If you think Lupus is a Harry Potter spell, it’s not.

Lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease. It’s a difficult affliction to understand. But if you have it, it’s worse that people don’t take it as seriously as they should. Like many diseases of this type it attacks the body’s ability to defend itself, making it very difficult to detect and treat.  While no where near as impacting as HIV, research into understanding any autoimmune disease benefits all.

I’ve spent most of my life writing, in one way or another, scribbling in notebooks or web forums or my blog.  My goal for a long time was centered around, sought directly or not, that moment for any writer when someone says “Hey.  This is good stuff.  We would love to pay money for your work.”

Without my even actively seeking it, that moment arrived a few weeks ago, from a Hugo award winning author no less that I have deep respect for.

And now’s the time when we make that work manifest for the benefit of others.  It’s with great pride and a deep sense of honor that I pass along the announcement of CLASH OF THE GEEKS!

CoGCover2

Click HERE to obtain it.

This electronic chapbook compiles the efforts of many authors more worthy than I to explain, in some form or fashion, what in the living FUCK is going on in that painting of Wil Wheaton and John Scalzi.

Yes, it’s being offered for free but with a strong suggestion to donate.  I chose to give up my offered commission for the charity itself.  So I humbly ask anyone reading this to please donate 5$ (or more if you can) if you plan to download the book.

The stories in this book are rolled carefully in geek batter and dusted with love in nerd breading then deep fried with the tenderest of touches in a blend of oils pressed from seeds of charity and virgin pits from the finest fruits of the Internet.

I’m absolutely flipped out beyond measure to be on the same cover with John, Wil, and many other amazing authors over such a fun thing to benefit a good cause.

I read the book last week on my iPad when John offered up the proof copy, and I can say without doubt that two things will befall anyone who reads this book and donates a few dollars.  Number one you’ll feel great about supporting a very specific charity, and number two you’ll know without a shadow of a doubt, beyond the farthest reaches of understanding, just what is happening in that painting.

If you think Lupus is a Harry Potter spell, it’s not.

Lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease. It’s a difficult affliction to understand. But if you have it, it’s worse that people don’t take it as seriously as they should. Like many diseases of this type it attacks the body’s ability to defend itself, making it very difficult to detect and treat.  While no where near as impacting as HIV, research into understanding any autoimmune disease benefits all.

I’ve spent most of my life writing, in one way or another, scribbling in notebooks or web forums or my blog.  My goal for a long time was centered around, sought directly or not, that moment for any writer when someone says “Hey.  This is good stuff.  We would love to pay money for your work.”

Without my even actively seeking it, that moment arrived a few weeks ago, from a Hugo award winning author no less that I have deep respect for.

And now’s the time when we make that work manifest for the benefit of others.  It’s with great pride and a deep sense of honor that I pass along the announcement of CLASH OF THE GEEKS!

CoGCover2

Click HERE to obtain it.

This electronic chapbook compiles the efforts of many authors more worthy than I to explain, in some form or fashion, what in the living FUCK is going on in that painting of Wil Wheaton and John Scalzi.

Yes, it’s being offered for free but with a strong suggestion to donate.  I chose to give up my offered commission for the charity itself.  So I humbly ask anyone reading this to please donate 5$ (or more if you can) if you plan to download the book.

The stories in this book are rolled carefully in geek batter and dusted with love in nerd breading then deep fried with the tenderest of touches in a blend of oils pressed from seeds of charity and virgin pits from the finest fruits of the Internet.

I’m absolutely flipped out beyond measure to be on the same cover with John, Wil, and many other amazing authors over such a fun thing to benefit a good cause.

I read the book last week on my iPad when John offered up the proof copy, and I can say without doubt that two things will befall anyone who reads this book and donates a few dollars.  Number one you’ll feel great about supporting a very specific charity, and number two you’ll know without a shadow of a doubt, beyond the farthest reaches of understanding, just what is happening in that painting.

Inspiration is where you find it.

I was surprised to find tonight that the twitter feed for Gamepolitics.com contained this:

Capture2

Um.  Really?  I was mystified that not only would the feed state they “enjoyed his talks at PAX” but felt he didn’t represent gaming, and would decide to actually argue the point when Wil expressed dismay.  Leading me to post:

Capture

But the entire exchange made me think about the people who have inspired me in the gaming industry to make me want to do what I do, beyond just Wil coining Wheaton’s Law of “Don’t be a dick.”

Certainly Gabe and Tycho of Penny Arcade, not just for the John Gabriel “Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory” but also Child’s Play.

My friend Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb and e (Eric Neustadter) for their advice to have fun, play fair and file feedback or a complaint.

Gaygamer.net and the Fragdolls (and many others) for keeping me focused on how online gaming can impact various communities.

and lastly, but not finally, my work with sites like Getgamesmart.com to promote and help educate on online safety.

There’s tons more I’m sure, but the twitter exchange made me thankful for my influences first off, and made me actually enumerate some of them offhand.

Oh, and thanks Wil (in addition to all I have mentioned here), from a gamer who believes you have contributed greatly to the world of gaming in all its forms.

Have a good reason when turning down your first actual offer of payment for your writing from a Hugo award winning author.

There’s a moment that every writer hits eventually if they wish to persist in doing it for the rest of their lives.  Like rolling a 20 for the first time or bowling a strike, on a long enough timeline if you stick with the enjoyment of what you are doing, and ignore actually trying to to achieve it, it will occur.

I have a number of different irons in the fire on this front, but I’ve officially been offered payment for something I wrote for the first time.  Not just been offered payment, but offered payment by John Scalzi, Hugo award winning sci fi author. I’ve come to the very edge of being offered payment, something I will write about soon, but not crossed the actual finish line of “I need to know where to send the check”.

I’m more than a bit flipped out and humbled to have been chosen as a “special guest star” entry for the result of this. I submitted my entry outside the contest as a lark.  I specifically noted that I did not want to be included in the actual contest to win the prize (meaning the entry would be featured and paid 10 cents a word in an online charity chapbook.) The winners were recently announced and I congratulate them as I cannot wait to read their stories.

Imagine my surprise however when John Scalzi contacted me yesterday to note that my entry would be featured in the chapbook as a special guest star entry and that they wished to pay me the contest winners rate for the work, could I please provide them with PayPal or physical address information for the payment.

I’d just woken up, reading email on my iPhone while Remington took my stirring as a sign that it was time to do his puppy thing of being incredibly fucking cheerful in the morning just because it was morning. I lay there for a second fending off his attempts to wriggle all over me and processed.  Then I put the phone down and tickled him. I sat up and grinned. There was no way I was going to accept the payment, the entire point of the contest was for charity. I would gladly forego the payment.

But someone…wait that’s not even close to describing it… an author I respected and admired, had wanted to pay me for my work. I squeed.

I tapped out a quick response declining payment but saying I was honored to be included in the chapbook.  John (I feel weird calling him John Scalzi now, but part of me wants to call him Mr. Scalzi) mailed back to say that was great and details on the book would be forthcoming.  As soon as I have them I will post them here to promote it.

Achievement.

Unlocked.