For example, when I'm just out and about on my daily routine, I pack this knife. It's a folder made by Hen & Rooster. It sports damascus steel. I pack it around because it's pleasing to the eye, Hen & Rooster make quality knives, and this one feels sturdy in my hand. It isn't too heavy, doesn't look scary (which is important for other reasons which I'll touch on in another post), and provides a utility. Other than folders, I prefer knives that have a full tang, or in other words, the entire knife is made of one full piece of metal. Generally, if the knife has a full tang, you can see it running down the handle. This type of construction guarantees a stronger knife.
In a survival situation, a good blade can mean the difference between life or death. Knives come in all shapes and sizes, and not all of them can be used the same. Some blades make great tools, good for digging, prying, or splitting. While others are meant for skinning, or self-defense. Keep these things in mind when picking what knife you pack. For example, when I'm just out and about on my daily routine, I pack this knife. It's a folder made by Hen & Rooster. It sports damascus steel. I pack it around because it's pleasing to the eye, Hen & Rooster make quality knives, and this one feels sturdy in my hand. It isn't too heavy, doesn't look scary (which is important for other reasons which I'll touch on in another post), and provides a utility. Other than folders, I prefer knives that have a full tang, or in other words, the entire knife is made of one full piece of metal. Generally, if the knife has a full tang, you can see it running down the handle. This type of construction guarantees a stronger knife. Yet, when I'm out camping or hunting, I pack this knife. It's a Randall ESSE-5 and it's a beast. It's thick, full-tang, and can take a beating. This is what you could consider your workhorse or tool. I've used it to dig, pry, and I've even split firewood with it. When I'm out in the wild, I generally pack this along with a smaller knife for utility or skinning. Now both of these are the smaller knives I pack when I'm hunting or camping. They work well for skinning, self-defense, gutting fish, cooking, and eating. The powder coated one is a brand new SCAR Blade that my wife got me for Valentine's Day. I haven't field tested it yet, but from what I hear, SCAR Blades are excellent quality. The other knife is an Anza knife and sharp enough to shave with. The last knife I pack, is a damascus bowie made by Windlass Steelcrafts. It's a bit fancy, but still holds that quality I desire in a weapon. I could use it as a tool, or to skin, or for self-defense. My uncle made the kick-ass sheath for it. I've taken this knife hunting, fishing, and just out on the town. There's nothing wrong with packing multiple knives, but make sure you at least have a quality one on hand when you step out your door. Their function is invaluable, and just like a gun, it's better to have it and not need it, then need it and not have it. Just make sure you understand and follow any local laws when you take your knife with you. Also, keep them sharp and oiled (if they aren't stainless). A dull knife is dangerous. Now go enjoy the great outdoors!
Practice makes perfect. Repetition builds muscle memory. Consistency is the key. We’ve all heard these phrases from time to time. Generally, we hear them in with regards to sports, martial arts, fishing, music, performance and such. However, I think they apply to writing as well.
Things get easier when it becomes habit. I’ve found that it becomes easier to write if I write at the same time each day. It’s as if my body expects it to happen, and my mind gets in the right place. I’ve read strategies and habits from different successful writers, and something keeps popping up. They all write at the same time each day, and they all write in the same place each day. I've played around with different approaches to remain constant in my writing. I've tried writing for time, word-count, and most recently, until I felt as if I accomplished something. Personally, I don't think any method is superior to another; however, try them out and see what works. I read a blog post by Chuck Wendig (check it out here) that said if you write 350 words a day for 260 days, by the end of the year you'll have over 90K words. 350 words is nothing. Find what works the best for you and stick with it. If it's word count, great. If it's time, get out your stopwatch. If it's until you feel good about it, wonderful. Whatever works, works. Just keep at it and keep it consistent. The bottom line -- it’s about getting words out first. The magic of revision can come later and should come later. Spew your rough draft out and then pick the quality pieces out of the primordial ooze. Characters are this nation’s backbone! What’s a story without characters? Shit, that’s what. What’s a story with characters that lack depth or emotion? Shit, that’s what. If you are going to write a story, it has to have interesting characters to keep the reader engaged. Or else, it will be shit.
You might ask, how do you do that? Well, although it isn’t easy, I can give you a couple of tips that may help. First, know your characters inside and out. What are their habits? Where were they born? What kind of life did they live? These are the kind of questions you need to ask yourself before you start writing. The list of questions goes on and on, and the dossier you build on your character (and yes, I recommend that you create a file on your major characters for consistency, this is what some call a character bible or story bible) will be invaluable. Now you might ask if I have all this information, my story’s going to get bogged down in superfluous details! Not true. Just because you have the information, doesn’t mean you have to have five pages of info-dump when you introduce the character. The information you create will help you know how the character is going to act and react to the situations in your story. It will build the depth that you need, and ultimately help you as a writer. Here’s another tip…don’t make your protagonists goody-two-shoes, and don’t make your antagonists nothing but pure evil douchebags. The best antagonists I’ve read are sympathetic to the reader. Nothing creates internal conflict better than not knowing who to really side with when reading. Make your main character torn. They don’t have to be a neutral down the middle type, but require them to make hard choices, give them blemishes and they’ll shine in the eyes of the reader. Nobody is perfect, and readers will be able to see if you create one dimensional characters. These are just a few things to think about when you’re writing. If you want a more in-depth look at the subject, I suggest you take a look at Orson Scott Card’s Character and Viewpoint, Donald Maass’ The Fire in Fiction, William Strange has a great blog on the subject, or even better, chat up Scott Johnson. He gave a wonderful class on character building at my graduate school and is a master on the subject. Now go write! I originally considered writing a blog post about writing this time; however, after my last post about horror and gaming, the follow-on discussion brought on some great ideas. First off, I want to thank Matt O’Dwyer for fueling this flame. Second, I want to give props to 2 GMs 1 Mic for having a kick ass podcast and for talking about this subject. I highly recommend you check out both Matt and 2 GMs 1 Mic.
What I want to talk about this week, is play styles when it comes to table-top gaming. 2 GMs 1 Mic talked about the difference between immersive games and meta-gaming. What’s the difference you may say? Immersive gaming is when your players assume the role of their characters and make their decisions based off what their characters know, or what they would do in that situation. Meta-gaming, the players will make decisions based on each other’s actions and information that they know as a player. Both styles are fine, it just depends on what you are shooting for. I am currently running a lengthy Pathfinder campaign and I’ve found that both styles make an appearance during gameplay. In fact, I try to incorporate story and character/Non-player character (NPC) interaction for my wife. She really digs interacting with people and doing fun things. The meta-gaming aspect really takes hold during combat. We use an online mapping system to show position and terrain, and my players are constantly scheming and maneuvering with one another to gain the highest advantage, sometimes even when they wouldn’t be able to plan like that if it were actually happening. So with that information in mind, let’s talk about things you can do to help one style or the other. If you don’t mind meta-gaming, and your players like the tactics, then by all means use maps, grids, miniatures, rulers, etc. There’s no problem what so ever with this style and it can be lots of fun. It’s kind of like playing a miniatures wargame with heavy role-play elements. If that’s not your style, then take the emphasis off of tactics, remove the maps and minis, and just tell the story. The more mechanics you use, the less immersive it will be. Use story to drive the game. Games that have fate chips or things of the sort help promote this style, because it rewards your players for getting into the game. If your system doesn’t have something like that, it’s easy enough to incorporate. Bottom line – it’s about having fun. If you’re having fun, and your players are having fun, then it works and good on you. If you’re not having fun, change it up, or change games. Simple enough. Now go play! |
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