What we have here... is a failure to participate. I toyed with the idea, and convinced myself (deluded myself) that there was a slight sliver of possibility that I would take up pen, and write.
Such was not really the case. I have eight books bought (used) to help me better understand feudal england, where my novel is somewhat generically set. I have major changes in mind to the landscape, but I was lost in the woods--reading about how things were is giving me many ideas for what I can do.
If I have a plot I can believe in at the end of this month, I'll count it a personal win.
That said, I _am_ planning on doing a challenge of another sort next month (and the two months following that). A game. :) This is separate from my attempts at flash games (I'm kind of disappointed with where the most recent attempt is going, to the point of (possibly?) coining a new term: programmer's remorse; still waiting for that to show up on urban dictionary. They don't tend to like my coins?).
I have lots of ideas for "my next game". But I've been doing a pretty horrid job of hitting that "fun" quotient. So ... I'm open to suggestions. What should my next game be? :) And would you want to participate in either a code, art, or music capacity? :)

(Anonymous)
2008-11-04 11:16 pm (UTC)
Two games I would love to see that I have yet to find. One, a game that involves locating and finding sunken treasure in actual locations that real ships have gone down. There was a game like this in the 90's that I played and loved but it has disappeared off the face of ther earth.
Second, a game that involves the use of elemental magic, fire, water, earth and wind, by players, not in combat but to reach some goal of restoring balance in nature and humanity.
so, go make them. No small order. And I can't help because I'm a computer idiot. But I can cheer. And Play!
(Anonymous)
2008-11-04 11:17 pm (UTC)
2008-11-04 11:38 pm (UTC)
I'd love to hear more details re: sunken treasure. Would you be up for researching locations or anything like that? :)
2008-11-05 12:08 am (UTC)
I'm delighted to read you want to become a writer. I think that is so cool. I like the idea of it being set in
feudal England. Are you aware of the so called little ice age? That happened right around toward the end of that era. Up until then times were good (even for the serfs) because they had food to eat. The crops did well, people lived longer and were happier. Then the climate cooled...and all kind of calamaties happend from famine, to the plauge, to the 100 years war, etc..
Anyway, this is the first I've heard you wanted to write. I think it's terrific.
2008-11-05 12:13 am (UTC)
As for writing--it's definitely in the blood. I've been writing short fiction for a long while (hopefully starting to get decent at it)--two pro sales and a handful of others.
But I've been kind of dry on the fiction side of things lately, doing more poetry. I have to follow the muse, at least a little, and poetry's what's getting me writing. :)
Randomly brainstorming treasure hunt idea -- something akin to digdug only with "fog of war"? What does a treasure hunt game normally look like?
2008-11-05 01:24 am (UTC)
The little ice age was interesting because it was change of climate. Much like the warnings of the global warming today. During feudal times, the seasons were very warm. despite the hardships for anyone other then a Baron, life was not bad. Then suddenly the climate cooled 4-5 degrees. It didn't seem like much in the begining, but all hell broke lose, when the little ice age ushered in. It rained (every other day) for the next 5 years. Washed all the crops away and destroyed farm land. That was just for starters.
I'm sure you can find out more stuff about it. Very turbulent and interesting time.
Don't mind me. I'm not a writer, just a reader. The library I work in is an academic one. University of Maryland Balitmore County. I'm in interlibrary loan, do research for grad and faculty.
Those Eight Books
2008-11-05 03:32 am (UTC)
Also, this must be a different novel than DFN, right, because that's nothing to do with medieval England?
Re: Those Eight Books
2008-11-05 07:05 am (UTC)
Yes, DFN.
Re: Those Eight Books
2008-11-05 09:24 pm (UTC)
But based on medieval England? Wow, I'm missing something. If that's what you were aiming for, I didn't catch any of that flavor at all. I took it entirely as an alternate high fantasy world.
Re: Those Eight Books
2008-11-05 11:51 pm (UTC)
Don't worry, you might not even recognize the real. I started up my nnwm journal again if you want more details of my thoughts there :)
> But based on medieval England? Wow, I'm missing something. If that's what you were aiming for, I didn't catch any of that flavor at all. I took it entirely as an alternate high fantasy world.
It largely will be an alternate high fantasy world. The main thing I needed to understand was social structures, building structures, ... how humans interact at that technology level. Now I need to figure out how magic changes that technology level, but I'm thinking: not by too much, for "the common man". in the little things, charms, etc.
Re: Those Eight Books
2008-11-05 10:46 am (UTC)
* Life in Medieval Times [Paperback] by Rowling, Marjorie
* Cathedral, Forge and Waterwheel: Technology and Invention in the Middle Ages...
* Life in a Medieval Village
* Medieval Technology and Social Change [Paperback] by White, Lynn
* Life in a Medieval City [Paperback] by Joseph Gies; Frances Gies
* Life in a Medieval Castle [Paperback] by Gies, Joseph; Gies, Frances
* Castles: Their Construction and History (Dover Books on Architecture...
That last one is what actually started the (used book) buying spree. :)
Er, one more... and maybe it was this one that started it:
* Approaches to Planning: Introducing Current Planning Theories, Concepts and Issues
Mind you, my medieval england will be far divorced from these. But I did tentatively set my castle in Dover (+ a volcano), just as a sort of generic placement. And my humans are at a roughly medieval tech level. There just happen to be dragons (with a long and interesting political history there), and sun magic, and evil things afoot... :)
Edited at 2008-11-05 10:47 am (UTC)