Daily Write - This Side of the Rift

It is different when you are people like us. The entire world is different. It is because no one can experience the world and the people in it the way we can. And we are incapable of knowing this world in the way that the majority of those living in it do. It is a rift that neither side can jump over. But if given the chance, would either of us make that switch? I wish I could explain myself better than that, but there are no words. At least none that I can put together.


It is why I stay close to those who are like me. To those who understand me. Who can experience the same thing that I do. Even if they spend their whole lives trying to run from it and pretend like it doesn't happen to them. I know that in some twisted, inexplicable way we are all family, connected to each other even if we don't want to be. Those who are not like us don't have that haunt glowing in their eyes. That secret that hides just beneath the surface of their skin. Not like we do. Not like we all do.


I have learned how to spot another one of us without having to speak. We all seem to have that same look on our faces. That same searching, hunting down countenance, as if we are all chasing after the same thing. Despite the fact that we all know that what we are looking for does not exist. But we all run after it anyway. We all hope that if we just keeping going, it will find us. All of us, except for me.


I understand the thing I want the most has never existed and it is not going to come into being just because I spend my life looking for it. Instead, I will just make myself content in this spot. I will stay here with those who are like me. Those who are no longer running and have made peace with this side of the line, this edge of the rift. Those of us who look at the other side and only imagine what is like to experience the world as they do.

Daily Write - To Be King

The doors broke open, loudly. The banging of them hitting the adjacent walls echoed into the silence. The two guards stationed outside slumped into lifeless piles on the ground. Like useless matching rags dropped from the hands of one who no longer needed them any more. One sole man remained in the room, seated in a large chair at the head of a table, his  long fingers steepled together in front of his face.

The setting sun cast its last rays through the large rectangular windows, shedding light on the person responsible for kicking in the door as the man at the table was seated in the shadows. There was silence as the two did little more than look at one another.

"It took you long enough," the seated man replied, "I was beginning to think that you had changed your mind."

"You knew it was me who was coming?" the younger man asked, head shifting in slight amusement as a malevolent grin played along the edges of his lips.

"What kind of man would I be if I had let you catch me by surprise?" the seated man replied, folding his fingers down, making his face more visible. The lines along his face and forehead became much more visible, showing that youth had fled from him long ago. The only intense part of his being left were the eyes that stared at the man in front of him.

"You're bluffing, old man," the younger scoffed, "If you knew I was coming, then you would not be sitting here, waiting for me. You would have had your guards greet me before I was within a hundred paces of you. You would not have allowed me to simply walk in here and strike up a casual conversation."

"You are correct, however what other choice have you given me.' was the cool answer that came from the older man's lips. "You have broken down my defenses, bested my best men, turned my people against me. You have single handedly set out on a vendetta to wrench power from my hands and take it for yourself. And you are mere moments away from succeeding."

"Then why are you seated so calmly? Why are you not armed and ready to fight me? Would the king resign so easily? Has old age softened you?"

The jeering did nothing to change the man's disposition. He continued to sit, unflinching. His eyes fixed on the younger man standing in front of him.

"You were like a son to me," the old man started, a hint of a grin of his own starting to form in his aged eyes, "And in this moment, I am could not be more proud. Defiant and underhanded, I could not have executed this coup any better. Your net of trickery, back stabbing, and double crossing could not have been more intricately played. I congratulate and marvel at your masterful work."

"Do not believe that your honeyed words will save you," the younger man sneered, believing this old lion to be making fun of him. Or stalling in order wriggle his way out of his demise, "I came for one purpose and I will see it through to the end."

"I imagined nothing less."

The old man finally stood from his chair and stepped away from the table. He stood in the full light of the setting sun, and put his hands at his sides.

"Come and do what it is that must be done. Remove this cursed mantle from my shoulders and take it upon yourself. Kill me and rejoice in the victory of ill gotten gains, as I did before you and did the king before me. Rejoice for as long as you are able. Because after that revery is gone, you will see everyone as your enemy from now until the moment you are standing in the same place as I."

The end was quick. There was no drawn out eloquence to the execution. It was moderately clean. There would only be one spot that would be stained with the old man's blood. He was appreciative of that. However, there was one more thing he wanted this traitor, his son, this new king to know before his tongue was stilled forever.

"I had hoped with all my heart that your face would be the last one that my eyes saw. I have trained you well. Be a better Blood King than I."

Less writing than I wanted

Wow, my blogs have definitely taken a nose dive over the past two months. I will trying my best to rectify that. The daily writes are really what kept me posting, but I haven't really been in the writer mood as of late. I don't really know why. But I suppose it is true what they say, if you wait for the mood then you will never get anything done.

I really don't have much in the way of ideas right now. It's like the idea doesn't really go anywhere or what my focus is on the idea is probably the most boring thing ever. It's annoying. I was working on two scripts at the same time and both are being stymied by two different things. The first one doesn't really have a story, just a cast of characters and a premise. However, it doesn't go anywhere. There really isn't much to say. I know there is a story there somewhere, I just haven't figured out what it is.

The second one, it just feels like I'm telling a boring story and I got lost in the long winding yarn of inconsequential. I am not sure how it happened or how I am to get back. Sure I love all the background stuff that I'm putting down on the paper, but it doesn't make for the greatest story. There isn't a point.

So now I'm frustrated with the whole thing. Two ideas with lots of potential and one writer who has no idea what to do with them.

Giving Back

There are certain places in my life where I know that I would not have made it through had it not been for another person giving me a hand up. And there will never be anything that I could possibly do to pay those people back. Because honestly, had it not been for them, my life would be altogether different. And while part of me wishes that I could express to them just how much they were instrumental in me getting from one point in my life to next, another part of me wants to do the same for someone else.


But how? What could I possibly do? That is always the question that plagues me. What could I possibly do? There are others who are more brilliant, who are more talented, who just have more to offer. What could I have that they don't? What is something I have is absolutely worthless in comparison to everyone else? I would have wasted not only my time, but the time of the others that I was trying to help. So what do I do?


I suppose I just do something. Because that is better than nothing. And, honestly, can you ever really know how much you have affected the people around you? Honestly, I just want to give others a hand up like I was given. I know what it felt like to look at a situation and feel like you have no one but yourself. Just the thought that someone else has your back and is invested in your success changes things. And not just the lip service, the actual being there to help push that stone up the hill with you.


I want to be that. I want to let others know that it isn't over if things go wrong. And to prove it, I will help you up. Because the view from up here is beautiful and I want you to see it for yourself.

More about what I do online

So for those who don't know, last month I was made Columns Editor at Unsung Heroes (www.the-ush.com). And while that might not have shocked anyone else, it was definitely a huge shock to me. In just about one year's time, I went from being no one to being an editor. I had my reservations about accepting the position. I have a pretty busy life and things are only going to get busier. However, I took this as something that would break up the monotony of what my every day life has to be bring me.


Speaking of the USH, I got another review up for this month. I took at look at Romantically Apocalyptic. You can click this link and see what my thoughts were on that particular webcomic. One thing that I will say, the art is really fantastic. I am hoping to get back to doing podcasts, but we will see how that goes. Life just got really crazy for both me and Frankie since April and things are just starting to settle back down. Hopefully we can crank out enough for summer time and wish for the best when fall comes. It would be so much easier if we lived in the same place. But, work with what you got.


I find it odd that the moment I become Column Editor, we get two new columnists. One of them debuted today and the other is still in the works. So if any of you happen to like DnD and want to learn how to make a rogue tank (I know, boggles the mind, right?) head over to the site and read the first installment of Natural Twenties. I can definitely say that I was hooked by it and I'm not saying that because of bias.


Brainstorming for UnSung is happening and I have no idea if I'm going to ride this train or watch it pull out of the station. My skeptic and my optimist are definitely at war with one another (again).I guess only time is going to tell on this one. For right now, I am going to sit on Team Skeptic and just do what it is that I'm in charge of. If I'm wrong, then I will switch sides.

Daily Write - Welcome to the Struggle

For those who want to give up and throw it all away.

For those who want to lay it all down and whine

Why is everything so hard? Why do I have to fight so long?

For those who have stopped in the middle of the road,

Refusing to continue on the journey that is their life.

Here is what I have to say.

Welcome to the Fight.

Welcome to the Struggle.

Welcome to Life that is not and will not ever be fair.

Welcome to the place where everything worth something costs.

And the price is never cheap.

Most of the time it will be your blood, sweat and tears that is payment.

Welcome to toil and burning the midnight oil

And everything you have ever wanted will always be right over that next mountain.

Welcome to the tunnel that extends farther than you imagined

That makes you question whether you were sane when you started down this rabbit hole.

Welcome to where your dream is the only thing that keeps you putting one foot in front of the other.

And even that feels like it is slipping away every now and again.

This is life, it gets no easier.

You push, you cry, you scream

This is existence. Nothing more and nothing less

A constant battle with fate in order to scratch from one level to the next.

For those who complain and have given up, just lay there and die

Life has nothing left for you.

Don't talk about what is owed, what is deserved, or what you feel.

Life does not care.

For those who still have enough piss and vinegar in them to continue on.

For those who are not ready for this journey to end.

For those who are willing to fight a little longer.

Welcome to the Struggle.

MoonGuard Twitter Project

There are some things you see and you view it with nothing but skepticism, not entirely sure how it is going to work or pan out. I can say that was exactly how I felt when I first heard about the MoonGuard Twitter Project. While it was a good thought, I was not exactly sure how well it was going to be executed. Let me explain what the Twitter Project is all about.


An idea that first started on Wyrmrest Accord found its way into the Moon Guard forums. You would make a Twitter account for your roleplay character. You could only follow other rp characters and all your tweets had to be in character. The in character explanation for this was that in the marketplaces of all the major cities of Azeroth, there are magic books for sale. If you write in it, all the other owners of the same type of book can see what you have written. It would be a way for a large amount of roleplayers to connect and expand the roleplay experience.


My inner Twitter nut went crazy over the thought of roleplaying via Twitter. But the skeptic side of me was in full swing. I wasn't sure who was signing up, who I was going to follow, would the tweets be any good, just lots and lots of doubts of how well this was going to go down. So I slept on it, fully expecting that within a month or so the whole project would be nothing but tumbleweeds and crickets.


Well several months later, when I went back to see how the project was doing, it looked like things were only getting bigger and people involved were really enjoying themselves. My skepticism still was not entirely gone, but I saw that some of the people that I roleplay regularly were signed up. So, I just closed my eyes and took the plunge. Worst thing that could happen...I didn't like it and I would delete the account.


Well now I see just why the project did not fold in on itself. I am able to converse with so many more roleplayers now. Had I been at home with my gaming computer, I would have looked them up and tried to rp with them all in game. And watching conversations between some of these characters is so entertaining! I can't believe that I was about to take a pass on this. I am having so much fun with this. Sure, I haven't filled my follow list with lots of people just yet, but I am still loving everything about this project.


Yeah, I know that it sounds so extra nerdy that I'm using Twitter in order to roleplay with other WoW gamers, but at this point, nerdy is kind of my middle name. So if you happen to be part of Moonguard (or Wyrmrest Accord) I would really recommend making a character account and joining in on the fun.