Thanks, but I think it ended up just being indulgent. I posted it out of...obligation, I guess. I wanted to go with "warts and all." I just don't think it worked. Worse, I got bored with it.
I think the combination of trying to game and write decently distracted from doing either terribly well. I think I need to take a step back and give it another go, this time doing the game first, and worrying about the AP report later.
I thought it had a kind of Mario Puzo meets Dorsai vibe -- the Friendlies meet the mob, so to speak. I'm wondering if your hero maybe doesn't have enough loose ends to yank on?
I heard (and it might just be legend) that he's been skimming off the top for years, saving a little extra on the side, but it all goes to upkeep an orphan he made years ago on his first job. Wouldn't it be delicious, er, I mean, awful, if that orphan tracked him down? Hostages to fate, eh?
To digress a little, I've thought about "writing well" and "gaming well" in context of solo gaming quite a bit and I've come to the conclusion that it's not possible to combine them evenly, and even trying to or considering the prose too hard risks crushing the fun and life right out of the game.
But it IS entirely possible to tell yourself an awesome story while enjoying the process and randomness of gaming. :)
If you can communicate that enthusiasm (perfect prose NOT required) to people who might read it later, great, if not, well, don't feel badly -- it's hard to convey viscerally how much fun a roller coaster is when you show people the mid-ride snapshot with your eyes half-shut and your hair sticking up, too!
You don't need to feel obligated, not one bit! All that matters is that YOU have a wild ride. And maybe that later you find yourself chuckling to yourself about something one of your heroes did or said or got himself into just because it was such a big damn cool moment. And then you can tell us about it and we will understand. :)
Still, if the process is not adding to the fun, consider silencing your inner editor while you play, and just going where the game takes you. You can always go back to rewrite it in a way that's pleasing to you (writing wise).
Don't sell yourself short, I thought it was an enjoyable read and exercise in world building.
ReplyDeleteThanks, but I think it ended up just being indulgent. I posted it out of...obligation, I guess. I wanted to go with "warts and all." I just don't think it worked. Worse, I got bored with it.
ReplyDeleteI think the combination of trying to game and write decently distracted from doing either terribly well. I think I need to take a step back and give it another go, this time doing the game first, and worrying about the AP report later.
I thought it had a kind of Mario Puzo meets Dorsai vibe -- the Friendlies meet the mob, so to speak. I'm wondering if your hero maybe doesn't have enough loose ends to yank on?
ReplyDeleteI heard (and it might just be legend) that he's been skimming off the top for years, saving a little extra on the side, but it all goes to upkeep an orphan he made years ago on his first job. Wouldn't it be delicious, er, I mean, awful, if that orphan tracked him down? Hostages to fate, eh?
To digress a little, I've thought about "writing well" and "gaming well" in context of solo gaming quite a bit and I've come to the conclusion that it's not possible to combine them evenly, and even trying to or considering the prose too hard risks crushing the fun and life right out of the game.
But it IS entirely possible to tell yourself an awesome story while enjoying the process and randomness of gaming. :)
If you can communicate that enthusiasm (perfect prose NOT required) to people who might read it later, great, if not, well, don't feel badly -- it's hard to convey viscerally how much fun a roller coaster is when you show people the mid-ride snapshot with your eyes half-shut and your hair sticking up, too!
You don't need to feel obligated, not one bit! All that matters is that YOU have a wild ride. And maybe that later you find yourself chuckling to yourself about something one of your heroes did or said or got himself into just because it was such a big damn cool moment. And then you can tell us about it and we will understand. :)
I thought it was good!
ReplyDeleteStill, if the process is not adding to the fun, consider silencing your inner editor while you play, and just going where the game takes you. You can always go back to rewrite it in a way that's pleasing to you (writing wise).