Review of Blood, Sweat, and Pixels:The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made

Blood, Sweat, and Pixels: The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made by Jason Schreier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a really great read for me, being a lifelong videogame player. Yes, I've always had an idea or two in my back pocket for the world's greatest videogame. I planned them out, wrote out the mechanics, story and everything.

But obviously, there's more to it than all that. This book talks about the troubles/stresses/crunching involved with the whole process. The goods, the bads, the glamorous and the things people would rather hide.

I've played most of these games and gotten close to the rest. I followed the stories back in the day of the successes and always wondered about the missing ones. Now, I, unfortunately, know why Star Wars 1313 got canned. Every word in that chapter was like a hammer pounding in the nails to this game's coffin. And my soul. Man, that would've been a fantastic game.

While most of these games were made and had success, ending the book with the downfall of what could have been (the Star Wars game) was a bit of a downer. Makes me want to play some games...

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Writing Inspiration: How to keep going

Ever get sidetracked while trying to finish up a writing project? Ever lose those initial enamored feelings you had when you first started writing? Ever trudge through a scene and wonder if it's really worth it?

If you're like me, and I know I am, then you've encountered at least a few of these when writing. Writer's block is not fun. If you haven't developed a routine to write at least a set amount of time each night (as I wrote in this post) then make sure you've made your dedication to writing a strong habit. However, habitual writing is always much easier said than done.

One trick I found was to read about some other authors and their inspirational quotes. Because sometimes not reaching your goals is sometimes a little heartbreaking and hearing that others have gone through similar situations sometimes makes it a little easier to bear.

A powerful focus tool for me

As part of the nightly writing read only a page from a book by Susan Shaughnessy, "Walking on Alligators." Each page is broken into three parts. The first is a quote from an author, the second is a description of this, and lastly, there is a sentence for you as the writer to walk away with.

For example:

"Be careful how quickly you give away your fire- Robert Bly"

There is a detailed paragraph explaining the quote, for example, this one says that sometimes when you have an idea, it is best not to share it with others by "talking" it away. Sometimes an author might have so much fun talking about a book they never get around to writing it...

The takeaway: "Today, I'll save my fire. I'll write, not talk."

I said earlier that I only read ONE of these pages a day. More than that and you lose focus on the meaning of the one. Each of the pages has a different message, so don't waste them! And I'm sure there are other books, perhaps you could share one you use in the comments?

And remember: A writer writes!

Listening to Albums While You Write: The lifeblood and pulse of your story

Some of the questions people ask me about writing are "How can you stay focused on one idea?" or "How can you write every night?"

The answer is routine, as it would be with any habit you are trying to pursue. One of the ways I make sure to write daily is to have a prescribed time to sit down at the computer and a set time I have to write. At least 20 minutes is what I do. Then, if I have an epiphany I can keep writing, and if I get a block I can tap out and say "at least I met my daily goal."

How do you get an idea? That's a whole other topic I covered here. 

The other thing I use is a soundtrack to write to. Here are the three albums that I used consistently in each of the books in the series.

The Soulkind Awakening:
I listened to "Divinities: 12 Dances with God" by Ian Anderson to help write this book. The length of the was my minimum amount of time I would commit to writing each day, which ended up being 47 minutes. It is a diverse album, containing different moods and tempos, and I have fond memories of it. Since I switched albums for the next two books, I hadn't listened to this one in a LONG time. When I popped the album on Amazon Music the other day, I was instantly transported to when I wrote the first book. Another house, another dog, another time.

This was the fuel for my first book!

The Shadow of the Soulkind:
I listened EXCLUSIVELY to Daft Punk's soundtrack to Tron: Legacy. I LOVE this soundtrack. Yes, it is electronic music, but also with orchestral parts to it. It is really something else. I wrote for years to this, and when I actually went and watched Tron: Legacy again, the soundtrack was so inviting and I knew the movie on another level. Some of my favorites are: "Adagio to Tron," for when I need an emotional boost, and "Fall," for when I had some action scenes I needed to hammer out. The whole soundtrack is amazing though and I could get lost in my story easily while listening.

Amazing! Synth/Orchestral/Awesomeness

The Soulkind Master:
Yes, I listened to the Tron: Legacy soundtrack again, but I also tag-teamed my writing with the soundtrack to Skyrim. This is one of my all-time favorite soundtracks. Yes, I love Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, but those are too iconic. They were almost distracting when I would write a scene. I couldn't think of my own story! But "Awake" is epic and dreamlike and paints a picture of adventure in my mind.

No, I didn't have the vinyl, but man that looks nice. Fus ro dah!

Do you have any albums you always listen to when you write? Share below!

Where does a book idea come from? The origin of the Soulkind Series.

I've written plenty of stories in my life, but only a few that I've taken the time to really flesh out for a novel. What was it about this idea that held me captive for so many years? What was the seed for "The Soulkind Awakening?"

Yes, the original green stone is in my Lord of the Rings container...

Way back to 1995, my friend Chris and I went on a winter break trip to Europe. Yes, it was a really cold time of year to visit, but it happened. We visited Germany, France, Austria, and the Czech Republic. This was my first time to Europe and it was really humbling to be next to things that were VERY old. I mean, the oldest gravestones I'd ever seen in the U.S. went back to the 1800s, but the castles and tombs I saw out there blew any sense of "old" I had away. 

Out of all of the spots we visited, Prague ended up being the most beautiful city I've ever seen. It was, for some reason, like I had come home. I remember one day Czech-ing things out all alone and found myself under this really unique tree overlooking the Charles Bridge. 

My only picture I have of it from '95. I should scan this somewhere.

Ok this is a photo I found online. MUCH better. Apparently is called "Strom u Czerne veze"

As I sat under this tree in silence, gazing out upon a frozen city, I was speechless. I let the memory wash over me. This was unlike anything I had had ever seen in my life. I happened upon a small stone on the top of that level there, nothing special mind you, just a memento that I then picked up, rubbed my fingers over, and placed it in my jacket pocket. 

I thought nothing of this stone again until many months later after returning to the states. Back in Rochester I put my winter coat on again (maybe it was May... you still need a winter coat in May there) and put my hand into a pocket where suddenly I touched the stone I found by that tree in Prague. As I felt it in my palm, I was suddenly back in Prague. The memory flashed past my eyes as if I were there again. It was quite surreal. 

Little did I know, but that was the seed for the Soulkind series. If you've read the story, you know a certain character keeps a rock collection. Not for the rocks themselves, but for the memories they contain. If he has an experience he wants to remember, he picks up a rock and mentally imprints the moment there. If he wants to remember it, he only has to touch the stone again and the memory comes back in a flash. 

The problem is, this character has a stone in his possession that he has no memory of how he obtained it. 

What is it that has been a "seed" for a story? Have you let it grow? Or just let it sit somewhere for "another day?" Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading. 

Turning your book into an audiobook... easier than it sounds!

The other month I happened upon a post on my local writing association's FB page. One of the people there was describing how easy it had been to get her book turned into an audiobook. Of course, I balked at this. I mean, how easy could it be? Sounds terribly expensive, and how do you get the right narrator?

I had, in fact, tried to make my story into one the other year, and man it was tough. I had to carve out the time (always difficult), set up a sound booth with a nice mic and some sound deadening foam, and be consistent on my voices. I gave up after the 4th chapter.

So, I looked into this site, ACX.com, and wondered how had I missed this? It seems too easy and good to be true. Check out the potential "producers" (as the narrators are called since they pretty much do EVERYTHING to get the audio ready to go), even ask potential ones to check out your book. Even if you want to BECOME a producer, you're in the right place. Get training, and sign up to accept projects. Once your project is in progress, producers can audition based on a script you provide.

Easy! Maybe I got lucky, but in a few days I had a couple of producers interested in my story and soon I was off to the races. I've been in contact with my narrator as he uploads chapters, making corrections as needed.

It has been a 2 month project and it will be all ready next weekend. Once the story is ready to go, ACX will make the audio available on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes. Seems like a pretty good way to market it.

Edit: I forgot about payment! There are a couple of options for you and your producer. One is the flat fee. Pay your producer a set amount and you're done forever. If you're like me, you might go the other route if you're not willing to drop $500 for your project. The other way is the royalty deal. This way you go 50/50 with your producer. For me, I'm looking at a $10 product, and I would get 4 bucks per book, same as the producer.

Let me get back to you after it is available! Want to check out my titles? It is the Soulkind Series, including The Soulkind Awakening and The Shadow of the Soulkind. The final book in the series, The Soulkind Master, will be available this Fall, 2019. Available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and some local Indie Bookstores around Portland, Oregon.

See me on FB (the Soulkind Series), @sciteachah on Twitter, and the Soulkind Blog here.