A Beginner's Guide to Westeros: Great Houses

A Beginner's Guide to Westeros: Great Houses — Blue Ink Alchemy

The Game of Thrones is now showing on HBO. The production and promotion of this series has been fantastic, but not everyone tuning in may be familiar with the series of books upon which it is based. A Song of Ice and Fire, currently spanning four expansive novels, introduced us to the world of Westros and provides a plethora of extensive information. Presented here is a bit of that information to help newcomers to this lush and living world get and keep their bearings. All information is presented free of spoilers and describe the circumstances at the beginning of the series...

House Baratheon

Sigil: Stag Words: Ours Is The Fury After the deposing of long-standing House Targaryen, it could be said that the words of House Baratheon should become 'To the victor, the spoils.' It was Robert Baratheon, roused in his anger over the abduction of his beloved Lyanna Stark, who rallied the nobles of the Seven Kingdoms against Mad King Aerys. Boisterous both in battle and out, Robert swept from his ancestral home of Storm's End to take his vegeance. When it was over, he had won the Iron Throne. He wed Cersei Lannister to ensure that House's allegiance and named his mentor Jon Arryn the Hand of the King. His elder brother, taciturn Stannis, held the former Targaryen keep of Dragonstone, while his young brother, the dashing Renly, remained at Storm's End. Baratheon is a popular house, now more than ever, and while King Robert is perhaps not the most subtle when it comes to statecraft, he does his best to be a king of the people.

House Lannister

Sigil: Lion Words: Hear Me Roar! When Robert Baratheon rode out to take the Iron Throne, the Lannisters of Casterly Rock answered his call. Tywin Lannister, lord of the House and feared by many, perhaps caught the scent of opportunity in the campaign of man with the appetites and aptitude of Robert. His twins, Cersei and Jaime, indeed played a great part in the fall of House Targaryen and the rise of Robert. Jaime, a member of the elite Kingsguard, was responsible for Aerys himself falling under the sword, an act which earned him the dubious nickname "Kingslayer." Bearing such a title is something Jaime shares with his younger brother, Tyrion. It is unclear if Tyrion is referred to as "the Imp" due to his dwarfish stature or the keen, conniving nature of his mind. Either way, both he and Jamie came to reside in King's Landing with their sister, who has become Queen of the Seven Kingdoms.

House Stark

Sigil: Direwolf Words: Winter Is Coming The history of House Stark stretches back far beyond the unification of the Seven Kingdoms. It is said that they still bear the blood of the First Men, the mysterious people of the North who have all but vanished from Westros. Starks are known for quiet resolve, unyeilding strength and uncompromising honor, and no Stark better embodies these qualities than Eddard, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North. His sister, Lyanna, was taken from both him and her beloved Robert Baratheon long before her time, and when Robert took up arms to right this great wrong, Ned was right beside him. After it was done, however, he returned to Winterfell, dwelling here with his wife, Catelyn of House Tully, and their children - Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran and Rickon. Among his household is also his bastard son Jon Snow and his ward, Theon Greyjoy. Ned feels his duty is to the North, to support the Night's Watch and maintain the vigil of Winterfell. After all, winter is coming...

House Targaryen

Sigil: Three-headed Dragon Words: Fire & Blood For many years, the Targaryen kings ruled from the Red Keep in the capitol of King's Landing. It was Aegon I, after all, who used his dragons to bring the Seven Kingdoms to heel. Since then, dragons have passed out of common knowledge into myth, and the descendants of Aegon have mostly married within their own House. This had lead to members of the family sometimes displaying rather eccentric personalities. Aerys, the last Targaryen King, was called 'mad' for this very reason, and many who knew him, from Jaime Lannister to Eddard Stark, would tell you exactly why. Aerys' eldest son, however, was apparently free of the taint of madness. Rhaegar was a bookish but valiant and capable knight whom several believe would have made a better king, had he not been born second and had he not absconded with Lyanna. When Aerys fell, his younger children were spirited across the Narrow Sea to Pentos. Viserys is very much Aerys' son, from his countenance to his mentality, while Danaerys is a young and untested princess who has always been under the unkind hands and darkening shadow of her brother. If you would like to know more, please consult the official HBO viewer's guide or the Wiki of Ice and Fire (beware of spoilers). Also, if you find anything amiss or incorrect in these guides, please inform me.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

A Beginner's Guide to Westeros: The Night's Watch

A Beginner's Guide to Westeros: The Night's Watch — Blue Ink Alchemy

The Game of Thrones is now showing on HBO. The production and promotion of this series has been fantastic, but not everyone tuning in may be familiar with the series of books upon which it is based. A Song of Ice and Fire, currently spanning four expansive novels, introduced us to the world of Westeros and provides a plethora of extensive information. Presented here is a bit of that information to help newcomers to this lush and living world get and keep their bearings. All information is presented free of spoilers and describe the circumstances at the beginning of the series... The Wall was built some 8000 years ago, at the end of the Long Night when the Others and wildlings menaced the land of Westeros. Brandon the Builder laid the foundations along the heights anywhere he could. The result was a wall 800 leagues in length. Over the years it's grown to 300 feet in height and enough width for several mounted knights to ride abreast in comfort. The men responsible for its growth are the same men tasked with guarding it and the realms to the south of it: the men of the Night's Watch.
Two of the newest Brothers of the Night's Watch - Jon Snow & Samwell Tarly There was a time when the entire realm considered membership in the Night's Watch a high honor, and accorded any Brother wearing the black every courtesy and comfort. However, times have changed. Now, taking the black is an alternative to punitive punishment for any number of crimes, as well as a means for those facing the machinations of cannier or more ruthless family members to escape and live just a little bit longer. What was once an elite brotherhood of dedicated, noble defenders is now largely composed of thieves, rapists, murders, cravens and ill-tongued schemers nearly hung by their own ropes. Still, the core of the Night's Watch remains noble and steadfast. Men of the North still hold the Watch in high regard, with lesser sons of noble houses taking the black out of obligation, duty or a sense of honor rather than as an alternative to losing body parts. A wise Lord Commander looks to these noble Brothers to assist in training new recruits and impressing upon them the nature of the oaths they will take, oaths that will change and ultimately end their lives. The Night's Watch is divided into three distinct paths. Rangers scout north of the Wall and are the martial arm of the Watch. Builders maintain the Wall and its various strongholds, from the Shadow Tower to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. Stewards tend to the menial tasks of the Watch to keep it running and serve Brothers of higher rank when asked. All of them are necessary for the Watch to be maintained, especially as its numbers dwindle. The oath that every Brother takes, from the basest criminal to the most noble sworn knight, is as follows:
Lord Commander Jeor Mormont, "The Old Bear".

Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I shall live and die at my post. I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the fire that burns against cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, the shield that guards the realms of men. I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch, for this night and all the nights to come.

If you would like to know more, please consult the official HBO viewer's guide or the Wiki of Ice and Fire (beware of spoilers). Also, if you find anything amiss or incorrect in these guides, please inform me.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

In Memoriam

In Memoriam — Blue Ink Alchemy

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." - George Santayana We have the country we have today because people got pissed off enough to fight for it. I discussed the reasoning behind our fight for independence back on our last Independence Day, and I still think this country has a long way to go before it fixes all the bridges that have nearly been burnt to the ground because of the actions we've taken in the name of securing our borders. That doesn't mean that the men and women who died in service to the country should not be remembered, or that their sacrifice should be downplayed or marginalized. They were called upon to do their duty, to fight while others stand idle, and they answered. America's military is based entirely on volunteer service. People enlist for various reasons, from pure-hearted desire to serve the country to paying for a college education. And those who can already afford college can embark upon a career as an officer right from the start. The important fact, though, is that none of it is compulsory. Nobody is making these young men and women sign up for service that could ultimately mean they're going to die far from home, in some foreign land, possibly alone with no one to remember them save for a line item in a report listing them as "Missing In Action". Other countries compel their citizens to join the military from an early age. There's no choice in the matter. Regardless of how you feel about your country, you're going to be serving in its military. As much as I admire Heinlein, the idea of compulsory military service being the only route to citizenship is a pretty scary one. But unless I'm mistaken, no country has gone completely that far yet. Here, though, every person who puts on that uniform, male or female, young or old, gay or straight, left or right, does so for the same reason. They want to serve. They chose to answer the call to duty. Nobody made them. And if they died on a foreign shore, they did so as the ultimate result of that choice. As lonely, painful, cold and dark as it might have been for them, it is a deep hope of mine that they do not consider themselves forgotten. We have not forgotten. Wars are horrible things. The necessity of force to further political or economic gain is an indication that cooler heads and well-spoken reason have not prevailed over base, animalistic instincts. Canny leaders and generals will at least do what they can to end the fight as quickly and directly as possible. Sun-Tzu teaches us "There is no instance of a nation benefiting from prolonged warfare." He was right 2000 years ago and he's right today. However, this doesn't mean that those that fight in wars are as horrible as the wars they fight. Indeed, war can show the very best of human nature. Comrades helping one another through the battlefield, nobility in the face of unstoppable odds, compassion for one's enemies; these are all things I feel we do not see or read often enough. In the pages of dry, procedural after-action reports are many such stories yet untold. In finding and telling them, we help to remember what it is to be a volunteer soldier, to choose to fight, to exemplify in our conflicts who we are as a country and what we stand for. It's probably my idealism creeping back into my rhetoric, but I'd like to think that, more often than not, on the front lines in foreign lands, the men and women of the American military 'being all they can be' means professionalism, respect, audacity and resolve. These volunteers should represent the best and bravest of us. They chose to defend our interests and our country, and we in turn are compelled to remember. For them it was voluntary; for us, back at home, living our lifestyles the way we are due to countless sacrifices born of their choices, remembering feels compulsory. To all the men and women of the past and present who have chosen to serve America, making sacrifices from a few lost years to the one that means you'll never see us again: Thank you, and God bless you.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Last Action Hero

IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Last Action Hero — Blue Ink Alchemy

[audio:http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/uploads/slater.mp3] The fourth wall is a long-standing term for the concept of separation between an on-screen performance and its audience. Most straight productions act as if the fourth wall is a concrete barrier, entirely encapsulating the fictional world within. Comedies, especially parodies and spoofs, tend to treat the fourth wall with as much irreverence as anything else. They can paint it, lean against it or ignore it entirely. 1993's Last Action Hero is one of the few films that bodily throws a guy through the fourth wall.
Even the posters are hilarious in retrospect. Arnold Schwartzenegger is Jack Slater, a supercop best described as the illegitimate love child of John McClain and Dutch from Predator. He blows up Los Angeles on a regular basis, chases goons into spectacular gun fights and explosions, and messing with his family is, as he tends to say often, a big mistake. Jack Slater is the hero of young movie buff Danny Madigan, who cuts class and stays out late just to watch Jack Slater do what he does best. His favorite theater is shutting down and, as a last quiet hurrah, the aging projectionist offers to show Danny the new Jack Slater film (brilliantly titled Jack Slater IV) before anybody else gets to see it. He also gives Danny a golden ticket, a gift from Harry Houdini, which happens to possess magic powers in the presence of cinema. Next thing Danny knows, he's in the back of Jack Slater's car during the action movie's first major chase scene. Nobody's more surprised than Danny, except maybe Jack. Last Action Hero is perhaps one of the most thorough deconstructions of the action movie genre I've ever seen. When Danny is in Jack Slater IV, he's very quick to point out tropes and plot points to the point that he quickly goes from endearing to irritating. He's not a dumb kid, though, so he does mellow out as the story goes on, much to Jack's relief. Jack, on the other hand, spends most of the second act denying that he's a fictional character until circumstances catapult him back into the real world with Danny. So while the second act is a deconstruction of the genre, the third is a deconstruction of the hero, as well as an exploration of a concept that the world is myth.
Is he taking aim at the goons, or the writers? If all stories do in fact exist in some form, that would mean that someone is writing your story, right now. What would you say to them, if you could? Last Action Hero addresses that question, as well as what might go on inside the mind of your stereotypical action superstar between the gunplay and cheesy one-liners. While nobody was going to win Oscars for what's going on here, the writers do give Jack a surprising amount of humanity and depth, considering how most of the movie's a light-hearted action romp, while the villain Benedict has a chillingly gleeful revelation when he, like Jack and Danny, cross over from the world of their movie to the world of the movie we're watching. It's a world much closer to our own, where cars don't explode when you shoot them, it hurts to punch things, and bad guys win all the time. The sudden change in mood between the nature of Jack's adventures and his experiences in the 'real' world might put off some viewers expecting a straight-forward action comedy. There are also some rough spots in the execution, a couple of jokes that might be more ridiculous than necessary and some problems with overall tone. It's hard to tell in places if Last Action Hero is simply being tongue in cheek about things or wants to be downright cheeky about the action movie roots of its star and director. After all, Arnold was best known for his big, loud, ultra-macho action movies. John McTiernan was also known for the big, loud, ultra-macho Die Hard. I think that, in 1993, these two coming together to do a big, loud, ultra-macho genre deconstruction took a lot of folks by surprise.
Honestly, he's probably my favorite kind of villain. There's also the fact that it opened the same year as movie juggernaut Jurassic Park. Be it due to box office receipts, actor confusion or critics blasting the movie for some decisions in execution and its necessary contrivances, Last Action Hero was not seen as a great success. In fact, many feel this was the movie that was the start of a downward spiral for Arnold, the following year's True Lies being a notable exception. His puns and general beefiness would draw him into movies far worse than this one and ultimately he ended up in politics. And yet there's a measure of self-awareness that some might miss. In what might have been intended as a throw-away gag, Jack Slater comes face to face with Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the character tells the actor "You've brought me nothing but pain." He echoes the sentiment of future movie-goers and some of the population of California in 2011. Despite its box office performance, Last Action Hero holds up better than some of its contemporaries. The fact that some of the tropes played with, averted, invoked and downright torn to shreds here are still alive and well in action movies today underscores the laziness inherent in relying upon such conventions. Had it been a straightforward action comedy, it likely would be unmemorable and boring. Framed as it is and leading into its crucial third act, it instead defies typical classification and exists as a rare specimen that's fascinating and strange. It stumbles in a couple of places and it's never certain if McTiernan and the writers really love the action movie genre or want to rip it to shreds out of spite, but it's a fun movie with some really interesting concepts at work. Fans of deconstructionist work, TV Tropes or actors having a laugh at their own expense should check this out on Netflix. As time goes on, and more ridiculous action movies come out while their stars become imitations of themselves, Last Action Hero will, I feel, continue to age with grace. Like a fine wine. Full of explosions.
"Have a nice day." Josh Loomis can't always make it to the local megaplex, and thus must turn to alternative forms of cinematic entertainment. There might not be overpriced soda pop & over-buttered popcorn, and it's unclear if this week's film came in the mail or was delivered via the dark & mysterious tubes of the Internet. Only one thing is certain... IT CAME FROM NETFLIX.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Last Action Hero

IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Last Action Hero — Blue Ink Alchemy

[audio:http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/uploads/slater.mp3] The fourth wall is a long-standing term for the concept of separation between an on-screen performance and its audience. Most straight productions act as if the fourth wall is a concrete barrier, entirely encapsulating the fictional world within. Comedies, especially parodies and spoofs, tend to treat the fourth wall with as much irreverence as anything else. They can paint it, lean against it or ignore it entirely. 1993's Last Action Hero is one of the few films that bodily throws a guy through the fourth wall.
Even the posters are hilarious in retrospect. Arnold Schwartzenegger is Jack Slater, a supercop best described as the illegitimate love child of John McClain and Dutch from Predator. He blows up Los Angeles on a regular basis, chases goons into spectacular gun fights and explosions, and messing with his family is, as he tends to say often, a big mistake. Jack Slater is the hero of young movie buff Danny Madigan, who cuts class and stays out late just to watch Jack Slater do what he does best. His favorite theater is shutting down and, as a last quiet hurrah, the aging projectionist offers to show Danny the new Jack Slater film (brilliantly titled Jack Slater IV) before anybody else gets to see it. He also gives Danny a golden ticket, a gift from Harry Houdini, which happens to possess magic powers in the presence of cinema. Next thing Danny knows, he's in the back of Jack Slater's car during the action movie's first major chase scene. Nobody's more surprised than Danny, except maybe Jack. Last Action Hero is perhaps one of the most thorough deconstructions of the action movie genre I've ever seen. When Danny is in Jack Slater IV, he's very quick to point out tropes and plot points to the point that he quickly goes from endearing to irritating. He's not a dumb kid, though, so he does mellow out as the story goes on, much to Jack's relief. Jack, on the other hand, spends most of the second act denying that he's a fictional character until circumstances catapult him back into the real world with Danny. So while the second act is a deconstruction of the genre, the third is a deconstruction of the hero, as well as an exploration of a concept that the world is myth.
Is he taking aim at the goons, or the writers? If all stories do in fact exist in some form, that would mean that someone is writing your story, right now. What would you say to them, if you could? Last Action Hero addresses that question, as well as what might go on inside the mind of your stereotypical action superstar between the gunplay and cheesy one-liners. While nobody was going to win Oscars for what's going on here, the writers do give Jack a surprising amount of humanity and depth, considering how most of the movie's a light-hearted action romp, while the villain Benedict has a chillingly gleeful revelation when he, like Jack and Danny, cross over from the world of their movie to the world of the movie we're watching. It's a world much closer to our own, where cars don't explode when you shoot them, it hurts to punch things, and bad guys win all the time. The sudden change in mood between the nature of Jack's adventures and his experiences in the 'real' world might put off some viewers expecting a straight-forward action comedy. There are also some rough spots in the execution, a couple of jokes that might be more ridiculous than necessary and some problems with overall tone. It's hard to tell in places if Last Action Hero is simply being tongue in cheek about things or wants to be downright cheeky about the action movie roots of its star and director. After all, Arnold was best known for his big, loud, ultra-macho action movies. John McTiernan was also known for the big, loud, ultra-macho Die Hard. I think that, in 1993, these two coming together to do a big, loud, ultra-macho genre deconstruction took a lot of folks by surprise.
Honestly, he's probably my favorite kind of villain. There's also the fact that it opened the same year as movie juggernaut Jurassic Park. Be it due to box office receipts, actor confusion or critics blasting the movie for some decisions in execution and its necessary contrivances, Last Action Hero was not seen as a great success. In fact, many feel this was the movie that was the start of a downward spiral for Arnold, the following year's True Lies being a notable exception. His puns and general beefiness would draw him into movies far worse than this one and ultimately he ended up in politics. And yet there's a measure of self-awareness that some might miss. In what might have been intended as a throw-away gag, Jack Slater comes face to face with Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the character tells the actor "You've brought me nothing but pain." He echoes the sentiment of future movie-goers and some of the population of California in 2011. Despite its box office performance, Last Action Hero holds up better than some of its contemporaries. The fact that some of the tropes played with, averted, invoked and downright torn to shreds here are still alive and well in action movies today underscores the laziness inherent in relying upon such conventions. Had it been a straightforward action comedy, it likely would be unmemorable and boring. Framed as it is and leading into its crucial third act, it instead defies typical classification and exists as a rare specimen that's fascinating and strange. It stumbles in a couple of places and it's never certain if McTiernan and the writers really love the action movie genre or want to rip it to shreds out of spite, but it's a fun movie with some really interesting concepts at work. Fans of deconstructionist work, TV Tropes or actors having a laugh at their own expense should check this out on Netflix. As time goes on, and more ridiculous action movies come out while their stars become imitations of themselves, Last Action Hero will, I feel, continue to age with grace. Like a fine wine. Full of explosions.
"Have a nice day." Josh Loomis can't always make it to the local megaplex, and thus must turn to alternative forms of cinematic entertainment. There might not be overpriced soda pop & over-buttered popcorn, and it's unclear if this week's film came in the mail or was delivered via the dark & mysterious tubes of the Internet. Only one thing is certain... IT CAME FROM NETFLIX.

---

Blue Ink Alchemy

Getting Published Sucks

Getting Published Sucks — Blue Ink Alchemy

Let's say you're a writer. You like, love, need to write. Ideas, characters, plots and events chase each other around in your noodle while you're collating TPS reports, shoveling coal or telling morons the bleedingly obvious. You want to bring them to life, invite other people into the worlds and lives you create, provide a small measure of escape and solace to your fellow man through the art of the written word. Or maybe you just want to make a quick buck. You're tired of the commute, the daily officer routine, the dirty or suspicious looks from your boss and you believe you can write your way out of it. Well, I commend your ambition and can sympathize with whatever sentiment that's motivating you, but you need to be aware of a harsh truth that might be difficult to swallow. You might be aware of it, peripherally, or because writers much better than me have already issued similar warnings. But here it is: Getting published sucks. If it were easy, everybody would do it. A thousand gamers and a million housewives and a billion Harry Potter fans would be getting their work published and making money if the process weren't soul-grindingly difficult. And it's not difficult in the way algebra or biochemistry can be, it's difficult in that it curts right past the idealism and imagination that got you writing in the first place and dumps you without preamble into the ice-cold shower of reality. Let me hand you the soap. You don't want to bend over.

Finding an Agent Sucks

I hope you like rejection. Who am I kidding? Nobody likes that. I can't think of a single person who breaks into a smile when they're told something they've worked hard on sucks. Even when the creative person can admit it to themselves, it's a tough thing to face and harder to overcome. And just when you think you have overcome it, refined that lump of coal into a diamond, polished that work until it shines? "Sorry, this isn't good enough." Not good enough for the market. Not good enough for the agency. Not good enough for the individual agent's taste. Just. Not. Good. Enough. It's what every form rejection letter boils down to. And let's face, agents are busy as hell. They get flooded with queries, full-out manuscripts, love letters and blatant bribes every day. They can't respond in person to every single one. So they use the form letter. Nine times out of ten, it isn't personal. They don't mean to come off like they don't care. It's not their intent to act like your hard work will never amount to anything. But boy, the write can certainly feel that way. The payoff, though, is that when you do get the attention of the right agent at the right time, you have a voice in the publishing community. Somebody with established credentials is now on your side. They have the pulse of the market. They know who to talk to, where to go, what to say to get your work into the hands of someone willing to put it in front of readers everywhere. They will go to the mat for you and you will love them for it. You just have to find them first. If you can.

Publishing Yourself Sucks

Fuck that! I have sent queries all over the place and gotten nowhere. I'm even more miserable and broke now than I was a year ago when I finally finished my seventeenth draft! I'm hip! I'm with it! I'm a digital native! I'm gonna publish myself, dammit!

Not so fast there, Sparky. First and foremost, let me point you in the direction of someone who's been out there, who's seen what it's like to face the demons on Amazon and those Barnes & Noble guys, who wrestled with what to do and what not to do with his bare gorram hands while bringing a child into this world. BAM. Get it? I hope so. You take a walk down the road of self-publication, you are in for just as much work and heartache as finding the right agent, if not moreso. There are a thousand things an agent will do for you in the course of a day if you're fortunate enough to retain their services. There's networking, marketing, promotion, pricing and contracts, a heaping handful of moving parts that keep the machine of your dreams humming along towards actually getting paid for your work. Without an agent, take a guess who needs to do all of that. If you guessed yourself, give yourself a No-Prize. Let's compare the two tracks. If you pursue an agent, after months (if not longer) of rejection you finally get one's attention and they like your work enough to represent it. You might need to do a couple more edits before the work is ready for prime time, but once it is you and your agent can work together to get it out there. Go your own way, and you'll need to bother a lot of people on your own. Relative strangers to give you honest test readings. Maybe an editor if you're pressed for time. Definitely a professional cover artist (you do want people to check out your book, right?). You'll need to set the type yourself to make sure the finished product looks good on mobile devices. Then you need to get it onto the marketplaces people use and promote the hell out of it. Offer incentives. Get reviews and post them everywhere. Shill until your voice hurts and your fingers are sore. Neither of those seems like very much fun, do they?

Doing Nothing Sucks

There's a third option, of course. You could just do nothing with your work. Write for your own enjoyment. Maybe post your work on a blog or a forum, if you have time. After all, who needs that aggravation? It's a huge expenditure of time and energy and it's going to frustrate you, depress you, enrage you and wear you out. You need that energy and time for things. Chores. Trips. Games. Chatting up attractive members of the opposite sex. Of course, if you do nothing with your work, nothing will come of it. You get what you give. Just give it to a forum or a blog with a couple viewers and you'll get a couple encouraging responses and little else. Take a chance on finding an agent or put in the work to put it out yourself, you'll get a lot more. Possibly some extra income. And that can't do anything but help the aforementioned activities. Those are the paths open to the writer. The path you choose is entirely up to you.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

An Open Letter to Blizzard Entertainment

An Open Letter to Blizzard Entertainment — Blue Ink Alchemy

*sniff* Dear Blizzard Entertainment, I've been a fan of your work since the days of Warcraft 2. I've played games in all three of your major IPs and enjoyed every one. I've begun playing StarCraft 2 in a competitive sense (even though I suck) and I've watched the development of Diablo 3 with interest. However, I have let my World of Warcraft subscription lapse, and in light of the latest major patch, I doubt I'll be re-subscribing any time soon. When I pay for World of Warcraft every month, my expectation is not that the game will be exactly what I want. My expectation is that the game will allow me to explore the extensive world you've created, interact with like-minded players and face challenges in the form of dungeons and raids. It's that last part that's been lacking for some time now. Cataclysm began with some promising steps in the right direction, but in light of many, many complaints from some of the more vocal members of the community, you have taken World of Warcraft down a path I can no longer follow. I'm reminded of a scene from the movie The 13th Warrior. Antonio Banderas is traveling with a band of Vikings looking to protect their homes from vicious savages, and one of the Vikings gives him a large sword. "I cannot lift this," says Banderas' character. The Viking shrugs and says with a smirk, "Grow stronger." The solution to the problem is not handed to Banderas; instead he must find the solution for himself. Granted, he eventually has the sword shaved down to a scimitar-like size and balance, allowing him to use speed he possesses instead of strength he does not, but it was still a solution he developed on his own. Instead of letting your players grow stronger or adapt to face the challenges you present on their own terms, you've swapped the big heavy sword for a butter knife. By lowering the difficulty of encounters, you do several things that I feel will be to the ultimate detriment of the game. You remove the challenge that is part of the appeal of dungeon and raid encounters. You encourage players to be lazy and not improve their skills. Most importantly, you foster the notion that a player or group of players who complain loudly enough about something they feel is unfair or to which they feel entitled will gain them what they want, without them having to expend any real effort. Get a bunch of like-minded friends together, post on the forums about how unfair or overpowered or unbalanced something is, and next thing you know stuff is less difficult and it's easier for you play. It's magic! I've been frustrated by encounters before. I've gotten into absolute fits over not being able to clear a particular boss. I've been short with guildmates, yelled at my wife, startled pets. But not once did I think any of my difficulties needed to be fixed with a wave of Blizzard's magic wand. No, my frustration came from the idea that my skills were not good enough, so I would need to improve them. I can be impatient, and crave my shinies just as much as any other adventurer in Azeroth, but I want to earn them, not have them handed to me. Developing the skills to earn something is difficult and time-consuming, not to mention carrying the possibility of failure. Rather than letting players fail more often, you lower the requirements for success to near insignificance. I know I'm not the only player who feels this way, but as I don't complain regularly my voice is one of the many that goes unheard. These concerns and worries go unspoken, because we'd rather work on our problems within our own reach rather than wave our arms in hysteria and grab attention, screaming as soon as we have it until we get what we want. I was hoping to come back to World of Warcraft soon. I met my wife there, after all. But I've realized you can't hope for things to go back to the way they were. I met my wife during The Burning Crusade, long before this sense of entitlement crept into the player base and the development team was producing multiple raid dungeons for every tier of progressive content. We had a great guild that worked well together, from role-playing to raiding, and it was a great time we've thoroughly enjoyed. But those days are gone. And no matter how fondly I might recall them, wishing for a thing does not make it so. You have decided that a vocal minority demanding you change is more important than the majority of the player base who want to progress, improve and succeed on their own merits. I feel this is an incorrect decision, and all I can do is call attention to the whys and wherefores of my own decision not to return to World of Warcraft. I hope I have done so and that this criticism is taken in the spirit with which it's written. I will continue to play StarCraft 2, but I must admit to being wary of doing so. I am aware that many of the official forums for that game are also full of complaints about balance issues and how one unit is more overpowered than another, how this matchup is unwinnable or that one needs a nerf. I'm also now nervous about Diablo 3. While I still look forward to playing it when it launches, I fear that within a month of its release players will complain that a boss is too hard and your response will be to lower its difficulty until all challenge and excitement from the encounter is lost, reducing the experience to the repetative process of "click enemy once, recieve loot." I'm certain that Blizzard Entertainment is not overly concerned with the complaints of a single customer who will no longer be using a particular service of theirs. It's entirely possible that this rather verbose dissertation on the state of the game will fall on deaf ears and go largely unread by anyone in a position to correct the course World of Warcraft has taken. I accept that, yet I could not let my feelings go unvoiced. It is my hope that as I and others of a like mind try to bring this very real and unfortunate situation to light, you might understand the position we are in and look into ways to make World of Warcraft great again. I guarantee you'll see players coming back if you make the right decisions for the sake of the game, rather than pandering to players who feel entitled to their loot instead of being willing to work for it. Thank you for the years of entertainment. I wish you nothing but success. Yours very sincerely, Josh Loomis

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Blue Ink Alchemy

For Every Virtue, A Vice

For Every Virtue, A Vice — Blue Ink Alchemy

Disclaimer: Blue Ink Alchemy in no way endorses or encourages the use of substances such as those described in the following post in excess or in lieu of healthier activities. It is important and responsible to use these or any other substance or activity in moderation to ensure as long and fruitful a life as possible. It is also important to use moderation in moderation lest you become dull.

I'm not an entirely virtuous or pious person. I've got quite a list of character defects going. I'd like to think that I'm not a horrible person, but I'm no saint. I don't exercise outside of walking to and from various train stations, I've never counted carbs or calories and some of my personal hygiene habits are a little disgusting. And even if I did all of those things and refrained from some of my worse habits, I'd still have flaws. I'm human. The point I'm going to try and make is that your characters are human, too. It's been said before on more than one occasion but it bears repeating. If every character you create is a squeaky clean paragon of virtue free of negative emotions, habits and experiences, your story is going to be boring. And if the character is 'perfect' even as disaster is occuring all around them, the character is boring. When I get into the office in the morning the first thing I do (after disabling the alarm) is make a cup of coffee. Caffiene kick-starts my brain. It tends to be sluggish first thing in the morning. I'm actually writing this post on the train before my first cuppa and it's been a stop-and-start procedure. In the same way, not every character is going to pop right up out of bed, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to face the day's challeneges or the monster of the week. Sure, a lot of young adult works are going to start this way, but a lot of young adult works are trying too hard. Ask any agent. Caffiene, for all of its morning-abating qualities, is in fact a drug, and it's highly likely that using it daily will cause dependence. On Sundays in particular I can develop bad headaches if I don't bring some into my system using coffee or soda pop. It makes it difficult to concentrate; things don't flow as they should. More than once I've actually had a similar feeling while writing. Things aren't flowing as they should; the story is missing something. There's a shot of narrative espresso that will get things back on track. Have you ever encountered this? Have you ever felt your creative gears grind to a halt, only to start back up moments or days or months later when a stray thought falls into place like a caffinated cog? So here comes the stereotype involving writers and their booze. My liquor cabinet is a shambles, along with a great deal of my apartment, but a couple beers a week tend to find their way to me due to the charity of friends and the fringe benefits of being part of a community-minded cutting-edge start-up. I'm sure bottles of gin and scotch will soon grace my shelves again, but I certainly don't expect my writing to improve just by them being there. Alcohol does, however, tend to illicit altered behavior, from fostering relxation to causing soft-spoken people to pick fights with strangers of imagined slights. Have you ever imagined a character of yours on a bender? Would they stumble around town? Hit on someone else's significant other? Wreck their house in a sudden fit of rage? Curl up in a corner and weep? All of the above? The better your know your character and the more human they are, the more you can predict the results of a night on the town. How about when they get in a fight sober? Or get their heart broken? Or lose their job? Our flaws define our reactions and ambitions just as much as our dreams and strengths do, and our characters are no different. I've broken out the tobacco pipe on more than one occasion, though my good one has a broken stem and I can't find my super glue. I've had encounters with other substances, and like President Obama, I did in fact inhale. Experimentation is a part of growth, and a part of our wrting as well. Try something new, turn a trope on its head, change a character's race or gender, kill your darlings and any witnesses close to them. In the worst case scenario, you'll have to rewrite some words to undo any damage you've done to the narrative. As long as you learned something about where your work is going and how you ant it to turn out, it'll have been worth it. Your chararcters are living things, even if it's just on the page. And for every strength they show to the audience, there should be some sort of weakness, even a fleeting one. For every virtue, your character should indulge in a vice. This will make your work more interesting to write, and increase the chances it'll be interesting to read, too.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

A Beginner's Guide to Westeros: Across the Narrow Sea

A Beginner's Guide to Westeros: Across the Narrow Sea — Blue Ink Alchemy

Magister Illyrio Mopatis presents Danaerys Targaryen in Pentos. The Game of Thrones is now showing on HBO. The production and promotion of this series has been fantastic, but not everyone tuning in may be familiar with the series of books upon which it is based. A Song of Ice and Fire, currently spanning four expansive novels, introduced us to the world of Westeros and provides a plethora of extensive information. Presented here is a bit of that information to help newcomers to this lush and living world get and keep their bearings. All information is presented free of spoilers and describe the circumstances at the beginning of the series... Westeros is not alone. Across the Narrow Sea from the Seven Kingdoms is the continent of Essos, with city-states of exotic men and women, noble savages and smiling assassins. It was from here that Aegon Targaryen, First of his Name, called Aegon the Conqueror came to bring the Seven Kingdoms under his rule. The Valyrian Freehold once covered Essos and was the dominant power in the world, before its Doom 100 years before Aegon departed Essos with his dragons and his bannermen. But that is a story for another time...

The Free Cities - Valyria's Legacy

Eight of the nine Free Cities were once colonies of the Valyrian Freehold. Since the Doom of Valyria they have found their own way to grow and distinguish themselves. Some share common aspects of their ancestry, such as speaking a dialect of Valyrian, while some also have become quite unique. From the Unsullied eunuch warriors of Qohor to the pleasure houses of Lys, the Free Cities attract all sorts of attention. Pentos is one of the largest ports of the Free Cities, and it was to here that Viserys and Danaerys Targaryen were taken, and where Viserys arranged with Magister Illyrio Mopatis to marry Danaerys to Khal Drogo of the Dothraki.

Braavos - Bastard Son of Valyria

The grandest of all the Free Cities was not a Valyrian colony. It was, in fact, a refuge for those getting out of the way of rampant Freehold expansion. After the Doom, the Titan of Braavos rose as a beacon to the other Free Cities. Situated on a series of islands in a brackish lagoon, the city holds temples to many gods, including R'hllor, the Father of Waters and the Many-Faced God, whose followers claim bears different names all over the world, including the Stranger amongst the gods of Westeros. Braavos is also famous for its flamboyant, deft and deadly swordfighters, called bravos, including Syrio Forel, Arya's swo- "dance instructor."

The Dothraki Sea

Beyond the Free Cities is a vast savannah of hundreds of different grasses. When the wind blows, the grass flows and ebbs like waves of water. This is the Dothraki Sea, the only one those men of the horse trust. The Dothraki are highly suspicious of any water their horses cannot drink. They rove across this sea of grass in the hundreds of thousands, organized in khalasar armies and raiding parties. A Dothraki man only ever cuts his hair when he is defeated his battle. Khal Drogo, who took Danaerys Targaryen as his Khaleesi, has never cut his hair. If you would like to know more, please consult the official HBO viewer's guide or the Wiki of Ice and Fire (beware of spoilers). Also, if you find anything amiss or incorrect in these guides, please inform me.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

Dresden Zen

Dresden Zen — Blue Ink Alchemy

In the process of writing Cold Iron, which is still in progress, I've reached for inspiration and motivation from contemporaries in the field of supernatural detective mysteries. First and foremost and long overdue is my reading of Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files, a series of novels about a Chicago-based wizard who operates a private investigation practice. Beyond the appeal of Harry Dresden himself is Butcher's take on the supernatural world. The more I read these excellent books, the more I find Harry encountering situations in such a way that can actually inform the life of the reader. It could be a case of me reading too much into some works of genre fiction, but as far as I can tell, Harry's got some lessons to teach, and not just about the proper care and use of one's blasting rod. Lesson: True power comes from within. Book: Storm Front One of the first and biggest uses of magic we see in the series takes place about two-thirds through the first book. A demon comes calling on Mister Dresden at home, and our hero is unfortunately not dressed for the occasion. In fact, he's not dressed at all. His magical implements are not at hand and he needs to muster a defense lest a series of novels quickly become a short-lived one-shot. He taps into the elemental powers of the thunderstorm outside and his own emotional power to find a way to succeed. Without much preparation, without tools, without even clothes, Harry prevails. It's not just a testament to the power of magic but also to that of the human spirit. Lesson: Keep an open mind; things aren't always what they seem. Book: Fool Moon Having introduced his version of vampires in Storm Front, the natural thing for Butcher to do in his second book is introduce werewolves. In pursuing a particularly nasty lycanthrope called a loup-garou, Harry goes down a bunch of blind alleys of reasoning and supposition. He always realizes his mistakes and checks himself afterwards, but it does lead him into some bad situations with far-reaching consequences. In later books we see Dresden taking a bit more time to discern what's going on around him, and it saves his bacon more than once. Lesson: Unlikely friends can be the best friends. Book: Grave Peril In hunting down poltergeists and investigating why they're so violently prevalent all of a sudden, Harry teams up with a man named Michael Carpenter. Michael is a literal knight in shining armor, though he often wears jeans and a flannel shirt instead of the mail & tabard. He carries a holy sword, Amoracchius, and chides Harry for his habits and occasional disrespect for the Almighty - without being a dick about it. He's a legitimately nice guy, and turns out to be one of Harry's best and most trusted friends. You wouldn't think this to be the case, given the tension that often exists between people who live in the Bible and those who gather the forces of the world unseen, but this sort of unlikely alliance yields a deep and abiding partnership that borders on bromance. Of course that could just be my take on it because I have a soft spot for Christian characters acting like actual Christians and not being Bible-thumping douchecanoes. Lesson: Nature is both beautiful and fearsome; treat it with respect and wonder. Book: Summer Knight The very nature of the Fae is that of nature herself - breathtakingly gorgeous, timelessly alluring and very dangerous. Harry knows this from experience and, coupled with his growing skills of discernment, wades into what amounts to a turf war between camps of Fair Folk with open eyes and canny thoughts. He appreciates the wonders he sees but controls himself accordingly to get his job done. It shows his growth as a character and helps the audience realize that, even when it comes to pixies and water-clad nymphs, this world he protects us mundane folk from is an extremely deadly one.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! True Lies

IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! True Lies — Blue Ink Alchemy

{No audio this week. Having a job in a start-up is interfering with my Internet fame. Go figure.} The 90s were an interesting time. All sorts of cool things musically were happening in Seattle garages, the United States was emerging as the victor of the Cold War and getting a little blitzed on its own hype as the process, and movie audiences were moving away from the testosterone-fueled somewhat brainless action flicks of the 80s. Sure, years later such movies would be viewed with a kind of smirking nostalgia for their naked machismo, but at the time it was clear that writers, directors, actors and audience members wanted to see something a little bit different up on the silver screen. And if True Lies is nothing else, it's certainly quite a bit different, for an Arnold Schwartzenegger movie. Harry Tasker is what can only be described as a superspy. He's a highly-trained, very effective operative working for an unofficial branch of the United States government, hunting down bad guys and uncovering clandestine terrorist plots. He is also, however, a family man, masquerading as a traveling computer salesman for the benefit of his wife and young daughter. Since he's gone so often, however, his wife is beginning to wonder if he's being unfaithful to her while she herself staves off the advances of a used car salesman. Harry becomes aware of this and must strike a balance between saving the world and saving his marriage. This being an action comedy, it doesn't take a psychic to predict that he's going to find a way to do both. While True Lies isn't fueled entirely by contrivance, there are parts here and there that seem awfully convenient for the purposes of our plot. More than once circumstances simply fall together in a way that Harry's always on top of things. This could be explained away as Harry just being that good as his job, considering this is the Terminator we're talking about, but even with that excuse the story isn't exactly setting the world on fire.
It's a good excuse for a badass scene with a Harrier jet, though. True Lies was directed by James Cameron, the man behind some of the biggest blockbusters of the last few decades, and it might seem odd for the director of high-concept science fiction epics like Terminator 2, The Abyss and Avatar to helm a flick like this. But even directors need to blow off steam from time to time and this feels like Cameron just having fun with one of his exorbidant budgets. It's possible that he saw the Schwartzenegger action comedy from the previous year, Last Action Hero, and said "You know what? I'm James Cameron. I can make a movie way cooler than this garbage." In doing so, he's created a movie that tends to keep its silliness on the subtle side, rather than the overt genre-savvy deconstruction of Last Action Hero. That movie has a much more interesting concept, but falters in places due to execution. True Lies, on the other hand, keeps its plot and premise simple so Cameron can direct the hell out of it. For all of its insubstantiality, it's a cleanly shot and polished film, with most of its visuals holding up after over 15 years of life.
How effective can your threats be when your batteries run out? Speaking of looking good, the principles are well-cast even if they're not pushing the envelope in terms of edgy roles. Arnold and Jamie Lee Curtis do have a good measure of chemistry between them that makes them a couple the audience will want to see stay together. Eliza Dushku plays their daughter Dana in a somewhat understated role that helped open the door for things like Buffy and Dollhouse, while Tia Carrere smolders as the femme fatale. She splits the fanservice duties with Jamie Lee in ways that make themselves apparent with the most cursory Google search. The bit players and bad guys, too, bring just enough weight and dimension to their roles while making it clear that we're pretty much here for a good time and nothing else. We have some sleazy fun from Bill Paxton as the car salesman, a quick cameo from Charlton Heston and... well, Tom Arnold's in this, too. He's not bad, per se, but some of his motor-mouthed antics can wear out their welcome rather quickly. For every moment we have of him being Harry's partner and best friend, we have one where he's throwing his comedic weight around a bit too much. Seeing the natural way Jamie Lee Curtis and Bill Paxton illicit laughs from their scenes while Tom relies on verbal diarreha gives the impression that our large friend is trying too hard.
Shut up, Tom. JUST. SHUT. UP. There are some really neat action sequences in True Lies that ensure the movie is entertaining, if not necessarily fantastic cinema. In the end, it's a bit like a hamburger from Wendy's. The meat is of higher quality than some others and you definitely feel like you get your money's worth, but it's still not all that good for you. James Cameron at the helm of an action comedy that plays most of its potential moments for satire completely straight would be a bit like Christopher Nolan directing the Marx Brothers. It's an interesting experiment that looks fine and works fine, but there's just something off about the whole thing that waters down the overall enjoyment. Of course, if you're not looking for anything other than basic entertainment to go with a rainy day and a bowl of popcorn, True Lies is a decent choice available on Netflix Instant. Like the rhetoic of certain pundits and religious figures, it tends to be funny in spite of its more serious moments, and the less you think about it, the better it is. Josh Loomis can't always make it to the local megaplex, and thus must turn to alternative forms of cinematic entertainment. There might not be overpriced soda pop & over-buttered popcorn, and it's unclear if this week's film came in the mail or was delivered via the dark & mysterious tubes of the Internet. Only one thing is certain... IT CAME FROM NETFLIX.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! True Lies

IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! True Lies — Blue Ink Alchemy

{No audio this week. Having a job in a start-up is interfering with my Internet fame. Go figure.} The 90s were an interesting time. All sorts of interesting things musically were happening in Seattle garages, the United States was emerging as the victor of the Cold War and getting a little blitzed on its own hype as the process, and movie audiences were moving away from the testosterone-fueled somewhat brainless action flicks of the 80s. Sure, years later such movies would be viewed with a kind of smirking nostalgia for their naked machismo, but at the time it was clear that writers, directors, actors and audience members wanted to see something a little bit different up on the silver screen. And if True Lies is nothing else, it's certainly quite a bit different, for an Arnold Schwartzenegger movie. Harry Tasker is what can only be described as a superspy. He's a highly-trained, very effective operative working for an unofficial branch of the United States government, hunting down bad guys and uncovering clandestine terrorist plots. He is also, however, a family man, masquerading as a traveling computer salesman for the benefit of his wife and young daughter. Since he's gone so often, however, his wife is beginning to wonder if he's being unfaithful to her while she herself staves off the advances of a used car salesman. Harry becomes aware of this and must strike a balance between saving the world and saving his marriage. This being an action comedy, it doesn't take a psychic to predict that he's going to find a way to do both. While True Lies isn't fueled entirely by contrivance, there are parts here and there that seem awfully convenient for the purposes of our plot. More than once circumstances simply fall together in a way that Harry's always on top of things. This could be explained away as Harry just being that good as his job, considering this is the Terminator we're talking about, but even with that excuse the story isn't exactly setting the world on fire.
It's a good excuse for a badass scene with a Harrier jet, though. True Lies was directed by James Cameron, the man behind some of the biggest blockbusters of the last few decades, and it might seem odd for the director of high-concept science fiction epics like Terminator 2, The Abyss and Avatar to helm a flick like this. But even directors need to blow off steam from time to time and this feels like Cameron just having fun with one of his exorbidant budgets. It's possible that he saw the Schwartzenegger action comedy from the previous year, Last Action Hero, and said "You know what? I'm James Cameron. I can make a movie way cooler than this garbage." In doing so, he's created a movie that tends to keep its silliness on the subtle side, rather than the overt genre-savvy deconstruction of Last Action Hero. That movie has a much more interesting concept, but falters in places due to execution. True Lies, on the other hand, keeps its plot and premise simple so Cameron can direct the hell out of it. For all of its insubstantiality, it's a cleanly shot and polished film, with most of its visuals holding up after over 15 years of life.
How effective can your threats be when your batteries run out? Speaking of looking good, the principles are well-cast even if they're not pushing the envelope in terms of edgy roles. Arnold and Jamie Lee Curtis do have a good measure of chemistry between them that makes them a couple the audience will want to see stay together. Eliza Dushku plays their daughter Dana in a somewhat understated role that helped open the door for things like Buffy and Dollhouse, while Tia Carrere smolders as the femme fatale. The bit players and bad guys, too, bring just enough weight and dimension to their roles while making it clear that we're pretty much here for a good time and nothing else. We have some sleazy fun from Bill Paxton as the car salesman, a quick cameo from Charlton Heston and... well, Tom Arnold's in this, too. He's not bad, per se, but some of his motor-mouthed antics can wear out their welcome rather quickly. For every moment we have of him being Harry's partner and best friend, we have one where he's throwing his comedic weight around a bit too much. Seeing the natural way Jamie Lee Curtis and Bill Paxton illicit laughs from their scenes while Tom relies on verbal diarreha gives the impression that our large friend is trying too hard.
Shut up, Tom. JUST. SHUT. UP. There are some really neat action sequences in True Lies that ensure the movie is entertaining, if not necessarily fantastic cinema. In the end, it's a bit like a hamburger from Wendy's. The meat is of higher quality than some others and you definitely feel like you get your money's worth, but it's still not all that good for you. James Cameron at the helm of an action comedy that plays most of its potential moments for satire completely straight would be a bit like Christopher Nolan directing the Marx Brothers. It's an interesting experiment that looks fine and works fine, but there's just something off about the whole thing that waters down the overall enjoyment. Of course, if you're not looking for anything other than basic entertainment to go with a rainy day and a bowl of popcorn, True Lies is a decent choice available on Netflix Instant. Like the rhetoic of certain pundits and religious figures, it tends to be funny in spite of its more serious moments, and the less you think about it, the better it is. Josh Loomis can't always make it to the local megaplex, and thus must turn to alternative forms of cinematic entertainment. There might not be overpriced soda pop & over-buttered popcorn, and it's unclear if this week's film came in the mail or was delivered via the dark & mysterious tubes of the Internet. Only one thing is certain... IT CAME FROM NETFLIX.

---

Blue Ink Alchemy

Dresden Zen

Dresden Zen — Blue Ink Alchemy

In the process of writing Cold Iron, which is still in progress, I've reached for inspiration and motivation from contemporaries in the field of supernatural detective mysteries. First and foremost and long overdue is my reading of Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files, a series of novels about a Chicago-based wizard who operates a private investigation practice. Beyond the appeal of Harry Dresden himself is Butcher's take on the supernatural world. The more I read these excellent books, the more I find Harry encountering situations in such a way that can actually inform the life of the reader. It could be a case of me reading too much into some works of genre fiction, but as far as I can tell, Harry's got some lessons to teach, and not just about the proper care and use of one's blasting rod. Lesson: True power comes from within. Book: Storm Front One of the first and biggest uses of magic we see in the series takes place about two-thirds through the first book. A demon comes calling on Mister Dresden at home, and our hero is unfortunately not dressed for the occasion. In fact, he's not dressed at all. His magical implements are not at hand and he needs to muster a defense lest a series of novels quickly become a short-lived one-shot. He taps into the elemental powers of the thunderstorm outside and his own emotional power to find a way to succeed. Without much preparation, without tools, without even clothes, Harry prevails. It's not just a testament to the power of magic but also to that of the human spirit. Lesson: Keep an open mind; things aren't always what they seem. Book: Fool Moon Having introduced his version of vampires in Storm Front, the natural thing for Butcher to do in his second book is introduce werewolves. In pursuing a particularly nasty lycanthrope called a loup-garou, Harry goes down a bunch of blind alleys of reasoning and supposition. He always realizes his mistakes and checks himself afterwards, but it does lead him into some bad situations with far-reaching consequences. In later books we see Dresden taking a bit more time to discern what's going on around him, and it saves his bacon more than once. Lesson: Unlikely friends can be the best friends. Book: Grave Peril In hunting down poltergeists and investigating why they're so violently prevalent all of a sudden, Harry teams up with a man named Michael Carpenter. Michael is a literal knight in shining armor, though he often wears jeans and a flannel shirt instead of the mail & tabard. He carries a holy sword, Amoracchius, and chides Harry for his habits and occasional disrespect for the Almighty - without being a dick about it. He's a legitimately nice guy, and turns out to be one of Harry's best and most trusted friends. You wouldn't think this to be the case, given the tension that often exists between people who live in the Bible and those who gather the forces of the world unseen, but this sort of unlikely alliance yields a deep and abiding partnership that borders on bromance. Of course that could just be my take on it because I have a soft spot for Christian characters acting like actual Christians and not being Bible-thumping douchecanoes. Lesson: Nature is both beautiful and fearsome; treat it with respect and wonder. Book: Summer Knight The very nature of the Fae is that of nature herself - breathtakingly gorgeous, timelessly alluring and very dangerous. Harry knows this from experience and, coupled with his growing skills of discernment, wades into what amounts to a turf war between camps of Fair Folk with open eyes and canny thoughts. He appreciates the wonders he sees but controls himself accordingly to get his job done. It shows his growth as a character and helps the audience realize that, even when it comes to pixies and water-clad nymphs, this world he protects us mundane folk from is an extremely deadly one.

---

Blue Ink Alchemy

Dresden Zen

Dresden Zen — Blue Ink Alchemy

In the process of writing Cold Iron, which is still in progress, I've reached for inspiration and motivation from contemporaries in the field of supernatural detective mysteries. First and foremost and long overdue is my reading of Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files, a series of novels about a Chicago-based wizard who operates a private investigation practice. Beyond the appeal of Harry Dresden himself is Butcher's take on the supernatural world. The more I read these excellent books, the more I find Harry encountering situations in such a way that can actually inform the life of the reader. It could be a case of me reading too much into some works of genre fiction, but as far as I can tell, Harry's got some lessons to teach, and not just about the proper care and use of one's blasting rod. Lesson: True power comes from within. Book: Storm Front One of the first and biggest uses of magic we see in the series takes place about two-thirds through the first book. A demon comes calling on Mister Dresden at home, and our hero is unfortunately not dressed for the occasion. In fact, he's not dressed at all. His magical implements are not at hand and he needs to muster a defense lest a series of novels quickly become a short-lived one-shot. He taps into the elemental powers of the thunderstorm outside and his own emotional power to find a way to succeed. Without much preparation, without tools, without even clothes, Harry prevails. It's not just a testament to the power of magic but also to that of the human spirit. Lesson: Keep an open mind; things aren't always what they seem. Book: Fool Moon Having introduced his version of vampires in Storm Front, the natural thing for Butcher to do in his second book is introduce werewolves. In pursuing a particularly nasty lycanthrope called a loup-garou, Harry goes down a bunch of blind alleys of reasoning and supposition. He always realizes his mistakes and checks himself afterwards, but it does lead him into some bad situations with far-reaching consequences. In later books we see Dresden taking a bit more time to discern what's going on around him, and it saves his bacon more than once. Lesson: Unlikely friends can be the best friends. Book: Grave Peril In hunting down poltergeists and investigating why they're so violently prevalent all of a sudden, Harry teams up with a man named Michael Carpenter. Michael is a literal knight in shining armor, though he often wears jeans and a flannel shirt instead of the mail & tabard. He carries a holy sword, Amoracchius, and chides Harry for his habits and occasional disrespect for the Almighty - without being a dick about it. He's a legitimately nice guy, and turns out to be one of Harry's best and most trusted friends. You wouldn't think this to be the case, given the tension that often exists between people who live in the Bible and those who gather the forces of the world unseen, but this sort of unlikely alliance yields a deep and abiding partnership that borders on bromance. Of course that could just be my take on it because I have a soft spot for Christian characters acting like actual Christians and not being Bible-thumping douchecanoes. Lesson: Nature is both beautiful and fearsome; treat it with respect and wonder. Book: Summer Knight The very nature of the Fae is that of nature herself - breathtakingly gorgeous, timelessly alluring and very dangerous. Harry knows this from experience and, coupled with his growing skills of discernment, wades into what amounts to a turf war between camps of Fair Folk with open eyes and canny thoughts. He appreciates the wonders he sees but controls himself accordingly to get his job done. It shows his growth as a character and helps the audience realize that, even when it comes to pixies and water-clad nymphs, this world he protects us mundane folk from is an extremely deadly one.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

The Art of Thor: Don't Panic!

The Art of Thor: Don't Panic! — Blue Ink Alchemy

Choose your moves carefully.

To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.

It's difficult not to panic when you're being shot at. It may seem an obvious statement, and I don't wish to downplay the severity of real-world situations in which soldiers, police officers and the occasional innocent bystander find themselves involving supersonic hunks of metal flying at them. But as StarCraft 2 is a wargame, and wars involve combat, it's important to remember that combat is going to happen at times inconvenient for you. When our operations get interrupted in real life, we get annoyed. When it happens in a competitive situation, we can get nervous. And when it happens in ways that involve fire and blood, we can panic. It takes practice, but you can work to downplay this natural reaction, to channel that nervous energy into productive activities. I'm not going to claim to be an expert on this, but there are steps I've taken to minimize the impact of the enemy's plans upon mine, anticipating his moves and doing useful things as much as possible.

Know It'll Happen

You're going to get attacked. Things you build will blow up. Your troops are going to die. It happens all the time. As Terran playing Protoss or Zerg, it's common to wall off your ramp with a couple Depots and a Barracks. If the alien player's on the ball, some basic units are going to run up the ramp and start taking shots at your buildings. Depending on your rate of production, you may only have a couple of Marines to defend. It's a situation that's bound to happen, so anticipate it if you can. Likewise, when you gather up enough forces to send against your opponent, they might be ready for it. You might be able to scout them, using scans or spies, and build an appropriate response, but you might get attacked yourself in the meantime. Either way, if you anticipate potentially negative outcomes to your actions, their impact will be less shocking. So if these things are going to happen, how can we prepare and respond?

Gather Intelligence

From the basic builder scout at the start of the game to the cloaked unit just outside the opponent's front door keeping an eye on his massive forces, intelligence is essential to anticipating what's coming next. A Drone, Probe or SCV zipping around the opposing opening base can give you an inkling as to what they're thinking, and if you tech your way to a cloaked spy or use another, less costly means of observation (a Supply Depot on high ground for example), you can see attacks coming a mile away. As your play improves you can also use this to your advantage. If your opponent zips into your base and sees you going for a particular build, don't be afraid to change gears on him. And if you attack with a specific unit or group of units and he musters a defense in response, shift to a different type of unit or attack to render his intelligence moot.

Maintain Production

This goes back into the basics I've addressed previously. Always be building something. New means of maintaining your army's supply, tech for your units and new supplements to your existing forces are all good things to invest in. As your macro skills grow, you will find it easier to do this even in the middle of battle. An exercise I recommend that helped my macro skills greatly isn't necessarily a winning one, but it might surprise you. Practice hotkeying your buildings and switching between them to check your status, and when you attack, use the minimap without watching the fight. I know, it'll be more difficult to see and anticipate what your opponent is doing which directly contradicts what I said in the previous section, but bear with me. Hotkey your main base and production buildings (I put my Command Centers on 4 and Barracks on 5), switch between them and keep pumping out your basic units. When you feel you have an adequate number, for example with your first 4 Marines, use your minimap to A-move your forces to the enemy base. As they move out, stay focused on your base. Keep producing units even when your expeditionary force comes under attack. Chances are, by the time the last one has expired, you've built twice as many troops. Send those. Keep building and expanding, again, without watching the battles. Attack, lather, rinse, repeat. I did this after I ended up in Bronze, for a few matches. I was surprised how often my opponents would GG after my fourth or fifth push. Watching replays, it was clear they were trying to tech into a clever solution or were focused on what my Marines were doing, instead of maintaining their production. They panicked, and it was their downfall. Now, since then, I've panicked a few times. Its a natural reaction, and you can't always prevent it. All I can say is the more you practice, the more you can minimize this reaction. If you know an attack is going to come, get a notion as to where it'll come from and build constantly to respond in kind, even if you feel a jolt of panic when they start chewing your brave soldiers faces off you can probably fight your way through it. The more you do this, the more success you'll have and the faster you'll rise through the leagues in StarCraft 2.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

The Art of Thor: Don't Panic!

The Art of Thor: Don't Panic! — Blue Ink Alchemy

To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.

It's difficult not to panic when you're being shot at. It may seem an obvious statement, and I don't wish to downplay the severity of real-world situations in which soldiers, police officers and the occasional innocent bystander find themselves involving supersonic hunks of metal flying at them. But as StarCraft 2 is a wargame, and wars involve combat, it's important to remember that combat is going to happen at times inconvenient for you. When our operations get interrupted in real life, we get annoyed. When it happens in a competitive situation, we can get nervous. And when it happens in ways that involve fire and blood, we can panic. It takes practice, but you can work to downplay this natural reaction, to channel that nervous energy into productive activities. I'm not going to claim to be an expert on this, but there are steps I've taken to minimize the impact of the enemy's plans upon mine, anticipating his moves and doing useful things as much as possible.

Know It'll Happen

You're going to get attacked. Things you build will blow up. Your troops are going to die. It happens all the time. As Terran playing Protoss or Zerg, it's common to wall off your ramp with a couple Depots and a Barracks. If the alien player's on the ball, some basic units are going to run up the ramp and start taking shots at your buildings. Depending on your rate of production, you may only have a couple of Marines to defend. It's a situation that's bound to happen, so anticipate it if you can. Likewise, when you gather up enough forces to send against your opponent, they might be ready for it. You might be able to scout them, using scans or spies, and build an appropriate response, but you might get attacked yourself in the meantime. Either way, if you anticipate potentially negative outcomes to your actions, their impact will be less shocking. So if these things are going to happen, how can we prepare and respond?

Gather Intelligence

From the basic builder scout at the start of the game to the cloaked unit just outside the opponent's front door keeping an eye on his massive forces, intelligence is essential to anticipating what's coming next. A Drone, Probe or SCV zipping around the opposing opening base can give you an inkling as to what they're thinking, and if you tech your way to a cloaked spy or use another, less costly means of observation (a Supply Depot on high ground for example), you can see attacks coming a mile away. As your play improves you can also use this to your advantage. If your opponent zips into your base and sees you going for a particular build, don't be afraid to change gears on him. And if you attack with a specific unit or group of units and he musters a defense in response, shift to a different type of unit or attack to render his intelligence moot.

Maintain Production

This goes back into the basics I've addressed previously. Always be building something. New means of maintaining your army's supply, tech for your units and new supplements to your existing forces are all good things to invest in. As your macro skills grow, you will find it easier to do this even in the middle of battle. An exercise I recommend that helped my macro skills greatly isn't necessarily a winning one, but it might surprise you. Practice hotkeying your buildings and switching between them to check your status, and when you attack, use the minimap without watching the fight. I know, it'll be more difficult to see and anticipate what your opponent is doing which directly contradicts what I said in the previous section, but bear with me. Hotkey your main base and production buildings (I put my Command Centers on 4 and Barracks on 5), switch between them and keep pumping out your basic units. When you feel you have an adequate number, for example with your first 4 Marines, use your minimap to A-move your forces to the enemy base. As they move out, stay focused on your base. Keep producing units even when your expeditionary force comes under attack. Chances are, by the time the last one has expired, you've built twice as many troops. Send those. Keep building and expanding, again, without watching the battles. Attack, lather, rinse, repeat. I did this after I ended up in Bronze, for a few matches. I was surprised how often my opponents would GG after my fourth or fifth push. Watching replays, it was clear they were trying to tech into a clever solution or were focused on what my Marines were doing, instead of maintaining their production. They panicked, and it was their downfall. Now, since then, I've panicked a few times. Its a natural reaction, and you can't always prevent it. All I can say is the more you practice, the more you can minimize this reaction. If you know an attack is going to come, get a notion as to where it'll come from and build constantly to respond in kind, even if you feel a jolt of panic when they start chewing your brave soldiers faces off you can probably fight your way through it. The more you do this, the more success you'll have and the faster you'll rise through the leagues in StarCraft 2.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

Movie Review: Thor

Movie Review: Thor — Blue Ink Alchemy

Marvel's been rolling the dice quite a bit lately. First in introducing characters to one of their more obscure heroes (Iron Man), then in beginning to weave disparate movie franchises together into a single coherent and shared narrative, and now in putting their extremely loose interpretation of Norse myth on the big screen. The law of averages says that sooner or later, their dice are going to come up bad and the whole project's going to suffer for it. Thor, however, is not their deadly dice roll. Either Marvel's just having really good luck, or their freaking dice are loaded. In the Marvel Universe, Asgard and its inhabitants did and still do exist. They are the pinnacle of the Nine Realms connected by the branches of Yggdrasil, the World Tree, and in the past those worlds have come into conflict, most notably Asgard with Jotunheim, the land of the frost giants. When a few of those giants break into the treasure vault of the Asgardian king Odin, his headstrong and short-sighted son Thor takes the fight right back to Jotunheim. With war suddenly on the horizon and his rule defied, Odin strips Thor of his weapon and powers, banishing him to Midgard, or as we know it, Earth. He's discovered by an astro-physicist who witnessed the Bifrost (to her, it's an Einstein-Rosen bridge) and is curious of his origins, while Thor only wants one thing: to get his hammer back. The plot of the movie really isn't all that complex. Sure, there has to be some mild suspension of disbelief when you see heroes of Norse legend riding to battle on horseback across a bridge of rainbows, but the movie allows for this disbelief. Thor upon reaching Earth acts like a crazy person, apparently suffering from delusions, and is treated accordingly. While every word he says is true, to us it sounds impossible. Yet Jane (the astro-physicist) knows that we have achieved through science what many would have considered impossible just a few decades ago, and her mind is open to the possibilities. Or maybe she's just smitten with the guy. The film is adeptly well-cast and extremely well-directed. Chris Hemsworth completely owns his role, delivering his lines with such earnestness and gravitas that he actually does stand toe to toe with a heavyweight like Sir Anthony Hopkins. Tom Hiddleston makes for a fantastic Loki, here the little brother of Thor filled with ambition and schemes within schemes. Natalie Portman is a refreshingly simple character, smart and straightforward in her beliefs while being nerdy and introverted enough that it's clear why she's swept off of her feet by this towering, sincere and charming Asgardian who's literally been dropped into her lap. All of them are under the direction of Kenneth Branagh, who might be best known for his interpretations of Shakespeare but pulls off this depiction of ancient gods doing battle with incredible monsters like it's no big deal. While the Arthurian and almost fairy-tale like aspects of the plot play like out in a simple way, almost child-like in their straightforwardness, there are bits here and there that show that Marvel is growing up. The integration of things like SHIELD, other Marvel characters and bits from elsewhere in the shared universe are far more subtle than they were in Iron Man 2, a couple of moments being so fast you'll miss them if you blink. A lot has also been said on the casting of Idris Elba as Heimdall, and I had to sit back and smile whenever he was on screen because he steals every scene he's in (take that, haters), as does Clark Gregg as Agent Coulson. It's not a movie without flaws and I can't say it's really for everybody. It's clearly aimed at a universal audience given its kid-friendly simple plot and grown-up sensibilities in execution, but the interpretation of Norse myths and their integration into what was until now and entirely realistic (if somewhat hypersciency) universe might be too much for some to swallow. I felt like Sif and the Warriors Three could have used a bit more exploration or at least screen-time, as much as I enjoyed their presence. There will be people who split hairs over the relationships between the Asgardians and how things transitioned from the comic books or the sheer improbability of the scientific explanation of the goings-on, and there really isn't anything people can do about that. In fact, Thor's response to such things is, apparently, a shrug of some very broad and heroic shoulders. This is not Shakespeare or a production of the Der Ring des Nibelungen, it's cosmic fantasy done with a broad brush in bright, glittering colors. It owes more to the aesthetics and spirit of Flash Gordon and Stargate than it does anything more 'adult' or 'serious', and its sincerity and simplicity make it almost endearing. I won't say it's the best comic book movie ever, but it's certainly better than most, and fits neatly into the picture Marvel is assembling of The Avengers. Stuff I Liked: Great stuff with SHIELD. Stellan Skarsgaard as the skeptic and Jane's father figure. The brilliant visuals of Asgard and its juxtaposition with both Jotunheim and Earth. Sif and the Warriors Three - more Ray Stevenson, please! (Yes, that's the Punisher as Volstagg the Voluminous) Stuff I Didn't Like: Some aspects of the plot and setting - the Odinsleep, for example - go almost entirely unexplained. I guess that's to be expected in a story this simplistic, but I felt like parts of the story or some helpful bits of knowledge were missing. Stuff I Loved: Just about everything Thor does when he first arrives on Earth, and Kat Dennings' reactions to him. The reversal of the girl being nerdy and the guy being hot instead of the other way around. Thor being smart, charming and heroic even when he's being a selfish douche. Loki. Odin. Little things like Sleipnir and Gungnir. The little Easter Eggs in Odin's treasure vault. Bottom Line: If you're interested in Marvel's uber-project, heroic fantasy or seeing a guy like Chris Hemsworth with his shirt off, go see Thor. There's plenty to enjoy and a little something for everybody. If you're on the fence about it, though, you can probably wait for the DVD. It's visuals are big and bold but most TV screens are big enough to give you a sense of scope. Unless you have an old CRT model like I do.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

A Beginner's Guide to Westeros: Robert's Rebellion

A Beginner's Guide to Westeros: Robert's Rebellion — Blue Ink Alchemy

Much blood was shed to win Robert that crown. The Game of Thrones is now showing on HBO. The production and promotion of this series has been fantastic, but not everyone tuning in may be familiar with the series of books upon which it is based. A Song of Ice and Fire, currently spanning four expansive novels, introduced us to the world of Westeros and provides a plethora of extensive information. Presented here is a bit of that information to help newcomers to this lush and living world get and keep their bearings. All information is presented free of spoilers and describe the circumstances at the beginning of the series... It was supposed to be a peaceful time. Brandon & Eddard Stark were young men, as was their friend Robert Baratheon. Robert was madly in love with the Starks' sister, Lyanna, while Brandon was betrothed to Catelyn Tully. The peace was broken, however, when Lyanna disappeared one night with Prince Rhaegar Targaryen. At a tourney, Rhaegar had crowned Lyanna with winter flowers, naming her the Queen of Love and Beauty. Regardless of what their relationship actually was, Robert immediately called it an abduction. Hoster Tully begged his future son-in-law to be patient, but Brandon rode for King's Landing with his friends Jeffory Mallister, Kyle Royce, and Elbert Arryn, Elbert being nephew and heir to Jon Arryn of the Vale. When they arrived at the Red Keep, Brandon demanded the Prince come out and face him. Instead, he faced Aerys, Rhaegar's father. Imprisoning the four would-be heroes, the Mad King first demanded Rickard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and father of Brandon, report to King's Landing to represent his son in a trial by combat. When Rickard arrived, he and 200 of his best men were all killed, as was Brandon. Similar edicts were issued to the fathers of the other party members, they too were slain in turn. Aerys demanded that Robert and Eddard also be turned over for execution. In response, Jon Arryn raised his banners in revolt against the Iron Throne. Eddard and Jon married Catelyn and Lyssa Tully, respectively, to secure that House to their cause. Robert's Rebellion had begun.

Battle of the Trident

After several battles at Summerhall, an indecisive conflict at Ashford and the rebels' victory at the Battle of the Bells, it was the Battle of the Trident that proved to be the turning point of the rebellion. As the Targaryen loyalists clashed with the Tullys, Starks, Baratheons and Arryns, Robert and Rhaegar met in single combat. While Rhaegar was a more than capable swordsman and dealt Robert a grievous wound, the famous fury of House Baratheon won out. Robert smashed Rhaegar's chest in with a blow from his warhammer so fierce it sent the rubies flying from the Crown Prince's breastplate. Seeing their prince fall, the Targaryens broke and ran. Robert passed leadership of the army to Ned Stark, just in time for Tywin Lannister to side with the rebels.

The Sack of King's Landing

Tywin did not make his defection known and went to King's Landing, claiming loyalty to Aerys and asking to be allowed entry into the Red Keep. Aerys complied only to find the Lannisters sacking the city in Robert's name. Enraged, Aerys commanded his pyromancers to let loose their caches of wildfire, intending to leave Robert a capitol burnt to cinders. He then ordered a member of his Kingsguard, Jaime Lannister, to kill his father. In response, Jaime killed the king. Tywin sent Gregor Clegane to deal with the rest of the royal family, and the Mountain did so with relish, dashing the infant prince Aegon's brains out before raping his mother, Princess Elia, before murdering her as well. Eddard Stark arrived to find Jaime sitting on the Iron Throne and Tywin presenting the bodies of the children. Furious, Ned left to carry on the battles in the south.

The Siege of Storm's End

Mace Tyrell spent most of the Rebellion camped outside of Storm's End, keeping himself and Stannis Baratheon out of the war. He often held feasts within sight of the castle while Stannis and his men starved. The smuggler Davos Seaworth slipped around the back end of the castle, and with shipments of onions kept the Baratheon forces alive. Eddard Stark arrived after the sack of King's Landing, and Mace Tyrell lowered his banners and retired from the field.

The Flight from Dragonstone

Now freed from the siege, Stannis commanded his fleets towards the final Targaryen stronghold of Dragonstone. Unfortunately, while they were able to take the castle, the prize had already fled. Queen Rhaella and Prince Viserys had retreated to Dragonstone when the war began, but Rhaella died there giving birth to Danaerys. Before Stannis could arrive, the Targaryen children were smuggled across the Narrow Sea, to Braavos and then to Pentos, beginning their life in exile.

Battle at the Tower of Joy

Absent from the battles and sieges of the war, three members of the Kingsguard were tasked with the protection of a tower in Dorne, southernmost of the Kingdoms. Eddard Stark learned his sister was being held there, and rode out to free her. Among Ned's party was Howland Reed, Lord of Greywater Watch, and five others. Together they fought against Ser Oswell Whent, Lord Commander Gerold Hightower and Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning. Only Ned and Howland survived, and when they entered the Tower, they found Lyanna dying. Ned would return Arthur's sword Dawn to his family in Dorne to help secure peace for his friend Robert, but before he left, Lyanna said something that haunted him long after Robert took the Iron Throne. "Promise me, Ned." If you would like to know more, please consult the official HBO viewer's guide or the Wiki of Ice and Fire (beware of spoilers). Also, if you find anything amiss or incorrect in these guides, please inform me.

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Blue Ink Alchemy