That’s not meant as some kind of complaint, more a reason as to why I’ve not been active here recently. Most of my time, energy and a good deal of stress has been focused on a real humdinger of a task I had dropped on me at work. There are other choice phrases I could use for it as well but I want to keep this family friendly. Still, you know you have been kinda lumbered with something when even the managers think you’ve been given a tough gig with not much help for it.

Plus side is it’s done and I hopefully don’t have to deal with it for another year. Downside is I did it so well I’m likely to get asked to do it again. What makes it worse is I’m likely to volunteer since I know my experience will be useful.

All of this means that I haven’t had a much time to devote to my writing as I would like, just grabbing the odd hour when I can. Which sadly includes Serenity Base, although I’ve been hit by one bit of inspiration so that’s a start. Not so much a game as an introductory scene for an episode that I think you guys will like.

As a writer I’ve often wrestled with the question of what makes a good story. It was something I often struggled with when starting out and while there is no one simple answer to this question, one of the first answers I came up with is what I call the Disney Movie idea. Not an idea that is unique to Disney but I’ve noticed a trend in movies like Aladdin or the Lion King. Main character is living a humdrum or normal life, something happens to shake that up, they go through something traumatic or life changing, then something good happens and the fun part of the movie begins where they are just living the good life, having fun adventures until it all turns serious as the movie heads to the climax. It’s not just Disney though. Mrs Doubtfire is an example. So is Robin Hood Prince of Theives. So if you are starting out with writing a story it’s not a bad model to follow.

…I’m talking about the recently announced Hercules remake. And recently is the keyword in many ways. While it doesn’t bug me as much as the live action remake of Moana, it’s still a relatively recent Disney project compared with the release dates of some Disney movies. And really, while I’ve never really been a fan of that movie, I don’t see anything about it that would warrant a remake. The art is excellent, the story likewise. It really doesn’t need to be altered. Not that there aren’t Disney movies that couldn’t benefit from a remake. Snow White maybe. Sleeping Beauty. They are very much of the time and could certainly be punched up, even improve the plot a little. Certainly with Snow White. There wasn’t that much characterisation in that movie or any real character arcs. Yes, you don’t want to stray too far from the original source material and say turn the seven dwarfs from folklore miners into dwarfs of a Tolkienesque design - although that might be cool in a way.

So, yeah while there are some movies that can benefit from a remake but I’d like Disney to put a little more effort into making some new projects as well.

….and while it was one of the more gripping Dr Who episodes I’ve watched recently, I’m not exactly sure about it. Mostly because I’m not entirely sure what the heck happened. I’m keeping this spoiler free for those who haven’t seen it. Maybe the ending will be explained in a later episode or something. I’m certainly going to stick around and see the end of the series through. Maybe that will clear things up. The series as a whole it’s bad. It’s not hit the highs of the Tennant era but it’s got a certain charm to it. 73 feet did have a feel of a classic episode about it. Maybe it was the lack an actual monster or space alien running around. Not as scary as The Empty Child but it did have a certain creep factor to it.

…..mostly by doing something I’ve not felt I’ve had much time to do lately, dip into watching some classic game show clips on YouTube. And I’ve already been struck by the muse from one I saw, kinda a daft little game from Fort Boyard. Sure it’s not perfect, but I’ve already got some ideas to make it a lot more fun, silly and messy to boot. Hopefully this won’t be the last little surge of inspiration I get in the coming days and weeks. While it might be a little while for the next chapter as I’m getting the fan fiction bug again, it will be a blast.

Just three hours till I’m another year older. It’s gonna be something of a low key birthday given everyone in the household is still recovering from a pretty nasty cold and because I’m away from home at the moment. So it’s going to be a birthday of two halves. Tomorrow will just celebrate the day. Cards, cake, more than a little booze if things go right. When we are back home comes the gifts. Which I could have brought with me but I’d be worried about them getting damaged. Anyway I like it better if we almost get to celebrate it twice as my best friend will be dropping by on the Saturday.

I’ve never been down with the whole big party thing when it comes to birthdays. Just family and a very select group of friends, nothing very exciting just getting together for a low key celebration. With how long it’s taking me to feel better, it might be even more low key this year. Guess we will see.

Kindness makes the world go round, I’ve often heard it said. And these days I’m noticing a real absence of kindness in the world. Everybody seems to be really stressed, impatient or wound up in some way recently. And that seems to be lowering the kindness in the world. And I’m not entirely immune to that. I think I’ve pushed myself a little too hard recently, almost burning the candle at both ends. And I’m noticing my temper is a little bit short these days. So I’m looking to change that. If I feel the urge to snap or say something snide, I’m going to try to say something kind instead, try to redirect the instinct I suppose. Also I’ve got myself booked in for a nice pampering experience next weekend, once I’ve fully shaken off this virus. I’d hate to give it to the lady I’m going to see. It should have been last weekend but I was really sick then. Plus feeling awful there is a lot of close body contact in the session I’ve booked myself in for and she would have picked it up for certain. Hopefully that’s gonna help me destress a little.

…I’ve gone almost a year without feeling sick. And without taking some time off work, that honestly I wouldn’t have minded. And now, on the first day of my two week holiday, my body is like, here have this virus. I’ve felt worse I must admit but I’ve felt better as well. The worst of it, apart from this annoying ache in my legs, is that I might have to postpone something I had planned for tomorrow and had been looking forward to as well. Since it’s something that involves some very close contact, I’d hate to pass anything onto the lady I’m going to see.

I had felt it coming on last night and had hoped a good sleep would help me shake it off but sadly that doesn’t seem to have worked. Even if I feel better tomorrow I still might not risk it. If I do give her something she won’t be able to work and I’d feel really guilty about that.

I guess this starts out as something of an apology to those still waiting for the next chapter of Serenity Base. Of which I’m hoping there are still some of you out there. I’m actually getting a real swing going with the writing itself and struggling less with the confidence issues I had been plagued with. It’s just finding the time and with work being mostly late night shifts along with my Patreon writings I don’t get as much time as I would like. I’m trying to at least get a couple of stints in a week, three if I can manage it. Which hopefully should mean an increase in content productivity. On that note I’m hoping to have the next chapter done by next week if things go well. I’ll keep you updated on that. Stay safe. White.

Mostly with Serenity Base. I do occasionally have trouble making up the games the ladies, something that is often a problem in my head and one that I create. This week though I seemed to hit upon something of a surge of creativity for one game. It’s actually coming together pretty well where I can picture the whole thing in my head clear as day. So much so that once I get home I might do a few sketches of it. Sketches might be stretching it since I’m a mediocre artist but I’m hoping that a picture might tell if not a thousand words then at least I could manage a few hundred.

While that is by no means the entirety of my future thoughts regarding Serenity Base, it’s the idea that has most recently captured my imagination. It’s an idea I’m surprised I haven’t thought of before given it’s based on one of my favourite wam movie scenes. Now, I imagine most of you might be imagining a Crystal Maze kinda thing where the player will be the one shooting the Catapault. When instead they will be sitting in it, poised for a trip they won’t soon forget. Sounds like fun right. I’d write more here but my iPad is leaking power like no tomorrow so I’ll leave it here.

Another celebrity loss that has kinda snuck up on me. While not a favourite actor of mine, his performance as Theoden in the Lord of the Rings was nothing short of commanding, brilliant and utterly human in it’s portrayal. Some actors make characters larger than life, big and bold and filling the screen utterly. He made Theoden large as life, powerful, strong, decisive yet human and flawed as well. The kind of person I’ve always aimed to be like. Or as best I can. While it’s not the death that has hit me most this year, I can’t deny he will be missed. The world will genuinely not be the same without him and he will most certainly be missed.

That, in short, is one of many lessons I took today from my Shifu. And one that stuck with me the most. We were talking general fighting theory and while we practiced many techniques, he said I should watch for the ones that feel best to me, feel the most natural, and focus on learning and practicing those those so I fully understand how they may be applied. I think there is a lesson for life there. Do things that feel right to you, follow those things that strike a chord with you. It will be interesting to see where else I can apply this thought.

Seriously, what happened to all the original and unique movie ideas of years ago. Seems like the height of those ideas was back in the days of Pirates of the Caribbean or Pacific Rim. These days it seems to be all Star Wars and Marvel and Disney Remakes. Not that I mind the Marvel stuff. Sure some of the initial hype is gone and they have started to have a few flops but I’m somewhat interested in seeing where it goes as a whole.
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Still, I’d like to see something original. Not just remakes and sequels to existing ideas. Something fresh and exciting. And I’m not seeing much of that these days. The closest we got is Godzilla vs Kong. That’s something that hasn’t come to the big screen at least. Guess I’ll keep living in hope.

Having put the finishing touches to the most recent chapter of a little fanfiction I’ve been penning, my writing eye has turned back to the writing of Serenity Base. I’ve always thought that the one mistake I made starting out was jumping in without enough planning and by extension knowing where it was going. So that is where I’ve started this time, with a good spate of steady planning. And it’s going quite well, if I do say so myself. I’ve already got a good solid eight games planned out. Not all of them will likely make it into the final chapter of this Sector of course. Which isn’t to say you won’t see them cropping up later. Speaking of later, I’m also having sparks of inspiration for little and not so little ideas for future chapters. I’m actually kinda excited to see where this goes.

Things have been more than a little full on these first few weeks. Work has been absolutely crazy with short staffing hours made worse by holiday and various absence. Including managers. And things aren’t likely to improve much as January draws to a close. On the upside I’ve had a decent amount of time to pour into my writing. Once I finish up another chapter of my current fanfic I’m dipping back into Serenity Base, ready to build upon a surge of inspiration I had last night. I’m especially keen to try out a game I’m thinking of calling ‘Lucky Dip.’ Or I might go with ‘Big Dipper.’ I’m not sure yet. Anyway, stay safe out there.

White.

I’m not usually a fan of remakes of classic shows from my youth. There are of course occasions when it can work. The Christopher Ecceston reboot of Dr Who or the remake of Battlestar Galactica for example. Yet there are also lots of examples where it doesn’t work. The recent Crystal Maze was something of a flop for me. So whenever I hear of a remake of something I’m skeptical. And I was sure skeptical when I heard Gladiators was being rebooted.

For those that don’t know, Gladiators was a physical contest Gameshow where members of the public competed in various extreme games against The Gladiators, professionals and athletes in peak physical condition. Anyway, I wasn’t exactly thrilled by the idea. Until I saw a trailer. And now I’m pumped. They have perfectly captured the feel of the original series. The costumes. The sets. The theme music. It’s all just as I remembered. So yeah, I’m pumped.

I’m talking about Sonic Forces. I’m a die hard Sonic Fan so when I was recommended this game, I couldn’t pass it by. Yes, it’s still a cash cow of a game, with far too much pay to win content for my liking. But I love the game play. It’s simple, it’s addictive, it’s fun. And I love the events they run. It’s great to find a game where you can unlock new characters just by playing levels. Yes, I’m annoyed I didn’t quite get the Mummy Knuckles unlock from the Halloween Event but there will still be next year I’m sure.

Once I get the chance to review the game, it’s gonna get a solid 4 stars. It would get 5 if there were equal number of ways to win coins and rings as there were to buy them. I’d love to see some serious challenges to test myself against and win some real rewards. Hopefully we see more of this in the future.

Certainly around my place of work where all the Christmas Decorations are going up. It’s one thing to enjoy seeing all the Christmas Banners and snowflakes decorating the building. It’s quite another to put them up. I should know, that’s what I’ve been doing for the past week. It’s been a Herculean task. Wouldn’t have been so bad if Management hadn’t insisted I put up all 30 hanging snowflakes. Had I followed the plan, I’d just have to have put up 15 and that would be it. Bosh. Done. Wasn’t helped that we had the usual problems that the hanging hooks provided weren’t strong enough to hold the big banners up, so I had to reinforce the heck out of them. Still..I learned a lot and next year will be simpler.

I’d say that’s my top takeaway from this year. Keep an open mind and you can find inspiration all around you; be that small or large. The littlest thing you see, especially if you weren’t looking for it, can form a huge part of whatever creative endeavour you are embarking on. Take yesterday. I was just watching old random videos on YouTube, wasn’t even thinking about writing anything or watching anything that could be connected in anyway to Serenity Base. And then I stumbled across a little scene and was like, yeah, I can use that. So out came the mental notebook and that idea was added to it. So don’t be afraid to take breaks, just chill and do something else. You never know what ideas might come out of it.

…in a comercial sense at any rate. Don’t get me wrong. I love Christmas. And I’d love for the holiday to last longer. Working in Retail the best I get is four days off. That’s the name of the game though. What does bug me is the rampant commercialism that surrounds Christmas. It seems like each year we start selling Christmas goods earlier and earlier. Since the start of October we’ve had shelves stocked with mince pies, Christmas Pudding, Advent Calanders, Christmas Cards etc. Halloween hasn’t even come around yet and already we are in full Christmas mode. It’s a minor bugbear perhaps but it does still bug me a bit.

And what’s a more simple, and classic, game than an obstacle course. While it might be tempting, given our setting, to see how far we could push the idea in the way of technology and complexity, I think it would loose something in the attempt. Not when I could pour all that creativity into the competitiveness and playful rivalry likely to ensue. To even be encouraged perhaps. So far this is all just loose, somewhere down the line kinda thinking. I’ve got a basic idea penned down, as sure as that is likely to change and evolve. Should be fun to see where it goes.

Not exactly around the corner I know but since my place of work is going to be selling the first wave of Halloween goodies this week, I figured today was a good day to get to thinking about my Halloween costume for this year. It’s going to be adding to a few items I picked up some years back to create a custom made fantasy warrior kinda vibe. I’ve already got a shirt, belt, faux arm guard armour. I’m adding to that a cloak, trousers and a tunic that should create a pretty cool look. Now I’ve just got to pick which costume weapon or weapons I might pick to go with it. I’m curious to know what anyone is thinking of for this year.

…for the second rather more laid back week of my holiday/vacation. Not that this week was particularly action packed or adventurous. Holidays for me are not usually adventurous unless I’m taking in a cruise or hitting somewhere like Centre Parcs. Centre Parcs is high on my holiday list for next year and I’m getting that in early since this is usually when we get around to start planning holidays for the next year.

Last time I went to Centre Parcs was pretty much slap in the middle of the pandemic/lockdown, so there were a lot of events and activities that weren’t available. If I had to pick one, I’d love to try the treetop adventure activity. Think of it as a obstacle course that climbs up, around and between the trees until you reach the top where you can zip line back down. I’m hoping the zip line is working this time. The fan descender is pretty cool and I felt pretty proud of myself facing my fear and actually doing it. I guess time will tell how things go this time around.

Dropped a little teaser for one of the stories currently live on my Patreon. No paywall, no locked content. Instead I offer perks where my Patreons control how my art and stories progress and develop. If you like what you see and would like to support my work, that would mean a lot to me.


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