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| I need YOUR advice!Xanga has gotten pretty annoying, so I don't use it much anymore. But I'll throw some stuff out for you guys. Cuz I need help deciding something.
1 - Should I accept people I've never met as friends on Facebook?
I get a few friend requests from readers, now and then, on Facebook. I'm not sure whether to accept them or not. On the one hand, Facebook seems a little personal. On the other hand, it's good for my career to build a "platform / fan base," isn't it? I just don't know. I'm a private person, yet...isn't it GOOD just in general to have people who are fans of your work (or your product or your gender, since there are still so few female videogame lovers out there)? I really am honestly looking for opinions/advice here, so let me know what you think! But first...
2 - My biggest goal is to write a novel!
And I've started on one. (Er, another one, but this one I'll finish, I promise. Er, hope.) In any case, I'm working at it regularly (thanks to this awesome piece of software I downloaded called yWriter, which makes organizing a novel SO MUCH easier. It's free. But I am going to donate that guy money soon, because his program is awesome. If you write long fiction and have trouble working in Word, I recommend yWriter!).
Anyway, I'm working on a novel, lame as that sounds. (But I AM already a published writer, so HA. Just not in fiction...) And when I'm done with that novel, well, I hear having a "platform / fan base" helps to sell the novel to publishers. Plus, when I market my own book, I'll be able to easily and quickly tell all of the people on Facebook. They still might not buy the book, but it's still a head start.
So. Yes or no: should I actively TRY to build a fan base by accepting strangers on Facebook and being more active in letting people know I'm out there? The girl who sits two desks down from me is an internet celebrity of sorts (she IS a mini-celebrity, but she does camera work, not writing, so she HAS to be), and she fosters her fanbase community very effectively. I'm not trying to do anything as elaborate as her, of course. I want people to like my WRITING, not my personality or looks (not that that would be a bad thing, either, but it's not my focus).
3 - Add me!
On Facebook and on Twitter (recently opened an account) and on LinkedIn. On Twitter, I'm trying to use it as a writing exercise and tell interesting super-short stories (cuz of the tiny word count), hopefully on a daily basis but who knows.
To find me, search for my first and last name. Not my nicknames, but my REAL names. =) My email is also First . Last @ gmail. With no spaces, of course, but yes a DOT. Again, my real name. I may also start a blog (I always intended to, via Wordpress, just couldn't get it to fit in my website layout, but SCREW it if it doesn't look the same. I don't care anymore.) I'll post on here if I do.
And then, hit "Add Comment" here and let me know your thoughts about adding strangers on Facebook! =)
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Now, the important stuff is done. Onto the boring stuff about writing.
OMG, characters are HARD. Dialogue is INSANELY hard.
Characters: You need to give them multiple dimensions and think about their body language, their motivations, their character quirks, their pet peeves, etc. You can't just make them DO what you need them to do. =( The readers won't "get" it. You have to SHOW who they are. IT IS SO HARD!
Dialogue: And without three-dimensional characters, you can't have authentic-sounding dialogue, which also makes things hard. =( I don't know whether it's hard to write good dialogue AFTER you have deep/good characters, cuz I haven't gotten that far yet. >.<
I've been studying random books though. And the ones that are popular are the ones with good dialogue. Even if the other writing techniques suck (too many adverbs or whatnot), their characters come to life because of what they SAY and the way they say it. It's pretty remarkable. Too bad I have no idea HOW people say things. I better listen and study more.
Okay, I'm done. I'll save my Beauty Blog thoughts for a different post. =)
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| Been a whileAck, months go by so quickly. Three months seems like one week because there's always so much to do/play/do.
Fun stuff I've done lately:
- Went to a Metallica concert. It was a Friends and Family performance, which meant there were a few technical issues, but I was right up front and center. All the lights and special effects were on, too (towers of flame!! falling coffins!!). Totally a fun time.
- Went to a Smashing Pumpkins concert. Same deal, though they only performed for like an hour. They make me sleepy.
- LOTS of good food + wine.
Fun work stuff I've done lately:
- Gone on a day trip (somewhere a few states north of where I am now). Got to visit (meet!) a friend there, too, for dinner, before I flew back. The trip was to write the cover story, which again, I'm not telling you about. =P
Oh man, there's more, but I forgot it all already.
Going to a wedding tomorrow. Excited about the sentiment behind it, but NOT excited about ceremonies. I will probably elope, when/if my time comes. Or just have a wedding with 5 people attending, in my living room, with the TV on (okay, c'mon, who am I kidding? I actually mean "with WoW (or some other game) running in the background").
Christmas is around the corner. Don't expect a gift. If you're getting one, you'll know, cuz I'll tell you about it. (Or pester you to tell me what you want, but I'm only gifting you out of [extreme] obligation.) If you're NOT getting one, don't feel bad. I secretly hate (a little bit) everyone I have to buy presents for. Not cuz of the money, but cuz of the HASSLE. I had an idea: I'll buy my own presents, things I want, and if anyone wants to give me a gift, I'll just attach their name to whatever I buy. Then, they can do the same for me. It saves the trouble of thinking of a good gift, and this way, I'd actually get stuff I wanted, which is usually practical, boring stuff. (Though the presents I got last year were pretty damn good...) But Grace says that idea makes no sense.
There's only one person I'll enjoy buying presents for, and it's not you. Sorry. (Don't buy me a present either. PLEASE don't.) I might try buying a lot of those obligatory presents online this year...
Last random note: The writing in Esquire is mind-bogglingly intelligent. Maybe what is actually being SAID isn't that great, but I'd never know it. I'm too bewitched by the slick, slick writing style. So engaging. A bit presumptuous/pompous/overbearing/bossy, though.
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| The September issue of InStyle (with the Uma Thurman cover) is so, so good (not to mention inspiring).
That is all! I just wish more online retailers had free shipping and better return policies.
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| If all goes as it should...then digital delivery of media will be AWESOME.
I will rent all my movies via a PS3 or an Xbox 360, because it's so much easier than searching through a store. Plus, with digital delivery, they'll never be out of stock or rented out. Plus, it's cheaper, too! This weekend, I wanted to rent Breakfast Club, but it was rented out at Hollywood Video. So then I had the bright idea of checking it out on the PSN and XBox Live stores. Unfortunately, since they're both just starting up, they don't have huge selections... so neither of them had it. Oh well. But it will be cooool once they fully stock their stores. =D I can't wait
And tonight, I've been looking up music on iTunes. What a great way to hear 30 second demos of songs! It's awesome! Haha. But now I'm tempted to just buy a couple songs here and there... not good on my wallet. =P But it's fun.
Some day... I hope soon... I will be able to do ALL my shopping from home. =P
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| 1. How to Avoid Depression
This isn't a guide for when something really bad has happened to you (lost someone close to you, broke up with significant other, etc.), because I think it's normal for you to feel sad when things like that happen. It's part of the mourning process. This is more a guide for people who just have a tendency to feel down for no real reason -- the blues just hit them, now and then, with no external stimulus. Here's what I've discovered helps me to not be depressed.
a) Don't be lazy!
It's so tempting to skip an obligation (work, study session, class, gym, etc.) out of laziness. "I just don't feel like going today." But I've discovered that I ALWAYS feel more depressed by NOT going. Humans were meant to be busy, to keep occupied. And I think doing something productive actually lifts my spirits. Whereas staying at home makes me feel guilty and bored. Too listless. When I'm starting to get depressed, nothing appeals to me. However, by going out to do something I'm supposed to do, I feel more fulfilled, and thus, happier.
b) Ask for help.
This one is hard to actually do. When I'm starting to feel depressed about something (e.g. I'm scared I made a huge mistake at work, or I see too many of my flaws staring at me, or I think I accidentally hurt someone I care about), the LAST thing I want to do is talk about it. Like, it's hard to put the negative emotions into words. I don't know how other people will react when I tell them I'm feeling depressed (will they sympathize? will they pity me? will they roll their eyes? will they ask too many questions?), and it just seems like such a hassle to talk about it. So, I naturally shy away from talking about it.
However, I've discovered that asking people for help pays huge dividends. Letting someone know you're stressed or depressed or anxious (your boss, your roommate, your teacher, your friend) often leads to their HELPing you out somehow. They might ease some of your fears. Or they might give you new insight into a situation you thought was hopeless. Or they might just encourage you by telling you how much they like you (for those times you hate yourself). It helps. You feel better. And plus, if they know the situation, you feel less alone. And that definitely helps.
c) Get more sleep.
I hear lack of sleep and depression go hand in hand. I don't think this is that true for me (when I'm depressed, I sleep MORE), but it might be for other people, so I thought I'd mention it. Things DO often seem brighter after a good night's sleep, though. Situations that seemed irresolvable can sometimes seem trivial in the morning.
d) Take risks! Risks = Rewards.
If there's anything that's absolutely TRUE in life, it's that things CAN (and WILL) surprise you. You might think you know everything about a situation (for me that would be: my long distance relationship looks like it has NO chance of ever being non-long distance, at least in the foreseeable future), but you don't. Things ALWAYS surprise you. For example, one of you could die, resolving the whole situation that way. (Haha, morbid, but true!) More likely, something completely out of left field can knock you on the head and totally throw you off your feet. And so, why feel depressed about a situation that's not as fatal and unsolvable as you initially thought? Just because YOU can't think of a resolution, doesn't mean that there isn't one! Just be patient, and take it day by day, and most importantly, go out and TRY stuff. Unexpected opportunities often emerge!
2. Speaking of the unexpected... today something crazy happened to me. I know this is starting to turn into a LOOK AT ME, I AM SO FAMOUS blog. But my stories are FUN! Right? =P
So I get a message on IM when I'm at work. It's a stranger, who's like, "Hi can I call you?" Of course I'm like, "What is this about?" And then he goes on to say that he works at a national magazine (for music) and that he read one of my articles in MY magazine and he wants to talk about my writing. So, I give him my (work) number.
Turns out, he read a feature I wrote (er, it was about putting "stickers" on your game systems to help protect them from scratches and make them look nicer. I took several different stickers and tested them out, then wrote about how well they did and didn't work. Honestly, I felt like I could've done it much better and was worried that people would find it too boring.). Actually, his friend handed him the mag and forced him to read my article, and he was so impressed that he wants me to write for them.
He pretty much offered me a full time job on the spot, without even knowing me. (That makes him SHADY so I will never work full time with him! Most likely. Never say never, but... I doubt it. But freelance? Definitely a possibility, if my boss approves.) He adored my writing. He said he loved the descriptions and they just blew him away.
Dude, you can't SAY that and expect me to ever write anything again that will even remotely live up to that. Plus, it wasn't THAT good. So...maybe I can't trust his taste. Or maybe he was just trying to flatter me? (Trying TOO hard, I might add.)
Anyway, based on that ONE article, he looked me up on the internet, found my contact info, and contacted me. He called while I was at work, with my co-worker sort of listening in, so I told him I'd email him later. He wanted to know (without even letting me say whether I was interested or not), what I could do if he set up interviews with people for me...would I be able to write an article about that? (Of course! I'm a professional, haha. But could I write an article that will blow him out of the water again? DOUBTFUL. His expectations are too high!) And when I told him I know NOTHING about music, it didn't seem to faze him at all.
Wow, I think he just really loved my writing in that article. O.o (You wouldn't know I was that talented by reading my blog. Ha. You wouldn't know it by reading that article, either!) Anyway, freelance work is always nice. So I'll ask my boss what the company stance is on that, and go from there. No way am I quitting my current job for that one, though! I <3 games.
3. E3 Update.
Totally forgot about this. Let's see...highlights.
- I walked 2-3 miles each day. (Even though the main conference was in one small collection of hallways, some of the press conferences were like 2/3 mile away. Of course I had to walk both there and back.) Great exercise! =) Every booth had food though. Inside the convention center, they have Starbucks too!
- I saw a lot of fantastic games. Some are under embargo, so I better not mention any. =)
- I met a LOT of people! My boss told me beforehand that my goal at the conference was to network network network, so oh boy did I network. I stayed late after every demo to give my card to the presenters. I always tried to say something unique, too. (I thanked one guy for talking in complete sentences. I used to have to transcribe interviews a lot when I was an intern, and his were easier cuz he talked so coherently. Oh, the guy was Ted Price, for anyone who knows who that is. =P I was a little bit embarrassed later...maybe I came off too ditzy, but hey! Hopefully he'll remember me!) My boss told me to vomit on everyone's shoes so they'd remember me. (I didn't, of course!)
I talked to the director of Home, some of the developers of LittleBigPlanet. A lot of the Sony people (duh). I apparently stared moon-eyed at Genova Chan (flOw, Flower). I talked for like an hour about MMOs to the lead designer of DC Universe Online (who also designed Everquest, haha). I forget who else, but I have a huge stack of cards. I have an advantage in being remembered, though, since I was like one of ten female journalists roaming the hallways! Haha! But I don't think I'll remember all the people I met. I always have people come up and talk to me as if we'd met, and I have the hardest time placing them.
- I gained like 10 levels in driving. =) Downtown LA. During morning and afternoon traffic! GOOD JOB!
- We had a staff dinner at Roy's. (Japanese fusion seafood restaurant with really good butterfish and delicious wine.) It was good. Pricey, haha, but I didn't pay, so it was fantastic. I also felt like I got to bond with my co-workers more, which is nice.
- The exhibit hall was rather uncrowded. (I didn't spend much time there, though. I was mostly in private rooms because I had a ton of appointments.) I got to play LBP there, though, then again in the private Sony lounge. People kept talking about how the whole event was too empty. I liked it, though.
Overall, a great experience. Tiring and stressful, but I had a ton of fun. I got to meet a lot of important people, too, so hooray for me and my career! (But mostly, for me and my fanboyism.) | | |
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