Justin Pyfrom's Blog, page 35

God Opens A Window After Closing A Door

This is the week I will never forget. It is a week that will live on in the back of my mind as I continue to walk the path I was placed. You want to know the crazy thing about all of this: I was completely blind sighted by it all and I chose to take the high road. Oh, right, you still don’t know what happened to me, do you? I was rejected from a job because of my location.

Let me explain, Monday, I recently aced an interview with Verizon mobile. I went with a carrier service job because they make base plus commission plus bonus so, if I do my job, I can rack up a significant amount of cash in a short time. Plus, the job is transferable to San Francisco when I’m ready to move back there. Now, the job is a bit of distance from me but I was okay with that since I knew the route. I went in for my first day and did everything I was supposed to and was given high marks from the store manager.

However, when it comes down to it, the assistant manager called me and said that they were going in a different direction and will not proceed with my employment. When I asked for an explanation, citing it as a learning opportunity, they gave me the coldest explanation ever: “We would like to have someone more local.” So, after proving that I could get to work early and do the job to rave satisfaction, my location is still a worry for them.

I told my elder cousin (who I’m living with) and he informed me that what they did was technically illegal but not worth the attention. He cited one of my favorite “go-to” motto: “God has a reason for everything that happens in life.” On cue, my phone rings and it’s T-Mobile (in Philadelphia) who wants to interview for a position. And, it’s right over the bridge so location isn’t really an issue. See, when God closes a door, he opens a window. Haha! I love that quote.

Also, this week, I was clocking in overtime with my best mate’s gaming project as I can’t proceed with the scriptwriting until one of the key game mechanics is written out. (And, no, I still can’t talk about it until we’re done with the GDD and have a demo). You know…I think being under contract is more a benefit than a nuisance. See, lying isn’t my forte but I do know how to cleverly tell the truth.

Right now, I have to come on with so many storylines for so many quests after I get done with my ever-shifting primary task. Why is it ever-shifting? Because, I’m also the game designer for this project (thank you, brilliant mind and DeVry) and we all have wonderful ideas that will work for this game. Luckily, I’m almost done…just have to type everything up and share it with him. You know…after I celebrate my friend’s birthday and complete my interview with T-Mobile. Today is going to be a day of fun and relaxation.

Speaking of which, I better get ready for the celebration. Please, don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads) which are on the right side of my web page. Also, I do love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2018.

Time to Upgrade Myself

All this week, I have been doing things that would make me more professionally appealing to the public. See, I’m not that heavy on social media outside of Twitter and Instagram and I’m not extremely active on there. Plus, there was something important that I forgot to create at the beginning of my writing career…a portfolio.

Yeah, I know. I know. What took me so long? Well, two reasons: (1) I never knew they existed and (2), even if I did, I didn’t think it pertains to me because of my primary focus as a novelist. But, when I realized that I was going to dedicating an equal amount of time creating stories for other mediums, I was enlightened to create a writer’s portfolio which makes perfect sense. It’s a resume for writers of all times and it didn’t even take me too long to create it, too. Haha!

To add on to my list of professional duties, I have to create terms and conditions for clients of various mediums. See, I’m skilled at writing stories for novels (my primary focus), comic books/graphic novels, video games and television (well, semi-skilled at that last one). And, because of that, I’m talking to a buddy of mine into creating various contracts for those four mediums. I would imagine that it would just be one contract that can be altered three times but I’m going to leave it up to a professional.

Finally, I’m going to have to work on upping my social media presences. Honestly, I’m not that great at social media because I’m more of an “in the moment” kind of guy. Plus, I tend to forget to tweet and post when I’m supposed to; honestly, Instagram is a little harder than Twitter. Haha! But, I’m going to try to regulate my presence as I’m aware that my fans – both present and future – will be expecting it from me, eventually.

Of course, I’m still working on my best mate’s gaming project. I told him that I’m going to return to work on my book series after I’m done with the scriptwriting portion of his game. This is precisely why I enlisted the help of a high school friend of mine, who I lovingly called Smoker since he wants to get back into the creative groove. Luckily, the second installment of Dimensions series is done and the first few installments (one completely outlined and two partially) of the Queer Eyes series (working title). So, once everything is done, I can bulldoze through the first draft.

Well…I think that’s everything for now. Please, don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads) which are on the right side of my web page. Also, I do love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2018.

All Golden Roads Leads Back to West

Okay, let me start off by saying that traveling cross country via Greyhound is a wonderful idea in concept. But – my GOD – it is a very difficult test of endurance and sanity. Though I got to take pictures and explore numerous states and cities (I think eight states and over a twenty cities), the real prize, after enduring such a grueling trip, was the new friends I made throughout this journey.

I made friends with a fellow writer who also had a knack for drawing. He showed me his artwork and explained that he was going to Dallas, TX because he had an art gala that he was hosting along with a manga series he was working on. Even though I wasn’t very knowledgeable about the subject, we continued to talk about various anime and explore what we wanted to accomplish in our craft. Unfortunately, I couldn’t give him my business cards since it was in my suitcase, but we were able to exchange Instagram profiles, so it was a complete loss.

Along the way, I was running into a lot of passengers of Latin and Hispanic lineage who didn’t speak a lick of English. Worst yet, I came across numerous Greyhound drivers who didn’t bother to translate the rules and instructions to Spanish. This led me to use Google translator to help the passengers AND made sure that they got to where they needed to go. I swear…most of my phone’s energy was alternating between translating, YouTube and Netflix – but mostly, Translator. But, I’m not complaining…I would hope that someone who offer me the same courtesy if I was in the same predicament.

Well, after four days on the road, I finally made it to Philadelphia where I was greeted with very familiar landmarks and dialects (yes, Philadelphians have an accent and dialect). Around two in the morning, I finally made it to my cousin’s house where we spent the rest of the dawn talking about everywhere I traveled and every picture I have taken. He asked me if I was home for good; I told him no before telling him my plans. I could tell he was a little disappointed but proud.

Now, I need to set my plan in motion because I want to be back in California in a timely fashion. Please, don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads) which are on the right side of my web page. Also, I do love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2018.

A Necessary Two Step Back

So, my time in San Francisco is temporarily on hold because of a few reasons. One of the main reason is that I am a bit homesick…which leads to my second reason. I need to regroup in preparation to make San Francisco my permanent home. But there’s so much more than that.

San Francisco spoke to me the moment I took my first step on this city. The atmosphere. The weather. The hustle and bustle. Everything about this city reminds me of Philadelphia – just on a larger scale. I think I have found my permanent city of residence. But I need to take a step back and regroup in my hometown before I make the permanent switch.

Plus, my best mate/client will be closer to me so we can work on his gaming project at an accelerated rate. But, if I’m being honest, we are making pretty good progress on the project since we’re technically writing the GDD (Game Design Document). This is being done before he gets started on the programming and I get started on the script. But, this project isn’t my only priority.

I need to find a job that will get me to my monetary goal at the fastest pace right when I get to Philadelphia. That way I can hit the ground running and get back to San Francisco at the beginning of next year…hopefully. Of course, I will be working on my book series along the way but, for now, I need to complete this task.

Now, I need to make the trip back to Philadelphia to regroup. Please, don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads) which are on the right side of my web page. Also, I do love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2018.

Happy 4th of July

Happy Independence Day to all friends, family, colleagues, and fans. I am watching Independence Day for the…well…I don’t know how many times while working on my projects. I kinda don’t believe in taking a day off on a holiday as my mind is always flooding with information. So, I’m going to watching the fireworks while progressing through this gaming project.

Well, that’s all for today, I want to get back to my writing. Please, don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads) which are on the right side of my web page. Also, I do love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2018.

A Full Week of Game Writing, not Playing

I’m still traveling around San Francisco and having fun with the energy that this city. But, that doesn’t mean that I’m resting on my bum as I’ve been hard at work on my projects…well…one project at a time, really.

Yep, that’s right, I’ve decided to force on one project at a time because of the fact that I’ve already completed the outline of two of my books. So, frankly, I’m not in a complete rush to flush it all out because of my best mate’s RPG project needed my full attention. Luckily, I joined forces with a fellow writer from high school and a decent amount of the writing is done. The purpose of this team up is meant to make the script writing process go a little smoother.

My brother also called me later this week with a consulting job as his friend needed help with writing a book. This would have been fine…if he told me BEFORE his friend contacted me. Needless to say, his friend got a healthy dose of cold shade and intimidating wordplay.

Finally, after my brother cleared the air, I was finally able to give his friend a look at my true self before declining his offer citing that I need to complete the projects I have before tackling other endeavors. My little brother cited my personal growth as I am finally able to understand that (A) I was finally able to understand my limits and (B) being able to say no doesn’t make me a bad guy. He also cited that my business side is quite intimidating. Haha!

Well, that’s all for today, I want to get back to my writing. Please, don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads) which are on the right side of my web page. Also, I do love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2018.

New Adventures Awaits in the Golden State

My goodness…San Francisco is amazing. It’s warm (major plus). It’s vivid. It’s full of personality. And, much like Philadelphia and New York, everybody here is always on the move. But getting there was a complete and utter nightmare of the funny variety. A very funny variety.

First and foremost, I completed my goal of making a few contacts – but not in the way you think. I learned about the Dungeon Masters (DMs) Guild where I can create and sale my campaigns online to other Dungeon & Dungeons (D&D) enthusiast for a small amount. Along with that, I was able to, inadvertently, land a potential deal with Load n- Load Publishing for their Sci-Fi Tactical board game. Funny thing…I got the storyline, characters and such in my head and journal and ready to go when I get the green light. That’s the good news…

The bad news…was the travel. Well, semi-bad news because the travel was pretty entertaining. An hour and a half into the trip I got to learn, via proxy, that the tobacco rule on the Greyhound bus is HIGHLY enforceable. Yeah, I witnessed a man getting kicked off the bus at a gas station for smoking on the bus.

Also, things went from bad to worse when the driver took so many pitstops resulting in me and nine other people missing our connected bus to CA. So, I had to spend seven hours in Las Vegas waiting for the next bus to Los Angeles.

But, it wasn’t all bad because (1) I never been to Vegas and (2) I got a lot of writing done for my best mate’s RPG project. So, I spent a hell of a lot of time adventuring around Las Vegas and talking to a lot of people about, well, anything. I even managed to get business cards of two models that offered their services to future my career as a writer. Sidenote…they are EXTREMELY hot!!!

Finally, I got to San Francisco in the afternoon and was immediately welcomed by my aunt who wasted no time in telling my cousins of my whereabouts. Now, she’s helping me find a better job and a simple apartment in “record time”. She told me that she got my youngest cousin properly situated to San Francisco in about five-month time and she told me that I’m going to be a lot faster due to my laser focus tendencies.

Plus, they are having their Pride Parade this Saturday which my cousin told me that I was going to be kidnapped for. I even got to meet a Linguistic professor from England who was touring the States while on break. He was a fantastic addition to my week and one of many more to experience in the future. But, after this weekend, it’s nothing but grinding and writing and so much more exploring.

This is going to be a great new chapter in my life. Please, don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads) which are on the right side of my web page. Also, I do love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2018.

E3 2018 Wishlist

Now, that E3 is over and I had to chance to sit down to study all of the games that was announced during the five days of coverage. As a tradition of mine, I’m going to list my 2018 E3 Wishlist:

Unravel Two (Out now!!!)
Sea of Solitude (2019 – TBA)
Anthem (Feb. 22, 2019 – PS4)
Ori & the Will of the Wisps (2019 – PC/XBOXone)
The Amazing Adventures of Captain Spirit (June 26, 2018 – PS4)
Kingdom Hearts 3 (Jan. 25, 2019 – PS4)
Tales of Vesperia Definitive Edition (Late 2018 – PS4)
Devil May Cry 5 (Q1 2019 – PS4)
Jump Force (2019 – TBA)
Cyberpunk 2077 (June 2019 – PS4)
Fallout 76 (Nov. 14, 2018 – PS4)
Tunic (2019 – PC/XBOXone)
Dead or Alive 6 (March 2019 -PS4)
Octopath Traveler (July 13, 2018 – Nintendo Switch)
The Division 2 (Mar. 15, 2019 – PS4)
The Last of Us Part 2 (TBA – PS4)
Marvel’s Spiderman (Sept. 7, 2018 – PS4)
Resident Evil 2 (Jan. 25, 2019 – PS4)
Ghost of Tsushima (TBA – PS4)
Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Q2 2019 – Nintendo Switch)
Let’s Go Pikachu (Nov. 16, 2018 – Nintendo Switch)
Super Mario Party (Oct. 5, 2018 – Nintendo Switch)
Mega Man 11 (Oct. 2, 2018 – PS4 & others)
SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy (Sept. 7, 2018 – Nintendo Switch)
The World Ends with You (2018 – Nintendo Switch)
Ninjala (2019 – Nintendo Switch)
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Dec. 7, 2018 – Nintendo Switch)

We’ll see if my opinion changes over time but let’s hope it doesn’t because everything looks good. Please, don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads) which are on the right side of my web page. Also, I do love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2018.

Last Week in Ohio; Going Out in Style

Origins Game Fair is this weekend and I couldn’t be any happier. The video games. The card games – both trading and non-trading alike. Board games. Even tabletop games are bringing everybody to the yard. And here I thought only milkshakes did that. Yes, I know it was bad joke but I’m just too damn excitement, right now.

This convention isn’t my favorite but it’s up there because of the energy and networking. See, there are board game creators who are need of writers that can expand their game into small book series that could generate additional revenue for both parties. Unfortunately, nobody has taken me up on the offer but I’m not giving up; I want to get one yes before the convention is done.

I even got to meet up with a buddy who runs a board game company with his father called Lock n’ Load Publishing. I, finally, got to look at some merchandises and was immediately impressed. I would suggest taking a look at their website/store:

https://store.lnlpublishing.com

The only downside to this epicness…well…sort of…I have to leave early for San Francisco. But, I’m happy about that because I, finally, get to see my aunt after so long and pay catch up while getting back on my feet. This is what God was working for this portion of my life. He knows what I need at what time and I’m just following his lead. I know it’s going to work out just fine.

Alright, I’m not going to start preaching to you guys and I want to enjoy more of the con so I’ll leave it at that. Please, don’t forget to follow me on my social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads) which are on the right side of my web page. Also, I do love hearing suggestions of what books to read outside of my norm (Science fiction and fantasy) as I am a part of the Goodreads’ reading challenge for 2018.

E3 Nintendo 2018 Press Conference

Nintendo has always held a special place in my heart and for many reasons. For starters, it was the system that my mom was comfortable with me playing after I blew out my Sega Genesis. Plus, it has a wider variety of games that two people (i.e. my brother and I) can play. Since then, I’ve always been a big fan of Nintendo and their products. Even their avant-garde approach to press conferences and showcases has always tickled my funny bone. This year was no different.

Every year, Nintendo opts for a more intimate approach with their press conferences preferring to show off their future releases through Nintendo Direct and pre-recorded videos. This year was no different and the most anticipated.

Of course, they showed off new releases starting off with new installments for their established franchises: Fire Emblem: Three Houses for the Fire Emblem series and Super Mario Party for the Mario Party series. But what was great was the fact that they were going back to basics for the new Mario Party by making the mini-games more classical like in its previous installments. As for Fire Emblem: Three Houses, I saw that they were implementing an army like play style but more information is needed.

I was delighted to see that Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was getting an another DLC called Torna The Golden Country and it meant to move the story along. And they keep the ball going (literally) with announcing that new Pokeball+, an accessory for Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu & Pokémon Let’s Go Eevee, will come with a Mew already inside of it.

They, again, reiterated that Fortnite, Octopath Traveler, Hallow Knight and many others are coming to the Switch (some sooner than others). Then, of course, they showered us with a bevy of trailers; I couldn’t fit them all so I only focused on the ones that stuck out to me:

Arena of Valor
Dragonball Fighter Z
Pixark
Captain Toad
Ninjala
SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy
The World Ends With You
Paladins: Champions of the Realm
Mega Man 11

Finally…Oh my goodness, finally, we got information about Super Smash Brother Ultimate. And, for the record, it’s not a port…it’s a balanced overhaul. They explained that EVERYBODY from the Smash lineup – past and present – will be on the roster and will have to be unlocked organically. The only real new characters are Inkling (Splatoon), Ridley (Metroid) and Daisy (Super Mario – but she’s more of an Echo character).

That’s not all. They explained how they worked to balance the game to a T. EVERBODY got an adjustment overhaul to their movelist and appearances. There will be new items including a fake Smash Ball and new stages. The Omega (Final Destination) and Battlefield version of the stages will be an option. And, to make it more like a real brawl, they added a short hop, directional air dodge, perfect shield, the ability to KO assist trophies (well…some of them), ladder fighting and damage adjustment proportional to the number of players on the field. Best of all…it’s compatible with the GameCube controller.

Nintendo is going to get a 98 out of 100 from me. It was just that good. Not perfect but pretty damn good. We’re just going to have to see if the games are as good as they claim. Haha!