DBloC: Day Two: The Theming
Wow. I’m back again already. Hello. Check. Check. Is this thing on? *cough* *cough*
Yesterday evening, I shared with you the fact that I’m going to keep this section of the site shiny with new words each and every day (or, more likely, words you may recognize, but in new and informative structures that form sentences and convey some degree of sense–I’m not Tolkein creating a language here folks, sorry.)
I don’t exactly know how the structure of this whole thing is going to come together as we move forward, so let’s explore together.
I already created the maxims for this yesterday.
1. Keep the conversation–in the main– to games, writing, and/or design.
2. Post something every day.
Things I’d like to do, but am not so hard on fast on, is to keep a theme going for the month. If I become so hooked on posting everyday, then I may change the theme each month. Who knows? I may not even keep a theme going for two days in a row. Baby steps first. Rome is quite a ways off.
That’s about it. I can say we’ve got a movement going. I already have one fella, Tommy Brownell who’s picked up the gauntlent and decided to leap in along with us. If you want to do it, too, that’s cool. Don’t think of this so much as the crazy sprint of NaNoWriMo, this is more of a daily stroll, a way to get your words down, and clear your head.
The theme I’ll be working with is Under the Influence. I mentioned this yesterday. Go check. Anything and anyone influencing the work of yours truly is up for grabs. I think I can think of a month’s worth of stuff to talk about there, so let’s get to it. Forgive me in advance if I wander afield.
Under the Influence: 1
I certainly could start at the beginning and talk about what got me into the Game Industry, but I’ve discussed that in a number of interviews elsewhere, and I want to start off talking about something else. I want to talk about a few cats that I don’t really know –outside of their own blogs and tweets- who have (unknowingly)inspired me to share my thoughts on things to begin with: Will Wheaton, Will Hindmarch, Rob Donoghue, Chuck Wendig, Ken Hite, and Fred Hicks. I’ve spoken with some of these guys at shows, and exchanged a few emails here and there, but do I really know them? Yes. And no. I know what they share of themselves through their blogs and 140 character pearls of wit and wisdom. When I first got going, I had a sense of direction, and posted a lot of stuff on various sites, and started posting design journals, The Razorwise Report, on a regular basis. Then, as work got in my way, I didn’t make time for posting, just like I didn’t make time for eating right, sleeping enough, or getting enough exercise. I focused on the work, thinking that, since I was doing this new company thing, that I needed to spend every waking minute working on something or I wasn’t productive. The point is, that isn’t true. In fact, if you don’t take the time to take time away, you often end up wasting time. Your creativity can get compromised, and it’s better to work smarter than harder.
Today, I’m stretching my mental muscles by working on something outside of Echo of Dead Leaves, the beautiful beast that is consuming my days with its Mythos-drenched maw, and that’s cool.
I’ll close with a thank you to these people I don’t know. I suggest you don’t know them too.
