write a 50,000 word "novel" during the month of November. If you're curious, that's 1,667 words a day. Does it sound hellish? Well, that's because it kind of is. But only a little bit, and most of that hellishness is buried beneath a load of awesome.

Me? Well, I've participated and won NaNoWriMo five times now . . . so I'm a veteran. I guess. Anyway, I really like NaNo. It's a fantastic way to pound a draft out in a relatively short time period, and the community is gold. If you've been considering participating, well, you should do so this year. Because it's fun and crazy and worth it, even if you don't finish.

So have any of you guys done NaNo before? And what about this year--anyone else planning on participating? If so, do you know what your novel is going to be about? I'm thinking something steampunky with airships and a monster that crawls on the sky. Tell me what you're planning in the comments!

10 reasons to see The Lion King 3D

The Lion King is, hands down, one of my favorite Disney movies.

I love the Broadway soundtrack to death, and the movie soundtrack was one of my first CDs. I also have rather vivid memories of a birthday party that involved roleplaying as lions. Actually, much of my childhood involved roleplaying as big cats of some sort.

Anyway. I've been anticipating the blu-ray release for almost a year now. When I heard that the movie was going to be back in theaters for a few weeks to herald in that blu-ray release? Well, let's just say there was much rejoicing.

Yup, I saw it yesterday, and here's my hard proof!

And since the other two posts from this week involved lists of some sort, I figured I might as well round it out. *shrug* So, here are 10 reasons why you should check out The Lion King 3D theatrical release:

1. It's Hamlet. You can't get more literary than that. Seriously. Think on it for a while.
2. Yeah, yeah, 3D is a gimmick. I know. But it's not often you get a 3D movie that isn't live action or CG . . . so this 3D experience is a little unique.
3. It's a movie about big cats. BIG CATS.
4. There may be little kids in the theater who've never seen the movie. Most people dislike children in the audience, but sometimes little kids can be adorable.
5. The animation has been cleaned up since the DVD release and it's gorgeous.
6. The characters sing and dance. Also, if you haven't watched The Lion King in a long time, it might surprise you as to how complex some of the songs are. *cough*Be Prepared*cough*
7. That horrible DVD addition of The Morning Report is not included in the 3D release. Note: I have nothing against this song in the musical, just in the movie.
8. Timon and Pumba still make bad puns.
9. Nala is a pretty awesome female character. Not only can she physically hold her own against Simba, but she's bold and adventurous too.
10. The voice acting. Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones, Matthew Broderick, Jonathan Taylor Thomas . . . must I continue?

So what do you guys think about The Lion King? Do you have the same sort of love affair as I do . . . or were you never all that interested in talking lions? And do you plan on seeing the movie? Or have you done so already? Tell me in the comments!

Be gracious about getting critiqued

Since I talked about my CP hunt on Monday (which is going well, BTW), I figured I might as well keep with the theme.

So let me tell you a bit about creative writing workshops in college. The basic setup goes something like this: 1) you write a short story, 2) you share copies with everyone in your class, 3) you undergo a group critique session, and then, 4) you revise the story for your professor. We're going to focus on Step 3.

During that group critique session, your classmates surround you from every angle and they're cruel. Because they don't know you you or care about your feelings, so they're 100% willing to say that your characters are flat and that your plot is cliché--in those words too. And you're not allowed to say a word in your defense.

For good reason.

Because any writer's first instinct is to scream, "No. That's not true. I wrote it that way for a reason. You're just being picky. You just don't understand." And, of course, you're wrong. You're terribly, terribly wrong. Because they do understand.

I know it feels like your CPs don't know how much effort you put into your story, and that it's unfair how easily they can rip apart that effort. But there's nothing more beneficial to you than a critique partner.

Because they aren't crazy and they aren't attacking you. They're trying to make things better.

If a CP thinks there's a problem with your writing, there probably is. These are people that know about writing and stories, and you shouldn't disregard their opinion so quickly. Maybe you don't like or even agree with their critique, but you should at least think about the reasons behind what they've said. Because there is value there.

That being said, I've found that a good critique partner often tells you the things that you already know deep down in your secret heart. They nitpick at the messy little details you tried to slip under the rug. The parts where you tried to be lazy. They tell you the things that you don't want to tell yourself. The big, nasty things, like how you really should to toss out 10,000 words or re-write the entire second half of the story in a different POV. And these, really, are the kind of things that all writers need to hear.

So have you guys had any major experiences with critique partners? Are you good at taking rough criticism, or do you struggle with finding the value in it? What qualities do you think make up a particularly good critique? Tell me in the comments.

Sometimes I just slooow down

It feels like the writing community is always stressing on speed. Draft quickly, revise quickly, critique quickly. You need to go, go, go or you'll lose your chance. If you can't be speedy now, then how will you ever manage when you have a book deal and an agent and a deadline to finish by?

I think we all need to calm down.

Now I understand the need for speed. Really. I do. But there's no point in rushing so fast that your writing suffers because of it. And I certainly can't be the only person that's experienced this. Sometimes a manuscript needs to breathe, and we should always let it.

Take a break between drafting and editing. That way you'll be able to revise objectively. Don't deny it--objectivity is key when killing off those straggling adverbs and darling sentences. Likewise, if you're stuck on a plot point, brainstorm. Analyze every inch of the problem until you can make it work. Maybe it takes you a week, or even a month, but it's still better than forcing the problem into an ill-fitting mold.

So how do you guys feel about the constant pressure to produce? Have you ever rushed through your manuscript? Or do you take the occasional break to let things marinate? Tell me in the comments.

5 webcomics writers should read

If there's one thing I can safely say about writers, it's that we really love stories. Sure, we're partial to books, but it's not like you don't see us promoting movies and tv shows too. Hey, sometimes we even throw shout outs to video games and comic books. The one thing, however, that I've never seen a writer recommend is webcomics.

For anyone who doesn't know, a web comic is basically a comic that is serialized page-by-page on the internet. For free. If the comic gets a pretty big fan base, the writer/artist will self-publish copies or get picked up by a publisher. Both of which are obviously pretty sweet. It's a good way for aspiring comics to get their work out there.

But yes. There are webcomics that you should read. You should read them as a writer and you should read them for fun, because that's what they are. Fun. Either way, there are a bunch out there and today I'm going to tell you about five of them. So here we go!*

Hyperbole and a Half
A lot of you already know about this one. If not, it's a collection of life stories told through Paint-style illustrations. Paint as in the crappy drawing software that comes with most computers. This sounds a little dubious, but if you want to learn how to make people laugh via timing and precise storytelling, this is the place to go.

Unsounded
Thief-brat Sette is on a mission and she's dragging the undead Duane along for the ride. The characters in this comic are so well-rounded and have such strong voices that anyone could glean something from a quick read-through. The fantastic art and gorgeous world-building only make the ride more enjoyable. Definitely one of my favorites.

Cucumber Quest
Wherein rabbit children go on a classic fantasy adventure. I particularly love how sweet and colorful the artwork is, not to mention the story, which is both earnest and okay with making fun of itself. It's a good reminder to the struggling writer that sometimes it's okay to step back and get some enjoyment out of your work. 

Johnny Wander
A varied comic that switches between colorful shorts and excerpts of the daily life of some college grads. Not only is the artwork nice and clean, there are a lot of fun ideas popping up in this one. There's no storyline, but the comic offers some good examples as to what makes a moment comedic and how to structure a short story.

Hanna is Not a Boy's Name
To put it simply, Hanna is a boy and he's a mediocre paranormal detective with an undead parter who's better at the job than he is. There's a lot of character depth present in this comic, and what's great is that it isn't super blatant. Also, the art and page layouts are super delicious in this comic, which makes it a pleasure to read.

So what about you guys? Have any of you read webcomics before? If so, what comics? Did you enjoy them? If not, I hope you take the plunge and check some of these out. Either way, tell me your thoughts in the comments!

*BTW: As you may have guessed, none of these images belong to me. Shocking, huh?

Writing breaks and guilty pleasures

I'm probably not the first to tell you guys that writing isn't all sunshine and daisies. Sometimes it sucks. Luckily most of us love writing enough to push past the barriers of doubt and confusion. We can suck it up.

However, I'm not sure that sucking it up is always the best option. Sometimes it's just difficult to summon the will to continue. Sometimes you're making your story worse by puttering with it. Sometimes it would do you better to think on a scene instead of work on it. Sometimes your brain needs to relax.

But that's not a bad thing! So many writers will tell you that it's important to write every day, but I think it's more important to be in tune with yourself. If you can crank out quality work every day, awesome. Go do that. But if you need a break, then take a break and don't feel guilty about it.

Actually no. You should embrace guilt. Not the guilt that comes from avoiding your writing, but a better type of guilt. The guilt of guilty pleasures. Why? Because guilty pleasures are the best way to relax.

Really. It's true. Guilty pleasures are powerful because they're things we often relish the most. Maybe it's because most guilty pleasures are kind of ridiculous. For example, a lot of people secretly like reality shows just because they're so over-the-top. Others have a secret stash of tasty food that can hit the spot when they're down. Some people listen to cheesy pop music because the beats are bubbly and exciting. The examples are endless, and all of them bring joy.

Now, I'm speaking from experience here. For the last two weeks I've been indulging in guilty pleasures instead of editing my WIP. Maybe I haven't gotten much done, but I've cleared my mind. And now, in the last few days, I've gotten more work done than I would have if I had forced myself to not take a break.

How do you guys feel about breaks? Necessary or waste of time? Most of my guilty pleasures go back to things I did in my childhood (ie: pokémon), but what about you? Anything good? Tell me your thoughts in the comments.

Let's NOT venerate writing books

So last week someone told me that my how to fix up your dialogue post sounded like something yanked out of a writing book. It definitely wasn't, but I can't decide if I feel insulted or pleased by this comment.

The thing is, I'm not a big fan of writing books. I've just always felt that my time was better spent writing than reading about writing, you know?

I mean, the books I have read were helpful. The Seven Basic Plots helps shape cranky plot structures, Reading Like A Writer shows how to identify what does and doesn't work in a story, and No Plot? No Problem! is the speedwriting NaNoWriMo handbook. I've always wanted to read On Writing and Save the Cat! just because I've heard so many good things about them. And, of course, From the Query to the Call is supposed to be the ultimate (and free!) guide to querying.

The problem, I think, is when you start reading too many of these books. How many writers stymie themselves by endlessly reading writing books because they're afraid that they don't know how to write? How many writers waste time with methods that don't work for them because a famous author talked about it in his book?

Writing books set rules, but people need to remember that writing rules should really be referred to as writing guidelines.

They help keep you in line, away from cliches and poor structure and weak writing. But if your story needs to start with a prologue, or needs an adverb in that sentence, or needs to tell something instead of showing it, then you shouldn't be afraid to do that. Don't let a writing book tell you how to write your own story.

I urge you to read some writing books, but don't start worshiping them. And please, don't hold everything I say to that standard either. Everyone has their own method and their own rules they like to follow. Knowledge is awesome, but the most important thing is to write in a way that works for you.

So what writing books have you guys read? Did you like or dislike them? And what do you think about writing blogs, since they can get writing booky at times? Tell me in the comments.

I like water, you should too

I know for a fact that we writers all want one thing in our lives: awesome. Yes. That's right. Awesome. We want to write awesome books, we want people to think those books are awesome, and we'd really love it if people thought we were awesome too.

Starting tomorrow (aka: March 31st), Kat Brauer over at The Flighty Temptress is going to show you all what awesome means via her Crits for Water Campaign.

Super official banner goodness.

Yup, this is a charity thing. For clean water. For $5000 worth of clean, sustainable water for an entire community. If you want some heavier details, Kat lays them out nicely.

Now if the idea of donating money to charity makes you squirm, fret not. Also, re-read the title of the fundraiser. If you donate to charity: water something awesome will happen: your writing will get critiqued. Be it by Kat or by someone from her intensive list of guest critiquers (which includes published authors, agents, and all sorts of fun people). There are also "Super Sekrit" giveaways.

Remember when we were talking about awesome-ness? Yeah.

I don't expect you all to run over and throw your money in Kat's direction. Some of us can't really afford to do that, no matter how much we want to. But, if nothing else, tell someone else about it. Tell your writerly friends, tell your blog readers, tell everyone on Twitter until they're begging you to shut up. Let's promote the hell out of this thing!

Now go forth, spread the word!

Guest Post: Science vs English!

Hey everyone, once again, I'm still chilling out in Portland. It's pretty sweet. But you'll get to see my shining face again on Wednesday! Woo! Anyway, here's Squidink's final guest blogger, Kirstin from SqueezeBoxPharm!

---

I think one of the biggest problems behind the divide between "science people" and "english people" is that each side has put together preconceived notions of what it means to be the other.

To an English Person, someone in the sciences is only doing it because it pays well - because no one in their right mind could possibly find anything meaningful in a field that prides itself on utter objectivity.

To a Science Person, english majors are those people that couldn't cut it with the hard stuff and who spend all of their days sipping tea and reading frivolous novels.

I'm exaggerating to make a point, here.

I consider myself to fall in the middle of both of these categories. I'm a third year pharmacy school student (which has more science than I believed existed), but in the time I'm not cramming for exams, I live and breath literature and music. My fellow students are not like this. There has been hissing and shying away when I heave my copy of Heart of Darkness onto the desk for some quick perusing between lectures.

I know full well the hours of work that go into writing even a small analytical paper. I know the insanity that is trying to read an article on literary theory. I know the painstaking effort and shattering self-doubt that goes into writing anything fiction, the hours of revision and the conviction that the sentence you've just put down is the worst thing in the history of the universe. (Sarah, it's not. I promise.)

But I also know the beauty in a well-designed experiment. I know the purity that flows from a perfect equation, from the solidity of knowing that this is the answer. I know the uplifting feeling that comes from using knowledge to correct an error and help a patient.

My point is that English and Science people need to get over themselves and embrace the other side. We science people have a lot to offer! I'm proud of the fact that I can give my writing friends accurate medical information to make a gory scene just that much more creepy. And that I can evaluate the severity of an infection to help make things as realistic as possible.

I gain a lot from said writing friends as well--they're more than willing to tear apart something I've written when a science person would declare it perfect because they don't see the issues in tone. Or pacing. Or adverbs. This tearing apart, this destruction of what needs to be taken out, would not happen if these friends had not studied the technique to do this very thing. And I would be much worse off for it.

There is soul in Science. There is precision in English. We can get along!

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KIRSTIN KOODA
Kirstin is a third year pharmacy student wanting to specialize in infectious disease, specifically lab and clinical research in tuberculosis. She also enjoys writing, fine accordion music, and the occasional forays into cooking and knitting. You can stalk her online at her blog, SqueezeBoxPharm, or on Twitter as @kjkpharm.

Crush your writerly woes and read!

I feel like every time I have a lot of stuff to get done, the books that I reserved at the library weeks ago finally come in. And they all do this at once, despite the fact that the internet told me that there were 8 holds on one book and only 3 on the other.

This, of course, isn't me complaining. I'm always good with multiple piles of books cluttering up my desk. I mean, books are awesome and writers should read as many as they can get their grubby fingers on.

It astounds me that some writers don't read. If you want to study craft, the best way to go about it is by reading books. They don't have to be books in your genre or age group--just books in general. Reading is one of the best things you can do to make yourself a better writer because it shows you what publishable writing looks like.

And I know, the excuses are endless. Here is what I have to say to them:

• I don't want anything to influence my writing style (is that 100% a bad thing? really?)
• I would rather spend time with my own novel (uhh, self-centered much?)
• I'd rather do something completely unrelated when not writing (yet you want people to read your book?)
• I don't want to spend the money on new books (libraries! or free e-books!)

Frankly, these are all ridiculous (if you didn't get that from the snarky comments). You should be reading. A lot.

And to help motivate you, I present the idea of a reading goal. Turn reading into a competition and leave your fellow readers wallowing in the dust. There's nothing like the schadenfreude of crushing the unworthy!

Ahem.

Having a goal always makes things more exciting. There are a bunch of great reading challenges on the net, like the ebook challenge, the global book challenge, and the YA debut author challenge to mention a few. Personally, I'm participating in the Goodreads 2011 Reading Challenge and am aiming for at least 50 books this year.

So, what do you guys think? To read, or not to read? Have any of you set a reading challenge for 2011? If so, how are you doing on it? If not, well, it's never too late to start! Tell me your thoughts in the comments.

I want YOU! Also, a writing goal

ETA (03/04/11): And the third lovely guest blogger has made an appearance. Yay!
ETA (03/03/11): I have two lovely guest bloggers and would love to see a third! Any volunteers?

I've decided to tell you guys my secret goal in the hopes that if/when I fail, you will rain the hate down so hard that I will cower and cry beneath your missiles of disappointment. Umm, yes. A few other people already know, but I figured it was time to lay on some more accountability. Here it is:

I'm going to finish the rough draft my WIP by March 7th.

Oh, the shudders of horror and dismay are racing down my spine. I may only have two/three chapters and 15,000 words left, but they are a nightmare in the making. Let's just leave it at that.

Why am I setting this goal then? Two reasons: 1) so I get my butt into gear and actually finish, and 2) I will be taking a writing vacation starting March 8th whether I want to or not. I also figured that finishing the WIP, instead of leaving a hanging chapter, was a better choice.

For those who are curious, on March 8th I'm off to the illustrious Butte, MT for a viewing of Avenue Q. Early the next morning I will be driving to Portland, OR with Boyfriend for a several days of exciting, exciting apartment hunting. Woo hoo.

Which brings me to my next point. Would anyone like to be a guest blogger for Squidink? I'm looking for 2-3 guest posts that are amusing, witty, and about writing. The perks? Free promo! You will get a cute bio featuring your picture (if you so desire) and a link to your own blog.

And Uncle Sam wants you to do it. Really.

If you're interested, send me a quick email at squidinksarah (ât) gmail (døt) com. But just a heads up, the deadline for any guest posts would be March 6th. I'll update this post with further news if/when the slots are filled.

Anyway, do you guys have any ridiculous goals? Do they make you want to curl up in a ball and cry until your manuscript starts writing itself? Or do you thrive under the threat of deadline? Tell me your thoughts in the comments.

Be brave and write dangerously

Let me tell you about the best test I ever took in college.

It was the final for my fantasy literature class. This class sounds better than it really was. Our teacher was a quirky old man that looked like Colonel Sanders and couldn't stay on topic for the life of him. Normally students like teachers that don't stay off-topic. This was eighty minutes of rambling hell. When it was nearing finals week, I was actually kind of worried because we rarely talked about fantasy literature and all Colonel Sanders did was tell us that he rarely gave high grades.

Test day came. We sat at our desks with pens and blue books, waiting for inevitable doom. The prompt was handed out and it went something like this:

Write a thoughtful, multi-page answer to one of two following questions. One choice is safe, the other is dangerous. 

1. "Fancy quote about fantasy writing reflecting reality" according to Ursula le Guin. Support this claim using at least three works we've read over the semester. 
2. Write the beginning of a fantasy story. Make sure to follow the conventions we've been talking about all semester. It must take place in one of the following locations:

• Billings, MT (the "magic" city)
• A farmland
• Two other places I don't remember

I just remember sitting in my desk, watching as everyone else in class immediately started jotting things down in their blue books. Apparently they didn't need any time to make a decision.

At first, I almost answered the first question. But then I remembered something: I was a creative writing major. If there was anyone in this class of literature people that could write the beginning of a fantasy story, it was me. Sure, the other prompt was definitely the safe one, but if I had to be stuck in that room for two hours writing something, I was going to be writing something fun.

Everyone I talked to after class chose the first essay question. Even my fellow creative writing majors. Apparently I was the only one brave, or stupid, enough to take the plunge.

In the end, I got an A in the class. Some of those other people didn't.

Can you guess what the moral of this story is? One choice is safe, the other is dangerous. Sometimes we need to pick the scary choices, even if they don't seem like a good idea at the time.

Everyone in that class could write a decent answer to the first essay question. A lot of writers can write a candy coated fantasy with teen girls looking for love and elements of Harry Potter. Sure, it's not original, but it's trendy and might get you published.

Maybe it's hard to be brave enough to make something new and edgy. But you should do it anyway because your work will suffer if you don't. Don't make yourself write something because you think someone else will like it better. Write the things you want to write. Have fun! The next time you're dipping into cliche, challenge yourself. Cliches are all about being safe, but if you break away the walls, you can find something fresh.

Have you ever made the dangerous choice? Was it in your writing, or just in life? What were the stakes? Tell me your story in the comments.

Why writing friends are so necessary

Writers need to talk to other writers about writing.

I realize this sounds like stupid advice. No, really I do. But it's important and I tend to forget it a lot.

Now, I know I'm not the most active person on the net (it's my inner lurker qualities rearing their ugly heads), but it's not like I'm silent. I make small talk with people on twitter and I comment on blogs. But I'm still pretty new to the online writing community, so it's not like I have too many friends. Also, blogs and twitter are not the same as a private convo on messenger or a phone call with a critique partner.

More intimate conversations with other writers are awesome. You can commiserate. You can be a cheerleader. You can compare word counts. You can snap someone out of a funk.

On the other hand, trying to talk to people in your life who aren't writers about writing is kind of frustrating at times. Mostly because there's no common experience to draw from. Without realizing it, I've been trying to do this recently. It hasn't been going well.

But last night I had the joy of chatting with my one critique partner and it was wonderous. So let me tell you everyone, that talking to writers about writing is amazing. Here are five reasons why:

1. Writers get that locking yourself up in your room and staring at a computer screen for hours sucks.
2. Writers understand the "I SUCK" emotion and don't attribute it to the idea that you're looking for attention.
3. Writers are a bit more justified in telling you to suck it up and write 4000 words tomorrow when you really, really don't want to.
4. Writers would point out that you've used the word "suck" in the last three points and that it doesn't mean you're a horrible writer. Really. It doesn't
5. Writers also understand that sitting down and typing is easy, but sitting down and typing something good (aka: not using "suck" in evert sentence) is hard.

Have you ever tried to talk up writing to someone that isn't a writer? Did they care? Did they understand your trauma? What about your critique partners? Or is there really no difference at all for you? Tell me in the comments.

5 video games writers should play

Now, I'm a video game geek. Unfortunately, video games are one of the things that get the most flak in entertainment media because a lot of people think they're vapid and childish. I won't deny it. This assumption is, at times, correct. However, like most stereotypes, it is not always correct.

In fact, I think we as writers can learn a lot from video games. Writers spend so much time absorbing elements of books and movies, but we rarely look at video games because of the aforementioned reasons. But video games can have all of the good things: dialogue, atmosphere, world-building, etc. Video games have just as much potential as books and movies.

As a writer, there are video games you should play. Lots of them. Far more than I'm listing here today. But if you're curious, here are five to get you started:

Beautiful, beautiful box art, yes?

Uncharted 2: Amongst Thieves (PS3)
The story of Nathan Drake is basically the story of Indiana Jones with a modern twist and less of a religious focus. So even though it's well-executed, it's not particularly original. But that's not the reason you should play this game. You wanna play this game for the characters and the dialogue. The banter is witty, yet natural, and all of the characters stand on their own two feet. The original, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, is also pretty sweet.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West (PS3/XBOX 360)
Enslaved is loosely based on the Chinese legend Journey to the West and the characters in this game are awesome. But world-building baby, this one's about world building. Post-apocalyptic society in the ruins of New York City? Sign me up. Here we have foliage amongst skyscrapers, remnants of technology, crazy mechanical creatures that want to kill you, and the ever-looming threat of the "slavers." It's pretty, it's lush, and I wish there was a sequel.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (DS/Wii)
This game is basically Law & Order on crack. It's also awesome enough to have two sequels and two spin-offs, with a third on the way. Why play this game? To remember the simple things again. Phoenix Wright is surprisingly heartfelt and genuine. Your story doesn't have to be the Next Great Novel--it's okay to talk about siblings, murder, and long lost friends. The game is also hilarious and makes you use your brain to solve mysteries and such.

Bioshock (PS3/XBOX 360/PC)
Okay, I'll admit, I haven't actually played Bioshock, but I watched someone else play the entire game while doing homework. If you want to study up on setting a mood, then this Bioshock is for you. For one thing, the game takes place in a egoist, underwater, utopian city-gone-wrong named Rapture. It's also populated with insane people that want to kill you. And that sums up everything, because the entire atmosphere of the is gorgeous and horrifying at the same time.

The World Ends With You (DS)
One of the best things about The World Ends With You is the fact that you don't know what's going on half of the time. In a good way. Play this game for the story because it will not let you go. That and there's crazy plot twists. As writers we need to focus on what makes a story grab people and what makes an awesome climax. Another perk? The gameplay is the best I've ever seen in a Nintendo DS game.

So, what do you think? Video games: a waste of time, or a good investment? Have you ever played any of these games? Tell me in the comments.

Books and e-books can coexist!

You've all heard about the great war of Pixels vs. Paper. There are numerous battles were people argue about the merits of e-books and physical books. There are lots of claims that e-books are going to ruin publishing and that the hardcover is going to die a horrid death. As someone with a Kindle and two six-foot-tall bookshelves, I dare to make the claim that books and e-books can live together happily.

Which is better?! Hardback? E-book?

If you ignore all of the drama around the publishing industry itself, the main issue with e-books is aesthetics. Sure, they're cheap and portable, but they're not pretty, they don't smell like paper, and they don't look impressive on your bookshelf.

Surprisingly, the same things can be said about paperbacks. They're cheap and portable. But they're not really pretty, they don't have the crisp paper thing that hardbacks have, and they don't look nearly as sexy on the shelf. Yet, no one is really convinced that paperbacks are a sign of the book apocalypse.

In fact, paperbacks and e-books are so similar that I agree with Eric over at Pimp My Novel. E-books aren't going to kill hardcovers. Instead they're going to replace the mass market paperback.

And is that really a problem?

Many of you are screaming, "Yes! Yes! of course it is! Yes!"

For me, not so much actually. I find that the things I buy in paperback are usually the things I'm less attached to, and it's been the same for e-books. I demand that my epic, multi-part sci-fi fantasies to be in hardcover, but that's about it. For example, I bought hardbacks of The Hunger Games Trilogy even after reading them on my Kindle.

I guess I just want everyone to realize that owning an e-reader isn't going to suddenly convince you to buy everything in e-book format. Maybe you want physical books, and that's perfectly fine. People just seem to forget that there are options and you can have all of them. Hardcovers and e-books live together in my household and it's working well.

If you're curious about e-books, go check out the e-reader displays at Best Buy or Staples. Or maybe look into the free Kindle Reading App, since it's not like you need an actual e-reader to read e-books.

What do you guys think? Agree? Disagree? Understand what I'm trying to say, or still think e-books are devil spawn? Tell me in the comments. I want to know.