Grand Adventure Awaits /// Music Monday #42

Yep, it's that time once again!

Prepare thine ears, for today we listen to . . .

"Stronger Faster Braver" from the Two Steps From Hell album Battlecry

Composed by Thomas Bergersen

Okay, so I know that TSFH has a ton--and I do mean a TON--of awesome songs. They're so good that I can recognize them by their musical style. But this one has stuck out to me, and I have to say, it's one of my favorites.

There's something about the piano melody at the beginning that lets you know something great is gonna go down. Then that flute (or whatever the wind instrument they used is) kicks in, adding to that feathery tone. And suddenly, wham, we're hit by the other parts of the orchestra with some electronic elements in the background.

Oh, and that electric guitar halfway through? Can't think of a better use for it. Seriously, were do Thomas and Nick come up with these amazing songs? If I could have them compose the soundtracks for my books, I'd jump on that opportunity in a heartbeat. They know how to do a wide variety of emotions through their music.

Today's song is special to me, though. Why's that? I'm using it as the main theme for Shattered, the first book in the revamped Portal Chronicles trilogy that I'm working on. It fits the tone of a grand and epic adventure, fraught with danger and filled with intrigue. Heroes will rise up to the challenge in a world both beautiful and dangerous to save the innocent from annihilation. There will be moments of joy mixed in with buckets of heartache and agony. But there's something more than that, something that I think the track hits perfectly.

The three teens, the main characters--my boys--may not make it home. They may never see their families again, forced out of everything they knew into a land where they'll do what even grown men might not. And so it is with heavy hearts, in the midst of all that comes with perilous quests, that they reflect on Earth, their past lives, and their loved ones. Nothing but death seems certain, and they can only hope and pray that perhaps they will step foot on their beloved planet once more.

That is an emotion that the song encompasses with excellence. Even just writing this with the music in the background sends my gut into turmoil. I do not look forward to the day that I must say goodbye to these characters, but I know I'll have to at some point. It fills me with an ache that only other writers, readers, and even many gamers will understand: the pain of writing that last word, closing that book, completing that game, and parting ways with characters you felt connected to.

If nothing else, this song will always remind me of my brave boys.

Thanks for reading my ramble. I hope you enjoyed the song just as much as I do. Any thoughts on it? Do you have favorite TSFH songs, or even a favorite album? (Mine is Battlecry, by the way.)

Struggles of an Artist: Time

Life is full of struggles. It's not pessimistic or nihilistic, but it is realistic. Jesus Himself told us that we would face difficulties in life. In the same breath, He also told us to take heart, for He had overcome the world and its trials (John 16:33). That promise fills me with great hope and peace.

When I make these inspirational series, I want to always balance the two aspects of them: the struggle and the hope. Because yes, we do have to face hardships, trials, and storms in our life, but we can go through them with Jesus. I aim to do the same thing in this new post series.

I decided to, as the title suggests, discuss the struggles that we as artists deal with on what might even be a daily basis at times. I'm going to come out and say it right now: I don't have all the answers. But I will take care to always highlight and emphasize the dawn rather than the dark. I also will try to make it relatable to not only us creative folk, but also to the everyman.

With all that said, let's talk about the first struggle: time.

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Time is . . . a peculiar subject. We claim we understand it, and yet I don't think we fully grasp all of its ramifications. One could live his days in ignorance of the fact that our time here is finite. He could waste so many weeks, months, even years, and not ever do anything meaningful with his life. And when on his deathbed, he might regret all that he did--or rather, didn't do. But it would be too late.

I firmly believe that art is meaningful, whether it be writing, drawing, singing, or any of the other creative arts. All art tells a story to its audience, one that might speak to different people in different ways. So if anyone ever tells you that what you're doing as an artist is meaningless, do not listen to them. Someone like that is uncultured, in my personal opinion.

So if creating art is not wasting time, how does that element factor in? We say it's that we don't have enough time. I might come home from working 8-4 and decide that I want to write. However, I may have chores to do around the house, or I'll get distracted by Twitter as I'm waiting for my computer to boot up. So I'll say that I'll write after supper, but when the meal is finished and the dishes are washed, I may change my mind and not feel up to it. Or my phone could pull me away again and I end up watching an hour of YouTube. Then I'll decide that I don't have enough time and do whatever I feel like for the rest of the evening.

You may--or may not--be surprised to hear that not having "enough time" isn't the real culprit here. We are all given 24 hours in a day and we can choose how we use those hours. Nay, the actual problem is the mismanagement of our time.

Now we must change our perspective on the issue. Instead of asking, "How can I get more time?" you must ask yourself, "How can I use my time better?" I also strongly believe that a good number of our problems comes from us leaving time ill-managed. That's not to say that there aren't things outside of our control; all I'm saying is that we often mismanage things like our time, emotions, relationships, etc., and that can lead to difficulties in life.

If you've been a bad manager of your time thus far, don't feel stressed. At the risk of sounding like one of those cheesy self-help advocates, you can change your habits now, even if you've been stuck in them for years. It'll probably take much effort, but it's not impossible. "What's the solution?" you might be asking.

I learned in college that it's not so much about the specific solution for that specific problem as it is the principle that applies to a variety of problems. The principle in question is one I read in the book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. In there, the author, Sean Covey, talks about fitting in your big rocks. To sum up what he said, imagine that you have different tasks or things that you need to and/or want to do. Those that are most important are big rocks, and the ones that are of lesser importance are small rocks. If you take a bucket and attempt to fit the small rocks in before the big rocks, you'll never be able to get all the big ones in. If you do the opposite, you will often find the bucket filled with nothing left over.

I developed my own personal plan for fitting in one of my biggest rocks--writing--into my day. During and after NaNo, I found that if I choose to set aside an hour or two of my time at home aside for writing--making it a priority and keeping my phone away for the time being--I am much more effective at actually writing. That way, I'll always get some writing done while still having time for other things in the evening, including some self-care. In fact, I think that'll be the next topic for this series.

This is where I'll end off. I hope this will be a beneficial series for me. Give me your opinion of it thus far! How do you fit writing into your day? What works best for you in managing your time? Share all your secrets and tips!

The Music Monday 2018 Awards - Round 1.2

Welcome back to the Music Monday 2018 Awards, ladies and gents!

In the last round, eight people voted for the best song for each of the first four months. Here are the results!

January: Well, both "Snowball Park" and "Snowy Fields" were tied with 3 votes each . . . I threw them into a decision maker site, and "Snowball Park" was chosen as the winner.

February: "The Tale of Tormak" and "Atonement" were tied at 4 votes each. Once again, the decision maker site was used, and "The Tale of Tormak" is the victor.

March: "Megalovania" easily won with 7 votes. (One person is going to have a bad time.)

April: "The Grand Finale" snatched the victory with 5 of the 7 votes. (Yes, someone didn't vote for this month.)

We thank you for your participation thus far, but the Awards aren't nearly over. Now it's time to move on to the next four months. The contestants are as follows:

May

"Floral Fury" from Cuphead

versus "Rescue" from The Death Cure

June

"Overworld Adventure" from The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

versus "Now" from Detroit: Become Human

July

"Brothers In Arms (Extended Version)" from Mad Max: Fury Road

versus "Phoenix" by MDK

versus "Say" by Gabriel Brown

August

"The Game Has Changed" from Tron: Legacy

versus "Hymn to the Stars" from Starbound

Now it's up to you to vote for the best of each month. Remember, Sunday, February 3rd will be the last day to vote in this round. If it's the 4th and you vote, your picks will not go toward the official tally. Thanks for your help!

Enjoy, and let me know if this round is easier or harder than the last!

Video Game Life Lessons

When I wanted to start this blog, I had several ideas for posts or post series that I could make. One of them was the Video Game Life Lessons series, where I'd examine video games and comment on some of their illogical or funny aspects and elements in the form of . . . well, life lessons. But I never got around to doing that.

Now that my blog is essentially a year and a half old, I figured I might as well start now. This will be a bit more of a sporadic series (like my Quote Quota posts), as it requires more time to think of these things. I also don't know how long this post will be; it'll depend on how many I can come up with. Enough chit-chat, though! I hope you're all ready to be educated.

If you ever find yourself in the vast expanse of space without a proper suit, helmet, and oxygen tank, fret not! You'll breath just fine and live to tell the tale. But as soon you go underwater, you better be watching that air supply, sonny.

-both Super Mario Galaxy games

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Wanting to do some extreme parkour jump off buildings potentially dozens of stories tall? You can, because as long as you make sure you land in a pile of hay, you'll survive.

-any Assassin's Creed game (at least, the older ones)

You might be in the small percentage of the population that can transform into a sacred wolf, and if you are, congrats! You can leap across gaps that would be impossible for the average person to jump. Or you may not be able to. It all depends on how that imp on your back is feeling and if it's convenient to the story or puzzle.

-The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Start treating your pockets better, for they can hold far more items than logic and universal rules would normally allow.

-basically any Animal Crossing or The Legend of Zelda game (along with countless others)

The same goes for your stomach. It's like an endless void of whatever you choose to inhale.

-any Kirby game

If you say something and the person you're talking to doesn't respond, they didn't hear you, even if you heard yourself.

-Club Penguin (except it's just text chatting, not actual voice chatting; thought I'd clarify at the risk of ruining the joke)

You have no need for arms provided you've got good-looking legs.

-Undertale

One hundred people can somehow all fit on a bus that appears to be the same size as a regular school bus. Said bus can also fly with the use of a single hot air balloon.

-Fortnite

Squids die the instant they touch water. So do kids, for that matter.

-Splatoon

When you're living in medieval times, and it's time to battle the enemy, you have to remember what armor to wear. If you're male, you have to go big and bulky; the more armor, the better. On the other hand, if you're female, you can enter the battlefield virtually naked and you'll be a-okay.

-any standard fantasy game ever made

Capturing a wild animal and somehow stuffing them inside a little ball will make you two friends. You can even use the animal to go fight other people who do the same thing.

-any Pokemon game

If it has cat ears, cat eyes, and at least two cat-like teeth, it's not a cat, it's Niko. Stop calling him a cat.

-OneShot

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In a similar vein, all it takes for you to legally become a bird is to get a bird passport. Because birds have passports. It's 2019, people!

-A Hat in Time

If you can see it, you can probably climb it.

-The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

One of the only ways to identify between a human and an android is by a little round light thing on the side of their head. It can be easily removed, so if it is, you're out of luck.

-Detroit: Become Human

When one is shot out of a barrel cannon, not only does that itself not hurt you, but you can also smash through virtually anything--from pirates ships to stone statues--and you'll walk away without even a scratch.

-any Donkey Kong game (at least, the latest two)

Be wary if you become a security guard at a pizzeria and take the night shifts. You'll have to constantly keep an eye on the power levels, because there are no backup generators or any contingencies in place should the power go out.

-any Five Nights at Freddy's game

Most creatures are too dumb to learn how to open your house doors. Their brain functions higher on the night of the blood moon, but that's about it.

-Terraria

Bees will go only for your face, and if they sting you, it's a non-issue. Just take some medicine or go to bed and you'll be back to normal.

-any Animal Crossing game

Don't look the creepy monster in the face!

-many horror games (e.g. Slender: The Eight Pages)

Or maybe you should . . .

-many other horror games (e.g. Spooky's Jump Scare Mansion)

Should you find yourself being pursued through the halls of your school by your principal, there's no need to worry! All you need is a can of pop and you can send him flying in the other direction.

-Baldi's Basics in Education and Learning

In order to be a great defense attorney, all you need is to have great anime hair, be able to point at the prosecutor in a dramatic fashion, and yell, "OBJECTION!"

-any Ace Attorney game

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That's all for today! I hope you were mildly entertained. Lemme know if you want this to become another sporadic series or not.

Music Monday #41

Who's ready for a new song to kick off this year? If you answered yes, then I'm your supplier--er, I'm the guy for you! I mean . . . never mind.

So what's today's beat? It is . . .

"Main Theme" from A Hat in Time

Composed by Pascal Michael Stiefel

I've actually been meaning to choose a song from A Hat in Time for a while now. The soundtrack has a great variety of styles, each fitting the world it was composed for. But one thing I've noticed Pascal is really good at is throwing in the main theme for some of the game's songs, particularly the boss battles.

As for the theme itself . . . well, I think it captures the game's essence wonderfully. It's a bold, fun adventure, lovingly crafted by a an indie team known as Gears for Breakfast. Do recall that, in my post about writing lessons from indie games, I discussed a little bit about the game's development, which I'll go over again now to refresh you.

Jonas Kaerlev, who initially worked on the game by himself before heading a team, wanted to fill the void of 3D platformers. He felt that Donkey Kong 64 had wrecked the genre and wanted to fix it, and thus made it a Kickstarter project. He aimed for $30k, but in the end raised close to $300k, an outstanding success.

However, there was one problem: the game's release date October 5, 2017 for PC. Yooka-Laylee had come out on April 11 of that year, and it hadn't received the best of reviews. Super Mario Odyssey was going to be released on October 27. It seemed that A Hat in Time would fall under the same criticisms as its predecessor and/or be overshadowed by Nintendo's surefire success.

As it turns out, neither happened. Reviews on Steam have been--and still are--overwhelmingly positive. See for yourself.

It shows how much time, effort, and love the developers put into this game. People sense that. I'd have to say that Pascal shared the same vision, because his soundtrack rocks. This track in particular brings to mind images of the Super Mario Galaxy games with its orchestral side, and the electronic elements help establish this game as its own thing. All in all, a great theme for a great game.

Sorry for talking so much about the development of the game instead of the music itself. I hope you still enjoyed the post! What'd you think of the song? Would you like me to share more from the game? (You actually don't get a choice in the matter, but we'll pretend you do.)

Aquman /// A Movie Review

Last week, one of my cousins texted me and asked if I wanted to come with him and another cousin to watch Aquaman. I immediately said yes, because these two guys are fun to hang out with. But at the same time, there was a bit of hesitation in me. It didn't have anything to do with my cousins, but rather with the movie itself. After watching the last DC movie in theaters (Justice League, which I did post a review of), I was unsure of how the new film would hold up. I had seen a couple trailers and thought it looked cool, but I wasn't about to have high hopes for the DCEU.

It was with little to no expectations that I went to the theater. But what I saw pleasantly surprised me.

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Plot/Story-Related Stuff

It's been a year since Arthur Curry fought alongside the Justice League against Steppenwolf and his army of Parademons. Arthur--also known as Aquaman--hasn't stopped his heroic deeds. But if one thing's certain, it's that he wants absolutely nothing to do with Atlantis. Its denizens are why his mother is gone, and he won't forgive them for that.

One evening, as he and his father are leaving a bar, Princess Mera (briefly featured in Justice League) shows up, begging for him to come and fill his role as king. If he doesn't, then the current leader, Orm, will unleash hell upon the surface dwellers. Arthur has no interest in being king, and chooses to head back home.

On his way there, an unearthly tidal waves almost kills his father, and he realizes that this is only the beginning of the madness that Orm has planned. Thus, he reluctantly travels to Atlantis with Mera to put an end to those schemes. But he will have to prove his worth, and all of the underwater kingdoms are against him.

I'm gonna be completely honest here: the plot itself isn't anything completely new or revolutionary. If you boil it down to its basics, it's a quest for an item of power to take down the villain, and the hero grows and changes along the way. But even if we've seen this kind of story before, it's still one that I thoroughly enjoy. And besides, there's nothing new under the sun, right?

A complaint that critics had about the movie was the supposedly-convoluted plot, and here I'm going, "Did you somehow turn your brains off partway through the film?" I found it easy to follow along with the different characters, and every scene had a purpose. There was no fillers, nothing that made me question why I bought a ticket to see this movie. I thought it was a solid--albeit somewhat cliché--storyline.

Characters

Something that Justice League failed at was properly introducing the new characters--Flash, Cyborg, and Aquaman. Those who were already known didn't get any good continuation on their character arcs. The villain was boring and incited no fear in me as a viewer. Aquaman was very different.

I enjoyed Arthur's character. He's one of those guys who has a big, tough exterior and a good heart beating below the surface. In his opening scene, he charged without a second thought into the thick of a band of dangerously-armed pirates to save the helpless crew . . . but he wasn't above mentioning that they were cutting into his drinking time. He was roguishly charming, and the way he evolved over the course of the film was excellent, I thought.

Mera was a great companion, one who believed in Arthur even when he didn't. She was what I consider to be one of the best types of female characters: a girl who has a tender heart, but who can also seriously kick butt and fend for herself. Her powers complemented Arthur's, and I could believe that their romantic relationship was possible. My only complaints about her are that her name sounds a lot like Ariel (the bright red hair doesn't help), and that her standard outfit reveals far too much cleavage.

What about the two villains? Well, Orm was certainly an interesting and complex villain, far better than Steppenwolf, or even Ares. Honestly, I could see why the Atlanteans adored him as their ruler. He seemed like he cared about them and wanted what was best for them, but in truth, he was manipulating things from the shadows to get what he wanted. I probably wouldn't classify him as one of my all-time favorite antagonists, and I'd have to see the movie again to fully analyze his character, but I thoroughly enjoyed his personality and demeanor.

I think the second villain, David Kane, kinda stole the show. Though he was a ruthless crook, he still had a bit of . . . I dunno, good? Maybe relatability? Whatever the case, Aquaman basically created this foe, and even though his motivation for revenge isn't totally unique, he was still great on screen. Maybe I'm just a sucker for epic battlesuits that involve lasers shooting out of the helmet's eyes. Speaking of which, that brings us to the next section. (I will quickly mention first that I also enjoyed the other characters in the film, but I won't bother talking about each and every one of them.)

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Costumes/CGI/Cinematography

The costumes in the film were epic. Seriously, I loved the armor that the Atlanteans wear, especially their water-filled helmets they have to don on land. Arthur's classic Aquaman outfit and Black Manta's suit looked like they were pulled straight from the comics.

What was even more epic was the CGI. Whoever did the special effects needs an award. From the typical ocean life to the war sharks and sea horse-like creatures, from the towering titan monsters to the Trench, everything was breath-taking. I was even blown away by the simple ripple effect that was used when the characters were underwater. And the final battle, man . . . I'd totally agree with the critic who compared it to The Lord of the Rings.

After I took my media class in college, I've become a lot more aware and appreciative of great camerawork, and this film has plenty of that. It's very evident that James Wan was a cinematographer before he became a director. One of my favorite scenes was the battle with Black Manta, and how the camera would smoothly transition from Aquaman and Manta duking it out on the foreground to Mera running from elite warriors in the background. Huge props to the camera crew for their amazing work.

Music

As I said in my review of Justice League, I believe music is one of the most key elements in a film. Danny Elfman composed a lackluster score for the previously mentioned movie, one that failed to do justice (pun intended) to Hans Zimmer's and Junkie XL's musical DC world thus far. Rupert Gregson-Williams's compositions, on the other hand, is a complete 180. He set a great tone for an underwater adventure, using a mixture of synths and orchestra to his advantage. I recall almost always being aware of the score when I watched the movie, something I hadn't done since The Death Cure. I was listening to it while I wrote up this post, and I'd have to say it's a great addition to my superhero soundtrack collection. I'll definitely be featuring it on my blog at some point.

One prominent theme was Orm's, which always consisted of a Zimmer-esque, synthetic WHOMP WHOMP, if you know what I mean. Black Manta's theme involves some nice dark and heavy synths, whereas Aquaman's theme is on the opposite end of the spectrum. I hope DC continues to have Rupert compose their film scores, because he's created a fantastic one for Aquaman.

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Conclusion

Never did I ever think a movie about a hero whose power is talking to fish would work.

The fact that James Wan made Arthur's powers feasible, realistic, and actually very cool is a testament to his dedication to the film. You can tell it was made by someone who loved what he was doing. Compare the movie to the one bland underwater scene in Justice League, and you'll spot the difference quite easily.

There are a lot of things working for this film, and I was thrilled the entire time. Some might argue that my seeing it in 3D and in D-BOX increased my enjoyment, and while I agree, those things can't disguise a bad movie. Watching Justice League (I'm still bitter with that movie, as you can tell) in the same fashion wouldn't have suddenly made it a great cinematic experience. And those things can't add heart, an element that Aquaman had. Seriously, I almost teared up once.

This depth of emotion is something that DC's been missing for quite some time. And in spite of the film's plot and characterization not being entirely unique and new, other aspects give it more creativity and originality. At the end of the day, I would say that Aquaman was better than Wonder Woman and just as good as Man of Steel. I would even say that it was leagues ahead (pun also intended) of the other DCEU installments.

Dare to dive into the world of Aquaman, and I think it might surprise you.

Those are my thoughts! Have you seen the movie yet? If not, why haven't you? If you have, what did you think? Did you agree or disagree with my points, or have anything else to add?

The Music Monday 2018 Awards - Round 1.1

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to your favorite music awards show, where you decide the winner! We did this last year, and due to the extreme popularity, we thought we'd bring it back. You know what it is: the Music Monday Awards, the 2018 edition!

As we did last time, the Awards will be taking place over the next several weeks. 2018's top song will be decided by your votes in three rounds. Each round is open for two weeks at a time, and any vote afterward will not be considered. Due to comments we received last year, we've decided to break up the first round into three separate parts so as not to overwhelm you with voting.

In round numero uno, we vote on the best song for each month. Compare the songs, see which you like the best, and place your vote in a comment down below. But let's not waste any more time and jump straight into the fun! Enjoy!

January

"Snowy Fields" from Kirby's Epic Yarn

versus "Snowball Park" from Super Mario 3D World

versus "Silver Snow Story" from Kirby: Triple Deluxe

February

"The Tale of Tormak" from LEGO Legends of Chima

versus "Atonement" from Journey

March

"Megalovania" from Undertale

versus "To the Bone" by J.T. Music

April

"The Grand Finale" from Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

versus "We Are Number One" remixed by The Living Tombstone

So now the Awards are in your hands. Choose a favorite song for each month and list them in a comment. (And yes, I will be voting as well, in case you're wondering.) Sunday, January 20th, is the last day to vote. Once it is the 21st, you cannot vote for that round anymore.

Also, feel free to spread the word about the Awards on social media and with your friends. The real fun in this comes when we have lots of people voting and affecting the outcome. I'll do my part, but it helps when others chip in too. Thank you in advance for your participation!

I hope you enjoy the first nine songs!

Monthly HapPENings: December + 2019 Writing Goals

Well, hello, 2019! My, how swiftly you've arrived. I suppose that, before we delve too deep into what you have to offer, we should take one last look back at the previous year.

Life was busy in December. I started off with celebrating my birthday (hooray for being older!), and then having to attend a family gathering the next day. The following weekend, I was emceeing one of the kids' classes at church with Tracey, and they had their Christmas performance that day. (Definitely had that song stuck in my head for a while after.) Then the weekend after came with another family gathering (which went surprisingly well). Finally, after all those things plus working full-time, I got my Christmas break for five days, worked two, then got a four-day New Year's break.

Christmastime was very relaxing and refreshing for me. It was so good to spend quality time with my family. There was lots of love and laughter in our home, something I always appreciate. I got some great gifts, such as one from my friends in New Zealand (which had some unexpected and very precious items inside), and my biggest LEGO set to date from my parents. All-in-all, it was a grand time, one that I look forward to every year.

Bookish HapPENings

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I loved the Alex Rider series when I read it a few years ago. Only early in 2018 did I find out that another title had come out, and I finally got around to reading it. Man, did it induce some serious nostalgia. It was like I was reliving my teen spy (mild) obsession/fantasy. I mean, who doesn't want to be a secret agent, fighting heinous criminals and saving the world?

And while this book was thoroughly entertaining, I did have a couple minor issues with it. There seemed to be a number of conveniences that happened for Alex, which probably happened in the other books and I just never noticed them. I'm also not sure how I feel about this book basically undoing one of the plot points from the previous installment. It makes things happier for Alex, but was it necessary? I dunno. At the end of the day, this is another fun, action-packed read for the series, and I'd recommend it if you enjoy the secret agent genre.

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Okay, this is epic. (Meme intended.) Never did I ever think I'd see one of my favorite authors of all-time, Eoin (pronounced Owen) Colfer, write a book for Marvel. But he did, and I knew the instant I saw it and its amazing cover that I had to buy it. It had everything I wanted, from Eoin's great sense of humor to dialogue that I could read in Robert Downey, Jr.'s voice. There were some great twists, the action had me on the edge of my seat, and the characters were all fleshed-out, from the ones pulled from the comics to the OCs. The plot and its structure, which felt quite different from most books, also had me intrigued.

My sole complaint was the fact that the death of a character, who had next to no "screen time" and was only mentioned, but never shown. Her suicide was implied to be very heavy for Tony, and when it came up later at a crucial moment close to the end of the story, I had to figure out why this was so important when it had barely been talked about. A couple minutes of research told me that she was from the comics, and thus, Marvel comic fans would know more about her. As I'm not a comic buff, I do wish this had been elaborated on a little more for my sake and the sake of others like me.

In the grand scheme of things, I'd say it's quite a mild issue, and I say you absolutely must read it. It's a fantastic novel, and I'd venture to say it's one of the best I've read this year.

HapPENings on the Screen

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I'd heard that The Incredibles 2 was just as good, if not better, than the original, and I'd have to agree! Pixar has done a phenomenal job on their sequels. Considering that the first one came out over a decade ago, I think this film excels at embracing both the old and the new. There were nods to the first, from the animation style to the very opening with the Underminer (wish we'd seen more of him) to the soundtrack itself, while giving it a new spark like they have with recent films. Every action piece was well-thought-out, and they had some good breathers in between. The film's message was heartwarming, and the characters were developed excellently. I know some people have complained about Screenslaver, but honestly, I think the villain was one of the best parts. This is definitely a five-star film in my books.

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This movie, on the other hand, was a little more mediocre. I still have yet to understand why the Harry Potter films are so well-loved. I mean, they're decent enough, but they have a tendency to ramble. I was only interested in the plot during the last third of the movie or so. While there were some interesting scenes and characters, there just wasn't enough to fully capture my attention. Also, it was a good thing that the Dementors froze things as they approached; otherwise, they'd just be a conglomeration of Ringwraiths, time wraiths from The Flash, and that one wraith in Once Upon a Time. I hope the other films become better than the ones I've seen so far.

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We rewatched this movie on New Year's Eve, with one of my grandmas, who hadn't ever seen it. It's funny how, after so many years of not seeing it, I still remember most--if not all--of the dialogue and scenes. I was also watching it from a writer's perspective and appreciating the opening scene, the character arcs, the pacing, and all that other wonderful stuff. It also made me sadder than it did when I was younger, something I was both surprised and not surprised about. Such a good, classic film . . . even most of the animation still holds up today, which is amazing. Go treat yourself and see it again.

I've been watching more of Trollhunters, and it's rapidly becoming one of my favorite shows. It's entertaining and action-packed, with characters I'm invested in and creepy villains. Seriously, the evil troll, Bular (shown on the above picture), makes some threats that caught me off-guard. He's talked about drinking Jim's blood from his skull, ripping off his skin, etc. And then it's implied that he ate a poor museum guard. Seriously, this is a cool show, and if you enjoy other stuff DreamWorks has done, like How to Train Your Dragon, you'll probably love this too.

I've also watched one episode from my other shows (Avatar, The Flash, and Ninjago), but I opted not to include all those pictures here.

Gaming HapPENings

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So I'm replaying this Mario & Luigi game because I hadn't played it in forever, and I got stuck at the final bosses without the proper items available. I also told myself that before I can play Dream Team, I have to finish Partners in Time. Now, I used to say that this was my least favorite installment in the franchise, but I think my mind is being changed. It's a very fun game, and now I'm not coming at with my initial expectations. It's still not my favorite, but I think I'm enjoying it more than I did the first time--which is a rare, but very welcome, thing.

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I'm also replaying Skyward Sword in Hero Mode, and I can already tell it's going to be a challenge. I haven't even gotten to the first temple, and there's already been at least one instance where I came so close to death. But I'm remembering why I absolutely love this game so much, and I honestly wish I had started replaying it sooner. I just hope I don't die too often. (Fingers crossed!)

Writerly HapPENings

Well, Shattered didn't get a higher word count in December. Whoopsie. I will forgive myself, since I was busy and also just came off of my first NaNo. 2019's going to be much better in that regard.

Speaking of which, I suppose I should look over my writing goals for last year and make some new ones. On January of 2018, I set out to:

• Reread A Totally Epic Pirate Story in January and decide if I want to finish it or not
• Finish The Tournament of Convicts by the end of May
• Choose between finishing Maelstrom or starting to novelize Darkened Slumber and do that for the rest of the year
• write more of An Old Face, a New Game and The Darkest Dawn (a coauthored story) on the side

Oh my goodness . . . what was I thinking?! I mean, yeah, if I'd actually put some effort in, I probably could've accomplished at least a couple of those goals, but all four? Seems to be stretching it a little. The only thing I did was start novelizing Darkened Slumber, and that was hardly anything. So this year, I have one goal:

• Write Shattered consistently

Truth be told, I have no idea how long it'll take for me to finish writing that novel. But as long as I'm making steady progress, I don't think the deadline matters too much at this point. If I feel the need to adapt that aspect into the goal later on, then I will. But for now, I just want to write my heart out, and have fun doing it.

That was my December. Tell me, what was yours like? How was your Christmas? Got any plans or goals for 2019? Any book/movie/TV show/game recommendations for me from this past year? Do tell all!