10 Important Lessons for the Beginning Gamer (Like Me)

1. Don't argue with, question, or antagonize the Game Master. This will end badly for you or your character. Probably both.

2. If the Game Master asks you if you brought something, the answer is always YES. Chances are, you're going to need it in about five seconds. If you're not sure you brought it, lie.

3. If the words "Are you sure?" come out of the Game Master's mouth, the answer is always NO. "Are you sure" is code for "That's a reeeaaallly bad idea." Your current course of action will inevitably end badly.

4. Don't split the party. Somebody will die...or come as close to death as the rules of the gaming system allow.

5. If you must split the party, see #4.

6. Science may support the idea that all dice are created equal. This is a lie. There is such a thing as cursed dice. And they will screw you over. All. Night. Long. Just pick a different set.

7. Making stuff up at the drop of a hat is hard. Plan ahead.

8. Don't bother planning ahead. Someone will inevitably fuck things up.

9. Rolling a 20 tends to happen when you're rolling initiative. Rolling a 1 will always happen when you're trying to use stealth to sneak past whatever large and deadly monster happens to be sleeping five feet away. Because shit happens.

10. Relax. Go with it. Have fun. Going into the dark cave, fighting 18 trillion zombies, 16 ogres, and a troll means LOTS of XP.

Did I miss anything vital?

In the News: Warlord announces Dr. Who Game, and more

Dr. Who fans, sit up and take note! Warlord Games just announced they've been granted license to produce a miniatures game based on the beloved British show. Want to know more? Get all the details HERE.

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The Hugo Awards took place this past Saturday. Best novel was taken by "Three-Body Problem," written by Liu Cixin, and is the first Chinese novel to win the award. 

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STAR WARS VII VILLAIN SPOILERS!!!

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In 1942, Isaac Asimov introduced the concept of robots killing humans. Since then, the science fiction genre (books and films alike) has exploded with dirty-working robots. But how concerned should we be about killer robots becoming a reality? Take a look at this article by Tim Maverick to find out.

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4/6

Why the random picture of the Big Bang Theory cast with a random fraction below it? You'll have to click HERE to find out.

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Exclusive Author Interview: Ari Marmell

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There's been a lot of controversy lately regarding censorship in fiction; should it be done? When? How? What should be censored and what is considered "acceptable?" I won't share my own thoughts on the subject in this post, but I will share with you an article by Tom Hawking, entitled

"In Defense of Uncomfortable Subject Matter in Genre Fiction." It's an excellent article with an intriguing viewpoint.

What are your thoughts on the subject?

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I am one of the Harry Potter generation. I am a fan who grew up with Harry, and have not stopped missing Harry since he's been gone. I am one of many, and some day I will make it to GeekyCon. But for now, I take great pleasure in knowing that the others in my fandom are succeeding, just as I am. Read more about how Harry Potter fans are "turning their magical passions into real-world success."

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Until next week...

Create Your Team

Here's mine. 

Well, I cheated. Kind of.

Meet Team Hero:

Marvel: Thor, DC: Wonder Woman, Video Game: Hawke (Dragon Age II), Anime: Motoko Kusanagi (Ghost in the Shell)

 

 

Aaaand....here's Team Villian:

Marvel: Dr. Doom, DC: Joker, Video Game: Mephisto (Diablo 3), Anime: Light (Death Note)

  

 

Ok, so here are the rules:

You get one (1) Marvel character, one (1) DC character, one (1) video game character, and one (1) anime character. Ready, set, go!

Who makes your team?

In the News: George R.R.Martin's Hugo predictions, and more

The Goblin Emperor is on my 2015 reading list, and according to G.R.R. Martin, it's in the running for Best Novel at the Hugo Awards (although, he believes Three-Body Problem will win), which honestly, makes me a little apprehensive.

Why? Because I'm not a critic. I'm a normal person, who likes normal things. And if you've ever watched any sort of awards show? You know the normal things never win. But whatever, I'm still going to give it a read. For the rest of Martin's predictions, check out The Digital Times.

Here's some more of what's going on in the world of nerdom this week:

Announcement of Disney's Star Wars Land

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The Nerdist announces its Inkshares Sci-Fi and Fantasy contest.

For all you Spec-fic authors out there, check this out! This is huge! Click the link. Seriously. Click it. CLICK IT!!! The winner gets their novel published! I would be doing so myself, but I don't have my manuscript finished yet.

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Warner Bros. announces new Scooby Doo movie in 2018. 

All I can say is, thank God they are going back to animation for the reboot--the live action films were awful, despite a decent cast.

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Listen to Jess Lane give you a heads-up on 7 geeky movies coming out this fall that are flying under the radar.

I myself am looking forward to Pawn Sacrifice and Creed. What can I say, I will never get enough of Rocky Balboa. The Visit? Yeah, not so much. There's a reason M. Night Shyamalan plays an iconic role in Cards Against Humanity.

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Felicia Day talks about her new book, You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost).

Based on this video, I see this book on my shelf in my future. Oh, and a new fandom, possibly by the name of Supernatural.

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And if you're a podcast fan, give this episode on Nerd Reactor a listen.

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That's it for this week. Check in every Wednesday for what's In the News in the world of nerdom.

Until next time....

Greetings

Know thy genre.

It's one of (if not the) first rules of becoming an author. If you don't know what it is you're writing, you can't know your audience, and if you don't know your audience, how ever are you going to effectively market your work?

That was a rhetorical question, by the way.

Jumping into this writing business, I thought it was simple. All I had to do was write, right? Yeah...not so much. Writing doesn't even begin to cover it. Especially when, like me, you're not sure what exactly it is you're putting into words.

For example, I know that things happen and/or exist in my writing that don't in the real world. Things like magic. Beasts like dragons. Mythical beings like gods and demons. But what is the difference between a dragon and a drake, or a wyrm and a wyvern? What makes a dwarf a dwarf? Are there rules to magic?  What are the typical characteristics of deities? Can vampires exist strictly within the world of paranormality? Or can they exist within the realm of fantasy as well?

That's what I'm on my way to finding out.

I never considered myself a nerd before. But six years ago I married one, and since then I've been slowing sinking into this world of nerdom--of tabletop gaming and fandoms and character creation. I must admit, I'm loving about 96.3% of it. (I just haven't been able to jump on the Doctor Who train yet--I'm working on it.)

And as I explore these worlds of fantasy, science fiction, paranormality, and all the overlaps among them, I'm exploring myself, too. The words I want to say. The characters I want to create. The stories I want to tell. The genres I want to dwell in and the audience I want to speak to.

I'm an up-and-coming nerd. I'm an up-and-coming author. And these are my words.