What does "Alpha Protocol" have to do with writing

What does "Alpha Protocol" have to do with writing?

What is "Alpha Protocol", well it's a PC game off course. I myself am an avid gamer (though the eight hour long game sessions are long gone now)I love to play computer games, Alpha Protocol being the latest I played till it's finish.

I loved playing it despite it's many technical shortcomings. The game has some jerky mouse movements bug(Hope they patched it), making it at times frustrating especially in tense moments full of action. Besides that, it has some problem with glitching and the occasional getting stuck through a crate or wall. The AI is stupid at times , though in my play session it was more often okay to good. Not many shooter based games exist where the enemy succeeds in flanking me, here it happened a lot, so I guess the AI mileage may vary per session played. (I suspect that when the system is low on resources it kind of ease on the AI.)

Now the good. The game has an interesting, intriguing story that may very well suck you in, I fell victim to it's mesmerizing call. What I love is that your own actions or lack of affects the way the story progresses and the ending of the game. The dialog you chose may affect how the characters relate to you and by that open/close up other possible options, that's why game played a second time may be much different than the first time played.

The game-play itself is above average. It being an RPG/TPS the action, at start, is not as smooth as an FPS, though the higher you level up the closer it gets to that level of game-play. What I like is that there are many way you can do the missions, you can opt for stealth or Rambo your way through or use a combination.

Now back to the question about what does it have to do with writing. The game is based around a story, being that the story is the focal point, makes the game more like an interactive book where Instead of reading you play it.

It's well written, I loved the story more than the game-play, if not for the story I would not have finished it.

Update Week 24

Week 24 I spend my time working, eating, writing, watching football (soccer) and sleeping. I am near to finish my draft and that excites me.

This week results:

Monday 1164 words
Tuesday 720 words
Wednesday 1704 words
Thursday 1888 words
Friday 1909 words
Saturday 2031 words
Sunday 978 words

Total:10394 words

It's been a great week for the work done on my WIP. I've to say I could have done more. Tuesday I had to work overtime at my job, hence I wrote less. Sunday I decided to take a bit more time off, because it was Fathers-day.

Father-day was great, my children made me breakfast on bed. They gave me presents they made at school, I think these are best presents one could get. Everybody can buy something out of a store, but something self-made you know the person put love, effort, creativity and time into it.

I had a very productive week, I'm not sure I will be able to repeat the effort this week.

Update WIP Week 23

My progress this week had been a bit better than the last one. I've done my best to write more frequent and pushed myself to write the words needed.

Here's the result:

Monday 1226 words
Tuesday 0 words
Wednesday 1322 words
Thursday 1173 words
Friday 925 words
Saturday 1093 words
Sunday 1679 words

Total: 7418 words

It could have been much better if I had written Tuesday. This time it was not completely my own fault. I had the full intention to write that day, but something did happen. On my way home from work there was a traffic jam caused by an car accident, so a one hour trip turned out to be a three hour trip. I came home late, I ate diner and immediately helped the kids to bed.

The kids asleep at eight o'clock, I wanted to spend some quality time with my wife so we took place in front of the television and popped in a movie. The movie ending at about ten, this being still early for me, I intended to write before turning in.

Watching the movie my wife fell asleep, after this fact I deliberated with my self if I kept watching or started writing. In my endless debate with myself about what I should do, I myself fell asleep. So hence no words written on Tuesday, Tuesday being a tiring bad day for me.

I guess we all will have our bad and good days in writing, when despite all our genuine good intentions all goes bad. Though I have to say this week was a good one for my writing despite that one bad day. For the coming week I hope to do as much or more. (And try to write every day.)

Update WIP

Hereby a quick update of my progress last week. (This time really a short update.)


Monday 767 words
Tuesday 1029 words
Wednesday 566 words
Tuesday 27 words
Friday unknown amount of words, I lost the paper I wrote on.
Saturday 0 words
Sunday 1426 words

Total: 3815 words

I tried writing everyday even if just a few words, still I managed not to write on Saturday. I wrote most days albeit not much, still I'm disappointed.

It may seem I am hard on myself but I need to be. To write regularly I need to learn the discipline to do so. Learning this can only be by doing it. Every time I fail to write one day, it's something that will hold my progress back.

These little dips make it much easier to slack, by slacking I am producing less words a week each week. This week I'll try to regain some momentum, despite having also missed one day writing.

Others critiquing you work

Eventually we might allow someone to read our work. My wife reads mine and she says she likes it except my over use of the word "Towards" in my very first written draft. I think so far all my unedited work is crap, I tell her that and she always says, "No your work is GOOD!"(Love talks)

When we allow someone to read our work they might like or dislike it. They may tell you the truth about how they liked it or they might lie to soften the truth. That's why all critique given you have to take it with a grain of salt. It's not wise to immediately change things on the suggestion of someone who read your work. There is only one that know how the story is to be told, that's the writer.

Even the best proofreader in the world may critique something in your story that you should not change. You should be critical, but not only on what's said but also on yourself. Hear them out with an open mind, think about what's being said and make your own conclusions. If you the writer feel they are right, change it, if not, keep it. In this you should be honest with yourself.

My wife told me I used the word "Towards" too many times, she still taunts me every time she hears the word while watching a movie or TV series. She was right about that. Then again she felt I used some curse words too much and it would be better if I toned it down taking into account it would sell better being clean of any nastiness. I told her "NO" there was a reason those words were used. She kept defending her point, I love her dearly but I put my foot down. I told her a writer is the one telling the story and if he feels that in the world he created one character needs to curse, that character will curse.

I could have changed it how she wanted, but then the story would not be the one I had in my mind. There will always be people that will not like your work and some that does. Almost everybody will find a word,sentence, scene, paragraph, chapter they did not like. You can't please everybody and you should not even try to. If you can change one thing to appease someone, you may loose that one thing which could make your story great.

There are exceptions: If an editor asks you to change something you probably should to do so, that is if they bought your book or are about to do so. Taking into consideration that it is not in their interest to gut your work and them having the experience with selling books.

A slow weekend

Hereby a quick update of my progress last week.

Monday 2234 words
Tuesday 1203 words
Wednesday 849 words
Thursday 716 words
Friday 649 words
Saturday 0 words
Sunday 0 words


Total 5651 words

Monday started well enough, being a holiday day I had the day off and I happened to have more time for myself. The weekdays I was busy with preparations for my daughters birthday party, she became eight on Tuesday and on Friday we had her party. (Friday also being the day I attempted to skateboard.) Being busy, I wrote less.

The weekend I spend my time with my family and I did no writing. I should have and now I feel bad I didn't. It's best to write every day even if it's just one sentence, because if you don't the next day might be more difficult to start writing.

There are days, weeks, months sometimes years we may not write for X reasons, but if you want to be a writer is that a valid excuse? Is it okay to not write for a time knowing that it will make it more difficult to pick it up again? Is there really an excuse not to write, because even if your hands are chopped off you still can type with your nose.

I guess it all depends on the circumstances. I had times I did not write for weeks and started again with fresh new ideas and a better grasp with how to progress the story, then again other times I had difficulty starting up and pick up the flow.

Now I am trying to stay into the flow because too many pauses, like last weekend, will slow me down. The more I write the better I become and what is almost as important I get to finish my stories. I got many more stories I want to write and they are bubbling like the gas in a shaken soda bottle to burst out. It would be a shame not giving them the chance to be put on paper.

I feel speed is essential in writing, because the more stories you complete the more you can sell as to one day make a living writing novels. To do so you at least must produce enough to earn enough. Not all writers will write that one book that will sell millions, most will have to do with less sales per book.

By completing more than one book a year and selling them will net you more income. For example, if you produce only one book every one or two years you probably will not make enough to earn a living, but by producing three or more a year you will increase your chances of making more and be able to live off it.

Once more I could not help trail off a bit, next week I hope to produce more words and be closer to finishing the first draft. At the moment for my WIP I have written a total of 47998 words, about 32000 words to go. (Maybe less)

What does skateboarding have to do with writing?

What does skateboarding got to do with writing? You would think not much, but yesterday I learned that it has somethings in common with writing. I tend to do things, to my wife's dismay, most people my age would not think to do. Sometimes I am just so focused on doing something, that I forget (more I do not care) what people might think or not think.

Yesterday we had our daughters eight year birthday party, my house was crazy full with kids a total of eight including my own, to me it seemed like thirty kids. After the kids went on to their home leaving us tired and spend (babysitting is a hard job), family showed up.

First to arrive was a young nephew of my wife, he brought a skateboard with him. My daughter immediately wanted to try it out, outside he showed her how to skateboard, but after a while they started playing tag. A skater boy running after my kids leaving his skateboard unguarded.

Too tired to join in on the tag game, I stared at the skate board. It compelled me to come an try it out. I thought about my old bones and muscles, breaking and tearing leaving me a mess of a man. I though to be too damn old for this sheet. Having difficulty listening to reason, even my own, I gave in to the skateboard's compelling call.

I stood on it and I was happy, I did not fall. I wiggled a bit on it, still not falling. I though, hey lets try it like that wave board I saw on television, that did obviously not work, still I did not fall down and break something. So i tried instead of moving side ways to push forward standing on the skate board. I went forward a little and still standing, my ego grew a bit I thought it could not be so hard.

Remembering the instructions my daughter previously got I tried them out. One foot on board and step with the other, that did not go that well, few times the skateboard went forward or backwards while I stayed behind other times the reverse happened. Have to say may ego got put back in check.

Not giving up easily once started, I kept at it and lo and behold I managed to step and mount that board and keep standing. Next I tried two consecutive steps and after trying and once falling I succeeded at that. Soon enough I could skateboard a bit up and down. I showed my wife my technique, she smiled and cheered amazed at my skill or craziness or both.

Now back to the question, what does skateboarding have to do with writing. To me it means you should be willing to try new thing no matter how weird or different it may seem to you or others and as in almost everything to be able to do something you need to keep trying and not giving up till you succeed.

No one will be able to do anything unless one tries and keep at it, not even a genius. The more you practice the easier it will get. One should with all things in life, look for the next step in learning so to improve instead of stagnate on current knowledge. Never take granted what you have learned.