Dreaming of a World of Pokemon

There's no way around it. I'm a Pokemon addict. I can't get enough of them. Imaginary creatures of the highest order, anything to do with Pokemon is of interest to me. I have an ever-growing collection of toys and plushies, I enjoy the Pokemon anime, and I've been lately pursuing more and more of the so-called "spinoff" Pokemon games.

First Impressions: Final Fantasy XIII-2

Two days ago the much-awaited sequel to the critically mixed Final Fantasy XIII released. No, it's not Final Fantasy XIV. That game already released last year, and was apparently awful. No, I'm talking about Final Fantasy XIII-2. That's thirteen-two, in pronunciation.

Game Review: Kirby's Return to Dreamland

Over the last week or so I've been playing lots of a wonderful little game called Kirby's Return to Dreamland. When the game released, I wasn't confident it was worth the $50 investment, so I skipped it at first. But I'm glad I reconsidered.

The MMO Conundrum

There are gamers who can play the same game for countless hours and never tire of it. Or perhaps they rotate between a very small subset of games, rarely venturing to obtain a new one save for the latest offering from Blizzard or Valve. Then there are gamers who aren't satisfied with the same game for very long. I am in this category. We buy games fast and often, tire quickly, and move on to something else. It's not the most wallet-friendly approach to gaming, but it's who we are. We simply aren't entertained by any one game for too long.

Let's Initiate the Survival Strategy

Here's what I'm thinking.

I want to post at least once a week. As for what I intend to post, it likely won't be nearly as formulaic as I have been in the past. No rigid format. I'll just be blogging what's on my mind. I've often wanted to be a regular blogger but have failed to find either the ambition to write or the drive to keep it regular. I don't know if I'm any more prepared for it now than in the past, but the last year of daily updates should be worth something. So I'll try this.

What to expect:

• Anime/video game reviews
• Amusing/interesting pictures
• Random thoughts
• The Unexpected™

I hope to entertain and enthrall. Come back tomorrow for my first regular update!

Estepilogue

So that's it. One year. Three hundred and sixty-five stories. Eighteen thousand, six hundred and fifteen words. When I set out to start this blog, I declared that I would write one story a day for one year, and I have now accomplished this. For better or for worse, I'm done.

I don't know if I've become a better writer, or just better at restricting myself to limited numbers of words. I'd love to hear people's opinions. I'm still deciding what to do with this blog in the future. I may write more stories in the future, but that isn't currently planned.

Of course, it may work itself into my writing inadvertently. Each paragraph in this news post is 51 words, for example. But the things I want to do in the future with this blog won't strictly be 51-word stories, is the point I wanted to make. It will be more traditional.

For a little while at least, this blog will be going on hiatus, while I figure out what my plans are. I think the biggest point in the success of my original plan was the rigid schedule. I think I can apply this to other blog posts and be successful again.

It's been a fun ride, and I hope that everyone who has read it has found at least some stories they like. They're all still here, so feel free to go back and read the archives. For now, I'll leave you, with the sole assurance that I will be back soon.

Until then,

Happy New Year!

51-Word Story #365: The End

The year draws close to its inevitable finale. I'm not usually someone to go crazy over one random point in the space-time continuum. But it's an excuse to celebrate, so why not? Speaking of the New Year, this story is my 365th, marking a full year. Maybe I should backup sometime.

(Prompt words: Backup, finale)

51-Word Story #364: Trapped

I don't know how long it's been. Probably close to a year by now, I've been trapped in this cage. It is quite roomy but my freedom is restricted just the same. I'm forced to write music all day. To write the ultimate aria. That's the only reason I'm still alive.

(Prompt words: Aria, cage)

51-Word Story #363: Can Something Truly Never End?

"Would you stop that!?"
"I'm not doing anything though."
"You're doing plenty and it's very annoying."
"What? Breathing? Living? What do you want me to stop?"
"No, that.. Cease your incessant attitude."
"If it's incessant than I can't stop. That's what incessant means!"
"Ugh, I need to search for better friends."

(Prompt words: Search, incessant)

51-Word Story #362: Purchase Denied

Concepts of finance permeate our lives. Recently I was trying to purchase something, and I asked if the price was negotiable. The teller failed to understand such a concept. No, this is how much it is. You must pay in accepted currency. "But all I brought was chickens!" No, cash only.

(Prompt words: Currency, finance)