Post-Traumatic Tech Disorder

Well, tomorrow is the kick off to the first Game Writers Conference here in Austin. It’s running alongside this year’s Game Developers Conference, so it should be a lot of fun. I’ll actually get to approach it from two different fronts… as a writer and as a database geek. I’m mostly interested in the writing aspects, but Curiosity compels the geek in me to find out more about the tips, tricks, and strategies they use for such high demand database servers (hopefully, they’ll have some info I don’t already know about).

For any writers in the Austin area interested in finding out more about writing video games (useful skill considering how many gaming companies are located here in Austin), give it a shot if you can. Maybe I’ll see ya there.

Tagatopia: video games writing storytelling writer gaming Austin conference

Well, I’ve been running some new software through its paces the past couple days, and I’ve gotta say… this little app is really good so far. With one program, I’ve gotten rid of… my journaling software, outlining software, note-taking/story development software, and if this post works out just fine, my blogging software might be gone as well.

I’ve tested out dozens of different programs for journaling and note-taking/organizing, but this is the first one that’s had all the options I’ve liked from various programs all in one place (and it’s set up nicely for keeping everything organized, which is very helpful bonus). Figures that another avid gamer would develop a program like this.

Gonna try to break it over the next few days… if it survives, I’ll toss a link to it over on my “writing links” page.

As I’ve mentioned before, I keep a running diary of story ideas I call a “thought bucket.” I generally write one or two quick ideas down there with some notes and maybe a few references. I was taking a quick break from some of my other writing (outlining the first story arc of a story scheduled to hit shelves next year, working on another screenplay… well, two screenplays simultaneously, finishing up a short story submission, the webcomics, and a bunch of research for other projects), so I decided to go through a couple old ideas and think about what actually inspired them…

• Cartoon Kings – At a visit to the studio that produces their favorite but unsuccessful and soon-to-be-cancelled cartoon show, two brothers stumble onto a secret device that controls everything on the show as its playing on TV. They use the device to have fun with their favorite character not realizing that their mucking about with the show is broadcast live around the country. Their antics revitalize interest in the show to make it successful again… until their older brother gets ahold of the device shocking the country and bringing down the fury of the FCC. Inspired by a drunken costume party where I ran into a prior “short term female acquaintance” of mine who was dressed as a cartoon character. I was dressed as a King Tut, and as the night went on, she got a little tipsy and flirty and asked me, “How’d you like to be the king of cartoons?” Of course, the story idea morphed into something a little more innocent in my notebooks. The rest of that night? Well, that’s a different story… the kind where the almost-a-stalker you never knew about takes you back to her apartment.

• Our Private Purgatory – A romantic takes his girlfriend to a place recommended by a friend where there’s a beautiful view of the ocean and the sunset. But being in the middle of nowhere after the sun sets with a car that won’t start lets this panicked, young couple get to know each other a bit better than they really wanted. Drove a girlfriend to a “quiet” beach spot when the full moon was out. It was a fun night… until we tried to drive home and my rear wheels were spinning in the sand leaving us stuck there. On the beach… in the middle of winter… no one around for miles… and way before I ever owned a cell phone. Working in the wet sand in winter to get the wheels freed up wasn’t as romantic as I’d hoped.

After years of writing down notes on various conversations overheard (for reference for writing dialogue), you’ll get some stuff that just gives you a good chuckle when you read over it again. Well, I recently went through some of my old dialogue notes for fun, and here’s a quick highlight reel…

• “Quit trying to light my panties on fire.”

• “This movie sucks, but it still rocks. It socks!”