Blog Challenge: Week 1

Happy New Year! As the first full week of 2016 has come to an end (some may argue that it had already ended and it is now technically the second week of January, but I don't care, at least I'm writing), I realized that I almost forgot to write my weekly post.

I was fortunate enough to string together 12 days off in a row for Christmas and New Year's. The time off was great. I didn't get up to anything spectacular, just spent time with family, but it was nice to get a break from the daily grind of the real world.

I started reading a book called House of Leaves, by Mark Z. Danielewski. I can't even begin to do it justice by trying to explain it, but if you're into horror/suspense/something-off-the-wall, definitely check it out.

I also started to write a little bit more. First off, I had an idea for a short story and have written about 500 words so far. I still have to finish it and maybe expand on some areas to hit the 1500 word mark (apparently that is a requirement to call it a short story). I'm pretty excited about it and hopefully it turns out to be a good story.

I also wrote a backstory for a character I plan on using in an upcoming campaign of Dungeons & Dragons. It's only a few paragraphs long but generally the background is kept short and sweet because it's easier to insert the character into the game setting versus a character that is complex.

When life returned to normal and I went back to work, I found that the week flew by and before I knew, it was Sunday and I hadn't submitted a posting. So here it was. The first of many (hopefully) this year.

Let's Try This Again...

It's been a little over two years since I last made a post. I kind of put writing on the back burner during that time and with each passing day it got harder and harder for me to get back into it.

During that time, I started to focus more on reading, mostly fantasy. In 2013, I read a decent amount of books with 21, including the current five novels in the A Game of Thrones series. 2014 was the pinnacle of my reading performance, with a whopping 44 titles passing through my hands. This year, 2015, I dialed it back quite considerably and am on pace to finish the year with 15 books read.

With all that reading, it has started to get my creative writing juices flowing again. So for the upcoming year of 2016, I am going to challenge myself to start writing again. I will be relying heavily on my wife for support, encouragement, proof-reading, and idea feedback.

Part of this challenge is to post an entry to this blog page at least once a week. Topics can vary to include anything. However, I don't think I'll be posting any of my story writings unless I feel they are finished and think people will enjoy them.

I have looked around to see if I could find some kind of website or app to help me keep track my progress, but it seems they are strictly goal oriented (50,000 words in a month or else you fail) and I don't really find that encouraging.

So I made a simple spreadsheet where I input the date, type of writing (blog, story, etc.), if it's a new or continuing entry, and number of words written. I know it's very basic, but I think that's all I really need. Other than that, I don't really have any goals. I believe that a story is done when you feel it is- not when you have hit a specific word count.


I hope that if you find your way to my blog and enjoy what you see/read, check back in the following weeks. Feedback and constructive criticism is welcome. See you in the new year!

Pathfinder RPG: Bestiary 4

This week I picked up a copy of Paizo's latest hardcover book, Bestiary 4, for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. You would think that there wouldn't be enough content left to make a fourth book, but there are over 300 creatures in this volume.

The range of creatures in this book covers the entire spectrum, from dragons to dinosaurs, undead, demons and devils, even familiars for your spellcasting characters.

Cthulhu

One of the highlights of the book is the inclusion of a trio of monsters called the Great Old Ones, a concept created by H.P. Lovecraft, otherworldly entities of unimaginable power. There is Bokrug, the Great Water Lizard; Hastur, the King in Yellow; and last but certainly not least the most well-known, Cthulhu, the Dreamer in the Deep!!!




The Tooth Fairy: Not quite what I imagined

The stat blocks are the same as in the previous volumes, listing the creature's Challenge Rating (CR), creature type (humanoid, fey, animal, etc.), the terrain where it can normally be found, and the climate that it prefers. Included with the creatures stats (if applicable) are its Mythic Rating (MR) in case you are running a mythic campaign.



The back of the book contains appendices that cover several topics like monster advancement rules and a glossary that explains any special abilities a creature might posses. There are also lists that put the monsters in order based on type, terrain, or their CR.

Overall I like this book. As a player and a rookie Game Master, I feel that the game can get a bit old or stale if you keep encountering the same monsters or creatures over and over again, not to mention any unintentional metagaming. In a game that is based on imagination, it only makes sense to have new creatures introduced into it.