Writer's Toolbox Day 5: The Protagonist Game

 
Here's another writing from a long, long time ago (February 2009) that I wrote using The Writer's Toolbox. It was my fifth time "playing" with it. I played the protagonist game and was cut off by the time limit. I still wonder what would have come next.  After the date, I listed the prompts I got from the game. I'm posting it all here to submit to the Write on Edge Weekend Link-up. I hope you enjoy it.

Febraury 19, 2009

Protagonist: Liz who reviews books

Goal: to be young again

Obstacle: Fred, the monster

Action: does research at the library

Every book has its story. Liz knew that every author was trying to say something important to them, but someone has to sort out the good from the bad. "It is not that the story is bad, it is simply that the teller has not yet found the right voice," is what she would always say. For twenty-three years Liz has reviewed books for The Chronicle and as she attempted to rip open a new shipment from Scolar Publishing she felt her age weigh upon her - the arthritis was taking its toll on her hands. Liz wished for her youth once again as she rubbed her hands together in a moot attempt to loosen her joints. Luckily, she didn't really need those joints to read, Father Time hadn't figured out yet how to steal that joy from her yet.


After pulling a knife from her drawer to open the package, Liz was surprised to find only one book enclosed. She checked the packing slip to find out which agent had taken so much time to ship only one book - she was used to four or five at a time. On the printed slip there was no agent identified, but inside the box was another piece of paper with some writing on it:

Dearest Liz,
I do hope this book finds you well.
I have an extreme amount of respect for your literary opinion.
I think it is high time that you read the enclosed publishing...
Please take your time with it, this book will change your life.
Respectfully Yours,
Fred

While it was not uncommon for an agent to enclose a private note to a reviewer, the tone of this note seemed off. In all of Liz's experience, she was never asked by an agent to take her time - agents wanted reviews, especially good ones, at lightning speed. They wanted their author to be written about, buzzed about and most of all they wanted quotes for their dust jackets. She also didn't remember anyone by the name of Fred over at Scolar, so it seemed odd that he would think they should be on a first name basis. Besides his off-putting delusion of grandeur, "this book will will change your life," Liz had to hand it to this mysterious Mr. Fred - he had intrigued her. She decided it was high time for her to read this publishing, so she set off to the kitchen to make her ceremonial first cup of tea for beginning any book.

Liz turned off her phone, grabbed her softest throw blanket, turned on her favorite reading lamp next to the edge of her couch and set down her tea on her coasters from Italy, inset with Morano glass. "Okay, Mr. Fred," she began as she set the book on her lap while taking another sip of her tea, "this had better be worth it."

She began with a survey of the cover, it was not much to look at yet, but she knew better to judge the entirety of the book by its pre-first edition cover. The title, The Lost Time, was simple, and not quite telling and the fact that it was written by Abernathie Stone told even less. Liz suddenly became weary of this entire experience - an unknown author solicited by an unknown agent toting that this book would change her life - Liz fought off the negative vibes she was feeling, and decided to dive right in.

On the first page, there was a quote from the American author Carl Sandburg:

"Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you."
~Carl Sandburg

11-11-11 This ONE Day

To know me is to know my love of patterns, particularly number patterns.

I don't just like numbers, I notice them in their curious configurations on a fairly frequent basis.

When I write dates in their numerical format this happens quite frequently. When I taught in a classroom and had to write the date on the board every day my obsession grew exponentially.

Today's date is one that I have thought about for a long time. It's so special that even those without my keen eye for special dates (sum days, anyone?) will stop to notice it... But why is today so special? Today's date is not just like 01-01-01, or last year's 10-10-10. It is so much more than the month, day and year all being represented by the same two digits. Today's date, 11-11-11, is that and more.

Today's date is the only one in which the same digit, and only that one digit, is used six times to write the date. This only happens once every century. Since I wasn't around in 1911, and, unless there are some really incredible breakthroughs in the science of longevity, I do not foresee being around 2111 - this truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me.

Maybe it is for you too.

I just like to note when these little things happen.

I hope you enjoy this ONE day :)

Related Reading:

What's so special about 11/11/11?  

Prediction: 11/11/11 Will Break Birth Records Around the World
 11/11/11 brings hopes of luck to couples, others across USA
How 11/11/11 is Tied to the Mayan Apocalypse

Bring Back the Arcade!

Oh! How I do love this game!!!

Ms. Pacman, Galaga, Skee Ball and Air Hockey - these are the games I adore. Whether it is a reflection of my yesteryear or simply that ever-breathing competitive nature inside me, I really don't know, but this is what I automatically think of when I think of "the arcade."

I didn't really grow up in the arcade culture, although I was of age to do so. "My" arcade closed before I started to make any kind of money where that type of activity could be appreciated, and it is one thing I wished I always had.

I've been know to yell at the screen...

Meet Me at the Arcade 
 
It was for this reason that the panel at the New York Comic Con entitled "Meet Me At The Arcade" intrigued me so much.  There was a group of gamers discussing the closing of the last true Arcade in New York City, the culture of the arcade and what the future holds for this particular type of gamer.

Meet Me At The Arcade Panel at NYCC 2011

Every single one of these gentlemen had their own experience to share from the arcade as gamers, employees and even as a film maker. The perspectives drew not only from experiences shared in the famed "Chinatown Fair" arcade that was the last arcade in New York City, but also across the United States and even Japan.

I found every bit of the conversation engaging, enlightening and it just made me want to go grab a bunch of friends to go find an arcade!

Why the arcades were/are important even now.

One of the final days at Chinatown Fair.

As the panelists each shared their own experiences it became clear that a trip to the arcade was about so much more than just gaming. Lessons learned at the arcade were:

1. stretching the dollar - One panelist summed it up perfectly, "Every game was a money match." These guys went to the arcade with their lunch money for the day/week and had to use only that to entertain themselves for hours. How was this done? By becoming very good at the game and making each quarter last.
2. patience - Players have to wait their turn to play their game of choice. If they happen to be behind someone who is especially skilled, well, they might be there for awhile. This is far removed from so much of our current media which seems to center around instant gratification.
3. social skills - There was really only one way to get better at games in the arcade without going broke, you had to learn from fellow gamers. Many times this would mean having to approach gamers you may only know from the arcade and engaging in a conversation about strategy and tips. (It also involved spending lots and lots of time simply watching other gamers play the games!) In today's gaming world, where you are in your living room with an unlimited (free) amount of do-overs this type of strategic thinking about the game can often be lost. Fellow gamers have been replaced by strategy guides, YouTube videos and websites and face-to-face interaction has been replaced with voices coming out of the screen or into headsets. Other benefits of the social scene of the arcade mentioned by panelists were:

• finding like-minded people
• finding one's truth - the panelist seemed to agree that the idea that gaming is an "escape"  from reality is a major misconception held by society. They argued, rather, that games allowed them to become more themselves

What about Japan?

Image

You may or may not know this, but arcades are alive and well in Japanese society. This begs the question Why are arcades so popular in Japan when they can't seem to survive in the US? Four very compelling points were raised by the panel:

1. That's where the technology is. This makes the purchase of games and parts a lot more affordable in Japan than here in the US where they would have to be shipped overseas.
2. "No one wants to stay at home in Japan." I found this point particularly interesting. According to multiple panelists, the homes in Japan are so small that they really aren't conducive to "hanging out." They claim that while they lived there they witnessed the prevalence of eating out, going out and just plain being out of the house more in Japan due to limited space!
3. Customer service in Japanese arcades is second to none! Evidently if your button breaks in the middle of you playing a game, you stay where you are, raise your hand and an attendant comes to you with the parts in hand, ready to repair and replace. In contrast, the anecdotes from the US arcades demonstrate that machines could lay dormant for days.
4. Cultural scene vs. Cash Business. Guess which definition belongs to which country! The arcade business is a cash business and, therefore draws the interest of certain types of owners in the US who are less concerned with the scene and more concerned with the cash. In Japan, arcade gaming is part of the culture. You can walk into an arcade and find gaming kids, but you'll be just as likely to see a guy, in his suit, making a gaming stop on his way home from work. Arcade gaming simply means two different things in these two different countries.

What to Look for Next...

And just when the audience felt that there was nothing left for America in terms of the arcade, two exciting ventures were discussed:

1. Next Level Arcade in Brooklyn! Although the location may not be as central as the Chinatown Fair, Next Level was opened by one of the former employees and gamers of Chinatown Fair. He said that he was bored, looking to fill a void and simply did not want to see the community separate. He knows that having a crowd of predominantly 21 and over changes the dynamic of the crowd, but at least some of the players have found a new place to continue their shared gaming.
2. Arcade: The Last Night at Chinatown Fair This movie is a Kickstarter project that was filmed in the final days of the arcade's existence. Here's the trailer so you can get a sneak peek at some of the footage and some of the perspectives of the gamers who were there (I'm looking forward to this movie's release!):

Arcade: The Last Night at Chinatown Fair Trailer from Kurt Vincent on Vimeo.

Do you consider yourself a gamer?

What types of social gaming have you participated in?

From your perspective, what are some of the benefits and/or drawbacks of today's online gaming culture?

PARENTS: Would you prefer your kids playing games socially in an arcade, or at home with the family's console?

4 Deals Under $10 & a Diaper Bag 50% Off

I've been slacking. My apologies. Every week I get e-mailed all of these great deals and I have no one to use them on! I guess it's the impending holiday season that got me thinking about how helpful these might be to YOU, so here they are - the five active deals for this week. Enjoy!!

1. Designer Diaper Bag for 50% savings AND Free Shipping

2. Retro Cat-Eye Pendant Necklace

3. Buzz Lightyear Watch 50% off

 4. Dangle Flower Earrings in Silver tone

5. Same Dangle Flower Earrings, but IN GOLD tone

The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe

The following post is taken directly from my hand-printed Reader's Journal. I will be sharing these reflections each week on the Rivera Runs Through It blog. The date at the end of each post is the date of the original writing, which is typically the date I completed the book. The reflections are short, but represent my initial reactions to a book, a brief summary of the book or the questions it raised for me at the time. I hope you enjoy this segment in my blog and feel free to comment on what you read here.

The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe


An excellent novel about a scandal in New York City in the 1980s. It had sex, wealth, race and politics - it covered it all with flare. I enjoyed the story immensely, although I thought it dragged on at times. It amuses me that not much has changed - the press is still blood-thirsty for the dirtiest angle of any story and we, the public, while often disgusted, still eat it up hook, line and sinker. I think my students would enjoy this is they can make it through the 1690 pages!

Dated: 07/22/02

Can you forgive a dragging story if the plot, in the end, is a good one?

What kind of topics in a book pulled you in for summer reading when you were in high school?