Working on Games of Writing
Already I've managed to fail at one of my unstated goals from the last entry. That goal was to return to the daily entries of days long past. There's no real defense or justification. Just the same old slacker nature that I have always had. That I always will have. C'est la vie.
Job hunt: Same frustrations. I'm thinking that I may have to go through Kelley Services again. Or, as they're calling themselves now, Kelley Career Network. The primary difference these days seems to be that they offer actual job listings, many of which seem to have the same barrier that I'm running into when searching other places. There is a very real possibility that I will not be able to find a job that will actually pay my rent, and that scares the holy crap out of me.
EverQuest: I've not been playing the old EQ that I used to play and mentioned here about a million years ago. I've been playing EverQuest II, and I'm loving it. I have tried to go back and play the first EQ, but it keeps getting bogged down in the graphics that have not been updated since the game went live over a decade go. It also suffers from a lot of interaction baggage that EQ2 has streamlined nicely. I think my return to EQ should have been EQ first, and then EQ2. When I started the tutorial for EQ, I found myself wanting to do everything I could do in the sequel the way I do it in the sequel, and the simplest of actions has become a chore. Still, that doesn't mean I can't enjoy the sequel without playing the original. I'm sure it will be much less confusing in the long run, since the lore both overlaps and diverges. (EQ2 takes place after some kind of world-shattering event that has not occurred in the first game.)
And since we're on the subject of games, may I just say how ecstatic I am about the upcoming Marvel Heroes game? I've seen some gameplay footage, and I'm downright drooling. The only drawback is that there's no guarantee I'll be able to play as my pal Spidey unless I buy one of the "founder packs" they've introduced to help pay for the game. Personally, I would love to be able to afford to drop $200 on the Ultimate Pack. Then I'd not only get Spidey, I'd get four costumes for him, including one that is "exclusive" to this ultimate pack. What's stopping me, aside from the obvious lack of employment? Well, I don't know for sure that I actually will like the game. If I spend $200 on a "free to play" game, my expectations will skyrocket to unreasonable proportions. I could spend $20 instead and get the Spidey pack or $45 for a multi-hero pack that includes Spidey... but I'm going to try to be a good kid and not spend money I don't really have. (I've done far too much of that in the last nine months.)
And the icing on the cake? The nagging tingle that just won't leave me the hell alone? It feels like the writing bug is trying to crawl back inside my brain. How many times does the universe have to be told that I am NOT a writer. I'm an actor! If the universe wants to drop nagging notions into my head, why not guide me to a place where I can pick up some kind of acting job that I can do that will pay a few bills for a few months and I can stop worrying about finding a job that doesn't want me? This is the part where I pound my head against my desk.
Several story ideas are swirling around the vortex of space where a mind is supposed to be housed. One is a sequel to Killing Time, tentatively titled Biding Time, in which the cryptic final scene in Killing becomes the focus of what will ultimately become a trilogy. The final tome would be called Saving Time, in which our protagonist has to stop a conspiracy of some kind that would ultimately destroy the space-time continuum from the inside out. I haven't worked it all out, obviously, but it will be epic. Which means, it'll never happen. Or, if it does, it will reek.
Another is a revisit of my 2011 ROW80 idea. I recently watched The Frighteners on Netflix, a movie that is both funny and creepy as hell all at the same time. The main antagonist is a spirit that has taken on the guise of a grim reaper, and that reminded me of the villainous critters in my untitled piece. It brought to mind elements from that tripe-fest that haven't left me alone since.
There was a third idea, but it's not making itself known to me at the moment. Probably something cliche about serial killers who wear masks. I do love me a bad slasher story.
As with everything, Dear Journal, I'll keep you posted on whatever comes to pass. I may even bore you with some EverQuest stories! Aren't you lucky?