Memory, Memory Sticks, Memory Loss, and Loss

Attention, please.

What I mean is, I probably need to pay more, ahem, attention. Unfortunately, the memory bank is overdrawn, and I cannot afford to pay attention, not with all the dreams, projects, stories, outlines, songs, and games in progress.

Since my memory at 50+ isn't what it used to be, I've taken to storing it on these little USB memory sticks. You see them in the stores, by the register, currently running around 16GB for 8 bucks, or 64GB for 30. The problem really is keeping track of where you put them.

So, this is what memory looks like these days, when you crack the cover and look inside. Of course, when you crack the cover, you've usually lost your mind, too. At least, I did, when I did that. About 2 years ago, setting the laptop down, it cracked the case on my missing memory. I lost three month's work on a novel that day, because I ONLY stored my books on my memory stick. Easier transport.

You would think I'd learned my lesson. I bought another stick, and copied my work to it, and went on with life, happily rewriting, until that stick didn't have enough memory for my stuff. So I bought a bigger one, carried it around on my keys.

About four weeks ago, while in Pensacola I somehow lost my memory again. This time, I lost about four months' work on a novel and six months' work on a video game. Aargh! Hate this ADD! I looked everywhere, and could only conclude it was in our hotel room. But they never found it, so they say, anyway. It had other stuff on it, important stuff, like family pictures and bank records and all kinds of gee I hope nobody finds this stuff.

So when we got home, guess what, I bought another memory stick, a 64GB one, and started trying to catch up on the work I'd lost with the other one. Took a few weeks, but I finally started getting traction on the story I was writing, and a little on the Game I was designing.

Last night, I... Oh, I almost can't say it.

I lost my memory again.

And without having backed it up anywhere.

Honest, I do have an IQ over that of a potato bug. But maybe I've been storing that on these little sticks too.

The USB stick must have slipped off my keyring carabiner when I was getting my keys out. Another months' work, flushed. So today I've gone to the store and bought a few sticks on clearance. SanDisk, with Encryption Vaults to store my Don't Read my Bank Records stuff in.

I'm going to commit to putting anything and everything in the little Vault, and backing this stuff up daily that I've been working on. Otherwise, I think I'll lose my mind again, maybe this time for keeps.

Anybody else been there, done that??

Video Game Addictions

(Cross-posted from my ADHD Family Fun blog...)

Video Games are an addictive pastime, and there are several generations of 'kids' now addicted to them. The fast-moving digital media can be unhealthy, too, because overexposure to it can reprogram the brain for rapid-fire, rather than cognitive thinking. See this article on it...

I for one have many that I've enjoyed over the years, on many platforms including the Commodore 64, the Atari 2600, the PC, the Playstation 1 and 2, the GameBoy Advance, and Nintendo DS. I'm even currently working through level 150 of ToyBlast on my iPhone. (A very addictive little game).

In our loving madhouse, we sign off from Electronics on Sunday, from morning until after evening services, to focus on God and unplug for a bit. Maybe do some healthy brain activity like read a book. Like, maybe, the Bible! Or work puzzles.

But little Johnny doesn't quite get it. Could be the ADHD, perhaps he wasn't paying attention. Since we confiscate his Nintendo 3DS for the day, he's leveraged the Color printer and a roll of Scotch Tape to create one we WON'T confiscate.

Believe it or not, what you are seeing here is the OUTSIDE cover of a Three-Dimensional, realistic, PAPER Nintendo 3DS. I'll open it up for you so you can see the inside...

Please forgive the rotated nature of the pictures, my iPhone created the pictures in landscape, and I'm having trouble rotating them back. Notice how John has a PacMan game going on his PaperCraft Nintendo 3DS. He's also got all the controller buttons, and along the sides of the unit, he has all the connectors to plug in power (a big no-no during no electronics) or an audio cable.

I gotta say, his PaperCraft Nintendo 3DS is so realistic, it's fooled several people in the family, and even visitors, and I've even managed to fool John himself with this expertly taped together game system.

It's certainly 'street legal' during our electronics fasts, but the only game that will probably play on it, other than PacMan, would be Paper Mario.

Focus, Dishes, Tea, and ACTS Praying Revisited

(Cross-posted from my family blog, ADHD Family Fun...)


Ever tried to force an ADHD kid to have focus to complete a task?

So last night, it was John's turn to do the dishes. Actually, we have chores on rotation, so each week we rotate, with Justin (20) doing one chore, Rachel (17) doing another, and John (10) doing a third. Mom and Dad picking up the slack.

The three chores we rotate through are (1) Dishes, (2) Laundry, and (3) Sweeper.
The prized job is Sweeper, because we rarely force whoever is sweeping to actually sweep. It is usually just feed the animals (no cows and chickens, just Cats and Dog). Oh, and take out the trash. And maybe scoop the cat litter. Slack = scoop cat litter for the kids, and put a liner in the can for those who forgot. BEFORE you throw trash in the can and discover there's no liner!

Laundry is is a no-brainer. One load, make sure the washer has nothing molding overnight.

Dishes ought to be a no-brainer, but when the dishwasher went south shortly before Christmas, rather than buy a new one, we decided to hold off and wash by hand. We're still holding off, partly to make sure Rachel finishes funding for a Mission Trip, and kids have college. But we have one picked out, I think...

Anyway, whatever chore John is on is a sharing chore, because, well, he's ten. And ADD. And Hyperactive. And all boy. A wicked combo, especially when he's wrapped around the axle from too much video gaming.
I usually give the assist in the evenings, and don't mind dishes. My mom would die of shock, I used to hate hate hate hand dishes. So, I wash, and John dries and puts away. But what occurred last night was, I washed, and John played his game. When the dish racks were fully loaded, therefore, since John was on his game when he was supposed to be helping, I sent him to completely empty the rack while I finished reading The Ghost Box by Mike Duran. :-)

I had to break away from reading seven times to send John back in to dry. First, he couldn't find a hand towel, so he just chased the cat around the house. So, I got him a dishtowel, and sent him back (he knew where these were!) Then, he chased the cat with the dishrag. Trying to pop him, I think. So I sent him back. Then, he marched around the house with a towel and a glass.

You get the picture. He was so hyper he did a flying tackle on the cat, snagging him with the towel. It's a wonder we weren't back at the ER for a broken bone or Cat Scratch Fever. Or at the vet for a crushed rib...

I had to get a chair, and block exit from the kitchen, while reading my book, until he was completely done drying and putting away. Funny how being trapped in a five-foot by five-foot kitchen will give you focus.

After chores came the usual ACTS praying.


ACTS Praying is a thing our family does in the evening to wind down, focus on God, and get our hearts ready for sleep. It's an acronym for (A)doration, (C)onfession, (T)hanksgiving, and (S)upplication.

(A)doration is where we praise God for one of His attributes, like 'You are Holy'. Or one of the other Nine Billion Names of God.

(C)onfession is where we confess something we did wrong to God, try to make it right with each other if it's an offense against another family member. This one can be hard to draw out, or to nail down, especially with John. But, he's ten.

(T)hanksgiving - should be obvious, except when you're tire, you might end up saying Grace for a meal you've already eaten...

(S)upplication - 2 rounds. One for others, and a second round to pray for yourself.

John was still wound up tight, even after 10PM, so when we got to Thanksgiving, he just said, for Tea. I told him that the Tea in the fridge had been there too long, and was probably fermented. Thankfully, he didn't ask what that meant or we'd have been exploring beer and other fermentation.

But he said he meant T. As in, the letter T. I never really thought about thanking God for a letter before, but T is not a bad one, as it's used in so many things. It's even used four times in this sentence.

So, flashback to Sesame Street: Today's ACTS Praying time was brought to you by the Letter T.

We all got a big laugh out of that. You would too, especially if you were a Vols fan.

Life in Hyperspace

Life In Hyperspace is a book I've been meaning to write on these misadventures with my family, and I'm finally getting traction on it.

Some of the chapters in the book will reflect stories you can find on the pages of my family ADHD blog, ADHD Family Fun, and some of them you have never heard. Unless you lived them, with my family.

I've shared some of these laughs with coworkers and extended family, and they've all said I should put this in a book. Or a Movie. Or a reality TV show.

Well, I couldn't possibly let TV cameras into the home. Besides the fact that we have the usual ADD clutter issues we don't want to share on TV, I couldn't cover the liability to their cameras, laptops and sanity as my kids bounce off the walls around them.

But putting it in a book is safe enough.

Just for fun, I'll put the lead-in here to whet some appetites:


Only in Our House…
“What do you mean, is Clear Coat poisonous?”
My wife paused. “You left the spray can out after you were done with the Grand Prix car.”
I took a deep breath. “And?”
“And, well, John spraypainted the cat.”
I gripped the steering wheel. “He what?”
“You mentioned this morning that his coat looked dull. He was just trying to help.”
“The can was almost empty. Brush his coat to pull off as much as you can.” I hung up and shook my head, staring ahead at the evening rush hour traffic.
Spraypainting the cat? What was he thinking?

After about five minutes, the phone rang again.
“Hey honey. Did you get the cat cleaned off?”
“How far out are you?” She sounded troubled.
“About five minutes, I think. Why?”
“Want to meet us at the hospital? Rachel almost cut her finger off in the van door.”
I swallowed. “What?”
Rachel’s voice cut in. “I was looking for the DVD remote like you asked me.”
“In the van?”
Justin called out from the background. “It’s pretty bad, Dad. We’ve stopped the bleeding, but you can see bone!”
My head swam. “Justin, you know how I am about blood. I’m driving on the expressway.”
Rebecca took a deep breath. “I’m taking her to the E.R. Want to meet us there?”

“I’ll be home in three.”

Giving Your Characters Personalities

One challenge authors face is making their characters believable and three-dimensional. After all, characters represent people. And people are complex.


So the challenge is to get a character from an idea on paper to be a 'real life' individual. Authors do this through several methods.



Sphere of Contact:
Friends, relatives, Frenemies, enemies, associates and coworkers. Customers and business contacts that you know well can become characters in your books. However, be warned that they can and do read, and might read your novels, recognize themselves (though twisted jammed and pounded to fit in a pear-shaped hole) and express their anger that they've been defamed in some slight way. Especially if they are made into the 'villain'.



Observation:
Head to the mall or other public venue. Observe closely the people around you. How they act and behave, what they look like and how they relate to the others around them. You don't know these people, so they won't get angry that you used them in your book, they will have no idea. But they certainly won't be any more real than your 30 second exposure plus your amazing imagination as to what they are like.

Public Figures and Other Creative Sources:
An author might base a character from a movie they've seen, or a book they've read. Or a public figure like a past President. (Abe Lincoln, Zombie Hunter, anyone??)


Personality Types:
My family has been spending a bit of time reading up on Personality Types and throwing around four letter words like INTP, ESFJ, ISFP, and IMHO... and I was so confused. I mean, I think I know ADHD now, and ROFL, but all these were something new. And they would ROFL when I would try to figure out what they were up to. But I saw the site 16Personalities on the iPad, so now I have some idea, and so will you, if you follow the link.


The site has a very good quiz and description of the 16 standard personality types that are the product of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicators. And it's a pretty good way to identify the strengths and weaknesses of characters in your books, without having to resort to 'using friends and coworkers'. These strengths and weaknesses, of course, mainly just give base flaws and strengths, and they bridge the types, but they are a starting point. Also, there are examples, real and fictional, on each type, as well as how common the types are.


So, in a nutshell, there are 16 of these, mostly opposites in four categories:
(I)ntrovert vs (E)xtrovert. - should be obvious, do you feel recharged in a crowd, or alone?
I(N)tuitive vs (S)ensing - how do you obtain data to make decisions
(T)hinking vs (F)eeling - how do you respond to the data?
(P)erceiving vs (J)udging - how do you make decisions based on the data?


That's probably all wrong, but their website has a wealth of information on it, under the heading link 'Read About Our Theory'.


I'm not a psychologist, nor do I agree with many of the methods or theories driven by Pavlov and Freud, but I certainly consider character development and believability a plus, and pigeonholing my characters into these 16 types probably won't insult them, and might make for a better read.


I'll probably have my characters take the quiz, to find out who they really are. What about your characters? Have they taken personality quizzes? Or have you posted a quiz for your readers to find out which character they are most like?

Video Games, anyone?

So, these days I am writing something completely different than a new novel. Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm still working a bit here and there on finishing the editing of Book 3 in my Prince of Lynvia series, Of Pretty Plots and Princesses. And still trying to resolve the end of the fourth in that series, Of Dragon Tales and Dopplegangers.

But, as Monty Python used to say, And Now, for Something Completely Different.

My son (the oldest one) got me started on making an RPG video game, when my YOUNGEST son (now 10) completed one of his own. Yes, that's right, my 10 year old doesn't just play games, he writes them too. Shown up by your pre-teen.

Now, for those not in the know, RPG is not just a programming language I created programs in for 20 years, it is also short for 'Role Playing Game'.

GASP! Yes, I mean the old 'Dungeons and Dragons' type game, repackaged with the computer as the 'Dungeon Master' and you as the character.

Far from being the demonic occult-promoting choose-your-god all-nighter paper and dice game of the old days, the RPG games I played as a young adult mainly focused on the character development and plot.

Kind of like a Story.

So, I cut my teeth on games like Final Fantasy. (And Final Fantasy II, III, IV, V, VI, VIII, IX, and X. Can anyone please explain to Square Enix the meaning of the term 'Final'??)

The game I'm working on is going to be based upon the characters in my Fantasy series, and carry the plot from the end of the series forward. To where, I'm just NOT SAYIN.

But I have several family members and folks in the RPGMaker community helping out with the monster. Still, I imagine it's going to eat up spare time all year. I expect it will be worth it.

For a little teaser, though, I'll give you some pics of some of the characters below...

(SPOILER ALERT: some of the information below you won't know until you finish the first book in my series, Of Secrets and Sorcery. Or, actually, unless you read the... um, information below.


Kyne, the main character, no longer a Prince, now he's King, but still, obviously, a young and wet-behind-the-ears kid with a crown he's going to have to do a lot of growing into.

He's super-strong and invulnerable to most physical attacks. At least, that's the plan...





Lavik, His sassy Tutor, quick with a quip or tidbit of information, always instructing, because, well, Life is your classroom, and Lavik is your... tutor. He's also quite handy with his sword, which proves useful throughout the game.





Anne, one of the bullies that made Kyne's life at Middle School a wreck, has become one of his best friends. She's pretty good with a knife, thanks to years of bickering fights with her older sister, and she also has the ability to predict the future. Well, sorta...

Her faith isn't really out on her sleeve, but it's definitely there. But don't tell anyone, it might tarnish her tough-girl rep.


Destiny, another girl from Middle School, not so much a bully, has become a good friend of Kyne's, and also of his counterpart, Jason, who will be introduced a bit further, below. She's a strong Christian but shy as a Mayfly. Her ability is to disappear when she gets embarrassed. Comes in handy to slip by enemies unnoticed.




Jason is Kyne's counterpart. He's been running for his life for years, and is fed up with that. Now, he mostly just wants a normal teen life. But that's a bit hard to do when you have the ability to Stop Time.






Zip is Kyne's best friend. He's running track, and is very quick on his feet, and just as fast with his wit. Well, not exactly. Not easy to talk faster than 250 MPH.

Zip is very strong in his faith and isn't afraid to share it with anyone who asks. I mean, he's not going to be pushy, but if you ask for it, you're gonna get it.



Anyway, that's it for now.



Reply in the comments to the following question, if you have the time:

Have you ever played any RPG games, and if so, what was your favorite?

Paradise Lost

So today I finished reading one of the classics, a poem, as it were, entitled Paradise Lost, by John Milton. I know, shocker that I had not read it before. I'm going to review it here, because I found out why it was a classic and think it may benefit other readers as well.

Since I knew this was a poem, penned or rather dictated by a blind person, I expected to see the following two characteristics: that it was (1) short, as I knew from High School that Milton was blind when he dictated it, and (2) that it rhymed, as it was a poem, and poems rhyme, yes?

Er, no. Actually, the most common form of poetry in the time period when Paradise Lost was written (c. 1658 - 1664) was blank verse, essentially unrhymed metered verse, usually Iambic Pentameter. Shakespeare's plays and sonnets were mostly written in Iambic Pentameter, though his usually rhymed.

As to the poem being short, well, wrong again. I can't give you an accurate page count, as your mileage may vary based on the book you are reading this classic from, the font size, etc, but it's more of a cross-country road trip than a Sunday drive in the country.

Still, it is a classic and here is why: Milton's poetry resounds powerfully in the heart of a fellow believer, and his characters come to life vividly and believably. It's stood the test of time, not because English teachers everywhere force it down the throats of unwilling students, or because the government told you it was good stuff, but because it actually IS.

So, in case, like me, you did not have to read this massive tome, but want to know what's in it, here tis:

PLOT:
As expected, this work records the War in Heaven between Satan and God, Satan's fall into Hell, and his dastardly revenge in getting Man to follow him down the chute. It begins with Satan's attack and God's foreknowledge not only of the event or its outcome, but of the Fall of Man and his need for a Redeemer. It ends with the expulsion of Man from the Garden of Eden, and a look ahead for Adam as to the future hope and Redeemer of the race. Fiction or non-Fiction? Well, fiction, because it extrapolates conversation and events not directly recorded in the Bible, though the main plot points and characters are all very solidly in there.

CHARACTERS:
God - Milton handles God in both the Father and Son in a reverent manner, depicting the Father's attributes of Omniscience, Omnipotence, Judgment, Mercy, and Grace in a clear manner, and God the Son in even better form, showing His willingness, almost eagerness, to volunteer to be our Redeemer, knowing what He would suffer, but knowing what He would gain. His vengeance against Satan and his army is vivid, decisive, and frightening, turning Satan's assumed eventual victory into a panic-stricken rout. God clearly answers the question of whether and why Satan and the fallen angels will never receive redemption, while it will be offered to Man: "The first sort by their own suggestion fell, Self-tempted, self-depraved; Man falls, deceived By the other first; Man therefore shall find grace, the other none." God also explains why Man must die: "He with his whole posterity, must die; Die he, or justice must." Meaning, of course, that without death for sin, there is no justice. Thus the quandary: God is Just, and Justice must prevail, so Man must die. But God is merciful, so man must obtain to mercy. Jesus eagerly offers a solution: "Behold Me then, Me for him, life for life I offer; on me let thine anger fall; Account Me Man, I for his sake will leave Thy bosom, and this glory next to thee freely put off, and for him lastly die Well pleased,; on Me let Death wreak all his rage. Under his gloomy power I shall not long lie vanquished."

Satan - The character of Satan is the most clearly defined, and might be the one our fallen natures most identify with, unfortunately. The most often quoted passage in Paradise Lost is by Satan, when he states, "Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven." It's clearly shown his hatred for God, and vengeance, his scheming even after clear and decisive defeat. He knows clearly that he can never win against an Omnipotent God, but he can drag others with him, and so ensues the Fall of Man. Other good quotes from Satan: "The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven." Satan also discusses whether he could find place for repentance, and acknowledges it would be but a sham: "But say I could repent, and could obtain, By act of grace, my former state; how soon Would height recall high thoughts, how soon unsay What feigned submission swore?"
Satan in the end is the loser, but seems resigned to it, happier in his vengeance, that the road to Hell is wide, and many there be that find it.

Adam - The first man is so clearly defined I was able to identify poignantly with his despair in his failure to protect Eve, his doom foretold and experienced, and its impact on his progeny yet to be. In Milton's account, Adam tries to dissuade Eve from going off alone, having been warned by an angel of the impending fall if they eat of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. "The wife, where danger or dishonor lurks, Safest and seemliest by her husband stays, Who guards her, or with her the worst endures." Adam laments poignantly the lie in the name of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil: "true in our Fall, False in our promised rising; since our eyes Opened we find indeed, and find we know Both good and evil; good lost, and evil got;" Adam and Eve knew Good already, they had no need to know Evil. In the end, Adam is happier, though knowing what his fall brought about, the death of the world; but knowing also what greater work than his is wrought as a result, the Salvation and Redemption of many Sons and Daughters.

Eve - At first glance, Eve seemed to me one-dimensional, and unlikeable. Capricious, unstable, ultimately naïve. She makes good case for being trusted to withstand the temptation of the Devil, yet when tempted, succumbs to his lies. His pretense at being a talking serpent, while inhabiting the serpent and talking through it, allows him to deceive Eve into thinking the fruit (which he never ate) was what gave the serpent the tongue of man, rather than the demon within.

Michael the Archangel, Gabriel, Uriel, Raphael, and assorted Angels - Well, there was no Raphael in the Bible (that I recall reading about) but this IS a work of fiction, and this character had a significant dialog. Uriel is the Watcher in Heaven, he's pretty boss. Gabriel kicked Satan out of Eden the first time, never took him for a fighter, more of a messenger, but it was entertaining watching Satan run from him. Michael, now. He's just amazing. Milton captures him well, he's totally Boss and has a sword that will cut through anything. Better than the Master Sword. And he doesn't cut any grass with it, just whacks his way through clouds of evil angels.

Sin, Death, Beelzebub, etc etc. - Satan is surrounded by a gang of 'yes-men', named after all the false gods throughout time, and they have little to no dimension to them. Sin is depicted as Satan's daughter, and Death her progeny, which parallels the descent outlined in James 1:15 - Then desire, when it has conceived gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

FLOW:
The speed at which this moved was frustrating to me, more because I already knew the plot and ending, and am more of an Action Reader than a Philosophy Major. Give me Jesus chucking lightning bolts at Satan and his minions, blowing them to smithereens, having to HOLD BACK to keep from just turning them to powder, opening up the ground of Heaven and them falling for NINE DAYS before splashing into a lake of fire. THAT'S what I'M talkin' about! Don't give me some great oratory by Beelzebub about how they can't just gather spears for another good old College Try. Don't give me some long blather by Adam about how the flowers have to be pruned back each day or they will just be back all over everything again.

















Yeah. Like that.

So: Bottom Line:
Five Stars. I can't give any more, and it doesn't deserve any less. I mean, go figure, it's gotta be good if a four-hundred-year-old dusty mega-poem can make a grown man cry.