Never Tell Me The Odds

Never Tell Me The Odds — Blue Ink Alchemy

It will be mine. Oh yes. It will be mine. Arguably one of the best lines ever to come out of Star Wars, even before the questionably valued prequels, was this tidbit snapped at C-3P0 by Han Solo just before he plunged the Millenium Falcon and its hapless passengers into a deadly asteroid field. It was a challenge, a potential deadly one, and Han went about facing it with gusto. The droid underscoring the fact that it was all but impossible was just more incentive for him to do it. Last night I faced a similar situation. The World of Warcraft event the Lunar Festival was rapidly coming to a close. I had visited most of the Elder NPCs necessary to complete the over-arching achievement, which would earn me a new title and bring me one step closer to the Reins of the Violet Proto-Drake, a rare flying mount, as well as the means to ride it at maximum speed (saving me 4000 gold pieces). It was about two hours before midnight, when the event would end, and the Elders I needed to visit were tucked away in dungeons scattered throughout the frozen land of Northrend. My wife, who also had a few other Elders to visit, questioned the wisdom of pursuing a deadline that, in the end equation, really didn't matter. While on an intellectual level I know she's right (who's going to care about my WoW achievements after I'm dead?), I heard Han saying "never tell me the odds" as I cracked my knuckles and hopped on the north-bound zeppelin. Long story short, there were seven Elders I had to visit, and some of them were past packs of enemies and even bosses. Thankfully, the maximum level of Hunter granted me an essential ability for this sort of thing: Camouflage. I stealthed my way through most of the dungeons, only running afoul of foes a few times. I used hidden back ways and exits to speed up my journey. The biggest challenge came when I had to face Skadi the Ruthless on my own. After a false start and a couple of inexplicable resets, my faithful 'tank pet' Blinky the warp stalker and I were able to take him down. I had about ten minutes to midnight. I sped past the encounter, through the pack of waiting bad guys, under the stairs and bowed to the last Elder. The resulting audio and visual cues for the achievements earned filled me with delight. I'd done it! I've written before about the merits of achievements. It seems that their appeal and the satisfaction born from putting in the effort to attain them has not diminished. Either there truly is something to the idea of extending the replay value and investments necessary to continue playing games based on these introduced elements... ...or those cues I mentioned have programmed into me a positive Pavlovian response that speaks to a deeper insidiousness amongst Blizzard's programmers. Which do you think it is? And why am I craving bacon?

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Blue Ink Alchemy

Characters, Corpses & Kittens

Characters, Corpses & Kittens — Blue Ink Alchemy

As you create your characters, whatever your ultimate purpose in doing so might be, it's likely they're going to have an emotional response to something sooner or later. Unless they are coming into contact with our world from an entirely alien, outside perspective (which in and of itself can make for a good story), they're going to experience emotions the way human beings do. As you consider this, also consider the fact that no emotion exists in a vacuum. Unless you're spiralling alone through the void of space. What I mean is, our emotions come from somewhere. Our psyches, histories and experiences shape the way we react to things, and act on those reaction. A middle-management office worker is going to react to a corpse differently from a battle-hardened veteran. A schoolteacher's going to take comfort in different things than a member of a biker gang - lets say she likes kittens. It's important to keep in mind where the character's been, how they've been raised and what brought them to their current state of being when you set out to describe a scene in which they need to feel something - which is most of them. Now, there are always exceptions. The middle-management officer worker might *be* a battle-hardened veteran. A hardcore biker might have no problem whatsoever finding the sight of week-old kittens adorable and decorating his home or even his bike in such a motif. These characters may lend themselves to be more interesting than those who have only a single mode of existence or thought, but don't discount those 'simple' characters as being uninteresting or dull. As long as they speak, feel and think like human beings (or whatever their species happens to be), they can be interesting. A great and recent example of characters showing emotion, and establishing those feelings in a short period of time, is Chuck Wendig's Irregular Creatures. Seriously, read it again, and watch how the characters feel, grow and change. Take in how they react to the weird stuff that happens. Put yourself in their shoes, which Chuck's writing makes very easy. What? You don't have it yet? Well, lucky you. It's on sale. Go get it.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! The A-Team

IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! The A-Team — Blue Ink Alchemy

[audio:http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/uploads/ateam.mp3]

10 years ago a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from maximum security stockades. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire... The A-Team.

'Keep it simple'. It's a cardinal rule of most creative productions, and the 2009 big-screen adaptation of this 80s television staple is no exception. The basis, stated plainly in the show's opening narration, remains completely intact. You have four paramilitary guys who are very, very good at what they do, using brains as well as brawn to pull off daring plans and always ending up on the wrong side of the establishment. However, the TV show never really went in-depth as to how these men met and learned to trust one another so completely, hence Joe Carnahan's take on the A-Team. Liam Neeson steps into the role of Colonel Hannibal Smith. We've seen him play both a mentor and a badass, and this role has him undertaking elements of both, but it also shows him truly enjoying what he does. Hannibal's a guy who loves getting one over on the competition, being at least three steps ahead of his enemy, always having a plan and when they come together? Man. He LOVES that. Every smile Liam cracks is infectious, and every cigar a reminder of just how iconic both the character and the actor have become. Fresh from encounters with Mike Tyson, tigers and midget gangsters, Bradley Cooper brings us a rendition of Lt. 'Faceman' Peck, the team's infiltration specialist. He doesn't hesitate to use his looks to gain a better position with the ladies (insert waggling of eyebrows here) and he loves a good time just as much as he loves his fellow Rangers. Something touched on here is, as someone considered to be Hannibal's number 2, he's learning all he can from the Colonel and seeks his approval perhaps more than the others do. It's an interesting nuance to the character that keeps him fresh.
Believe it or not, even the mohawk has a story. While he's no Miser T, Quinton "Rampage' Jackson steps out of the Octagon and directly into the mohawk and fists of Corporal B.A. Baracus. Gearhead, bruiser and sucker for a coconut curry tapenade, B.A. is also fleshed out beyond 'pitying da foo''. Oh, he kicks quite a bit of ass, but he also inhabits what could have been a straightforward driving brick of a character with some legitimate pathos. While his neuroses are played for laughs more often than not, it's nice to see a burly young man express emotions other than anger, lechery and/or stoic emotional distance in a modern action flick. Last but by no means least, ascended fanboy Sharlto Copley of District 9 fame reminds us why Captain Murdock is called "Howling Mad." Of course, the 'howling' might also describe the audience reaction to some of his antics. A daring, brilliant and fearless pilot, H.M. is also completely batshit insane. Or is he? There are moments in the movie when he shows an almost frightening amount of clarity and lucidity. While his bonkers behavior's a riot, we also see a man who just might be pulling a fast one on everybody around him, even those he considers brothers. He rounds out the ensemble excellently and the team as a whole is a delight to see in action.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking, your nuclear steaks will be delivered just as soon as they're done on the wing, which by the way is kind of on fire right now." You might have noticed I haven't said much about the plot of the A-Team. Well, other than updating the origins of the team to Iraq and involving shady CIA agents and Blackwater-style PMCs, there's not a whole lot here in terms of plot. The A-Team isn't interested in weaving deeply intricate strains of narrative into a broader message about brotherhood, military interventionism or anything like that. It is, however, looking to take both its cast and its audience on a wild ride. It also maintains that a wild ride need not be a stupid one. In reality, we know that even the lowest-tier police officer needs to fill out mountains of paperwork when he or she discharges a firearm while on duty. On the other end of the extreme, some action movies have the heroes blazing away at the bad guys without a second thought regarding the cost of their firepower, in collateral damage or loss of innocent life. The A-Team places itself firmly between the two extremes. Our heroes do make use of assault rifles, rocket launchers, vehicles and even construction cranes to pull off their gambits, but their goal is almost never the direct death of a foe. The TV show was almost completely bloodless, and while the movie doesn't quite take things that far, it also doesn't perpetuate violence for its own sake. To a man, these Rangers are trained in the judicious and intelligent use of firepower, and it's refreshing to see this portrayal of canny and clever men of action.
Acting or not, isn't it nice to see Liam smile like that? In the execution of that action, the portrayal of just about all of its characters and updating a beloved 80s franchise into a viable 21st-century storytelling framework, The A-Team delivers in a very smart, very fun way. As I said, there's not a great deal of narrative nuance here and most savvy watchers will see the big plot twist coming, but it's forgivable in this case because these are smart, real characters thinking their way out of things just as much as they shoot their way out. It's all wrapped up very nearly and presented with the professional aplomb and slightly crazed abandon that made Carnahan's Smokin' Aces such a delight. There are plenty of action flicks out there. But if you want your action delivered with brains as well as bullets, if you're a fan of any member of this excellent cast, and if you can find it on your Netflix queue, maybe you should watch... The A-Team. 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

IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! The A-Team

IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! The A-Team — Blue Ink Alchemy

[audio:http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/uploads/ateam.mp3]

10 years ago a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from maximum security stockades. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire... The A-Team.

'Keep it simple'. It's a cardinal rule of most creative productions, and the 2009 big-screen adaptation of this 80s television staple is no exception. The basis, stated plainly in the show's opening narration, remains completely intact. You have four paramilitary guys who are very, very good at what they do, using brains as well as brawn to pull off daring plans and always ending up on the wrong side of the establishment. However, the TV show never really went in-depth as to how these men met and learned to trust one another so completely, hence Joe Carnahan's take on the A-Team. Liam Neeson steps into the role of Colonel Hannibal Smith. We've seen him play both a mentor and a badass, and this role has him undertaking elements of both, but it also shows him truly enjoying what he does. Hannibal's a guy who loves getting one over on the competition, being at least three steps ahead of his enemy, always having a plan and when they come together? Man. He LOVES that. Every smile Liam cracks is infectious, and every cigar a reminder of just how iconic both the character and the actor have become. Fresh from encounters with Mike Tyson, tigers and midget gangsters, Bradley Cooper brings us a rendition of Lt. 'Faceman' Peck, the team's infiltration specialist. He doesn't hesitate to use his looks to gain a better position with the ladies (insert waggling of eyebrows here) and he loves a good time just as much as he loves his fellow Rangers. Something touched on here is, as someone considered to be Hannibal's number 2, he's learning all he can from the Colonel and seeks his approval perhaps more than the others do. It's an interesting nuance to the character that keeps him fresh.
Believe it or not, even the mohawk has a story. While he's no Miser T, Quinton "Rampage' Jackson steps out of the Octagon and directly into the mohawk and fists of Corporal B.A. Baracus. Gearhead, bruiser and sucker for a coconut curry tapenade, B.A. is also fleshed out beyond 'pitying da foo''. Oh, he kicks quite a bit of ass, but he also inhabits what could have been a straightforward driving brick of a character with some legitimate pathos. While his neuroses are played for laughs more often than not, it's nice to see a burly young man express emotions other than anger, lechery and/or stoic emotional distance in a modern action flick. Last but by no means least, ascended fanboy Sharlto Copley of District 9 fame reminds us why Captain Murdock is called "Howling Mad." Of course, the 'howling' might also describe the audience reaction to some of his antics. A daring, brilliant and fearless pilot, H.M. is also completely batshit insane. Or is he? There are moments in the movie when he shows an almost frightening amount of clarity and lucidity. While his bonkers behavior's a riot, we also see a man who just might be pulling a fast one on everybody around him, even those he considers brothers. He rounds out the ensemble excellently and the team as a whole is a delight to see in action.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking, your nuclear steaks will be delivered just as soon as they're done on the wing, which by the way is kind of on fire right now." You might have noticed I haven't said much about the plot of the A-Team. Well, other than updating the origins of the team to Iraq and involving shady CIA agents and Blackwater-style PMCs, there's not a whole lot here in terms of plot. The A-Team isn't interested in weaving deeply intricate strains of narrative into a broader message about brotherhood, military interventionism or anything like that. It is, however, looking to take both its cast and its audience on a wild ride. It also maintains that a wild ride need not be a stupid one. In reality, we know that even the lowest-tier police officer needs to fill out mountains of paperwork when he or she discharges a firearm while on duty. On the other end of the extreme, some action movies have the heroes blazing away at the bad guys without a second thought regarding the cost of their firepower, in collateral damage or loss of innocent life. The A-Team places itself firmly between the two extremes. Our heroes do make use of assault rifles, rocket launchers, vehicles and even construction cranes to pull off their gambits, but their goal is almost never the direct death of a foe. The TV show was almost completely bloodless, and while the movie doesn't quite take things that far, it also doesn't perpetuate violence for its own sake. To a man, these Rangers are trained in the judicious and intelligent use of firepower, and it's refreshing to see this portrayal of canny and clever men of action.
Acting or not, isn't it nice to see Liam smile like that? In the execution of that action, the portrayal of just about all of its characters and updating a beloved 80s franchise into a viable 21st-century storytelling framework, The A-Team delivers in a very smart, very fun way. As I said, there's not a great deal of narrative nuance here and most savvy watchers will see the big plot twist coming, but it's forgivable in this case because these are smart, real characters thinking their way out of things just as much as they shoot their way out. It's all wrapped up very nearly and presented with the professional aplomb and slightly crazed abandon that made Carnahan's Smokin' Aces such a delight. There are plenty of action flicks out there. But if you want your action delivered with brains as well as bullets, if you're a fan of any member of this excellent cast, and if you can find it on your Netflix queue, maybe you should watch... The A-Team. 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

IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! The A-Team

IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! The A-Team — Blue Ink Alchemy

[audio:http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/uploads/ateam.mp3]

10 years ago a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from maximum security stockades. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire... The A-Team.

'Keep it simple'. It's a cardinal rule of most creative productions, and the 2009 big-screen adaptation of this 80s television staple is no exception. The basis, stated plainly in the show's opening narration, remains completely intact. You have four paramilitary guys who are very, very good at what they do, using brains as well as brawn to pull off daring plans and always ending up on the wrong side of the establishment. However, the TV show never really went in-depth as to how these men met and learned to trust one another so completely, hence Joe Carnahan's take on the A-Team. Liam Neeson steps into the role of Colonel Hannibal Smith. We've seen him play both a mentor and a badass, and this role has him undertaking elements of both, but it also shows him truly enjoying what he does. Hannibal's a guy who loves getting one over on the competition, being at least three steps ahead of his enemy, always having a plan and when they come together? Man. He LOVES that. Every smile Liam cracks is infectious, and every cigar a reminder of just how iconic both the character and the actor have become. Fresh from encounters with Mike Tyson, tigers and midget gangsters, Bradley Cooper brings us a rendition of Lt. 'Faceman' Peck, the team's infiltration specialist. He doesn't hesitate to use his looks to gain a better position with the ladies (insert waggling of eyebrows here) and he loves a good time just as much as he loves his fellow Rangers. Something touched on here is, as someone considered to be Hannibal's number 2, he's learning all he can from the Colonel and seeks his approval perhaps more than the others do. It's an interesting nuance to the character that keeps him fresh.
Believe it or not, even the mohawk has a story. While he's no Miser T, Quinton "Rampage' Jackson steps out of the Octagon and directly into the mohawk and fists of Corporal B.A. Baracus. Gearhead, bruiser and sucker for a coconut curry tapenade, B.A. is also fleshed out beyond 'pitying da foo''. Oh, he kicks quite a bit of ass, but he also inhabits what could have been a straightforward driving brick of a character with some legitimate pathos. While his neuroses are played for laughs more often than not, it's nice to see a burly young man express emotions other than anger, lechery and/or stoic emotional distance in a modern action flick. Last but by no means least, ascended fanboy Sharlto Copley of District 9 fame reminds us why Captain Murdock is called "Howling Mad." Of course, the 'howling' might also describe the audience reaction to some of his antics. A daring, brilliant and fearless pilot, H.M. is also completely batshit insane. Or is he? There are moments in the movie when he shows an almost frightening amount of clarity and lucidity. While his bonkers behavior's a riot, we also see a man who just might be pulling a fast one on everybody around him, even those he considers brothers. He rounds out the ensemble excellently and the team as a whole is a delight to see in action.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking, your nuclear steaks will be delivered just as soon as they're done on the wing, which by the way is kind of on fire right now." You might have noticed I haven't said much about the plot of the A-Team. Well, other than updating the origins of the team to Iraq and involving shady CIA agents and Blackwater-style PMCs, there's not a whole lot here in terms of plot. The A-Team isn't interested in weaving deeply intricate strains of narrative into a broader message about brotherhood, military interventionism or anything like that. It is, however, looking to take both its cast and its audience on a wild ride. It also maintains that a wild ride need not be a stupid one. In reality, we know that even the lowest-tier police officer needs to fill out mountains of paperwork when he or she discharges a firearm while on duty. On the other end of the extreme, some action movies have the heroes blazing away at the bad guys without a second thought regarding the cost of their firepower, in collateral damage or loss of innocent life. The A-Team places itself firmly between the two extremes. Our heroes do make use of assault rifles, rocket launchers, vehicles and even construction cranes to pull off their gambits, but their goal is almost never the direct death of a foe. The TV show was almost completely bloodless, and while the movie doesn't quite take things that far, it also doesn't perpetuate violence for its own sake. To a man, these Rangers are trained in the judicious and intelligent use of firepower, and it's refreshing to see this portrayal of canny and clever men of action.
Acting or not, isn't it nice to see Liam smile like that? In the execution of that action, the portrayal of just about all of its characters and updating a beloved 80s franchise into a viable 21st-century storytelling framework, The A-Team delivers in a very smart, very fun way. As I said, there's not a great deal of narrative nuance here and most savvy watchers will see the big plot twist coming, but it's forgivable in this case because these are smart, real characters thinking their way out of things just as much as they shoot their way out. It's all wrapped up very nearly and presented with the professional aplomb and slightly crazed abandon that made Carnahan's Smokin' Aces such a delight. There are plenty of action flicks out there. But if you want your action delivered with brains as well of bullets, if you're a fan of any member of this excellent cast, and if you can find it on your Netflix queue, maybe you should watch... The A-Team. 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

There is a New Post here.

There is a New Post here. — Blue Ink Alchemy

 You are in Blue Ink Alchemy.    There is an exit through the Internet.  There is a New Post here.  It is dark. You may be eaten by a grue.

Does anybody else remember ZORK? It was something I played briefly in my youth. It was one of my very first adventure games. This was long before anything like graphical user interfaces had made a big splash in computing, let alone PC gaming, so the action and suspense played itself out in the form of lines of text. My first 'MMO' experience was similar. It's not strictly a massively multiplayer experience, as I have no idea how many simultaneous players the server supports, but MUME - Multi-Users of Middle-Earth was perhaps my first real foray into online gaming, happening about the same time I really hit my stride with Trade Wars. Speaking of which, I'm still interested in getting some kind of iteration of that thing going on my local server with friends and stuff. I just haven't had the time. Anyway, text-based adventuring. These are actually more intricate and deep than you might expect. Instead of relying on glitsy graphics or gameplay powered by a few quick button-presses, the designer has to include common command ideas such as "LOOK", "GET" and "INVENTORY" while being ready to respond to unknown commands like "RESPAWN", "SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUST" or "TEABAG". There's also the fact that it's the player who populates the game world, at least in a sense. By reading the text of the adventure, it's your imagination that are giving the characters, settings and threats of the world flesh, weight and meaning. This requires the setting to be well-written, with clear descriptions and consequences that matter. It also means that the designers need to lay out a path to victory for the player, with obstacles and misdirects placed carefully so that once the player gets the hang of which commands work, there's still plenty of challenge to be had. How might a text-based adventure if it were programmed today, say using a popular IP? I give you "You Awaken in Razor Hill." I can't assume that every reader who passes by here knows enough about World of Warcraft to get all of the in-jokes, but pay attention to some of the longer descriptions. This is well-written, cleanly described and carefully directed work. More than just an exercise in "trolling the forums for the lulz," it's a great example of good writing, good design and a fantastic result. It also had me laughing so hard I was crying. So, there's that as well.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

Character Creation

Character Creation — Blue Ink Alchemy

Sometimes, I miss Warhammer Online. This morning I read a rather brief guide on Writing Believable Characters from the Young Adult Fantasy Guide. It's a great overview of what to do right and what to avoid when putting your characters together. I highly recommend you go give it a read if you're thinking of starting up a new creative project any time soon. When you think about it, creating characters for a story isn't really all that different from going through the character creation process in a current generation video game, provided you got the game from BioWare or an MMO studio and they allow such things. Good luck trying to customize Nathan Drake from Uncharted or Issac Clarke from Dead Space. You're stuck with them as they are, for good or for ill. Instead of tweaking the character's race, class and talent build, however, you're going to be tweaking their background, outlook and personality. Granted, you can do this is MMOs as well, provided such things are supported in the game either with mechanics or community & developer support. Some studios can't or won't support such things directly, but that's a subject for a different discussion.

Background

Your characters came from somewhere. And I don't just mean the deep recesses of your brain. Unless they're vat-grown genetically-engineered super-soldiers, they had a family. Parents. Maybe some siblings. Perhaps a childhood bully. How about a high school sweetheart? Who did they admire growing up? Who did they despise? What was their first kiss like? Their first heartbreak? These are things you can talk to any person on the planet and get a different result. What would the answers be if you asked your characters? Think about it. They got to where they are at the start of your story by coming from the places that'll come to light when you answer these questions. Oh, and if they are a vat-grown genetically-engineered super-soldier, how do they feel about it? Are they jealous of people with families? Do they feel they live in a world of cardboard due to their super-strength or whatnot? Do they understand things like emotions, prejudice, philanthropy and zealotry? How are they programmed? Do they want to break that programming? And if they weren't grown in a lab, do they remember their family? If not, will they remember them later? What happens when they find out about the past they used to have, if they don't remember it at the beginning of the story? I should mention that you should be doing this as soon as possible in the creative process. If you go back and fill in a character's background later, it might make something of a mess.

Outlook

Tied into background is how a character sees the world around them. Like the questions asked of our SPARTAN super-soldier, it's the sort of thing you can discern from people around you. Who's in favor of the current state of things in the world? Who wants to see change? Who's in it for the money? What motivates people, and by extension, your character? Altruism can surprise people when it emerges. And some people get shocked when they look back on an event and realize how selfish they were. It's natural for people to veer one way or another from their baseline behavior, but first they need to have a baseline. And the reason it's called a baseline is that it's consistent. It will change over time, since static characters are boring, but this is a gradual change, and sudden shifts away from it should not only shock the reader, it should also shock either the character or the people around them. If not both.

Personality

Note that outlook and personality are two different things. The way one sees the world is not necessarily how one interacts with it. People who are just in it for the money have to at least put on a facade of tolerance and goodwill from time to time in order to further their goals. The difference between one's outlook and their personality can be a matter of inches or of miles. It depends on the character. Sometimes these can move closer together, as the hard-bitten out-for-themselves mercenary starts to care about the people she's thrown in with, or the kindly priest becomes gradually disillusioned with the church and, by extension, the people he's been nice to for years. These are exciting, interesting changes that can and should be chronicled. It can make a story with very little action, suspense, gore or sex jump off the page and make room for itself in the reader's imagination. Which is what writing fiction's all about, right? How do you distinguish your characters? How will you do so in the future?

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Blue Ink Alchemy