The first time I watched E3 was 2007. I remember it like it was yesterday. At the time, I was living at Mission Springs with my best friend Adam. He, Frady and I all went to UAT and didn’t like our roommates through UAT’s school-sponsored housing, so we got an apartment together. Adam and I shared a room. I feel he is partly to blame for my massive video game and movie collection. He bought the PS3 and Wii the day they were released and had a pretty formidable collection of games and movies.

I feel like I knew what E3 was before 2007. I hope I did. I mean, I was going to a school to study game design after all. I read about it in my Game Informer magazines, but I had never watched it before. When I lived in Georgia, I didn’t have internet access as home, so I spend my weekends on my laptop at the library. I think at that point I was more concerned with figuring out what I was going to do for college rather than trying to look at E3.

It’s so strange; I only watched one E3 with Adam, but I always think of him when E3 rolls around. Now that I think of it, I don’t know if we actually watched E3 together or I just watched it on his computer. For the sake of the story, and more importantly, the memory, let’s just say we watched it together.

I don’t remember a lot of that E3, but I have very fond memories of one particular game… LittleBigPlanet (and the song, “Get it Together” that was used for all the trailers.) I just remember Adam being so excited for it and it made me excited about it. I can’t begin to list how many damn games I ended up buying because of his excitement for them turning into my excitement for them. He was the reason I got back into playing Pokémon… and ended up buying a Nintendo DS, Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald and Diamond.

He introduced me to Kotaku and 4chan (though I don’t visit 4chan) and Kill Bill. After watching the movies, we decided we were going to write a script together, but we could never settle on an idea. That was my first time being interested in screenwriting.

I’ve been thinking a lot about screenwriting lately. At my second job we are allowed to browse the web in-between calls. I like to read articles from MSN.com and The New York Times. I had been reading about E3 and wanted to see more about video games (seeing the trailer for LittleBigPlanet 3 made me incredibly happy and it made me miss Adam.) I came across an article about indie video game makers. I can’t recall the exact details of the article, but it was talking about how many veterans of the video game industry are teaching in various universities across the country and how learning to make video games in the university setting is becoming increasingly popular.

This then lead me to an article about writing for video games. I’m sure I’ve read it before, but something about it sparked something within me. I felt this excitement I haven’t necessarily felt when thinking about screenwriting. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I like screenwriting. I like films and TV (probably TV more so than film), but there is this excitement I get when it comes to video games that the other two can’t compete with.

It’s made me question my whole plan. Why get this degree and try to get into Hollywood if I really want to work in video games? At first, I wanted to work as a screenwriter because it is essentially the same job as writing for video games, but with better pay. In a perfect world, I’d like to work in both industries. Part of me wants to still move to San Diego and see what happens, but another part of me is telling me I need to just go to LA, as it will increase my odds of networking. Thankfully, I still have some time to decide.

E3 this year made me so excited. I can’t express with words how excited I was to finally hear that GTA V is coming to PS4. I jumped up and down in excitement when I learned I got a code for the Destiny Alpha, despite missing the sign up deadline. Gaming news always makes me excited. I am always looking up articles and info for games. I don’t do the same thing for films and TV.

As a kid, Sister Act II was one of my favorite films. There is a part of the film that has always stuck with me. Whoopi Goldberg’s character is talking to Lauryn Hill’s character and trying to convince her to join the choir. She tells her about a book she read. In said book, an aspiring writer is writing the author of the book asking how to become an author. The man tells the guy, if you wake up one day and you can’t think of anything but writing, then you are meant to be a writer. She tells Lauryn the same thing about singing.

When I wake up in the morning, more times than not, I am thinking about video games more so than film or TV. That being said, I’ve been inspired so much by the films and TV shows I’ve watched. Films like Sucker Punch and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (though not critically acclaimed) have excited me just as much so as the latest game news has.

I have so many dreams and aspirations. I don’t know if I will reach or obtain them all, but I’m going to try my hardest to do so. This summer, though it has been busy and tiresome, I am starting to feel that fight I felt I had lost. I’ve been planning and plotting how to get my degree and get the hell out of Arizona.

One of the tips from the article about writing for video games was to create a website. That was very exciting to me. When networking, I could show people a website that has samples of my writing, as well as blogs or articles or whatever that I write about my favorite games, TV shows and films. If I want to be a writer, I have to analysis what I like and don’t like about others’ work. When it comes to video games, I have to do the same thing, but also think about how the story works with the game play itself.

The idea of taking on this project is very exciting to me and I hope to start putting together a website in the very near future.

As of now, my tentative plan is to graduate, move to LA and try to get into the screenwriting and video game writing business simultaneously. From there, I will see what happens. Hopefully, I won’t have to choose between one and the other…

I haven’t been writing lately. I figured if I start blogging a bit more it will help me transition into working more on scripts and stories.

It is summertime, which means no school for a few months. I thought I would have some time to relax and enjoy myself, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. I took on a second job, as I am only working part time right now, to have some extra cash for the summer. On top of that, an employee at another location quit, so I’ve picked up extra hours over there to help out. I worked every day last week and work every day this week. Maybe next week I will get a day off. Last week I worked 46 hours and this week I will probably work around the same. The positive to working so much is it doesn’t give me enough time to even attempt to spend all this extra money I am making. I am starting to feel a little burned out already, but it is worth it to me.

The joy of the extra spending money has been taken away as well. I learned that I am about to run out of my federal financial aid, so I am going to have to take out private loans. I’ve never had to do that before and it makes me nervous. So, most of the extra money I make this summer will be going towards filling that gap. And then, I realized last night that there is no way I will be able to graduate in Spring. I just started taking upper division courses, and after the Fall and Spring semester, I will probably still need 4 or 5 more classes to meet the 45 minimum. At first, it made me really sad and angry. But then I thought, I started in Spring 2010, so ending in Fall 2015 isn’t that bad, considering I was on a five year plan anyway. I also have to consider the fact that I changed my major three times. But I am nervous about funding that final semester. It will have to be funded all by myself…

I was hoping to leave AZ by my 27^th birthday, but I feel everything happens for a reason. With this recent shift in my finances, it is probably best for me to have that extra time to save up a bit more money for my move. So, I’m looking at everything in a positive light and I will hope for the best. This also gives me time to work on scripts and come up with a solid plan for when I head out to Cali. I don’t want to be one of those people who wasn’t prepared, that’s not my style.

I’ve always had a bittersweet relationship with True Blood for several reasons. I find myself unable to stop watching, yet it feels very much like a soap opera because very little seems to actually be happening. I’m used to shows like Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, where there were season arcs and whatnot. It always throws me off when a show doesn’t have that.

I remember the first time I saw True Blood like it was yesterday. It was the summer of 2010, sometime in the beginning of July. I was dating my first boyfriend at the time. I had heard of the show, but didn’t have HBO or enough curiosity to seek out a way to watch it.

I drove up to Flagstaff that weekend because Keith was there visiting some of his best friends and wanted me to come meet them. I’d never been to Flagstaff, at that time, and wasn’t particularly interested in going, but he got upset that I wouldn’t go, so I went.

The first night we were there, we watched True Blood. It was some episode in season two because I remember him talking about how hot Eggs was and I made him look away whenever he was on the screen.

We broke up after that Flagstaff trip. It sucked, especially because a few days later I went to San Diego Pride for the first time and for parts of the trip I was too sad to even get out of bed.

When I got home from San Diego, I started watching True Blood from the beginning. It reminded me so much of Keith and made me sad, but I couldn’t stop watching the show. He was such a sweet guy.

I recently started watching True Blood again. I decided to start from the beginning, because it has been almost four years since I watched it. All those memories flooded back, especially when I got to season two.

It was my fault we broke up. Me and my diva ways (which were ten times worse than they are now back then). At the time, I regretted it, but I don’t regret it anymore. I feel everything happens for a reason and he was a good boyfriend. He set the bar pretty high.

Movies and TV shows tap into that romantic, vulnerable side of myself that I hide from the world. Someday, I think I’d like to be in love. And yes, I am aware that my actions are counterproductive to my desires.

Maybe I’ll write more about my romantic (or lack thereof) past in some later blog. For now, I’m going to get back to watching True Blood and fantasizing about some future love…

I have to take a bullshit class that is supposed to prepare me for college. It is four years too late, but it is a requirement of my degree that I take it. It is just another way the school sucks money out of us. Anyway, we watched this TED Talk video about goals. The presenter tells us the best thing we can do when we have goals is keep it to ourselves. He said a lot of people get congratulated when they tell others their goals. They end up feeling the sense of accomplishment before they actually accomplish the goal… and thus never accomplish said goal.

I don’t know if I agree with that.

For me, I like to tell people my goals. You never know who might be able to help you achieve that goal.

I have a new goal in life. It isn’t a drastic change to the goal I had before, but a change nonetheless. My goal up until a few weeks ago was to graduate from college, pack up my bags and head to San Diego, CA to try my hand at working for a video game company.

I felt that the universe will send signs to guide you in the right path. A few Fridays ago, I went out to dinner with a friend. I planned to just have dinner and go back home, but we somehow convinced each other to go out for a drink or two. I ended up running into a friend at the bar and meeting his friend. She was from out of town. We were chatting and the subject of school came up. She asked what I was studying and I told her Film & Media and that I want to be a screenwriter or work in the video game industry. I believe I had already mentioned to her that I wanted to move to San Diego. She asks me, “Well, why don’t you move to LA?”

I told her I was scared of LA.

It turns out she lived in LA and she said it is a good city if you keep to yourself and don’t get involved in shady stuff. She also told me if I want to work in the film industry, Los Angeles is the best place to be.

I run into another friend at this bar (which is not unusual for me). He is someone I haven’t seen in well over a year. We were chatting and I told him how my new friend just tried to convince me to move to LA. He agreed with her and said the best thing I can do, especially if I want to be a screenwriter, is go to LA. He told me he writes screenplays with his brother and the best thing about writing is if you are good, there is nothing that can get in your way. Models and actors doesn’t have the same benefit. They have to look the part as well.

I then contacted a friend of mine via Facebook who recently moved to LA. He said the same thing. If I want to be a screenwriter, the best place to be is LA. He told me I will have the opportunity to make connections I wouldn’t be able to make if I were living in San Diego.

I believe in signs, especially when I receive them in sets of three’s (I have an OCD obsession with sets of three’s). So, I’ve decided, I’m going to get my degree and move to LA ASAP.

Eventually, I would like to still work in the video game industry, and I can still do that in LA, if I want to do so. The problem is the only difference between a screenwriter and a video game writer is the pay (screenwriters are paid more). I’m going to go where the money is to start myself off. Either way, I’ll be doing what I love.

I love all these film classes I’ve been taking. I love watching and critiquing films. I love watching the commentary and the behind the scenes stuff for films. It has always been fascinating to me.

When I was a kid and I first started writing I used to have the same dream quite often. It was the beginning of a movie and it was something I wrote. As a child, I thought it meant I would write a book that would be adapted to film, but maybe it just meant I was supposed to write for film?

I don’t feel a sense of accomplishment telling people this is my dream and goal. I know that Los Angeles is all about who you know and the connections you make. By starting now and starting to network with friends of mine who are in LA and the LA area now, some who already have strong connections in LA, I’m only making things better for myself.

So, sorry TED Talks guy, I’m going to tell as many people as I can to help me get to where I want to be.

I’ve been gone for a minute and now I’m back with the jump off. 

I don’t really have an excuse for why I haven’t been writing. I’ve been lazy. I’ve been playing a lot of Final Fantasy X… and I have been going out with friends a lot. 

Somehow, I feel that going out a lot and watching a lot of movies and playing a lot of video games will inspire me to write. I tend to forget that I still have to sit down and attempt to write. 

Blogging has always been a good outlet for me and it is a stress reliever. 

My first post said this blog would focus more on my writing than my personal life, but I’ve changed my mind, though I don’t have much of a personal life to discuss. 

To get the ball rolling, I’ll discuss a dream I had the other night. 

I’ve always had strange dreams, ever since I can remember. Usually the dreams are about people I don’t know. I’m normally not in my dreams. Nonetheless, I feel what these people feel. Quite strongly. 

The dream I had the other night started me though. I was at this party and ran into an ex of mine. The strange thing is I only have two exes and this guy was not one of them. Somehow we started talking and talking lead to dancing and then somehow we separated from the rest of the party and found ourselves in a room alone. I could tell he wanted to kiss me and that made me extremely nervous (as it does in real life) and I brought up something random and stupid as he went in for the kiss. Something that made him second guess his decision and he left the room. I chase after him, but I woke up before I could find him.

When I woke up I just felt this feeling of regret. It was so strange and so powerful. Like a good writer, I wrote it all down in my dream journal, well, at least every detail I could remember.

A few years ago, I learned that if I go a long time without writing anything, my dreams get more powerful and intense. They also get very dark and weird. I feel it is the Powers That Be telling me to get my ass writing. 

So, I decided I’m going to take this concept, this one small scene in a bigger story and build upon it. I think I will just make a short story (short script to be more accurate) and see what comes of it.

Release Date: 06.14.13 Platform: PlayStation 3

The Last of Us is the latest game by Naughty Dog. They are known for their amazing games such as the Uncharted and Jak and Daxter series. The Last of Us is another title they can add to that list. The game tells the story of Joel and Ellie and their journey through a post-apocalyptic world in search of a cure for a disease that infected the general populace. Early in the game, the player discovers Ellie seems to be immune to the disease. Joel’s goal is to get her to a group called the Fireflies to study her and find out how and why.

The game is nothing short of an emotional rollercoaster. If the first chapter of the game doesn’t pull at your heartstrings, your heart must be made of ice. The first chapter also sets the tone of the rest of the game. The story is pretty intense at time, taking you to dark places few games bother to venture. Naughty Dog has a talent for making characters you love. Joel and Ellie are endearing and you’ll want the best for them as you play the game. At first Ellie is little more than a job, but a father-daughter relationship grows as the game progresses. The story is one of my favorites. There were twists and turns I didn’t expect and many moments when I literally blurted out, “What the fuck?!?”

The game is beautiful. The levels you go through are works of art. There are 13 chapters all together and each chapter takes place in a different location. The areas have a similar look, but are different enough that you don’t feel like you are in the same level with different dressings over it. Everything is torn down, old and all the building and man-made things are becoming one with nature. I’m a fan of photography of old and abandoned places, so I really liked the style of the game. Sometimes I found myself wandering around just to look at the craftsmanship that went into the level designs. The characters are built just as well. The minute details are what did it for me. The texture of Joel’s hair or the wrinkles on his face. It’s a great looking game.

The controls felt very intuitive. My first play through, I had a bit of trouble with the stealth aspects, but I improved on my Survivor play through. Some of it seemed a bit farfetched. For instance, sometimes you can kill an enemy in plain view of another one, but the other won’t see or notice. However, this didn’t happen often enough to be a bother.

There are a few RPG elements in The Last of Us. Joel can level up abilities. I didn’t find them to have much of an effect on the game play though. Most of them dealt with crafting speeds. The most useful one increased his health. You can also upgrade his guns, though, once again, I didn’t find them to have much of an effect on the game play. I am fond of leveling up characters though, so I enjoyed searching for parts (to upgrade the guns) and supplements (to upgrade Joel).

Crafting is also an important part of the game. You find crafting supplies scattered throughout the levels (the easier the difficulty, the more you’ll find.) These supplies can be combined to make items. This was one of my favorite aspects of the game, as you can shape the way you play the game by the items you use. For instance, I liked using Molotov Cocktails, but someone else might prefer Modified Melee Weapons and/or Nail Bombs. The items you craft definitely alter your approach to battles. I love that there are so many ways to go about getting from one point to another. If you want, you can even avoid fights for the most part. Once I got to my Survivor play through, I opted to focus on a stealthy approach to save time and precious supplies.

As you play through the game, you get Tags. Tags are essential in-game trophies. You get money for acquiring Tags and can use the money to buy content, like T-shirts and backpacks for Joel and Ellie and stills of characters and locations. I really enjoy when unlocking trophies gives you in-game rewards as well.

The game has a lot of replay value because there is so much to do. You can also start a New Game Plus, which allows you to carry over your upgrades into a new game. I ultimately played through the game four times. Once on Normal, once on Survivor, once on Survivor Plus and then one last time on Easy to finish leveling up my guns. Thankfully I only had to play to the 7^th chapter of my Easy play through. There is so much to do along the way. There are Shiv doors you can find and unlock, there are optional conversations to have, and firefly pendants and artifacts hidden throughout the levels to find.

If you are looking for something else to do after you finish the single player story, there is a multiplayer online mode you can try. The online mode is my least favorite aspect of the game. The campaigns seem really long for no apparent reason. There are two campaigns, the Firefly one and the Hunter one. Each campaign is 12 weeks long, with seven days in the week and each match being one day. I’m not sure how many hours I’ve invested, but I’m only on week five day one of my first campaign. I honestly wouldn’t continue playing if it weren’t to get the last two trophies of the game. The online mode carries over the crafting and stealth from the single player mode and none of the controls or anything change. You do get to customize your character a bit. I feel like I might have liked it more if I weren’t forced to play it so much to get the trophies.

Lastly, the game does have some glitches. I have experienced a few myself and others I read about online. One time I was playing and the sound stopped. At first I thought I’d hit mute on my remote, but I didn’t and I hadn’t turned off the sound in-game. It started with the sound being lost during cut scenes, then all the music disappeared. I had to quit the game and start it back up. When I loaded my game, Tess, one of the characters early in the game, was missing her hair. I don’t know what happened to it, but it wasn’t there. Thankfully, those were the only two I had the misfortune of encountering.

Overall, I have enjoyed my time with the game. It is the best game I’ve played this year. The thing that hooked me is the relationship between Joel and Ellie. It really makes the game. If you have a PS3 and haven’t bought this game or played it yet, I don’t know what you are waiting for. Go get your hands on it and play it, you won’t be disappointed.