Worry-Wort

“My obsession with the past is not one of aspiration! I am merely contemplating my future.”

Don't even ask, I'm not sure myself...

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Jim: “What should I do? I can't stop thinking about all the bad experiences I've had.”

Doctor: “It's best not to dwell on the past, consider the future instead.”

Jim: "Great... rather than worry about what has happened to me, I'm now thinking about all the things that could."

Ah, the never ending thought cycle of the neurotic.

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I went down memory lane, not so long ago. Bored half the people around me while I was at it(an achievement for a 20 year old). “You're still not over it?”, “Stop complaining, it happened ages ago!", were just some of the responses I got. Eventually, my family & friends asked me, “Why are you so hung up on the past?”

I just told them, “Because I'm contemplating the future.”

Week 12: Speed writing

So I decided to do something completely random this week. Instead, there has been an idea circling in my head. Maybe I could turn it into something? Probably not...

Does true altruism exist?

How a person relates their actions to their motive. In other words, is there such a thing as a selfless act? Is the idea of altruism legitimate?

If the above is false, then every act is committed is with the soul purpose of benefiting oneself. For instance, holding a door open for another person requires a person to be motivated to act this out. A person is committed to the act because they wish to help another person and in turn it allows the person to feel they are a good. Even if the person is required to sacrifice their freedom or their life to help another person, they still benefit from the situation.

If the statement, that no motivated act can be selfless, were true then the only way to commit an altruistic act would be if a person were unaware that they committed it. However, if a person chose not to commit the act do they still benefit or do they loose by not doing anything? The difference between helping another person and ignoring their situation is that to act would require some self-sacrifice.

How is this any of this relevant in Creative Writing? I guess it might be useful when developing character motivations. And I have taken this into consideration with my final project.

Week 11: A lot of R's in this.

Rowan and I have decided to do something different this week and write individual scenes to the same story. Here is a quick summary of the universe:

In the year 2535, humanity is caught in a brutal civil war. Five years earlier the Terran Union outlawed using the benign Bren race as a source of slave labour in favour of sentient machines. The Union's colonies did not appreciate this move and ceded to form the The United Free Colonies.
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And here's part of the script:


Int. Space Station Shuttle-bay – CONTINUIOUS

Ryley is checking his papers and boarding a shuttle for the Alenko. He enters the shuttle and takes a seat closely followed by a woman who sits next to him. She flicks her hair and smiles at him as she looks around.

Ryley
Hi I'm Ryley Dorn

Rene

Lieutenant Rene Winter – Technical Advisor.
So what are you a communication officer?

Ryley
Well not exactly...

Rene
Your not a grunt are you?

Ryley looks noticeable uncomfortable. Rene bites her lips.

Rene
(continuing)
Sorry well it could be worse you could be
one of those muscle bound idiot pilots.

Ryley
So you advise?

Rene
Well not as much as I would have liked.
I was bought in to join the shore party
and act as technician.

Ryley
Shouldn't someone from the Alenko's
engineering team handle that?

Rene
Well you officer codes to access the mainframe
as well as technical know how and the Alenko's
Chief Engineer is a little old fashioned. He
believes an engineer should never leave his
ship and go on shore mission.

Ryley
He's not Scottish by any chance?

Rene
No Norwegian why do you ask?

Ryley
Oh someone once told me the Scottish
make the best engineers.

Rene
That's just superstition.

AI Pilot
We are within visual range of the Alenko

The shuttle approaches and lands in the Alenko's hanger. The door opens and a crewmember enters.

Crew Member #001
Are you the new CAG?

Ryley
That's me

Crew Member #001
Good we have some nuggets for you to grow

Rene buries her head.

Rene
You're a pilot

Ryley
I would invite you to the mess hall but you
know us pilots, I have to head to the gym
and wail on my pecks.

Week 10: Speed Writing

This is a bit short because it took me a while before I could write anything. Writers Block.


WILLIAM
So how did it go with Sarah? Did you two eventually work it out?

KAYNA
Yep, we finally found something we could agree upon.

WILLIAM
So you've finally stopped bickering?

KAYNA
...

WILLIAM
I thought you said you two came to an agreement?

KAYNA
Well, yes... and no. We kind of agreed to disagree.

WILLIAM
Come with me.

KAYNA
Where are we going?

WILLIAM
To talk to Sarah.

KAYNA
NO, I don't want to die! She's insane. I swear, that woman can take out the most hardened criminal with just one look! It's like she stares deep into your soul and then she curses you for all eternity!

WILLIAM
Don't you think you're overreacting?

KAYNA
Said the guy who is afraid of dolls.

WILLIAM
They're Evil!

KAYNA
Oh come on! What are they going to do? Strangle you with their tiny plastic hands!

WILLIAM
Probably, but it's their creepy little eyes that freak me out the most.

KAYNA
Yes! See, that's exactly how I feel!

WILLIAM
That's... completely different.

Week 9: Speed Writing

The following is completely random. Viewer discretion is advised.

Sleeper Cells?

They are artificially grown and brainwashed into believing they are normal. After being released from the training facility (with no memory of it) they go about living normal lives, until the day they are activated. The reason? to assassinate a set target?

How are they activated? I haven’t really thought about this maybe they have something implanted in their mouth so that they can pick up a radio signal. Kind of like the myth(?) that some people can here radio transmissions through their bridgework. An evil dentist?

"…but no one ever suspected the Dentist!"

No wonder children don’t like the dentist, they know things their parents don’t. Dentists brainwash the parents by using radio signals that are picked up by their bridgework. Ever wonder why parents tell you to eat your vegetables? It’s because the dentist has brainwashed them too. Vegetables are the real cause of cavities, not sugar. And that boys and girls, is how the dentist lures unsuspecting children into his/her lair to… umm… make money…?

Hell, they’re already money grubbing bastards as it is, so the idea isn’t too far fetched.

Week 8: Speed Writing

"One of them is a machine!", spat Simon. He wasn't about to let an inexperienced fool make him believe other wise. Matherson may have been older than him but Simon sure as hell knew a lot more when it came to unstables.

"What proof do you have? You're sentencing people before you have any evidence." Simon clenched his fist as Matherson stepped closer. Was he challenging him? No, he wouldn't be that stupid. but then the old man clearly wasn't about to let this drop. 'Fine' he thought, he'll just have to show him what happens when people don't listen. "They came here, into our community and attacked one of our very own. Completely unprovoked!"

"You mean one of 'your' citizens. That's what this is about, isn't it. Because they challenged one of your men."

The veins on his temple began to throb. Never had he met someone so frustrating. Why wouldn't he just do what everyone else did and trust him? Ever since he was first entrusted with this position, he had always protected them. It had always been for them, why would that change now?

"Don't pretend that he's innocent, Simon. We all know what Xavier truly is. He's trouble and you know it! His attitude..."

"His attitude has kept us safe from people like them. You say we should be more trusting yet when you yourself turn against us to side with strangers at the flick of a switch."

"Don't you dare question my loyalty to this community! I have always had our best intentions at heart but I'm not about to condemn two innocent strangers because it's the easy way out. You're afraid! Afraid that if they find out how truly corrupt you and your men are. Your nothing more than a small town cop who has risen well above his rank. To say you are the poison that effects this town is giving you too much credit. You are nothing more than a symptom of our downfall.

they'll loose trust in him and turn on you for backing him all these years."

Week 7: Delivering

So I checked out some of Seth Godin's presentations and they were actually very insightful.

Forget, "If it's not broke, don't fix it."

Try, "If it's not broke, then break it."

As a consumer I did have an idea as to why most of the products I bought were faulty but for some reason I just ignored it. For example, why is it you have to pay for a month's subscription to a lot of online resources and games? Why can't you pay for the number of hours you use it for, not a set time limit? My first reasoning was that the developers were just too lazy to code a payment system that allows for that. And it's probably true. The thing is, after listening to Seth Godin I actually care about this now.