Writing is a Chain of Failures

Man! I've written more today (on tablets and iPods) than I've ever written before in my life. I hate, hate, hate this new obsession with typing on invisible keyboards. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love to have the confidence of both my writing and the screen right next to each other, because it allows me to see what I. Typing quicker than say typing with a keyboard and a monitor. I do enjoy it at times, but I don't believe there is a love with this new style of writing.
  Don't worry guys, this post isn't about me complaining of writing on here, because I don't like whining, especially this sort of whining, childish because  I personally don't like it. So yes, this post is not about my malice towards screen keyboards, although I could speak volumes on the subject. No, I've been writing on this app I discovered called the pocket writer, or something along those lines. So I've been typing on my iPod for nearly half the day, and I finished two chapters in about an hour each, which for typing on that dreadful screen, isn't so bad.
 I've been trying to write more, even if it's extra blog posts, or even a few more tweets than normal. I've been a bit successful, having posted three blog posts on Friday, and this post being written for Monday.
 This post will probably play out all throughout my weekend,which is fine, because I love to type, I literally will let my fingers bleed, just because I love to write. However, I'm finding my time writing is not being properly spent on the correct writing, meaning I'm wasting precious time writing about what I should be keeping as side projects. So I counter that nonsense with an amazing ability to write out helpful hints, nod musings on writing,entertainment, and opinions on the decay, and/or triumph of the digital medium.
   The blog you're reading right now is perhaps one of the older blogs I've hosted, but it's the only one I've loved, and I'm proud of how far it come: an ebb and flow closing in, and around a decade. I love that it goes up and down in popularity, and time seeing as it always comes down to how many posts I can get done. The struggles of living in an area with limited internet access,not even limited bandwidth, but entire internet access is admonished for the sake of a beautiful landscape, I find that the full blog would suffer more if I actually wrote on it daily.
    Writing is supposed to be this great way of communication, and craft. However, you shouldn't take to writing simply because you  want to write. Also, know your audience. I know from just reading my stats, that my audience is very broad, and I'm not trying to brag, but I know they come here for either types on writing, a discussion on technology that is old before it's published, or on certain subjects, such as film editing, or publishing a story. Publishing is now easier than baking cupcakes. Then again, editing film is easier than actually writing a decent script, so what entails as simple today, was brutally harder but fifteen, even twenty years before.
      This may inevitably prove we are getting dumber, as a civilization, or we just know learning to control a computer today will be as simple as watching an online tutorial. All I know is the sanctity of writing,,especially on the said subject of technology, still requires a finesse that is not just simply learned, it comes from honing a craft, which no computer could replace. Writing is human soul placed on the canvas, and so designed that anyone who can read can understand, but the  symbolism, the use of said words, are what separate the regular poetic slobs that try to sound hip, and the true artists that are incredible, but faulty due to ego.
    I try to walk a thin line, because all potential writers, no matter how obscene or serene their work, must walk a line of absurdity, and allegorical,prose that mismatch befitting a conscientious writer, but doesn't hinder the mainstream readership. Everyday is a struggle, because I would love to display my vocabulary, but I know that many readers will feel abashed to pull out the dictionary,,meandering about until they discover the meaning of a thirty-five letter word.
 Also, I think that most vocabularies can be impressive, but style takes that straightforward education on language, and forms it into elegant prose that will capture the imagination of the populous.
    I write so much about writing, that I sometimes wonder if it's all just rehashing of old debates, nothing fresh, just dolled up and shipped out. Yet, the pressure we feel as writers, it can all feel like that old voice telling you that you're failing, again, and always, forever. Writing is a chain of failures, it's supposed to be a horrid, gut-wrenching rejection, after rejection, until you learn not to be rejected. Some people need years to learn this fact, others get it right the first time without hassle. Either way, no matter the person you may be, writing to hounds as precious as a grape is to the stubborn wine maker. You want to age your craft to perfection, with the least amount of batches wasted. Contrary to popular beliefs, you can only work on, and finish one project at a time, because you can't let a  book, or short story manuscript sit around, and hope it finishes writing itself. No, you have to sit, or stand, and write it out yourself. It's the only art form that requires your full attention through every step of the process to reach completion.
   
    To conclude; it is impossible just to think of writing as an art form, because it's so much more. Not to sound any more cliche, but writing, especially for those who want to sell that first book for whatever reason, should have a to. Of reading from many different writers under their belt. Why? Because it shows you 1: how great writers of the past have been successful, and 2: how you can avoid common errors, like writing outside your own style, or failing to show originality.

Thank you for supporting the Malacast Editorial, I hope you've enjoyed the last series of posts on writing. As mentioned in the previous editorials, I'll have several video game themed posts coming up, so to kill out the monotony, and of course, many more previews and reviews that will fit back into place with the blog.

As always: Twitter: Twitter.com/mcasteditorial
E-mail: mcasteditorial@yahoo.com

Editorial: Writing and Rejection, and then some

The first four months of 2014 have been a greater year for blog posts for me than the last four years combined. I have been grateful for a spark of interest in my blog,which I believe most writers/bloggers today don't actually thank their readers enough, because saying thank you is never enough, it's required to be said more than once. So, again, and I type here with great enthusiasm: thank you.

To everyone around the world that has taken the time to read my blog, I am extremely thankful. I always wanted to to be read globally, and blogging has made that dream come true. Just by writing my thoughts,mor reviewing a video game, and doing it in such a way that I find is unique to the style, I have been able to gain support in ways I never thought before. Ism extremely humbled by everyone who takes the time to read my blog, because I know the market is extreme right now for gaining a readership. I also try not to update every day, because I do not want to wear myself out too fast. However, I hate when I am forced to go weeks, if not months without posting a single blog item.
   Blogging for me has been a growing experience. I have come so far, and gone the distance time and again, that I fail to realize, I'm still not a legitimate published author. But I'm fine with that! Because I'm happy that people have read my blog. I don't care if I don't see a dime from a blog post, because I am so pleased that people are taking the time to just sit there and read something that I wrote,,it makes me feel special, even if my readers think  little of it because just to see a blog I wrote is read by such a diverse group of people, is enough to make me smile.
 
 The purpose of this blog has become so different over the years. I rarely did an editorial for years, and now they are equal to preview/reviews. I have so many blog posts that are now ancient that if I put them up, they would be almost considered retro. I still care greatly about the video game medium as a form of digital entertainment,,because this generation has now more access to video games, than even when I was a kid. Just like television, and the writing that comes with greater technology, video games are now outselling the best that Hollywood has to offer. Don't believe me? Wait until the units of Destiny are tallied. Or even Titanfall for that matter, I guarantee those numbers will be astronomically higher than most people would first imagine.
      Even when Metal Gear Solid V is released, or when the official numbers for Infamous: Second Son (although I still believe that game will sell in lesser numbers than expected) I ken that games were the future! Even as far back as the Playstation 1 and the Nintendo 64, I knew that the future of gaming would become simpler in coding (encoding and animating a game like Fat Princess is now simpler than coding Donkey Kong)  and I knew that the video game revolution would keep older generations attached to the influx of newer technology, while dragging in the younger crowds. Generational gaps,of nearly filthy years, if not greater, know who Mario is, or even play one-another on Call of Duty. This seems ludicrous! Yet the older generation, and the newest, are not really that far apart in terms of entertainment. Politically, they are about the same, and amazingly enough, they have more in common than they differ.
       I've always said that the video game industry, even if it is video game journalism, is worth breaking into, so long as you know the industry is going to change every six years. I know many parents don't want their kids wasting time on games, and I am not arrogant: simply playing video games is not a sole assign to have if you are going to excel in this market. You need to understand geometry, algebra, know about computers enough so that when you work with programs like Autodesk, or even Massive if you're lucky, you can understand the rudimentary tasks involved with building video games.  You should also know how to write, because games require Serb storytelling these days, or interpretive storytelling to gain a strong audience.
Building an animated movie, or game is just like building a studio film: it normally requires a script, story boarding, actors, editing, and thousands of man hours to get the job completed. If one tiny flaw is found in the preproduction, it can ruin the finished product, and time is not always there to fix it in post production. If you're lucky, you might be able to create a patch later on, but that's not always the case.
     I know most readers will say: "Just because games sell like crazy now, doesn't mean it's not a bubble, and it won't burst" and this is very true, because video games have been hurt by everything from the 80s recession. To the arcades taking a beating into extinction. However; with every beating games take, they bounce back to outsell every kind of media that exists today. To be quite honest, I would be more worried (in the current market) if my kid wanted to become a musician, than if they wanted to become a video game designer. I'd even be more supportive if they wanted to be a video game tester! At least I know that video games con only gain potential, while the growing acceptance of pirated downloading, and the death of the signature band is demolishing the music industry. I'm sorry, but the likes of Adele or even the great Lady Gags will never be enough to salvage the industry. Granted, I would support my child in whatever strikes their interest even if they wanted to play football, or hockey, but I would feel more secure if they  ace the decision to use their brains, as well as their brawn.
          Now. I don't actually have children, but hypothetically, I would assume I might be like most parents, and hope they follow in my dreams. Granted, I don't know if that is the mind of parent I'd be, I'm extremely open-minded, and too much like a kid myself to tell them how to be, because I know how I am. Yet, I don't think k it's my place to stifle their dreams, even if they aren't the ones I'd like for them. Sometimes you have to stand back, and other times you intervene: knowing when to do which is what makes for great parenting.
   
   This blog has always been at the forefront of movements in technology, taking a pseudo bias perspective, but I knew that books would have to change in order to survive, even if I hated, and still despise the e-book industry, I knew it would soon kill print. I'm old-fashioned, I love a book, especially the smell of old books, but I know that reading books on computers was already the future,when I started reading text back from the Internet, and seeing that blogs, newspapers, and the access to a world-wide encyclopedia was going to change everything with the release of the Kindle.
I know potentially, having your entire library in your pocket, right next to all your films, and all your music was always going to be a plus. I mean, I'm typing this up on an iPad right now, so I don't want to sound like a hypocrite. Yet, I still love an old book that's gathered that special sort of dust on the shelf that gives you a slight sneeze, as if you're inhaling the age and wisdom. I know I'm speaking allegorically here, but the look of a old book, and the ink, the pages, even the foil art on the inside of the book,that bumpy texture that allures you with such mystery, it will be lost in several generation's time.
 I also knew that our generation would create such great writers, although, none would stand out as much as the other. Very few writers of our generation will ever be the Stephen King, or even the J.K. Rowling of our time. To be a great writer, it takes use of all of ones's learned history, and then relearning it again, and again, with every new page. Hell, every new sentence!  I believe that we all have the potential for greatness, even in mediocrity, but how we squander our lives forces us to reevaluate our dreams, and live up to our imminent bourgeoise lives. Yet,,there's nothing wrong with being bourgeoise, it's fulfilling, and it pays the bills, but right now, everyone has the right to dream, especially if you want to be that great writer. Just don't forget, writing is a business first, and a dream come second, and you need to hone your mastery through trial, error, and take rejection like a badge of honor.
 Rejection is the best thing that can happen to a would-be writer, and the best rejection comes from the comments of your readers, because it feels, constructive when it comes from an audience, and not some mindless drone bot that spits out rejection letters. So don't feel bad upon rejection: today your blog post could be terrible, the worst kind of thing you could ever think of writing, but next week, or even the next day, could be your grandest one yet! Remember, a compliment floods the ego, whereas criticism requires you to question, and hone your skills. Ego can get you far, no doubt, but it's skill that keeps you around well after the mightiest have fallen to their unworthy pride. Just like this blog, which has matured even if I haven't as much, it has become like an extension of my craft, and it still influences my writing today, a circular flow of input and design that makes me want to always learn, and teach what I have learned, so other writers may take a quicker, easier road than I have traveled.


Thank you again for supporting the Malacast Editorial. You can follow me on twitter: twitter.com/mcasteditorial, or send me a message: @mcasteditorial. If there are any issues with my blog, I dully apologize, I have just changed the layout, so it may look a bit different, and I have not yet received any serious complaints about the new look, some have said the color scheme is a bit bothersome. I may just change it back to the old black and white that it used to be, if it becomes a serious issue.

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  Again, thank you all for the support.

Editorial: Upcoming Posts, and A Quick Discussion on Bloggiing

First: an allusion to upcoming posts

Every single big move made in entertainment today seems to go in this abstract formulae that aggravates rather than innovates. For example, we know the biggest movie releases are going to suck so bad, that less than one percent of the U.S actually sees them. Yet movies that make so much money, never get the recognition they deserve. The joke is that most of these award ceremonies should be made for the entertainment that was the least entertaining.
  This is not always the case with video games: which normally receive accolades before they're even released to the general public.  Video games take years to make, and spend more time in post production (which can last forever, now that downloadable patches are inherently more accepted, than a scarce bandage for a rare bug or glitch) than any film, or television show. Video games have tons of awards, which act more as a rating system than some  glorified kiss-ass festival.          
   Games, no matter their genre, tend to be stocky, never really advertise far from what the market desires. When something noir, unique, or just plain wacky, it is now made into a new sub genre that creates a boatload of sequels.  I find that most games are far from actually being legitimate new. Not since the times of the fifth generation consoles, has there been a great deal of risk-taking games. I do believe that games are more innovative, in-terms of story, and the voice acting and sound effects are unparalleled to any major motion big budget film.
       I've mentioned this some time ago in a past blog post. I do enjoy reminiscing, I even have an upcoming blog post that I've spent a few hours on about two months back, solely based,on my love of one nostalgic game: Silent Hill 2. This game was the second one I bought for the Playstation 2, and I go into detail about the game.  For those who actually followed this blog for some time, they know that I write a ton of posts out, and put them up when applicable.  If I have the time, I'll occasionally write one out on a tablet (which I find irritably annoying) that usually gives me some time. I've written a great deal in the last five years, some of it I actually like, but I have very little to show for it, because I never take that next step.
      So I write this blog, and in the above paragraphs, I've started to discuss the change in the production of video games, which is quite obviously the most dynamic expenses of the medium. Production changes more often than the way it's coded and played. The biggest change for most video games in the last thirty years is that the remote had gone wireless and is nearly flawless. The remote hasn't changed in forever. I've written an article, entitled Peripheral Apocalypse, which I will also be putting up in the next couple of weeks. So I have a few posts that will come to fruition for the Malacast Editorial.  However, until those are applicable, here is my post for today:

      For bloggers, writing is essential, almost critical, when it can be done nearly every single day. I write nearly every single day, but I take a nice long hiatus when I'm nearing the end of a project. For example, I'm writing a novel right now, it's a futuristic Sci-Fi that I'm hoping to end at 180 pages. (Approx. 100,000 words plus) I'm at 100 pages currently, and I haven't touched it in a few weeks, probably about a month, month-and-a-half tops. I'll be finishing it up pretty soon, I just wanted to think of ways I could end the book that will both appeal to my readers, and satisfy my tastes. A lot harder than it sounds!
     Yet, most writers write what they want, which makes sense, but even I have to bite the metaphorical bullet at times, and actually write something I despise. This novel is more up my alley, and I think my readers who have read my fiction beforehand, will admire it greatly, because it goes well with my short stories, and a bit of my poetry.
  I take a long break in the middle or the end, because I'll jump right into the next novel the second I'm done with the current, literally just hours, or days after,,I take no time to rest.  This works for me, and seeing that this is the sixth manuscript I've written, I believe that it will be a standalone, I'm not too fond of serials, unless they're short, they literally follow one another, and they could be read individually, just in case someone picks them up in the wrong order. Sounds contradicting right? That's why it's tough, and I don't do it on average. I think when Stephen King opted to writ a sequel to The Shining ( the sequel is entitled Doctor Sleep) it was more an act to appease himself, and not necessarily the reader. Which is great! He has reached the pinnacle of his career that he could right the script to a porno, and it would be the most mainstream porno ever made. The man could write a book about two headed puppies from hell, and turn it into a number 1 best seller. I almost wish he trolls the market one day and writes a book about killer rhododendron. Or did he do that already?
  As writers, which we are, essentially, we blog either every day, or every week, depending on time management. So we kind of band together, like an online family of constructive critics, and most are,willing to help out their fellow blogger. Now because of independent publishing, we help each other, because of how marketing on each other's blogs help spread the word of our books, especially to potential audiences that might not have been reached before.
    My point is, we use this medium to discuss what we want about the subjects that get cloudy in other forums. However, blogging also allows us the opportunity to do some free marketing for our other ventures.  Anyway, before this post is completely wrecked, I'll end it here.

Thank you for supporting the Malacast Editorial, as always:

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Thank you again for reading the Malacast Editorial, it's much appreciated. I'll have a new post up for this upcoming Monday Blogs, if you follow me on Twitter.com, you'll know when The blog is updated. You will also be informed via e-mail whenever I release an E-book. I'll only inform those that are interested, so you can message me directly, or send me an E-mail.

Until next post, keep well, and enjoy your day, afternoon, morning, and night.