A Journalist's Progress

"I am a writer because writing is the thing I do best." -Flannery O'Connor

If you ever played a fighting game and thought to yourself "Ya know what this game needs more of? Immortal Cat Girls who can dismember their body parts at will and use them as weapons" 

First I shall say, that is incredibly specific and secondly, come check out my players guide to such a character from the cast of the indie-fighter Skullgirls!

Be a dear and check me and many other fine writers out at Game Podunk! 

Thoughts and observations: Slash and Burn

I didn't go into college with the aim of being a journalist. My major was English. I read all the classics: Shakespeare, Dickens, Sinclair. My writing was largely influenced by their huge sweeping prose. When I wrote, my hands flew all over the keys like a drug-addled bird. Word count? What is that? Run-on sentences? I'll put whatever I want for however long I want! I was mad with power. 

Then I started writing for my college's newspaper. I still remember the first article I sent to the editor. He took it and in about fifteen minutes, I got it back with a over half of the damned thing covered in red ink. Whole grafs wiped out. Sentences, cut off at the knees. 

But after the initial shock and gnashing of teeth, I realized something -- the article got a lot better.

The reading followed that same discipline to a greater degree. What was most fascinating, was the sheer amount of information she had. Mountains of notebooks, notes, interviews, research, and more transcripts I could barely fathom. Amassing such a trove of information is both inspiring and absolutely horrifying when you realize you actually have to make sense of all that stuff afterwards. 

A lesson in organization is a key method for any journalist. Not only does it help make things easier to sort, but also subconsciously sorts it all out in your head. Slowly but surely, it all comes down to the twofold "about." What is the story about? and what is the story really about. Anything you include, anything you write or fashion should be towards making that core of the story come to light. Anything that impedes that light you must ruthlessly cut away. Show no mercy to fluff or extra wordage. 

Your writing will be the better for it. 

AI disturbance overlays for those who don't have Ibis paint premium. found them on tiktok

Coming Events: Otaku/Geek Extravaganza!

Next week is going to be a busy day for geeky, anime, and gaming enthusiast. In what can only be explained as proper alignment of the planets, both Pax East and Anime Boston --the biggest expos for gaming and anime on the east coast respectively. 

And yours truly will be attending them both. Expect Twitter commentary on the sights and sounds of both events as they unfold next weekend from April 6 to 8. 

(my resulting collapse from exhaustion may or not be documented).

follow me on twitter at @dimanched1

Thoughts and Observations: Aim for the Heart chpts. 4-5

The opening gambit is most important in all walks of life. First impressions are the first line of knowledge people get of you. And in relation to writing, this is all the more apparent. 

In Tompkins, the opening line or the "hook" is seen to the audience as "the invitation to stay or the temptation to leave." What makes the reader want to stay and read on? What makes them mindlessly just give a sigh and skip to another story or flip the channel? The answer is motivation and relation. 

If the story can grab the reader and make them feel connected to the subject to the story as a whole, then that feeling will keep them to page. It's essentially a courtship between the reader and story: the initial contact, the sense of wanting to know more, and eventually entering into a private and personal world. Once you hook them however, is only the first part, the rest of the job comes in trying to keep them hooked throughout the end. 

This can be done by keeping the writing interesting and solid. Maintain a fluid and action-laden pace. This doesn't mean you have to make a Diehard movie in word form, but you should have a strong narrative that flows from scene to scene, action to reaction, character to character. As you form that network of characters and feeling, the audience will have no choice but to stick with you.

Thoughts and Observations: Kramer vs. Tompkins (vs. Kramer)

The readings from the last few sessions of Tompkins and Kramer really worked well together for me. 

Essentially in chapters 9-12 of Aim for the Heart the importance of B roll and variety of shots became the tantamount elements for video journalism and when doing interviews. Images can add so much more to a news report or feature piece than words alone. Plus, having different shots and angles gives the viewer a greater sense of the world you are introducing them to.

When doing the interview, try to display the items and activities that help describe who the subject is. This can also be provided in the B roll. The support video showing action and movement to liven up the piece. This B roll can be hobbies or activities, sights and sounds, or even just some busy work. Over all the sense of the person must be best portrayed throughout. 

This all segways rather handily into Kramer's section. The focus was primarily on how to set up the frame work for a story. Organization is key for any writing job - be it a hard news lede or grand magazine article. Setting up that rough skeleton is key to a good body of work. Secondly, don't think that your first draft is going to be gold from the start. There is always going to be something to tweak, something to tighten, something to add or take away.

The central thing to bear in mind so you don't become obsessive over it is that you're out there to make the best thing you can in the time you have. If you can honestly say that, then you've done a damned good job. 

The Wit and Wisdom of Tyrion Lannister

On Knowing Yourself: “Let me give you some advice, Bastard. Never forget what you are, the rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor and it can never be used to hurt you.” (Episode 1, “Winter Is Coming”)

On Disability: “If you’re going to be a cripple, it’s better to be a rich cripple.” (Episode 3: “Lord Snow”)

Read more of Tyrion’s pro-tips and life advice here.

The Mouse and the Shoe Box

I am not exactly sure what was done that night was the right thing, but this is what happened. It was during my sophomore year of college back in St. Louis during the spring when I and two of my friends, Mandy and Angela went out for a walk through Washington University’s campus one night.

It sat directly across the street from us with lights and black gates surrounding it like the jewels of an oversized crown. I tended to go along because it was the size of a small city compared to ours and I think I just liked to be part of something bigger than myself. I always felt like that place was consciously trying to swallow up as much space as possible.

I can’t recall what was said in particular during our walk, but something stifled our habitual chatter that was our nightly ritual. This was when we saw the mouse. It mustn’t have been any bigger than a golf ball. Its tail bent at an almost perfect 90 degree angle and uselessly dangled at the broken joint.

Upon noticing our presence, it tried to flee as one would when one finds three giants of unknown species lumbering towards you at night. But without the aid of a working tail for balance, its intended trajectory towards a nearby bush fell apart. It slowly and involuntarily drifted towards its left. Constantly it tried righting itself only to veer off course away from the apparent safety of the shrubbery. It looked to me like a ship trying to dock only to be pushed back out by the tide. The frustration from its little ruddy brown frame was palpable.

My two companions went into a frenzy of compassion for this creature as they stooped closer to examine it. I stayed behind, watching the scene a few steps back. Soon they concocted a plan to save this unfortunate thing.

For we all thought, in its present state, it was easy prey for something bigger and faster than itself. Mandy kept watch over the mouse as Angela ran back to her dorm room to grab an old converse shoe box. I slowly let out a sigh of resignation for the night.

When she returned, the two of them tried coaxing the now equally confused and frightened mouse inside.  As the two finally managed the task by lightly shoving it inside with the shoe box lid, I couldn’t help but feel embarrassed by the whole thing unfolding before me.

To this day I’m not sure if my embarrassment was for me or the mouse - maybe for the both of us. When we got back to our campus they tried feeding it leaves of lettuce. Hoping that by tomorrow it would be able to fend for itself. Angela volunteered to keep it in her room to supervise their furry refugee.

The mouse was dead by morning. I don’t know exactly when but from what she told me when she went to check on it, it was motionless in one corner of the box, its lettuce untouched in the opposite end.

Even now, I still remember it trying so desperately to get to that bush, and away from us. I wonder what would have happened if we never found it: Would it have really died? Would it have eventually made it to the bush? Would it have mattered either way in the grand scheme of things? I think in the end, I will never know for we intervened or, more aptly, interrupted nature’s course. We know no more than the mouse in that respect.