Jennerosity

This week, gaming stuff has totally been on my mind.

1. I got really excited about the fact that Scott Kurtz is now on the west coast (Seattle).¹

2. I finally got around to making a ‘gamer’ list on twitter. Makes it much easier to follow the gaming conversations that I’m finding increasingly interesting.²

3. I *think* I finally settled on a 4th edition character sheet. It might even save me from needing to spend so much time shuffling through all my power cards.  This theory will be tested on Monday night.

4. I found an etsy shop who will do custom sewn dice bags. She also has a bunch of pre-sewn ones you can choose from.  She’s now been favourited.³

5. I wrote a blog post all about using Evernote for gamers.⁴

1. I don’t actually follow his comic anymore though. My husband, who does, will probably be disappointed since midnight in his old time zone was a few hours before in ours, and now he’ll be reading the comics on the actual day they get posted. [↩]
2. I think soon I’ll be at the point where I no longer view my ‘all friends’ column, or push it way over to the right, and just focus on my specific groups and searches. [↩]
3. I keep saying I’ll sew one myself, but these are so nicely done and reasonably priced I can now snap out of it and just buy one when the time is right. [↩]
4. No, posting about one of my own posts is not cheating, it’s just boosting my SEO! [↩]

In the most recent edition of 5 Geek Things for Friday, I mentioned that Evernote was one of the tools I was considering for plotting my novels.  The gist of my comments on it was that it was more frustrating than helpful in that regard.  Shortly after the post went live, the Northern Voice blogging conference commenced at UBC campus, and I was watching the comments stream in via twitter.  One of the talks that generated quite a bit of buzz was on Solutions for Coping with Social Media by Alexandra Samuel.  One of those solutions was using Evernote.  After reading her article (and her 2 previous articles that she links to in the post), I decided to jump back into the program to try to see if I could recapture my initial enthusiasm for it.

It struck me as I was playing with the interface and weeding notes out of some neglected notebooks, just how handy this program could be for gamers if you can have a laptop or an iPhone/iPod Touch at the table.  And I promptly set about revitalizing my RPG (Role Playing Game) notebook.  I’m currently playing in 4 different campaigns that are being run in several different systems, but it’s mostly the classic Dungeongs & Dragons.  Here are a few of the things that I’ve set up that will hopefully help me out at the table:

1. Character Progression
   For a couple of the campaigns, I’ve got the future progression of my character planned out with regard to which feats, skills, powers, etc. they will be taking.  I had this all set up previously in Evernote, but since I originally planned it all out, Evernote went and added tables¹.  As I was re-organizing my haphazardly spaced text into a properly formatted table.
2. Character Notes
   Since I have a terribly short memory, I have a hard time remembering all the little details I come with about my character’s backstory and their goals and motivations.  After reading an article over at Gnome Stew on how to Cover Your Character Sheet I started creating one page character summaries about my characters.  Since I can’t draw character sketches and don’t have the time to find appropriate images online² or appropriate figures/miniatures, I try to make the text & layout match the personality of the character.  I find it’s a great way to connect.  But, sometimes, with all the paper already at the table, it can get a little unwieldy.  But, with Evernote, I can have a note with the same information in it, and my iPod Touch takes up a lot less room.  I can also refer to that while I’m in the process of creating my cover sheet³
3. Campaign Notes
   Depending on how evil forthcoming your Game Master is, you may, or may not need to keep notes about different clues that arise during your adventure.  Or, perhaps you run a character that likes to collect things and write it down somewhere.  Our group often likes to jot down hilariously appropriate in-character quotes that someone says at the table.  But, add to that my horribly messy writing, tendency to spill things, and (lately) my penchant for trying out different character sheet templates, and it’s easy to see how these little notes can become indecipherable or get lost entirely.  So, I can keep them digitally now.  The other benefit of this is that if you keep your character sheet at the host’s house, you still have access to the list of clues and information between sessions so you can still work on figuring out what to do between sessions.
4. Rules
   Since some of our campaigns have adopted a few house rules, this is a great place for characters to keep track of the changes to the game mechanic that the campaign is using.  I also tend to get incredibly confused about the way areas of effect work in DnD 4th edition.  So now I have a note with the rule wording.  This way, I’m not going to be) interrupting people on the turn before mine, asking for the book or asking them how it works, when I’m trying to figure out which power to use and where to place it.⁴
5. Images
   For one of the campaigns I’m in, the Game Master created some digital maps for us to look at and emailed them to us along with some other background information.  So, I clipped them in to Evernote.  We’ve got access to at least one of the maps at the game sessions, but the table is tiny and we have anywhere from four to six people around it, so space is at a premium.  This way, if I want to look at it between turns, it’s easy for me to flip open my iPod Touch and check it out, without causing two or three other people to have to twist, turn, move books, etc.  If you had an iPhone, you could also snap pictures of the battle map at the end of the night, hand drawn symbols, etc.

The nice thing is that since you can tag each note, I can put them all in one central notebook, and then just call up the relevant ones by searching for the tag of the campaign/character that they refer to.  I can see them whenever I have access to a computer with an internet connection.  The only potential downside is that I might get distracted by other iPod Touch apps while I check things during the game.  But, since that sometimes happens anyway, I don’t think it’ll be too big of a deal.

Got any other ideas on how to use Evernote for gamers?  As a player, what tools do you use to get organized for your campaigns?

1. Yes, I’ll have to eat some crow about that, since my previous post said they didn’t have tables [↩]
2. sort of the same way I don’t have time to find good pictures for my blog either [↩]
3. since sometimes it can take a while for me to be inspired and/or have enough time for it [↩]
4. Instead I can interrupt them about entirely different things :D [↩]

Most of the writer’s that I know tend to categorize themselves as either a Pantser or a Plotter¹ and I am definitely a plotter.  Really, I’m only happy when I’m plotting².  While I’ve used a number of plotting tools in the past, I still haven’t THE ONE.  You know, the one system that just feels so right and aligns itself perfectly with the twisted machinations that go on inside my head when I’m plotting out a story.  In an effort to get back into my neglected manuscripts, I’ve been exploring the different plotting tools out there, trying to find which one might be the best fit.³  Here is the current short list of 5 that I am considering:

1. Spreadsheet – it seems like plotters would naturally gravitate towards such a robust tool of formulas & calculations, and yet, I shy away from it.  I think I feel a little intimidated by the vast complexity that it offers.  I ain’t no slouch, but I’m also not an expert.  I know that if I took the time to learn it well enough to bend it to my needs, it would ultimately be the best fit, since I can make it do almost anything I want.
   Pros: Free & very customizable.  Also very portable, since every computer I use has a spreadsheet program.
   Cons: I’m worried about how much time it would take to set up.⁴  I  know I’d have to actually learn more about spreadsheets. ((See point re: laziness))  And it feels a bit . . . stuffy or confining.  Plus, it isn’t as shiny and cool as some of the other options.
2. Evernote - This is a very handy little program/web app that lets you capture almost anything you can think of.  It has just enough features to elicit the ‘oooooh cool!’ response from me, and yet not enough to make me throw out every other cool program/web app that I use.
   Pros: Free & very portable⁵.
   Cons: I feel restricted by it’s nesting structure!  You can only have notes in your notebook and no sub-folders.  I know they let you tag things and do smart searches, but that’s all too vague for me to make it work with the structure I want.  Plus, you can’t put tables in.⁶  I know that a more robust option is Microsoft’s OneNote program, but it’s also about $100 last I checked. (And I’m kinda cheap.)
3. Liquid Story Binder -  So, aside from opening the program, I haven’t actually attempted to dive in and use it.  But from the feature list, it’s all kinds of shiny writing goodness.  And, in theory, I’d love to dive in and really grok it out.
   Pros: Lots of cool features!
   Cons: Possibly too many features and then it would become a time suck and/or, I’d have to try really hard to learn it.  There is also a cost involved.  And, I’m not sure how portable it would be.  Which means I’d have to install it on my work computer and then synchronize files, and I haven’t checked how easily that could be done.
4. PageFour -  Just discovered this one the other day, and so far it looks pretty good.  Not too many features on it but it does have a nice structuring option.
   Pros: There is a free version!  I tried syncing it at work and home and it works perfectly.  Some good search functionality and the ability to see which words you may be overusing.
   Cons: The free version would not be robust enough for me.  Still no tables!
5. Wiki - When I started plotting, I started out using a wiki and liked it fairly well.  But, I’m not sure that it’s the best tool for me.  It uses a browser which is just like an invitation to distract myself online.
   Pros: There are free ones out there.  Can be pretty easily customized.  Interlinking important elements is very easily done.  It’s also an easily portable option since all you need is a web browser.  I can have it open among my normal web-browsing and/or work tabs and write discreetly at work (on my breaks, of course!)
   Cons: The wiki that I started out using doesn’t seem to work with Chrome, which is the main browser that I use.  I could switch browsers, but right now just the writing wiki isn’t a compelling enough reason to make me switch back to firefox

Ok, if there are any plotters out there who think they have a solution for me, let me hear it in the comments!  Recommendations or comments on any and all of the above are definitely welcome! ((Unless you’re going to recommend Scrivener.  Not only do I not have a Mac at home, but there’s no chance of switching to a Mac at work, so it would cut down on my opportunities to write/plot.))

1. though it’s really more of a spectrum than an ‘either/or’ situation [↩]
2. and to be quite honest, yes, my plotting does extend beyond the written page . . . [↩]
3. Yeah, I know . . . I should be actually writing instead of mucking about with all the tools [↩]
4. And this is bad mostly because I’m lazy [↩]
5. It even has an iPod Touch app that you can use on the go [↩]
6. I like tables.  They are like the non-scary version of a spreadsheet. [↩]

Another tax season is now officially over and I’m always glad to have it behind me.  And I did kind of infer that I would be posting more meaty posts after it was done, so here I am, blogging again.  But don’t get too excited because this post is mostly about nothing . . . writing nothing, to be specific.

There is a big, exciting project that is writing related that I’ve been working on, but I’m not sure if I’m allowed to start spilling the beans on it quite yet.  There are a few people who already know what I’m talking about, but I’m not sure if I should start blogging about it just yet.¹

But, I haven’t done any actual writing lately, so there isn’t much to share about that.²  I did attempt to track down a new tool for plotting, but I’m pretty sure that I’m being overly picky³.

I’ve also been journeying down the thorn-covered path that is selecting an acceptable pen name.  Those who know me will know that the art of selecting names is one of my biggest challenges.  I find it difficult to select character  names, much less a name for myself.  So, I fully expect that it’ll be a long and painful process.  The pen name I finally pick must meet several key criteria: first, it must be a woman’s name⁴; second, it must be acceptable for the fantasy genre⁵; and finally, it must be still available.  I’ve got my Vizier of Nameology working on it, and I’m slowly gathering a list of acceptable options that I can present to a select group of writers & friends, for their voting and discussion⁶.

My current plan is to select an acceptable pen name, buy the domain and put together an author website, and then move my writing related blogging over to that domain.  And, even though I know this will be an unpopular decision, I’m not going to tell everyone over here about it.  A large part of my reason for selecting a pen name is to get some separation for myself between my personal identity and my author identity.  And inviting everyone who exists in my personal universe over to a blog I create for my writing identity really defeats that purpose.  I know that it’ll probably eventually all come out in the open, but I’m going to let that happen when the time is right.

Have an idea for a pen name for me?  Got a cool free tool to suggest for my plotting delights?  Go have at it in the comments with suggestions for everything that makes me write nothing lately.

1. And if you’re one of the people that I’m actually working with on this project, we gotta figure out when a good time for me to start blogging about it is going to be. [↩]
2. And I did toy with the idea of just giving it up altogether, I enjoy certain parts of it too much to do that . . . yet [↩]
3. I just can’t seem to find free Windows software that’s flexible enough to work anywhere and that falls in that sweet spot between lots of cool features, but still simple enough to use [↩]
4. I write about women characters and I think the fact that I am a woman is fairly essential to my writing, so I don’t want to be ambiguous about my gender [↩]
5. if I were writing chick lit, Daisy would be at the top of my list, but I just can’t picture reading an epic fantasy book written by someone named Daisy [↩]
6. and if you have a good pen name to throw in to the ring, feel free to add it in the comments [↩]

Yup, today’s the day!  Last day for Canadians to file their tax returns and pay any tax they might have owing to the government.

I have a weird love/hate relationship with tax time.  On the one hand, because of the personal financial plans of myself and my husband, tax time usually represents a time that we get money back to boost our savings.  It’s also a good time to review our financial plans and make sure we are keeping on track with our values and goals.  On the other hand, I prepare income tax returns at work, which is often frustrating and stressful.  I’ve done this for a few seasons, and while I’m glad for the opportunity to learn more about how our tax system works, I’m also very glad when it’s over, the pace at work calms a bit, and I only get yelled at for things that relate to insurance, instead of getting yelled at for things that relate to taxes too.¹

This year, I really wish that instead of charging some of our clients to prepare their taxes, I could educate them and show them how truly simple it is to do their own taxes.  I know this goes against the traditional business model, but for a few of our clients, even the $40 basic fee, is money they could be using for other more important things.² That being said, if anyone is in the financial position to be able to afford having someone else prepare their income taxes and needs someone to do that for them, I have no problem offering my services and charging for my time.

Anyway, on to more geeky things . . . things I look forward to spending a little time on, after tax season :)

1. Re-doing our book & movie inventory³
2. Potentially purchasing a bar code scanner to assist with #1 above⁴
3. Having more time to blog . . . at work (shhhh!  Don’t tell my boss!)
4. Attending WordCamp Vancouver!⁵
5. Plotting for NaNoWriMo 2010.  Both my particular novel⁶ and coordinating the VanCoWriMo 2010 events with my fellow MLs.

1. Ok, I’m exaggerating, there is usually only minimal yelling. [↩]
2. I do try to discount the tax returns for those in need as much as I can, but because I’m not the only person preparing taxes, there has to be some consistency with the pricing model we use. [↩]
3. I think I could handle working as a librarian one day. [↩]
4. we could do it by hand, but this would be much faster [↩]
5. Yup, one of my co-workers arranged a swap with me.  I’m working the Sunday prior to WordCamp, but I actually don’t mind Sunday shifts since they are entirely solo. [↩]
6. which I really need to start planning ASAP!!! [↩]

‘The stress level is mounting’ edition.¹

1. Tickets just went on sale for WordCamp Vancouver and I’m really hoping that I can get the day off to go on June 12th!²
2. I started taking an Art Journal class . . . online :)
3. We had an event of incredibly unbelievable odds take place at our house on Sunday.  The number 1 was rolled on 20-sided dice, 5 times in a row.³
4. My mom gave me a jar of spaghetti meat sauce on Monday.  Those of you that know me will wonder why this is important to me since I’m not a foodie and don’t like cooking.  It’s because she said I could keep the jar after we use it since she doesn’t like that kind of jar.  And this means I can finally make a Sun Jar!⁴
5. There are new photos in my flickr photo stream courtesy of my husband.  They are of a certain arcade we visited in Japan.  Enjoy!

A few photo teasers . . .

1. Because I prepare taxes, and we’re down to the last week before the filing deadline for Canadians, so it’s busy and stressful.  I would like to clarify though, I’m not an accountant, this is just a service our office provides. [↩]
2. And if any of my co-workers are reading this, please take the hint and switch a day with me. [↩]
3. Four rolls were by the same person, who then had to throw his dice away.  He literally flung them from our back door (sorry to my neighbours who were wondering about the projectiles that came flying in their general direction). [↩]
4. Well, after the jar is emptied, thoroughly cleaned and I buy the other supplies.  But I’m still one step closer than I was in July 2009 when I first found the article in my google reader. [↩]

I feel like this is just squeaking in under the wire, but I’ve still got hours left before it’s Saturday.  Guess I’m just kinda tired.  This week’s geek things are as follows . . .

1. Geek triumph! – I figured out what LLAP meant at the end of every Leonard Nimoy tweet.¹
2. Geek rivalry! – It’s Canucks vs. Kings in the NHL playoffs and this means I’m cheering against Wil Wheaton’s home team.²
3. Geek deep thoughts! – One of those totally random thoughts popped into my head this week . . . common themes between the Transformers and Superman.  Feel free to pick up and run with this in the comments.
4. Geek air! – Adobe Air, that is.  I played with an Adobe Air Character Sheet generator for the 4th edition DnD campaign I play in.  You can import from other sources, but you can’t seem to save it.
5. Geek longing! – People are getting all geared up for the Northern Voice conference at the beginning of May.  I know there’s literally no chance I’ll be able to go.  Cue, cute geek pouting here.³

1. I know that some people must have figured it out right away, but I was a little slow on the uptake. [↩]
2. Gotta think up some good smack talk to send to him on twitter but I’m terrible at coming up with smack talk. [↩]
3. Lucky for me, there will likely be lots of tweeting about it, so I might be able to vicariously attend by employing search terms and monitoring tweetdeck. [↩]

This week has been pretty busy with painting, so I thought I’d do a post about the Geek things that I’m not doing this week, but wish that I were.

1. Attended the F5 expo and seen Malcolm Gladwell’s session.
2. Watched some Star Trek: Deep Space Nine¹
3. Gone to see Clash of the Titans, How to Train Your Dragon, or Avatar
4. Bought an iPad
5. Redone my 4e character sheet & power cards using the cool character sheet that my Vizier of Nameology found and is using.

Bonus: Had sushi with Wil Wheaton.  Though I think the fact that I even know that Wil Wheaton was in Vancouver and had sushi here this week, makes me pretty geeky.

1. Which I totally would have done this week if we still had access to the dvds.  But, since they are still boxed up while we finish painting, I’ll have to wait. [↩]

In honour of the holiday this weekend, I thought I’d post my first themed Five for Friday post.  So here is a list of 5 ways to celebrate Easter with a bit of geek in it.

1. Do an entirely RPG style Easter egg hunt.  When it’s all on paper, you can have as elaborate a treasure hunt as you like. You can incorporate treasure chest, secret doors, and evil creatures that all have real chocolate eggs as treasure.  Then your participants can roll for initiative and then race to see who can uncover the most loot.
2. For those craftily inclined . . . modify (or make from scratch) a stuffed Rabbit of Caerbannog¹
3. If you have a house full of geeks, then do an egg hunt with little geek things hidden inside the plastic eggs –  a new set of dice or some miniatures would fit nicely inside.
4. Create a treasure hunt with clues put inside plastic easter eggs.  Or, perhaps just sets of coordinates to follow for those ‘geo’ inclined.
5. Decorate your eggs with a geek them.  Need inspiration?  Check out these photos by flickr user rakka.  ((I’d love to do some thing year, but we’ll be spending out time applying paint to walls instead of eggs this weekend.))

1. “He’s got huge sharp…..He can leap about…..LOOK AT THE BONES!!!” [↩]

I hope that my blog will continue to have content beyond these short little lists.  But until tax season is over, this is probably all that you’re going to get, so here you go.

1. The Firebird has risen from the ashes.¹
2. We’re having people over tonight for the sole purpose of playing some geeky games.
3. We got to go to Princess Auto this week and buy stuff.  ((For those who haven’t a clue, Princess Auto is heaven for anyone who likes tools or little doo-dads.  Unfortunately, my big purchase there – an iPod dock – doesn’t actually work with my model of iPod.))
4. I voted for The Legend of Neil² and The Guild in the Streamy Awards and you should too!³  Or you should at least go check out those shows because they are hilarious!
5. I was cleaning out cupboards at work and found a big hardcover dictionary and a book about investing the Warren Buffet way and my first thought was “Sweet!  Score!”  ((And then I brought both home.))

Got any Geek things from your week to share?  Feel free to add them in the comments!

1. And I was an active participant in making it happen since I totally had to help feed wires through holes and straighten the monitor :D [↩]
2. And I get an extra geek point because I had to go and double check that the show started with “The” and then capitalized it accordingly. [↩]
3. I know you’re only supposed to vote for one, but I seriously couldn’t pick [↩]