M.L. Crabb's Blog: The Command Deck, page 11

Plan Your Genius

Stop and look both ways before crossing the street!

You’ve got this great idea. It might be the most awesome thing since instant coffee, and you want to rush your fabulous thing so that the world can see it! We're talking ASAP. You scramble faster than a NASCAR driver at the Daytona 500 and zoom through that final lap. You post it on the Internet.

...Aaaaannnnnd you wait for the likes. The Internet is dead silent. You ask yourself, "Why?" Your thing has all the fabulousness of Thranduil, King of Mirkwood riding his beautiful elk into battle, right?

This is a pitfall everyone has fallen into at one point or another, myself included. You're giddy, and you feel young again! You have all the excitement of a 10 year old kid who just finished stringing a macaroni necklace. The teacher loved it. You show it off to your parents. DAD LOOK WHAT I MADE! LOOK HOW AWESOME! You got that instant thumbs up back then. It was a sure deal.

Posting your stuff on the internet is much the same. You just finished something amazing, and you crave those digital thumbs ups, recognition for your hard work. You want to be patted on the back—it is only human to desire validation and praise, so don't feel bad for craving it.

Look at this sketch for example. I was excited after finishing it, I mean John Smith as a Romulan Commander!? Heck Yeah! It's an okay first attempt; I'll give it that, but I know it can be so much more than what it is. Was I tempted to blast it on every channel of the Internetz as soon as I finished it? You bet I was!

Back to your awesome thing you just posted. Where did you go wrong?

Every good product comes with planning, practice, and patience. That thing you posted was awesome, but what if it was only the first draft of something even more amazing?

Look at John Smith now. I listened to that tiny, inner voice of mine and decided to draw another sketch and to perfect his face. Sure, I could have colored in the first attempt, but I don't think it would even compare to this one. I took the first sketch and decided to do another one, this time using many reference pictures of the actor instead of just one.

The bottom line is this: don't rush. Take that awesome thing and wrap it in bacon, and by bacon, I mean your genius because your genius is one of the few things more awesome than bacon.

I will discuss ways and provide tips on how you can mold your first attempts into amazing works of art, prose, or [ insert your hobby here] in my next post, The Three Ps of Making Something Awesome.

Creativity, Meet my Nemesis, Reality

I’ve been thinking about the creative process a lot lately, so I decided to do a seven part series on it--helpful ways you can tap into your inner creative genius to produce something awesome. Whether you're an artist, a writer, a graphic designer, or into arts and crafts, I hope you'll find this series useful.


Why am I doing this all of a sudden?

Let's just say that I recently had a run in with reality. I jumped headfirst into a tub of ice and got a painful reminder of how rough blindly leaping into unknown waters can be. Yes, I should have known better. I should have done my homework, and I shouldn't have laid a first draft bare like that. My feelings = ouch.

Lesson learned.

Image originally found on Wikimedia Commons - Public Domain
But it wasn't for nothing. It jolted me awake as if I had just guzzled down a giant can of Monster before pulling an all nighter. I am the typical, excitable American. We have a grave weakness for letting that hot rush of excitement cloud our judgment. It makes us quick to blurt out and broadcast our accomplishments only to regret it ten minutes later because we forgot something or we didn't think our amazing plan through.


And so, I'll be sharing my own pitfalls--all in the name of helping my fellow creative geniuses!

1. Plan Your Genius
2. The Three Ps of Making Something Awesome
3. So Edits, Many Drafts, Such Work
4. Are You Ready for Feedback?
5. You Can Haz Nerf Bat
6. What to do Next
7. Post, Publish, and Share the Hell Out of it

Hoodies in May

I've been wearing hoodies all month and cursing the morning chill. What month are we in again? February? March?  MAY.

Anyone who lives in the Northeast is sharing my plight. Winter, you've had your run. It's time to kindly GTFO because I'm sick of the jackets, tired of the hoodies, and fed up with wanting to hibernate as soon as I get home because I'm cold. I've built up a tolerance to chilly temperatures and snow, but it is MAY. May is supposed to be flip flop, barbecue, and everything outdoors month, not wrap yourself in a blanket and continue your winter hibernation month.

All the stores have their flags, paper plates, and all-things-grill stuff out for sell now. It'd be nice to pretend that I actually want to buy some of that stuff, but no thanks. It would be a recipe for a drenched disaster. Did I mention the rain? Two weeks straight. Yes. Two weeks. Two solid weeks of 40 degree weather and rain.


I realize there is absolutely nothing I can do to change the weather and that I'm ranting in the wind, but I need to vent somewhere. I'm not one of those “Oh, but you can put on as many layers as you want” people because you never actually get warm. I mean, you have to move at some point. The second you reach for your glass of water, bam, your fingers are suddenly freezing. Like I said, I tolerate winter now, but when it decides to steal May, I go crazy.

Give me sunshine. Give me warmth. Give me flip flops, and give me eighty degrees (at this point, I'll settle for 65).  “But you can only take off so many layers...” I'd rather be hot, to be honest. I will never be a cold weather person. There is nothing on the planet that will ever change that about me.

Here's to my fellow warm weather people!

You can find the original image on Wikimedia Commons

Vote Grizzly Slick Paw 2016!

What's in a blog post? Not politics. Okay, maybe there will be a dash of politics this one time only. Everywhere I turn I either see crazy, unintelligible rants in all caps or Internet warriors sitting on their high horses explaining how their opinion makes them a better person than [ insert candidate here ]'s voters.

You can find the original image of the bear on Wikimedia Commons
It happens every presidential election. I normally just grind my teeth and refrain from pulling someone off of their golden throne in the comment section. Agree or disagree with them, I want to steal their keyboards and toss them out. Nothing irritates me more than Internet warriors on high horses. As for the army of angry (and idiotic) DE'RE TAKN R STUFFZ! mumble jumble, I just cringe and scroll past it. It all just feels like a bunch of bears thumping their chests in the night as they scream at nothing.

You can find the original image of the bear on Wikimedia Commons
This election is proving to be different. I don't need to explain. I mean, it's all over the news, Internet, and is the talk of the town. There are aspects of it that terrify me. I'm not going to thump my chest and tell you to vote for Captain Grizzly Slick Paw or anything. Just remember your history books, folks. Tread carefully.

I will do my part. I registered (as unaffiliated) and will be voting this November.

That's enough of that!
In other news, I finally updated my art portfolio. I can't believe I haven't added anything to it since 2014! There are a few pictures in there I painted using my easel.

I'm working on a new story. The one I finished is something special, so you probably won't see it for a long time (I hope within a few months, but I don't want to give a date yet). The one I'm working on right now will be posted much sooner than that. I hope you like alternate universes, villains from history, cryogenic sleep chambers, enraged weirdos, and adventure!

30 Miles to Awesomeville

Okay, so you've probably noticed that I've been about as active as a derelict starship stuck in the neutral zone as far as blog posts go.


Yep. I moved. We are out of that tiny, one bedroom apartment and finally in our forever home. Mushy-feel-good stuff aside, It feels awesome to own our own place. You can imagine how that guzzled up my spare time, but it was worth it.

My commute to work is much longer, but I see it as an unexpected glass that is half full. It is the perfect time to edit my stories. For whatever reason, riding the highway express bus puts me in the right mindset for it. Those of you who write know what a chore editing can be and how hard it is to force yourself to do it after you get home from work. I mean, there are so many other things to do...like play games, surf the Internet, do some actual writing, read a book...

Image courtesy of Wikipedia. You can find it here.
What I'm saying is that it can feel like you've been put in charge of organizing a room full of tribbles by color, size, and purr pitch after they've had an endless night of *ahem* reproducing. You walk in with your trusty tablet and find yourself drowning in the cute little suckers.


I've been working on this thing since July. What you are looking at is the FINAL edit. Yes, this is a short sequel to The Year is Now. Elly is back and runs headfirst into a threat she's never encountered before. How much more heartache can one woman take? She's run for her life once before, but this time it won't be enough.

The Man in the High Castle - A Problematic Fav!

Once every blue moon I will discover a show that will blow me away and grip me with every emotion under the sun. [ Insert reaction gif and hashtag FEELS here! ] Before I start my review, I know full well that Amazon's Man in the High Castle is not for everyone. I mean, an alternate reality where the Nazis won is bold storytelling right there.

Disclaimer: I do not support Nazism in any way, shape, or form. The following post is a review of a well written show with a diverse group of characters that is set in a “what if” reality. 
 Map of The Man in the High Castle's alternate realityImage is from Wikipeida with all the CC information found here
The Characters
The story kicks off when Juliana Crain's sister is shot by the Kempeitai for being a member of the resistance. Juliana finds out she was transporting some sort of game changing film to the Neutral Zone. Her life changes after she watches it.

Meanwhile, we have the Japanese trade minister (and his strange meditations) and Rudolph Wegener, a Nazi officer, plotting to even the tides between the Reich and the Japanese Empire because war between the two is inevitable if Hitler dies. Yes, as odd as this sounds, Hitler is the lesser evil in play here.

Then we have Obergruppenführer John Smith (my problematic fav) who is a loyal, ruthless Nazi officer, but isn't your one dimensional, villain of the episode asshole. Nope. He is one of the most well written characters I've ever come across. He's a family man, a loyal friend/coworker, a cunning Obergruppenführer, and carries the darkness from his past like an invisible burden—it's always there, beneath his eyes. I do not condone Nazis, but this character was truly well written.

Lastly there is Frank. He was my second favorite. He suffers the consequences of Juliana's actions and is forever damaged by them.

The Scenery
They did an excellent job of making the backdrops look and feel like this would actually be the world these characters live in had the Japanese and Nazis won. On the East, you've got the Greater Nazi Reich with all their stern architecture, propaganda, and technological advancements. On the West, you've got the Pacific States with a heavy Japanese influence, but they're grittier and more rundown than their Nazi counterparts.

Every little detail, right down to the street signs, posters on the walls, and people walking around in the background, feels like it should belong in this dark, alternate reality. Women's fashion is still stuck in the forties, but with subtle changes in their dresses and hairstyles (it's set in 1962). There are no mini skirts or wild beehives. Everything feels right for the setting, and you find yourself immersed in it and transported to the fictitious world.

Screencaps from the show
My One Complaint
As soon as I finished the show, I scoured the Internet to see what everyone else thought. I found a common theme: no one liked void-of-personality Joe or naive-makes-mistakes Juliana and what (at first) feels like a half assed love triangle. If you find yourself in the first or second episode and wanting to stop, DON'T! There are so many awesome things about this show. You will miss out!

Their story feels secondary to everyone else.  I found myself watching it for the other characters and the danger they found themselves in. It turns out I was not alone in this. There were many people who found themselves rooting for problematic characters like John Smith and Chief Inspector Kido. Then there's the trade minister. I haven't come across a single person who doesn't like him.

The End
I don't want to drop the biggest spoiler of the universe, but the very last scene will leave you scratching your head and wondering if there will be a Season 2.

I give Man in the High Castle 5/5 stars. I recommend this show if you're a fan of sci-fi and alternate histories.

State of the Empire 2016

What your Writer and Chief has been up to lately



State of the Empire 2016! Real life has claimed more and more of my awesome propaganda machine—it's eaten way more than it's fair share of my time lately. I'm hoping that it will settle back to normal levels in the next few months. I swear, it's hungrier than Tubbs right now!

Figure 1: Real Life Has a Colossal Case of the Munchies
Figure 1 is 100% accurate.

Beneath the Red Lamp ...My current baby. Actually, it's been my baby for about six months now. I'm revising what is finally going to be the final draft of a short story sequel to The Year is Now. Elly is back!


The story will be included in a special hard cover edition of the book. I do not have a release date yet. Once things settle down, I'll be able to pinpoint a timeline. I've already got a special cover in the works. I've been planning the project itself for a long time now. It's just...Tubbs. Tubbs the cat. Refer back to Figure 1. Tubbs doesn't make me any less excited though! 
Art Here's a peak at the random things I've been sketching lately:



Glory Pride and The Maiden Vain I still have the outline. I haven't forgotten about it!

My Mobile Addiction

Up until now, I've used my smartphone as a pocket Internet device and an “avoid awkward social situations when I'm not in the mood to make small talk by pretending to text” machine...oh, and phone.  I never understood the fascination with mobile games.


I just had to find the right game. My brain's current state: “Where's my phone? I need to check my game!” #TheStruggleIsReal

I've seen a lot of pictures floating around lately of pictures of young adults on their phones with captions like “Missing the beauty of the world one text at a time.” Do the creators of these "funny" images consider the fact that maybe the young adult is researching said beauty?

Mobile devices are useful. We have instant access to a vast, worldwide library of information (okay, and silly cat gifs too). Let us not forget that we can access GPS at the drop of a hat now. The kicker? All of this fits right in our pockets now. We can access it anywhere, anytime. Before I go off on a crazy tangent, I need to get back to the point of this post: my mobile addiction!

I consider it therapeutic. Life can be stressful, and let's face it: adulting can be a handful sometimes!

Neko AtsumeKitty Collector
Your super cute, crazy cat lady enabler! 
It's completely free, and you don't have to “buy” anything to feel like you're making progress. You start with a yard and some fish. You use the fish as currency to buy toys to attract the cats...Let your inner crazy cat lady shine!

There are no ads except for when you tap on “news” to get the daily password (you have to have wifi or mobile data turned on to get the password).

Sometimes you'll see a cat holding a book in it's mouth when you go to the menu “Marshmallow has a special brochure for you!” Tap it, and it's an ad. I have to say it's a clever way to get an ad into a game. It's not invasive, and you choose whether or not you want to read cute little Marshmallow's brochure.

Chairman Meow is reporting for duty!
What's your mobile gaming addiction?
Tell me about it on Twitter or Facebook!

Concave of Concerned Catizens

Today's post is taken from a prompt from the wonderful folks here: The One-Minute Writer. We all love a good conspiracy theory, so here's the purrfect one!

"You are the president of your local Conspiracy Theorist group. Unfortunately with the internet and all, most of your regular conspiracies have been debunked. You need something new, something that the group can really get behind. Create a new conspiracy theory."

Concave of Concerned Catizens
There is something out there. I know it. The sheepish minions of conformity are always after people like me. They can't wrap their minds around the fact that there is more than meets the eye, and it may not always be a crappiota latte or a pair of fuzzy moon boots in 60 degree weather.

I'm getting sidetracked. I need to think of something for our next meeting. The Concave of Concerned Catizens is counting on me. That last debunk was a slap in the face. The sheepish minions of conformity won't stop until the world is made of lemmings!

We are not alone. They are out there, and they are among us. I will not succumb to society's stubborn refusal to look beyond science. Okay. I can do this. Let me just put on my traditional foil cat ears.

There we go. It was never secret lizard people! I should have realized that. That myth was invented by the government to throw intellectuals like me off guard!  Not lizard people. It has to be some sort of mammal—no, a humanoid! How else can they pose as warm blooded humans?

It's the Martians! Why is Mars suddenly popular? Why are we crazy about sending people to Mars now? It's a trick. It's an ugly trick. They want us to go there. I don't know why, but The Concave of Concerned Catizens will find out! They conceal themselves from NASA's spying robots.

They've altered the DNA on a select few super Martians who are walking around among us. Oh my, God. I should have known all along! The Martains are posing as restaurateurs! What better way to spy on us than to listen in on our lunch conversations! The next Concave of Concerned Catizens meeting will be held at McBurgerz Place! As we munch on our delicious burgers and fries, we'll be watching. We'll be the masters because we are on to them!

*We will also be voting on the font for our book; it's a collection of our sightings and theories. I'm all for Comic Sans.

Roddenberry's 200

If you're a Star Trek fan or into the sci-fi scene at all, you've heard about Gene Roddenberry's stash of floppy disks by now.



The possibilities are endless. My imagination is going nuts because I love Star Trek. Those of you who know me know that I'm not the 2009 reboot's biggest fan, and let's leave my opinion of the '09 movie at that. So yes, you could say that I'm excited about this find. It could mean a new TV series for all I know!

The scoop on the find is this:
According to CNET, 200 floppy disks were discovered shortly after Roddenberry's death. Sometime between now and then, they were sent to DriveSavers to recover the documents stored on them (read the article for details). The huge news is that they were successful.

Here's my speculation (and hopes) of what's stored inside. Bear in mind that a 5.25 inch floppy holds a max of 360 kilobytes (KB). Yes, kilobytes! [source]

That doesn't leave much room per floppy for more than simple text files. The final draft of The Year is Now is 302 KB. The book is 172 pages and roughly 74,000 words long (just to give you an idea of what a maximum of 360 KB gets you).

1. Scripts for a future Star Trek series - How can I NOT wish for this? I'm not excited about the rumors floating around about a new series, but if they scrap it in favor of filming one with uncovered Roddenberry scripts? Hell to the yes!

2. A novel or two - Wouldn't that be awesome? Maybe he wrote some crazy, out-there sci-fi book that never saw the light of day.

3. Scripts for a completely new show - As a writer, I know how it is. You focus all your works on your made up universe, but sometimes you need to take a break from it. I would love to see something we've never seen from Roddenberry before!

4. Adulting stuff - Budgets, an address book, records of his bills, tax documents...etc. Boring, but even the best of us can't escape the bleh that is adulting.

5. A journal - Maybe he blogged before blogging was even a thing. Maybe there are all of these files on there of "Today I had the perfect sandwich. I wanted to take a photo of it." Of course he had no way of posting his life to the outside world, but it's hilarious to picture him wanting to tell the world about an awesome sandwich or how ugly the coats were at his local department store. Is the dress blue & black or white & gold?

That's all I can think of for now.

What do you think is stored on Roddenberry's 200 floppy disks? I want to know!

Send me your guesses on Facebook or Twitter!

 I'd love to compare theories and eventually find out if we're spot on or can't hit the broad side of a barn!