Sunday, February 23, 2014
SLAY A DRAGON
Slaying a Dragon is an Epic Level Quest. It is not the Ultimate Epic. Slay a Dragon can mean many things. It can mean Slay a Dragon in a Game or Story, but mostly, it is something that is particularly difficult for you personally. There are many Epic Quests that are officially listed with the Guild. The difference with the Dragon is, it's tailored to the individual. For example: I Slew a Dragon when I finally got my Driver's License at the age of 32. This would not be a Dragon for an 18 year old.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Leading Roles
ME (the other guild master) and I were discussing an interesting idea, main characters. We were trying to understand why some main characters are so wonderful while others fall flat. Here are a few of our conclusions.
Is the character too mundane? Reading a book or watching a movie is only as entertaining as the main character. If the main is blah, the story could be just as blah and who wants to read that? Now everybody has a story to tell, but is it just history? The character has to be significant in some way or the story has no reference point or reason. Blah characters tend to do things in a blah way. Example: let's say you are playing a video game and you never move the character forward with the story. Was that a fun game? Can you become engaged in a story that the character doesn't want to engage in? Mundane characters don't want adventure, romance, action, thrill or anything else a story offers and if they are thrown into it, they try to get out or are removed from the story. The point: dull characters make dull stories.
But here's the next one: is the character too special? Harry Potter was special. He was a wizard first and a history breaking one at that. But on the whole, he was still just a dumb, lost kid trying to survive school. He still had some qualities that made him normal. He was a mundane character with special power and a drive to follow a trail. But would the story have been as interesting if he had been able to survive year one and go on the hunt, destroying Voldemort before the diary incident? Would it have been as much fun if he were as smart as Hermione AND as powerful as Ginny to go with his guts? Super characters can be fun, but they are hard to relate to and can't show the growth needed to engage the reader. Oh sure, the story was fun, but it was unreal. The point: Super powered characters distance the audience for the story.
Main characters have to be likable. It doesn't matter how despicable a character might be, there has to be a likable quality present or the character is a flop. For instance, Jack Sparrow of Pirates of the Caribbean is a goofy character who is absolutely horrible. I can't stand him. Jar Jar Binks. Same thing, but luckily, Jar Jar isn't the main character, but how many people like that movie? Frodo Baggins (either the book or the movies) is a character that you just want to throttle. Thankfully Samwise is there to balance him out (mundane in a special way). On the other hand, Po of Kung Fu Panda is a character that could easily be annoying, but isn't. Now I will say that not everyone has the same taste in characters, but consider for a moment that idea of why you like some and dislike others. Does it matter how good a story is if you don't like the main character? The point: if the audience doesn't like the character, they won't like the story.
The long and the short of it, main characters can make or break a story. Know your character and the story will be that much better.
Happy storying
The Mighty Q
Is the character too mundane? Reading a book or watching a movie is only as entertaining as the main character. If the main is blah, the story could be just as blah and who wants to read that? Now everybody has a story to tell, but is it just history? The character has to be significant in some way or the story has no reference point or reason. Blah characters tend to do things in a blah way. Example: let's say you are playing a video game and you never move the character forward with the story. Was that a fun game? Can you become engaged in a story that the character doesn't want to engage in? Mundane characters don't want adventure, romance, action, thrill or anything else a story offers and if they are thrown into it, they try to get out or are removed from the story. The point: dull characters make dull stories.
But here's the next one: is the character too special? Harry Potter was special. He was a wizard first and a history breaking one at that. But on the whole, he was still just a dumb, lost kid trying to survive school. He still had some qualities that made him normal. He was a mundane character with special power and a drive to follow a trail. But would the story have been as interesting if he had been able to survive year one and go on the hunt, destroying Voldemort before the diary incident? Would it have been as much fun if he were as smart as Hermione AND as powerful as Ginny to go with his guts? Super characters can be fun, but they are hard to relate to and can't show the growth needed to engage the reader. Oh sure, the story was fun, but it was unreal. The point: Super powered characters distance the audience for the story.
Main characters have to be likable. It doesn't matter how despicable a character might be, there has to be a likable quality present or the character is a flop. For instance, Jack Sparrow of Pirates of the Caribbean is a goofy character who is absolutely horrible. I can't stand him. Jar Jar Binks. Same thing, but luckily, Jar Jar isn't the main character, but how many people like that movie? Frodo Baggins (either the book or the movies) is a character that you just want to throttle. Thankfully Samwise is there to balance him out (mundane in a special way). On the other hand, Po of Kung Fu Panda is a character that could easily be annoying, but isn't. Now I will say that not everyone has the same taste in characters, but consider for a moment that idea of why you like some and dislike others. Does it matter how good a story is if you don't like the main character? The point: if the audience doesn't like the character, they won't like the story.
The long and the short of it, main characters can make or break a story. Know your character and the story will be that much better.
Happy storying
The Mighty Q
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Where are you going?
"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.
"I don't much care where –" said Alice."Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat.
"– so long as I get somewhere," Alice added as an explanation.
"Oh, you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."
So where are you going? Or doesn't it matter? Are you going through life on auto-pilot, hoping your day will come? Or are you working towards something? Heavy questions. We have made it into February and I am still completing my goal of better health. I stretch every day and walk everywhere possible: work, church, the kitchen- you know, everywhere. I can't say that my health has improved spectacularly, but I have a plan that will soon be implemented. Why am I telling you? Because you are special and to give you hope. Nothing was ever completed without a little work and sacrifice. No, not virgin sacrifice, well, maybe on occasion. If you don't believe it can happen, it won't. If you don't know where you are going, you'll never get there. If you don't care to change, you will stay the same forever and that goes against the eternal plan of happiness.
Goals are our way of improving upon ourselves for eternal happiness. You find out who you are, become who you want to be, and do something you can be proud of. Don't sit back and wait for life to hand you opportunities because most of opportunity is being in the right place, at the right time and ready to seize it as it appears. But if you are never prepared for it, how can you know it? If you never change to BE in the right place, how will you know it is time? Act. Don't react. Make choices and follow through with them.
The Mighty Q
Monday, February 3, 2014
Antiquated Pleasure
My place of employment has decided to encourage reading by having all employees use a sign to display what they are currently reading. The idea behind this is that if all can see what is being read, it will encourage others to do more reading and spark conversation about good literature rather than the mundane. Reading is not the focus of what I do, but I am supporting the idea because I believe that reading is a dying art that helps hold up the efforts of society. What is our language, but words to convey ideas? Can you convey all the ideas of your soul with only a handful of words? So I posted the book I was reading.
But I guess something more needs to be said about reading as a whole. Books are a wonderful things as they are able to take us to unknown places, explore topics never before understood, have the thrill of adventure (without the danger) and expand horizons beyond our own life experiences. They provide a way of relaxing without diminishing ourselves. They increase our vocabulary and help improve our ability to write and speak. And if that wasn't enough, most of them are pocket-sized or otherwise easy to carry. Technology has furthered this by giving us entire libraries on one device.
Reading is a pastime that is fading away because we don't have the time, energy or attention. Yet it is one of the most valuable things we can do in our down time. I am not voting against movies, TV, video games or other activities, but we ought to try to get more reading time in to supplement these things (that and it is a perfect Sunday activity).
So pick up a book and read! It can be anything and you will be better for it. I know I will.
But I guess something more needs to be said about reading as a whole. Books are a wonderful things as they are able to take us to unknown places, explore topics never before understood, have the thrill of adventure (without the danger) and expand horizons beyond our own life experiences. They provide a way of relaxing without diminishing ourselves. They increase our vocabulary and help improve our ability to write and speak. And if that wasn't enough, most of them are pocket-sized or otherwise easy to carry. Technology has furthered this by giving us entire libraries on one device.
Reading is a pastime that is fading away because we don't have the time, energy or attention. Yet it is one of the most valuable things we can do in our down time. I am not voting against movies, TV, video games or other activities, but we ought to try to get more reading time in to supplement these things (that and it is a perfect Sunday activity).
So pick up a book and read! It can be anything and you will be better for it. I know I will.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
REPORTING IN
Remember to report your quests to the Guild, so you can earn Titles and Ranks. It was before mentioned that quests completed outside the guild house will not be rewarded by the Guild Masters. However, there are certain (not all) Epic Quests that are the exception to that rule. Epic Quests are the only quests with negotiable rewards, which will be discussed upon reporting in.
Note on Eliminate a Debt (Epic Quest): Credit Cards are tricky. If this is the debt you eliminate, you need to continue with it for 3 months. You can still use the credit card, but it must be paid off each month before interest accrues.
Note on Eliminate a Debt (Epic Quest): Credit Cards are tricky. If this is the debt you eliminate, you need to continue with it for 3 months. You can still use the credit card, but it must be paid off each month before interest accrues.
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