First off, Happy New Year! Hope that you’re having a great start to the New Year and that it treats you well. Let’s all resolve to make 2019 a great year!
Top Ten Posts
10. Nostalgia Review: AD&D Pool of Radiance (SSI Goldbox AD&D Game) for the Commodore 64: This one is fairly surprising to me as D&D is still popular, but this game was the beginning of (successful) translating of the D&D rule-set for computers that is also a great game. SSI, the company making it, had cut their teeth on war game, but they really knocked it out of the park with their “gold box” D&D games.
9. Commodore 64 Nostalgia: Kung-Fu II: Sticks of Death (or Caveat Emptor): If the number 10 post was surprising, this one was pretty much shocking. I never thought that anyone would be interested in this particular post and/or game, as this was a shocking example of misleading advertising. This game, among others, helped teach me the value of independent reviews.
8. 250 Words = 1 Typed Page: This is the first one on the list that I’m not really surprised to see in the Top 10 posts. We all are crunched for time, and a fully typed page seems so long, but when you add in the correct font and the correct spacing, a fully typed page doesn’t have a lot of words, only 250 words. Just think–1,000 words is about four full pages. Now we just have to turn that knowledge into Action!
7. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Season’s Greetings: So this is the post I did for 2017, but many people found it relevant for both years. Christmas wishes and holiday greetings are ALWAYS relevant!
6. Black Panther vs. Spider-Man: Learning How to Navigate Social Interactions through Comic Book Trading: I’m glad to know that both the characters of Black Panther and Spider-Man are enjoying a resurgence. They were massive popular in the late 80s/early 90s, but faded away with the popularity of anti-heroes like Wolverine. It’s good to know there’s still a place for true heroes in today’s anti-hero loving world.
5. Author’s Note: Here Be Monsters: I’m actually not sure why this one has made the list. HBM is one of the stories that I thought would sell based on the amount research that I did for the story, but it is one that I’ve sent out approx. 5-6 times this year, but publishers didn’t decide to take it. It has been accessed quite frequently this year, however, so I don’t have an explanation for it.
4. “Spahn and Sain and Pray for Rain”: This is sorta’ my “statement of purpose.” Sci-Fi and Fantasy are a huge part of my life and THE reason that I’m such a great reader–I found my niche as a reader early in my childhood and now I just need to find that love of reading and being a successful reader into my love of writing and becoming a successful writer.
3. The Outline’s the Thing (to Catch a Story) Redux: This post is the one that I’m very glad is so high on the list. This is part of my own personal writing philosophy (& my teaching philosophy). While I understand the writing process is different for various writers, I contend that the outline gets an unfair rap as something that is restrictive or binding and shouldn’t be used, especially for creative writing. Outlines allow you to tell the story to yourself first and then look for places to dramatize the story.
2. Great Actors in Small Roles: Madalyn Horcher as Sgt. Leach: I’m really gratified that others are reading this post as I thought Madalyn Horcher’s performance was something special, but I haven’t seen her in other mainstream projects (that I follow, at least). It’s easy to give your all as a “mega” star, but to give your all in a small, “helper” role, is truly the mark of a great actor.
1. Ranking Marvel’s Cinematic Universe Movies–My Take (2018 Edition–now updated with Thor Ragnarok & Black Panther): This, again, is the number one post of 2018. Right now, we really, really like Marvel movies. During the month of April, there was fever pitch excitement for Avengers: Infinity War and it translated to this post’s viewership. I feel like I let the reader’s down as I actually didn’t get a chance to see this one in the theaters, but I might try to get there in 2019 for the 2nd part as I see the readership really like Marvel! To quote the late Stan Lee, “Make Mine Marvel!”
Well, that’s all that I have for today–a look back at the OtherWorlds blog through the popularity of the posts. I hope everyone has a great, productive, and successful 2019!
Sidney
- Read Skin Deep for Free at Aurora Wolf
- Read Childe Roland for Free at Electric Spec
- Purchase Dragonhawk on Amazon.com (Paperback) or Kindle
- Current Work-in-Progress: The Independent (Sci-Fi Short-Story – 2nd Draft)
- Current Work-in-Progress: Project Star (Sci-Fi Short-Story -1st Draft)
- Current Work-in-Progress: Ship of Shadows (Sci-Fi Graphic Novel – Script, Issue # 2, Currently on Script Page 32)
OtherWorlds: A Science Fiction & Fantasy Web Journal 