Knotty Geeks

It’s time to get down and dirty with plot outlining! In this episode, we take the outline we made for the first episode of the serial To the Moon and pick it apart scene by scene, finding flaws and discovering deeper character motivations.

img src=uploads/Episode33-cover.jpg

Notes from the show:

Hereandrsquo;s the outline we started with:

1. Rich brings coffee to his co-workers at his company, Judd tells him he should be coding and let the secretary get the coffee

2. Rich goes out to dinner with his ‘friend with benefits’ (let’s call her Melissa) talks about work and his dreams

3. Rich talks to Judd about doing a Kickstarter for Lunar X-Prize, Judd has to be convinced

4. Rich sets up the Kickstarter

5. Waiting for the Kickstarter to see if it succeeds

6. Success, and now panic, how are they going to do this?

7. Rich tries to find a launch platform

8. Judd phones him up saying he has a platform

9. Rich finds out that Judd has defected to a rival X-Prize group

10. Rich decides to launch his own anyway, without Judd’s help

11. Rich finds a former Russian weapon launcher that will work for cheap

12. Both Rich and Judd’s efforts launch and land on the moon

13. Judd’s works, Rich’s robot appears to not work, but when he is packing everything up he finds a signal

This is the outline that we ended up with:

1. Rich brings coffee to his co-workers at his company, 7 people Judd tells him he should be coding and let the secretary get the coffee robotics some military rich egg prototype

2. Rich goes out to dinner with his ‘friend with benefits’ (let’s call her Melissa (Mel) talks about work and his dreams

3. Rich talks to Judd about doing a Kickstarter for Lunar X-Prize, Judd has to be convinced

4. Rich sets up the Kickstarter leave no stone unturned"

5. Waiting for the Kickstarter to see if it succeeds

6. Success, and now panic, how are they going to do this? Judd calm Rich worries

7. Rich tries to find a launch platform

8. Judd phones him up saying he has a platform

9. family connection gets launch platform for Judd, then rival team contacts him and makes him an offer, fame fortune, attractive girl etc.

10. Rich finds out that Judd has defected to a rival X-Prize group he’s devastated they talk

11. Rich goes out with Mel, talk, Mel says Rich decides to launch his own anyway, without Judd’s help Bouncy Ball

12. Rich finds a former Russian weapon launcher that will work for cheap they make jokes he thinks oh no Russian mob but not really.

13. Hard date for launch, urgently phone call Judd saying I’m sorry but I’m a winner , Rich lame comeback is that if Rich fails then Rich company fails and Judd’s shares are worthless.

14. Both Rich and Judd’s efforts launch and land on the moon

15. Judd’s works, Rich’s robot appears to not work, but when he is packing everything up he finds a signal but came in second.

In this episode, we return to our outlining of our upcoming short story "We Choose to Go..." in which an engineer starts a Kickstarter in order to win the Google Lunar X-Prize in 2014.

img src=uploads/cover-ep32-moon3.jpg

We look at the main character, Rich Gupta, and come up with suitable strengths and character flaws, then try to figure out how his character arc will tie together with the story arc for the first serialized story and beyond.

a href=http://jeremyreimer.com/uploads/Knotty_Geeks_Episode_32.mp3Download MP3 file directly/a

In this episode, Terry and I talk about how constraints can improve any kind of art, including writing. Then we segue on to examples of artists who have continually striven to improve, such as Mike Krahulik of Penny Arcade.

That leads to a discussion of all sorts of things, and eventually we get back to our ongoing short story, now titled "We Choose To Go..."

img src=uploads/cover_31_tree-moon.jpg

The tree above is from the park where we recorded the episode.

a href=http://jeremyreimer.com/uploads/Knotty_Geeks_Episode_31.mp3Download .MP3 file directly/a

Notes from the show:

TED book Six word challenge

http://www.amazon.com/Things-Dont-Have-Complicated-ebook/dp/B00APTWKV8

Penny Arcade art improvement

http://www.penny-arcade.com/2011/11/18/jonathan-gabriel-an-art-retrospective

Strip Search

http://www.penny-arcade.com/strip-search/archive

Did you know? Seven short TED videos

http://www.ted.com/playlists/19/did_you_know.html

What does the fox say?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jofNR_WkoCE

How to create strong characters

http://blog.karenwoodward.org/2013/09/how-to-create-strong-characters.html

In this episode of Knotty Geeks, we take the premise we discussed in Episode 28 and use it as a springboard to creating a short science fiction story.

We go through, step by step, the basics on how a writer creates a short story from scratch, starting from setting, then characters, then motivations, then plot.

Going through the process with another person was a new experience for me and I found it quite enjoyable and fun. I hope you do too!

img src=uploads/cover-ep30-moon2.jpg

a href=http://jeremyreimer.com/uploads/Knotty_Geeks_Episode_30.mp3Download MP3 file directly/a

a href=https://itunes.apple.com/lr/podcast/knotty-geeks/id293058145Knotty Geeks on iTunes!/a

In this episode of Knotty Geeks, we are joined by local Star Trek expert Brian Palfrey, and we talk a little about the new Star Trek movie, the failings of the Star Wars prequels, and generally let our Geek-o-Meters(tm) go to 11.

img src=uploads/cover-ep29-trekwars.jpg

It’s a crazy romp through the two most popular science fiction universes, and we even mention Schlock Mercenary!

Links from the show:

a href=http://www.schlockmercenary.com/pages/2013-moviesHoward’s best 2013 Movie Ratings/a

a href=http://redlettermedia.com/plinkett/star-wars/Red Letter Media reviews Star Wars Prequels/a

a href=http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/08/02/enders-game-boycotters-not-satisfied-with-filmmakers-outreach-to-gay-communityBoycott of Ender’s Game Movie/a

a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_true_ScotsmanNo True Scotsman/a

a href=http://leethomson.myzen.co.uk/Star_Trek/Star Trek Series Writer’s Guides and original scripts/a

a href=http://weknowmemes.com/2013/04/fuck-this-thing-in-particular-cat-gif/BONUS: The Cat that doesn’t like this thing in particular/a

a href=http://jeremyreimer.com/uploads/Knotty_Geeks_Episode_29.mp3Download MP3 file directly/a

a href=https://itunes.apple.com/lr/podcast/knotty-geeks/id293058145Knotty Geeks on iTunes!/a

In this episode of Knotty Geeks, we get fueled up on coffee and doughnuts and it takes us all the way... to the Moon!

Starting with a discussion of the Amiga computer and the Video Toaster, we segue over to the Raspberry Pi and tiny robots-- and if you can launch lots of tiny robots, could you build a moonbase? We think you can, and we’ll be developing this idea in future episodes.

img src=uploads/knotty_geeks_tothemoon.jpg

Links from the show:

a href=http://arstechnica.com/science/2013/04/applications-open-for-mars-one-the-first-human-space-colony/Mars One opens for applications/a

This week on Zombie Geeks, we eat brains. And when we eat brains, we discuss why eating brains is so prevalent in modern-day society, when there are many other delicious food choices available.

img src=uploads/knotty-geeks-cover-27.jpg

Like all mindless zombies, we went to Starbucks for coffee to do this podcast. Terry, Brian and I talked about why zombies are so popular these days and what to do about it.

Links from the show: a href=http://BRAAAAAINSBRAAAAAAAINS!/a

Hereandrsquo;s a quote from one of the academic papers that Terry found on zombies:

“…expresses, with unique force and intensity, at least one important aspect of what the horror film has come to signify, the sense of a civilization condemning itself, through its popular culture, to ultimate disintegration, and ambivalently (with the simultaneous horror/wish fulfillment of nightmare) celebrating the fact.”

This episode is about ten minutes shorter than usual, and that’s because I managed to accidentally stop the recording without noticing it for about ten minutes. Needless to say that ten minutes that was lost was the most amazing, epic, mind-blowing discussion ever.

img src=uploads/robots-and-ruin.jpg

Never mind that! The rest is pretty good too. Terry and Brian Palfrey and I went down to the beach and moved around some stumps to create an impromptu Round Table, then we talked about robots, and Star Trek, and what it all means. Then we watched some guy fly a couple of kites.

a href=http://jeremyreimer.com/uploads/Knotty_Geeks_Episode_26.mp3Download .mp3 file directly or play on iDevice/a

We’re back with another podcast, this time from Terry’s idyllic suburban home. In this episode we look at some of our favorite video game genres (Real Time Strategy and Massively Multiplayer Online) and speculate on what they might morph into in the future.

I think this podcast is one of the best we’ve done so far, but we didn’t have time to really get as deep into the subject as I would have liked, so we might do a followup.

img src=uploads/future-gaming.jpg

a href=http://jeremyreimer.com/uploads/Knotty_Geeks_Episode_25.mp3Download MP3 file directly/a

Links from the show:

Sins of a Solar Empire: http://www.sinsofasolarempire.com/

Is RTS a dying genre? http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-02-01-ironclad-games-rts-is-a-dying-market

Titan restarted: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/05/report-blizzard-to-overhaul-project-titan-launch-it-in-2016-at-the-earliest/

Star Citizen: http://robertsspaceindustries.com/star-citizen/

Gabe Newell interview on the future of games: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8QEOBgLBQU

Portal alternate reality game: http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Portal_ARG

In this episode of Knotty Geeks, we stick to one topic--kind of. It’s all about the future of science fiction: novels, tv shows, movies, and video games. Is there a future for the written word? Are video games stealing all the young potential sci-fi authors? Will Terry and Jeremy end up in a fistfight at the end when Terry starts slagging Jeremy’s sci-fi novels? TUNE IN TO FIND OUT!

img src=uploads/future_sci_fi.jpg

a href=http://jeremyreimer.com/uploads/Knotty_Geeks_Episode_24.mp3Download mp3 directly/a

Links from the show:

a href=http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/55458-big-names-dominated-bestsellers-in-2012.htmlPublisher’s Weekly stats for books sold in 2012/a

a href=http://www.strangehorizons.com/2013/20130311/arnason-c.shtmlIs science fiction becoming too dystopic?/a

a href=http://www.amazon.com/Edge-Infinity-Masters-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00589OMCKBuy Jeremy’s novel just to spite Terry!/a