Ahlschwede Blog

Script Frenzy 2008 Begins Tomorrow (April 1)

If you thought National Novel Writing Month (Nanowrimo) was a little too insane, Script Frenzy - the contest to write a 100 page script in a month might be up your alley. Instead of trying to write 50,000 words in a month, you try to write 100 pages of script - which is a lot less writing. I think the lower level of challenge has something to to with its lesser success (only around 6,000 people are participating in Script Frenzy, compared to 100,000 for Nanowrimo), but what it loses in sheer herculean challenge it makes up in variety. Participants are encouraged to write plays, movies, tv series, and comic books.

Personally, I'm  going to branch out beyond those suggested targets. If all goes well, by this time next month I'll have written an adventure game.

I'm not certain since the site isn't active yet, but I think you'll be able to track my progress here.

Our future in Iraq

The success of the recent troop surge in reducing Iraqi civilian casualties at the cost of increased US casualties has muddied that waters about our future in Iraq. It's no longer clear that the best result for the citizens of Iraq will be produced by the immediate removal of our soldiers from the country.

Gerard Powers recently gave a speech that where he gives concerns like these a voice.  Take a listen.

Comic Sans is illegal

Most of my tiny audience won't be familiar with the pain channeled through the Visual Enforcement Kit from the Design Police. If you are, I salute you and my heart goes out to you.

I've Been Waiting

... for some silly little thing to blog? Could be.

In any event, I just came across this fun little quiz on John's blog. The idea is to go to the collection with all your songs in iTunes and hit shuffle. Answer the questions by writing down the names of songs that come up in shuffle without worry that you're writing down jibberish.

It amused me to read John's answers- here are mine.

1. IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Part III

2. WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Welcome to the Terrordome

3. WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Kingdom Coming

4. HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
I Started a Joke

5. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'€™S PURPOSE?
The Brightest Bulb Has Burned Out

6. WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Everybody Hurts

7. WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Kiss Me, Son of God (Alternative Version)

8. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?
The Wizard

9. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
San Francisco Girls (Return of the Native)

10. WHAT IS 2+2?
The 1812

11. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Kiss the Devil

12. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
The Biggest Killer in American History

13. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Chesterfield King (Live)

14. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Chinese Dance

15. WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Peter's Denial

16. WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Don't Got To Prove It

17. WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Got The Life

18. WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Everything's Alright (reprise)

19. WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Too Much

20. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Touch Me

21. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Stronger

22. WHAT SHOULD YOU POST THIS AS?
I've Been Waiting

Tom Floyd & Captain Spectre in the Journal Star

My friend Tom Floyd got recognition today in his local newspaper, The Lincoln Journal Star. They're running a story today about Tom and his online comic, Captain Spectre.

Regular readers of Captain Spectre know that it had been on hiatus while Tom was working on a comic project for Moonstone Books. As of 3 weeks ago, Tom started posting weekly again. Let's keep our fingers crossed that he can keep it up!

Read: By day, he's an artist; by night: Captain Spectre

Novel, Complete!

I succeeded in my goal and wrote 50,189 words in one month, completing my first novel, The End of Man. (That's 189 bonus words!)

When I started out I told John, "I'm doing a SciFi story.... some might call it... a SciFi epic." I'm not sure if it quite hits the mark of epic, but I'm happy with my story.

Only around 15% of participants complete the task each year, and this year I was the only one of  my writing buddies to hit the mark. I hope that all of them try again next year! Updating my wordcount so they could see it really kept me going. (Not that I know that they ever checked...)

As far as writing contests go, I'm looking forward to next April when the same group is running  Script Frenzy!, a similar contest to write a 100 page play or screenplay in a month.

Can't Talk; Noveling

This widget shows an up-to-date wordcount for me and my writing buddies (spookybarn, Johann, and TRM) and  as we write 50,000 word novels during the month of November. It's continually updated by the NaNoWriMo server, so keep checking back. It's been a  difficult undertaking, but as I post this I'm about 30% done!

The Red Skull Lives!

My costume for the year is the classic Captain America villain, Red Skull. Happy Halloween!
 

Murder House

My friend Tom is working on a new PBS show Murder House. John tells me  he's seen this ad for the program on the air in Nebraska, and it features Tom himself! It's always nice to know a celebrity.

New Job New Home

If I'm going to spend November writing a novel, I really need to catch up on my blogging backlog asap. To that end, I should note that I moved up to Rochester, MN for a new job at the beginning of September. Look at the photo below for an un-Googlable identification of my employer.