G'day mates. As you might already know, SargeantSarcasm has stepped down from his long held position as a journalist to fulfil his long-time dream of starting a bacon restaurant, writing a best-selling novel, learning how to ride a bike, and reconnecting with his kids (in that order) so I'll be stepping in to fill the void (in your hearts). So that's nice. But enough about SargeantSarcasm, we're not here to talk about him all day are we?
I know it's only been one week since the last Community Spotlight1 but I thought I'd give you guys a little treat and do the next Community Spotlight a little early, and as a big fan of certain literary devices, my first interview naturally had to be SargeantSarcasm. So read on while we discuss the finer points of Orlando Bloom, Shanon, Cosplay, Video-game Journalism and much-much more.
1And don't you dare question it!
FH: Because I'm the kind of journalist that asks the hard-hitting questions: You recently retired from being the Community Spotlight author following the comments in the Front Page Feedback thread. The criticism started from being about the recent ForgeHub Favourites article (being the unplanned trainwreck that it was), then suddenly people began insulting not only the manner in which you conducted the Community Spotlight, but began insulting your work ethic. The complaint that the CS doesn't contain enough Forge related talk is ridiculous, not only because that would get boring and repetitive really fast, or because the community is in a lull right now until the new Halo: Anniversary maps come out, but not everyone on the site is really interested in Forge. If it were me being interviewed for example, I'd mention my map "Don't EMP me bro" maybe once, you'd remark on how I won the Forgotten Treasures with my Warlock remake, then we'd talk back and forth, make a few jokes, and the community at large would enjoy reading it. So my question is: What is your idea of a perfect Sunday afternoon?
Sleeping in until noon, waking up to a fine breakfast that I dutifully made myself out of choice ingredients I didn't pay for, then watching various movies I hadn't seen (or seen in a while) until nightfall. At which point I peruse the internet and think to myself that I wasted a day when I should've been writing as I hope that to be my eventual craft. There are better Sundays I could imagine, but that seems the most attainable at the moment.
FH: So this is my first Community Spotlight, and I chose you, SargeantSarcasm, as my first Interview. So my second question is: Why did you never interview me? You've heard of "Don't EMP me bro" right? I made that.
Because you were staff at the time, and unless I had chosen to interview everyone again (which is how the original spotlight started, under CreepingDeath) it wouldn't have been exactly fair. And even under those terms, it would've been bland as I'd be interviewing people that many members of the general populace believe gain enough exposure as it is.
In regards to your third question attached to the second like a pork barrel project to an appropriation's bill, no I don't know what you're talking about.
FH: Oh, we should play it sometime, I'm sure you'll love it.
It sounds a bit childish. I don't think I'll ever touch it.
FH: Says the guy who played Cawk Blawkin'.
Anyway, what was the intial spark that made you want to become a writer? Was there a particular film or book or franchise, or has it been something you've always wanted to do from a certain age?
I had never been interested in reading, and though I'm getting into it more as of very late, I found the actual process very arduous and boring. I don't recall when I started writing or why in particular, but I do recall being grounded for getting a D- on a progress report (which was even stated by my teacher to have been a B+ by the time the paper reached home, but I was still grounded) so I wasn't allowed to watch TV or listen to the radio. I was allowed to use our computer (this was pre-internet-is-god, we had aol and I never really used it back then) so I set out to write a novel. Got about 20 pages, passed it around, people liked it, and I got the bug seriously after that.
I stopped writing it because the novel name for the novel wasn't exactly original, so when I saw a show by the same name "The X Factor" about two weeks after I had started, I gave up.
FH: Was it about Mutants?
In a sense, it was about a set of super-powered people that were part of a government program (if I recall correctly) and it was written in much the same way 90s comics were (not that I had read any comics at that time). EXTREME, VIOLENCE, BADASSERY, was the name of the game.
FH: Sort of like a weapon X deal?
Yeah, since I'm an auditory learner, I wouldn't doubt that being where I derived the name as I probably heard it in passing at least once.
FH: I had a similar kind of idea but I've never committed it to paper (or MS Word). Is it hard to find the motivation/ confidence to write, or is it something you just force yourself into?
Bit of both. I get enraptured in a new idea, so I set out to develop it (either through writing or outlines) and what inevitably happens is another idea comes along that interests me more, so I abandon the current project. It isn't unusual for an old idea to resurface with some new direction, and replace the first idea, then that idea to come along again in a vicious circle.
The hardest barrier (and the main reason I no longer outline anymore) is writing with foresight of the end. As I don't read at all really, the way I approach writing is very much the same as how people read, they love the story, they want to know what happens next. At some point when you're writing, you need to figure out how it's going to end. What's happened to me many a time is I'll develop the ending and I lose all interest in the story as I already know what's going to come of it.
So now when I write, I have vague ideas of where I'm going to go, themes, motifs, etc. If I absolutely need to get specific, like the end to the novel I've been brainstorming for over a year, I limit myself to writing a single sentence. I know the final sentence of the piece. But I don't know what it means (in context) or how I'm going to get there.
FH: Do you feel like that's the irony of being a writer? That writers are the kind of people who love elaborate, transfixing sort of worlds and characters, so they set out to write something that they themselves would really enjoy reading, so they get to brainstorm all the different storylines and mechanics and ideas, but they never get to experience them for the first time the way they would if they were reading someone else's story? Sort of like being the guy who designs the haunted house?
In regards to me personally, no. As I build these worlds and characters, I'm exploring them as if any reader would. I'd go as far as to say (and I'm biased here as I hate the latter) that it's more fun than reading, because I can see all the possibilities. To be cliche, I'm the gatekeeper that sees what's beyond every threshold. It has a flip side though, because I grapple with what would make the story better. I constantly ask myself if certain words should be switched out, or if certain behaviors should be dropped, etc. One of the stories I'm writing right now has two mutually exclusive ways of telling it that are both equally viable and interesting, and I'm trying to find a way of unifying it, and if not that, which one would make a better tale.
And in regards to dialogue, it's hard to keep under control. If one character lets out a scathing witticism, it's hard to keep myself from writing the other character's retort in kind.
"Well if I were him, I'd say this back, then he'd say this, and I'd say this" and whatnot. But I'm not either character.
FH: While the audience may get to read the book or play the game or watch the film, the writer gets to really "know" the universe. They get to know precisely why each character does what they do, and all of the design choices and miniscule twinges to the story that could have taken place. It's why I love things like director's commentary, there's an enjoyment in simply learning what makes a story or a universe tick that I'm sure most writers have.
Yeah exactly. My earlier works were trying to deliberately be very vague and very descriptive at once. And because it was that paradoxical, it failed spectacularly.
FH: So you were doing the Community Spotlight for 3 months while you were a journalist, do you have any good stories or funny things that happened behind the scenes?
I failed to remember to show up to every interview without fail.
FH: So you set up interviews at specific times and just never remembered?
Every single one had me the person contact me at the time of the interview, and waiting 30 minutes while I figured out a general plan of discussion.
There might've been a few where I remembered but had failed to have topics at hand.
So rather, every single one had the person wait while I gathered information.
FH: Wait, I'm supposed to have had topics? Oh I have a good question.
Take me through the average interview including all the preparatory work that is required, that no-one would notice or care about.
Contact. Question. Write-up.
Pretty standard. You aren't getting any handouts boy.
FH: Now I'll never know how I'm supposed to be doing this .
FH: So the Throwdown contest is coming up, confident in your chances?
Not particularly. Shanon's excellent, I'm awesome with a sniper rifle, but there's always the chance we'll fluke.
Especially considering the sniper rifle is just about the only weapon I can damage anyone with. Stupid bloom on the DMR.
FH: I love that word. I hate Orlando Bloom though. Over-rated.
He looks pimp in the Three Musketeers though, never thought he'd look like anything other than a sissy-boy.
And I don't use the word "pimp" or phrase "sissy-boy" lightly.
FH: What 3 games and/or films are you most looking forward to from the remainder of the year, Skyrim and Halo: Anniversary aside?
Uncharted 3, Arkham City, don't know what my third would be.
FH: Not a big Gears fan?
As for films, I don't keep up with what's coming out, I just keep a mental list of movies I'm interested in, and when I see one's available I watch it.
Gears is the epitome of the aforementioned 90's comics logic.
FH: That game is an embarassing example of video games being a male power fantasy.
True enough, but the third installment did inspire a fantastic cosplay by a beautiful woman, so there's that.
FH: Visual Aid?
FH: Do I want to know how you found this?
My friend linked me, and he probably found it on kotaku.
FH: Yeah, I think I've seen it there too. The Australian version of Kotaku seems like it has less cosplay, which I like.
FH: Brian Ashcraft is one creepy..
I wish I could write for kotaku, or any other gaming publication for that matter :C
FH: It's not so much writing as seeing.
"Hey I saw this, I should relink it here"
Yeah, which I would aim to change on my end of things lol.
FH: Do you have a favourite game journalist?
Nope, don't follow writing styles in nonfiction much lol.
And in fiction, I admire from afar.
FH: Tolkien?
Well, what I mean is, I don't actually read their stuff, but I like their ideas. So yeah, Tolkien's one of them. Mikhail Bulgakov, William Faulkner and George R.R. Martin are notable exceptions.
FH: Most of my favourite authors are Children's or Teen fiction. So that's embarassing.
I want to write a series of teen fic novels, just to get it done correctly. Then again, J.K. Rowling already did that.
And I love children's stories, at least in terms of their story potential.
FH: That's why I love Avatar: The Last Airbender. It's pretty light (in tone), but the story is great, and the universe is so detailed.
FH: So what Halo: CE map are you looking forward to the most from the upcoming pack?
If I had my choice, it'd probably be Turf
FH: Turf was Halo 2 though.
Yeah but they could cheat D:
Prisoner would be epic with my Patrician Hunt variant
FH: Of the 7 planned, I think the confirmed ones are Battle Creek, Hang 'Em High, Damnation, but there is a screenshot that is from Timberland as well.
I think Timberland is the only one I actually played in multiplayer besides coagulation.
FH: Timberland has a forest look to it, so I'm excited.
Did you play CE?
FH: On the xbox, but not PC.
I only played it for campaign.
FH: So what question do you want the next person to have to answer?
"What do you think of the staff?"
FH: Would it be too weird to ask you Psychoduck's question, seeing as you asked him for it?
Yes it would.
But go ahead
FH: What's your favorite armor ability in Reach, and why aren't the others good enough you picky bastard.
FH: I added a little flair to it.
Cloak, mainly because it's awesome in conjunction with sniping.
And the others suck, aside from sprint, because they slow down the game in a fashion that halo wasn't made for. Cloak has always been in the game in the form of a power-up.
FH: I'd use it if it weren't for the radar jammer. Man that's a bad perk.
YOU'RE MIXIN UP YOUR GAMES BRO
DON'T EMP ME
FH: Next time you invent a gametype I'm never playing it.
You say that now, but I won't push it on you like you tried pushing yours.
FH: Do you have any leaving comments, recommendations for the next guest, etc?
They should probably plan to spend an hour and a half for the interview.
FH: I take it your interviews went slightly faster?
15-30
FH: This interview was 3-6 times better then.
Woah, well was that fun or what? Kind of like taking the Magic School Bus through Jurassic Park, only to have it knocked off a cliff by a Tyrannosaurus Rex. If you would like to volunteer the next person to have a dilophosaurus spit venom in their eyes, be nipped to death by Compsognathus' or mauled by a Velociraptor, drop me a line.
I regret to announce — this is The End. I am going now. I bid you all a very fond farewell.
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