As I do every year, I try to make the holiday about more than turkeys and football. I take the time to remember what I am thankful for, when I probably take them for granted during the rest of the year. Holidays have a way of reminding you that the attitude it emphasizes should be practiced all the year. Thankfulness is especially important to me since life has been tough for me (something I try not to talk about much here) the last few years. I’m happy to report, though, that things seem to be slowly improving.
So, without further ado, here’s my updated list of things I’m thankful for.
1. God the Father (Abba)
2. Jesus Christ, God made flesh
3. The Holy Spirit, my counselor
4. My salvation
5. The Bible
6. My wonderful family (Mom, Dad, Josiah, Jarod, and Sarah)
7. Grandma Ruth, who’s still with us at age 91
8. That I’m an American
9. That I’m a published author
10. God’s providence
11. My talents
12. My spiritual gifts
13. My college degree
14. That I’m a TUFW alum
15. I’m intelligent
16. Running water
17. I can read
18. My new car, Silver Sable
19. My church
20. My iPhone 4S
21. My many friends (you know who you are)
22. My pastors
23. My creativity
24. My job (I may not enjoy it, but in this economy, it’s appreciated)
25. My freelance writing gigs
26. That I almost never get sick
27. Our pets
28. That I’m a nerd
29. My movie, book, music, and video game collections
30. Our house
31. Electricity
32. The seasons
33. That I live in Indiana
34. My driver’s license
35. That I volunteer with RemedyLive
36. My laptop
37. That I’ve been able to do some fun traveling this year
38. My cosplay costumes
39. My vlog
40. The new friends I’ve made this year
41. The internet
42. That I took the GRE and scored well
43. Swing dancing and the Grand Rapids Original Swing Society
44. Indianapolis Colts
45. Fans for Christ, GameChurch, and Christian Gamers Guild
I realized the other day that this is a week of noteworthy anniversaries. November 19 was the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address. Today, November 22, is a day loaded with significance. Fifty years ago today several events, both joyous and tragic, occurred. On the bright side, the British science fiction TV show Doctor Who first aired. But today is also remembered for the deaths of three great men: President John F. Kennedy, author Aldous Huxley, and theologian C.S. Lewis.
Between Heaven and Hell by Peter Kreeft
Interestingly, there’s a short book that featured a philosophical dialogue between these three icons: Between Heaven and Hell by Peter Kreeft. It’s a fascinating debate between them.
C.S. Lewis, author of such books as The Chronicles of Narnia, Mere Christianity, and The Space Trilogy.
While I could go on about any of these, I’ll focus on Lewis. If you’ve read my bio on my website, you know that I list C.S. Lewis as one of my literary influences. But he’s done more than influence my writing: he’s shaped much of my thinking.
Lewis was a Christian, an intellectual, and a writer. He came from an atheistic background, but he always loved myths and stories. He believed in the power of narrative. This, along with some help from his best friend, Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien, was what brought him faith in God. He saw the truth of the “Christian myth” and saw that it was more than a mere myth.
Lewis was a writer whose works dabbled in things that many modern Christians shy away from. He could write stories featuring magic and mythic creatures without violating his conscience or his faith. He simply said these were powers and creatures created by God, that those mythic stories and fairy tales all pointed back to Him. He wrote science fiction that beautifully examined the effects of sin and the far-reaching power of redemption. He dared to examine Christianity, proving time and again that faith and intellectualism are not contradictory. Yet he did so in a way that neither talked down nor talked over his readers and listeners. I’ve heard someone describe him as a “redneck with a Ph.D.”
Yet he did all of this without proselytizing. Lewis was a man who didn’t have to preach at you in his works: he simply told stories. His faith would seep into his stories almost accidentally. It was a huge part of his life. Authors always tap into themselves—their experiences, beliefs, and knowledge—to craft a story. So, what Lewis wrote was “Christian” in the sense that he was a Christian who wrote. I love this because I don’t like being preached at about anything—whether it be Christianity, environmentalism, or whatever else—when I’m reading or watching a story. I just want to enjoy the story. If it inspires deep thought in me as I read/watch or after I finish it, then it is a truly great story. Art doesn’t necessarily tell you the truth; it inspires you to ponder what the truth is.
I wouldn’t be the man or the writer I am today if not for people like him. I owe him a great debt of gratitude. He’ll be one of the first people I want to meet when I get to Heaven.
So, if you’re looking for some good reading (besides this serial, of course), go to your local library and check out his books! You won’t regret it.
You may have noticed that while I participated in National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), I’m not partaking in the more popular National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). There’s a simple explanation for that:
I’m too busy.
I’m working on the Children of the Wellsserial (which if you haven’t checked out yet, you should!); I’m writing a devotional for nerds/geeks with a friend; I try to write an article or two for Examiner every week; I just started with GiGaGeek Magazine as a freelancer; I attempt to make a vlog on occasion; and I’m working a part-time day job that keeps eating up more of my time than I want it to.
But most importantly, I’m already working on a novel: the tentatively titled Hope’s War, which is a sequel to Pandora’s Box. I think NaNoWriMo is something meant to jumpstart writers (or would-be writers) into writing a book they keep saying they’ll write but haven’t. Or it’s a prompt to actually sit down and write a novel when you haven’t done such a thing before. But I’m already in the throes of writing my next book. Mind you, I haven’t gotten nearly as much of it done as I wanted to by now. I was going to use NaNoWriMo as an opportunity to get more of it done, though probably not completed. Trust me, True Believers, I’m as disappointed with myself as you are—if not more so.
It seems I have a tendency to overload myself with projects. I hang out with a lot of creative people. I have ideas swirling through my head constantly that want out, that demand to be given shape and form, to have life breathed into them. (Okay, I’m going to stop before I get a god complex).
For me, it’d be, “Deadlines. Why’d it have to be deadlines?!”
To use a more down-to-earth analogy for my original point, as a writer, I feel like Indiana Jones (who, by the way, is my favorite action hero). He had a habit of unintentionally getting in over his head. He usually didn’t go on an expedition looking for trouble; it found him. He just wanted to find the Ark of the Covenant for its archeological and historical value, not pick fights with Nazis. Or land in a snake pit.
For me, I just want to be creative, which usually involves writing. I didn’t mean to take on so many projects that I couldn’t keep up. I’ve been learning that time management is vital to writers. That it’s important to say, “No,” to some things, though they may be good. That’s hard, especially for the seemingly rare extroverted writer like myself.
But I promise I’ll get stuff done. I’m just not sure when at the moment.
I talked about this before on the “Derailed Trains of Thought” podcast, but I thought it’d be fun to talk about now.
While I was in college, Dr. Dennis E. Hensley, my English/writing professor, said one of his writing techniques was “casting” actors for the characters in his stories, as if they were being made into movies. It helped solidify images of the characters in his mind.
Being a nerd and a visual writer, I did the same for Pandora’s Box. I also went a step farther and picked my ideal director. Admittedly, most of these castings are out-of-date. Remember, I wrote most of the novel 8-10 years ago (it just took a while to get it published). Also, don’t let these color how you, True Believers, picture the characters. This is how I visualize them, but you’re entitled to your imaginings.
If I could persuade him to take a break from making Avatar sequels, I’d love to have James Cameron direct the film. I might even let him write the script, although I would prefer to do that myself (or at least supervise). While I still think Titanic is the most overrated movie ever, I love the rest of his filmography (Terminator 1&2, Aliens, etc.). Cameron is great with special effects, action, story, and strong female leads. All these would be abundant in a film version of the book. Not to mention his name would equal an instant blockbuster.
At the time I was writing the novel, Jennifer Garner was at the peek of her popularity. She was the star of the TV show Alias (which I wished I’d watched more often) and was Elektra in 2004’s Daredevil, a role she was perfect for. So, since she was an attractive and talented actress in action heroine roles (which she hasn’t done much of since, sadly), I thought she would be perfect for my book’s heroine. Her characters were tough yet vulnerable; fierce yet feminine. Plus, I even found a photo of her as a redhead! It’s obviously a wig, but she still looks great. (End of fanboy rant).
Liam Neeson is one of my favorite actors. He keeps showing up in my favorite films series (Star Wars, Dark Knight Trilogy, Narnia, etc.). He’s a powerhouse of an actor, which is why I’m disappointed he hasn’t won an Oscar. Here’s a guy who could be your dad or your worst enemy. He’s been typecast lately as mentor figures for that reason, I think. I’m a little embarrassed to say “casting” him as William Brewer, Pandora’s father, falls into that, but he’s perfect for the role. He’s tall, has a commanding voice, and a fatherly demeanor. Plus, he has an action star streak in him.
I wanted a handsome foreigner for Pandora’s boyfriend, and after thinking it over, decided to go with Jude Law. Admittedly, he remains the actor on this list I’m least familiar with, but I still thought he fit the bill. He just needs to fake an Italian accent.
Like Garner, Ewan McGregor was at the peek of his notoriety at the time of my writing. I selected him for Pandora’s snarky best friend because of his youthful good looks and charm. (You’ll also notice I have several Star Wars actors in this “cast”). He seemed a good counterpoint to Garner’s Pandora.
This guy is the most obscure member of my dream cast. You won’t recognize his name, but you’ll recognize his face and especially his voice, which is why I picked him. Michael Ironside has a deep, almost gravelly voice that he rarely raises. That plus his stony face and expressions makes him terrifying, which is probably why he typically plays villains. The only downside is he’s been in some aweful movies, but I don’t think that’d be a problem.
My apologies, True Believers! I wanted to get a blog posted Wednesday so I could start a new posting schedule. Better late than never!
Last weekend, I traveled to Maryland to meet my friend Sarah “Serenity” Kilduff. She invited me to go with her to her local library’s “mini-comic-con” that Friday in Aberdeen. After a harrowing drive the previous day (mental note: don’t ever drive that far again in one day!), the two of us put on our cosplay outfits–I was the 10th Doctor and she was the coolest-looking TARDIS I’ve ever seen–and headed to the library.
Sarah in her awesome TARDIS dress (right) and me as the 10th Doctor (left). “Alons-y!”
We had a great time, and I hung out with several people the whole afternoon, most notably Anthony, who was dressed as the 11th Doctor.
That, however, is just the set-up.
The “mini-con” (not to be confused the Transformers faction of the same name) was capped off with a lecture by author Jonathan Maberry. Admittedly, I’d never heard of him nor read his books, but I was interested in hearing him as a fellow writer.
My gosh, this guy has connections! He met Ray Bradbury and Richard Matheson as a kid. He’s friends with just about every horror author out there. He’s written comics and screenplays. He even said he once had dinner with Neil Gaiman and talked to Steven Moffat, the showrunner for Doctor Who, on the phone! “Talk about geeking out!” he said.
His story was fascinating. He started as nonfiction writer on martial arts. Then he tried his hand at compiling an encyclopedia for vampire and monster mythology he heard from his grandmother as a kid. He sort of stumbled into writing fiction, doing it at first just to stretch himself as a writer. Now he does that full time. He has friends in the scientific community, too. They constantly feed him story ideas based on their research–like cloning neanderthals. (Seriously, he says that’s being worked on).
He’s quite prolific, so I asked him how long he writes everyday. He said 10 hours! He goes for about 3,000-4,000 hours a day. But he always makes sure to take weekends off for his family. Still, I was blown away. My days are split between writing, chores, and a part-time job. It makes me want to re-evaluate my priorities. Perhaps even make some changes to my lifestyle.
After hearing all this, I couldn’t resist giving him copies of my books (yes, I take them with me everywhere) and since he was a Whovian, I got a picture with him and Anthony. A photo background with with zombies are there, so we took the photo there.
This is what happens when these three meet! Anthony the 11th Doctor (left), Mr. Maberry (middle) and me (right) running from zombies.
I re-learned an important lesson from him: network, network, network. Knowing the right people is just as important–if not more so–than writing talent in this business. But its important to know people outside the writing field, too. They can help with research or give one story ideas. It reminded me to make as many friends and connections everywhere I go. I never know when it’ll pay off later.
I really need to update more often on here. Heck, I took a writing seminar at Gen-Con where I was reminded that if I want to be successful as a writer in the digital age, I need not only maintain a blog but update on a regular basis. I’ve been trying to do that more often, usually writing about things besides, well, writing, but life has a way of interfering with my best laid plans.
But it’s not just that. It’s me. Dr. Hensley, my English professor from TUFW, would be disappointed with my time management. What’s weird is it seemed easier to be disciplined back then. Maybe it was because there were fewer distractions–or at least fewer readily accessible distractions. Regardless, I’ve been taking on more and more writing projects than I originally expected. Remember my last vlog of 2012 where I mentioned what my big projects were gonna be for this year? Well, it’s at least double that now. I’ve taken on a co-writing a nerdy devotional with a friend; making an updated version of Destroyer; writing short stories for a pair of collections; writing a script for a fanfilm I’d like to produce; and I’m still trying to keep up with my aforementioned projects!
If it was just because I’m trying to do too much, I’d say it was a good problem to have. But that’s not the only reason. I’m somewhat unique among writers in that I’m an extrovert. I like being social. I’ll usually respond to friends asking me to hang out. Or I’ll jump on Facebook and “hang out” there. Lately, I’ve been showing my brother Jarod the new Doctor Who show. He’s hooked–and so am I to showing it to him. Or I let my hobbies, like video games, sap my time.
Meanwhile I’m still have a part-time job and I want to go back to the gym.
Procrastination is a fiend!
Then I stop and realize I haven’t gotten nearly as much done as I wanted to. This bugs me. I like feeling accomplished everyday. The problem is I let myself feel accomplished doing things like earning trophies on my Playstation 3 games. It needs to come from getting a minimum 1,000 words written everyday (and that excludes blog posts like this!).
So, first, let me apologize for my poor time management. I still need to get photos from Gen-Con posted on here, dangit!
Second, you have my permission to harp on me to get stuff done. You’d be surprised what pressure from fans can accomplish. Also, if you have any advice for overcoming distractions and/or procrastination, please share them with me.
It might seem a late to do this, but I don’t care. It’s something I’ve been meaning to do for a while, so I’m gonna stop procrastinating on it.
Back in April, I participated in National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo). I did write 30 poems. While I will leave all of them posted, I’m only going to “promote” what I think were the best ones by listing them in this post and on the “Poetry” section of the “Nathan’s Works” tab.
Some of these will be links to posts with two poems, but only the poem whose title is listed is part of the list, but feel free to read the others.
Do you agree with this list? Were there any poems I wrote that you think should be included? Which ones were your favorites, True Believers?
So, without further adieu, here are what I think are my best NaPoWriMo poems:
I’ve discovered that my current photo gallery plug-in is annoying. So, I’ve downloaded a new one, but I haven’t figured it all out yet. I say all this to say that it’ll be a few days before I post any new photos. Sorry, True Believers! I promise I’ll get it taken care of soon!
After three days of sleep-deprived insanity and fun, Sunday was a welcome relief. I only signed up for one event and the exhibitors’ hall closed early. My last cosplay was a simple one: the 10th Doctor. Mind you, it was only a fancy T-shirt that looked like his costume. I had tried making a real costume using thrift store items, but that didn’t pan out before the con. I’ll save it for Halloween.
Anyway, we enjoyed our last breakfast at the hotel. I walked by Darrin, who was still too humble to brag about his HeroScape title, and said, “This means what you eat is the breakfast of champions.” After eating, I made sure to thank the black man who I’d seen every day at breakfast. I deduced he was the chef, so I thanked him for all his work. With our stomachs full, we packed up and checked out.
Since we were leaving at different times, Eric and Darrin rode together and I drove separately. Our only event that day was the Christian Gamers Guild/Fans for Christ worship service at the Westin. It was huge this year and required a larger room. The music leader was Tom Vasel, the president of the Dice Tower network. He was quite animated while singing, which was a great thing to see. Also, this year we actually had music! Last year the attendees had to sing the worship songs a cappella. We partook of communion using the same wafer/juice packets used last year. Derek White the Geek Preacher returned. This year he cosplayed as his Dungeons and Dragons character, a cleric. His message was entitled “Living a Life Well Played” and preached from Genesis 1:26; 2:4-7. I learned some interesting things during that service, the most mindblowing being that D&D’s co-creator, Gary Gygax, was a Christian!
A couple arrived at 10am thinking that was when the service was and were disappointed they missed it. The woman even cried a little. Derek gave them leftover communion packets, offering a blessing, and several others—including myself—hugged her. I’m sure they felt the love.
On the way to the exhibitors’ hall, I caught a few minutes of a floor show (there were many throughout the weekend, and I wish I’d taken more time to watch them), featuring a Klingon minstrel and his lovely assistant/dancer. His name was Il Troubadour. I’d met him at his table the day before. He played a mandolin while singing in Klingon. Yes, you read that right.
The rest of my day was dominated by Doctor Who. Since the crowd was thinner, I went to see Peter Davison, aka the Fifth Doctor. Meeting him was probably my best story from the convention.
As I always do at a convention, I give the celebrities free copies of my books. But I also had another gift for Mr. Davison. His Doctor was known, among other things, for wearing a celery stick as a lapel, claiming it warded off a gas he was allergic to. So, after taking one photo and giving him the books, I said, “I’m sure thousands of fans have given you this over the last 30 years, but…,” and slid him the bagged celery. “In case your allergies flare up again.”
He laughed. “Actually, no one has ever given me this before.”
“You’re kidding me!”
“No. You’re the first.”
Geeking out, I asked, “Can I get another picture since I’m the first?”
He thought about it a second. “Oh…all right.”
This is that photo:
What you can’t see is my hand is shaking being this close to greatness.
Riding high on that experience, I left Eric in charge of my table while I explored the hall. I met a fellow writer who had a toy of the First Doctor’s sonic screwdriver, which he introduced saying I was “playing with cosmic forces.” He told me he’d had the thing was over 30 years old and he’d had it for 15 years—and the batteries still worked!
This kid was just hamming it up.
I returned to the Who North America booth to meet the Dalek I’d bantered with last year. The Dalek was having fun posing for photos with other fans, saying things like, “Smile or you will be EXTERMINATED!” But before I could get a picture with it, a kid stole the show. He was maybe 6-8 years old, dressed as the 11th Doctor, and had perfected his British accent. I filmed him as he taunted the Dalek and fell over after the evil alien had zapped him, only to stand up and say he had regenerated as the 12th Doctor and continue to taunt the Dalek.
Then I made things worse. I walked in front of the Dalek and pointed my sonic screwdriver at him. He panicked. “Alert! Alert!” he yelled. “Sonic device detected! Alert! Alert! Eye stock malfunctioning!” Then the light on said eye stock went off.
Yeah, I might be the Doctor…if I was cool enough.
When I returned to my table, I was soon joined by Becky and Kate. The latter wasn’t wearing her costume, so I didn’t recognize her at first, which they didn’t let me live down. As the day progressed, Becky appointed herself my manager, literary agent, editor, and fashion designer, among other things. (Did I mention the little tyrant likes being in charge?) 😛
Four o’clock came too soon. The con ended. My friends left. I packed up. A small sadness crept over me. I missed the convention already.
This wonderful woman gave me a ride back to the parking garage.
I packed everything up, but despite all the books I’d sold, the boxes were still heavy. I was determined to get to the parking garage, though. Thankfully, I met some people riding on big modified bicycles with seats in the back for hauling. I got a ride from one of them, a woman multicolored hair, and gave her a nice tip (I should’ve given her a book).
Well, there you have it, True Believers. Gen-Con 2013 in a nutshell for me. There are many other stories I could’ve shared, but I did my best to focus on the important ones. I’ll be posting a photo gallery from the convention—including photos of many fans who purchased books—on the website soon. I’m also compiling a “highlight reel” of the videos I filmed while I was there. That’ll be posted on YouTube.
I can’t wait until next year! Only 363 days to go!
My apologies, True Believers! I did my best to try to post a daily update on my Gen-Con exploits, but busyness and sleep deprivation joined forces to prevent me. 🙁
Regardless, I shall regale with with more stories.
I operated on the least amount of sleep–5 1/2 hours, at most–this day. I was slightly loopy and I think I slurred my words a few times. Thankfully, adrenaline and the copious creativity managed to fuel me the entire day.
My cosplay was Superman. Capt. Charisma said it was a “bold costume” (I’m not sure what he meant by that). It’s a good thing since, as you’ll soon read, I “battled” two nefarious characters.
After manning my table for around an hour, I joined Eric for a swing dance lesson. Along the way, I met young woman who had designed her own TARDIS dress and a white Dalek. This resulted in a deadly stare down. Anyway, as for the lessons, it was very fun. I met several interesting girls, including one named Susan. She was a lot of fun to dance with. The lesson itself was taught by a local dance teacher, who called himself a “raging geek.” It covered the same steps I already knew, but like I said, it was still fun.
On the way back to my table, I saw the now completed gigantic balloon sculpture of Cthulhu, which had been made by a talented artist. I couldn’t risk the opportunity for a photo-op.
With Superman (me) here, we stand a chance against the evil Elder God!
After snapping a few more pictures of cosplayers, I returned to my table. That afternoon I met a young man who could solve a Rubik’s Cube in under a minute. I have the video to prove it (it’ll be part of a “highlight reel” I’m editing).
That doesn’t compare to the 4-year-old little girl I met. Her name was Darcy. Walking with her mother and two siblings, she saw the kobold sculpture on my fellow writer Edward J. Russell’s table and thought it was a dinosaur. I seized the opportunity to say, “Do you like dinosaurs?” and pointed at Destroyer. She got excited, so I said she needed to get her mom to buy it for her. I even told her to give her the pouty face, which she did. Then she looked at Pandora’s Box and said, “A ‘Halo’ book!” Then at The Day After and said, “A teddy bear!” I spent several minutes talking with Darcy and her family, always trying to get Darcy to convince her mother to buy a book for her. It almost worked, I think. I took a few pictures with her and her siblings before they left. At least I entertained them.
I had another writing seminar at 3pm with Michael A. Stackpole. This was one on writing a successful book series. While I realized I may have taken this one the year before, I ran into my friend Becky Blomberg while I was in it. When we stepped out, I met her friend Kate, who was dressed as a ranger, complete with facepaint. After a few photos, I returned to my table.
Lyric and Lyssa from the Dwarven Tavern came to me with their father, saying they needed to interview right then, which I obliged. They were some of the coolest people I met the entire convention.
Saturday night my big event was the Five Year Mission show, so I changed into my Capt. Kirk costume again and headed to the Westin Hotel. Along the way, I met a kid dressed as Link from “Legend of Zelda,” who was playing an ocarina. While I took a few pictures, I kid you not, a Joker cosplayer sat next to me and started meditating! (I love insane crossovers!)
Music DOES soothe the savage beast!
I talked with a pair of girls standing outside the ballroom was being held in, and I learned they were helping the band. Not only that, I learned one of them was engaged to a member of the band. In fact, she had started as a fangirl! It was a wonderful “nerd love”: story. I talked with the other while waiting for the doors to open and inadvertently became the start of the line–a line that stretched around the hall! The crowd had to be twice the size of the one from last year’s show.
Me (center) with Five Year Mission.
This year, the band had an opening act: a rapper named Andy D. All I’ll say about him is that I didn’t care for him. Regardless, I was happy to see Five Year Mission take the stage. They played several new songs from their upcoming album, along with some of my favorites from the CD I bought last year. However, while last year they selected an audience member to be the Gorn, now the lizard creature is their mascot. He wandered the ballroom, watching the show and interacting with fans–including me! I’d been running around taking photos and videos, and I saw him coming down the aisle, so I snapped a photo. He even stopped to pose. I stepped aside and motioned for him to go by, but he instead attacked me! I (gently) punched him, neglecting to do the trademark Kirk double-fist swing (which might’ve worked), but to no avail. Finally, I ducked down. He showed mercy (I guess the band did reform him) and walked on.
The best moment of the show was when they re-enacted the fight between Kirk and Spock in the episode “Amok Time” during the song for that episode (which I;m listening to as I write this, ironically). These guys are such fun, and they love their fans.
I met up with Eric and Darrin. During our walk back to the parking garage, I ask We were ed Darrin how he did in the HeroScape tournament, which he told me was the national tourney for the game. He won it! Yes, I am friends with the national HeroScape champion (who’s too humble to brag). He defeated the longtime reigning champ in the semifinals. The prize was the increasingly rare first master set for the game. As he told me what happened, I felt like the three of us needed mugs of root beer to clink together like vikings in Valhalla.
We did our best to get to sleep earlier than usual at the hotel. We were sorta successful.
