Anyway.
First up, National Novel Writing Month 2014. I WON!! So, what did I do this year vs. last year that helped me cross that 50k? Well, here is a brief list:
1) Writing buddies. They say that having writing buddies during NaNo make all the difference, and you know, they were right. I attended four or five different write-ins at my college library. It was only myself and two guys, but having people around who understand what it is to be a writer is awesome. We gorged ourselves on M&M's and Cherry Coke to keep ourselves going. The most words I wrote at one write-in was 4,000. Not bad!
2) Determination. Because I bragged to everyone at the end of October / beginning of November that I was going to win this year, I pushed myself extra hard during the last week to get it done. Despite quite a few setbacks, I did just that! See for yourself:
3) A story I cared about. Last year I was trying to write a story that I came up with on the night of October 31st, and it did not go well. I never broke 10k. This year, however, the story I wrote was one I had been thinking of and brainstorming for for months ahead of time. NaNo was my excuse to sit down and write it.
4) Outlining. I don't usually outline, but 50k in 30 days calls for some modifications to my pattern. I sat down and figured out generally where I wanted the story to go and then started writing on November 1. My outline seemed to be a failure at first because what was supposed to be four chapters ended up being one. But it really came in handy near the middle and end of the 50k run because that's about the time you come down off your NaNo high.
Fun Fact: "Escape to Utopia" (my NaNo 2014 project) is actually a story I've already written. I first wrote the story back in 2009, but looking back on it now, it really was a fail. At first I didn't know that the story I was brainstorming for earlier this year would end up working out to be an updated version. But when I figured that out, I decided to have fun with it. Characters from the original version came back in the second - only one character did not make an appearance. Also, I have now expanded the original version to become a trilogy. My plan is to work on the sequel, "Rise of Sarama," for NaNoWriMo 2015.
All right. So that's my NaNoWriMo post, as promised. Now for SONIC BOOM!!
Overall, of course, I like Sonic Boom a lot. For what it is, it's a really good show (better than, say, Spongebob). It has humor, action, and a whole lot of Sonic. The characters are the same personality wise (with the possible exception of Knuckles, and the total exception of Eggman). I have nothing to say about the games since I have not yet played them, but from what I hear, "it's Sonic '06 all over again."
Despite the redesign, Sonic's character is still there: fun, fast, and caring. Tails is still the tinkerer, and Amy is the level head that glues them all together. Sticks is an interesting addition - I am still 50/50 on whether I like her, but come on, this scene was cute:
All right...Knuckles. I don't have a problem with his appearance so much as I do his personality. The Knuckles I grew up with was a work-alone, rough, tough, determined, short-tempered Guardian of the Chaos Emeralds. Now he is all muscle and no brain, it seems. That really bugs me. With the Chaos Emeralds apparently out of the picture (I have a theory about that - next year!), what does Knuckles have to live for? How was he raised? Apparently he works better in a team now, but his IQ is ridiculously low. I can get over the absurd muscles that he never needed before. What I can't get over is his newfound stupidity. Why?
Now Eggman. Gone are the days of the smart (but still has his moments) villain - usher in the age of the idiot. For real? Again, the Eggman I grew up with was intelligent, patient, ruthless, and, of course, evil - but he had his slight good side, too. This year they've taken the "slight good side" and made it so that Eggman is mostly good, but when you tick him off, he unleashes a demolition robot just because he can. I mean, come on. Episode 8 was just...no.
*sigh* Now for my personal favorite - Shadow! I could write an entire post about this guy alone, but I'll save that for another time. There are some things about his redesign that I didn't notice before. One, his chest fur is smaller. Two, his skin is lighter. Three, the red streaks on his arms and legs are gone! How did I miss that one? His personality is also a bit tweaked. Thankfully, he is mostly still there, but my question is: what is his motivation? How does he know Sonic and why is he after him? At first it seems like a true rivalry, but at the end of "Rise of Lyric" (I watched the cutscenes), he smiles and appears satisfied that Sonic defeated Lyric. I just...don't understand. I can't complain too much, though, because he is my favorite character and I still love him just the way he is.
Sonic Boom has been put on pause until next year, though they haven't said when he'll return. That bugs me, because for the longest time they were like "October 2014" and then it ended up being November 8. Then they air episodes for a month and are like "be right back...eventually." Just...what?? I want my Sonic Boom!
I guess my final thoughts as far as the TV show are as follows: it is definitely made for kids, and with that in mind, it is great for what it is. Much better than a lot of the other crap they show nowadays. Last I heard it was #1 for it's audience. That's a good sign. There are flaws, for sure, but it is a brand new take on the Sonic world that everyone just needs to get used to - both audience and creators alike. It will probably be a couple of years before they get all the fine tuning done.
Also, one last thing. I am not one of those "you ruined my childhood" people, unless they really screwed up the reboot. I don't think the creators have Sonic Boom have messed up royally, though I do have my issues with Knuckles and Eggman, as described above. I just think it's different and my mind needs to get used to it. That's all. I am excited that Sonic is back! What the what!
Well, that's all from me for this year. See you in 2015! Happy New Year!
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