What Are You Writing For: Fun, Business, or Satisfaction

Hello again, true believers! Stopping to think about, that’s kinda a weird way to start a comic book. What was Stan going for with that? Eh, I digress. Today, let’s talk about WHY you’re writing, WHY I’m writing, and WHY anyone ever has written. It’s a short topic and we’ll get entirely done with it…

Cause and (Mass) Effect

Welcome back to another Monocled Gamer! Today, I want to talk about my favorite game: Mass Effect 2. Yes, 2. Not 1 and definitely not 3. 4 is right out. More specifically than just raving over why Mass Effect 2 is one of the greatest games ever made (which I could do for hours), I…

Don’t Let Writer’s Block Slow You Down

Ah, writer’s block. Bane of all creatives, everywhere. Most people are familiar with this term, regardless of whether or not they do any writing, predominantly as it’s endemic to the creative arts. We who toil with paper and pen (or typety-typing and LEDs) do not have a monopoly on lulls of inspiration, but I feel…

The Best Music Covers (According to Me) Part 2: (#5-1)

Welcome back! Picking up from last week, let’s talk about my five favorite cover songs! I shared 10-6 last week and will recap them here: 10. Walking on a Dream – Artist: Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness – Album: Spotify Singles – Cover Of: Empire of the Sun 9.   I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)…

What’s In A Name?

Call me Ishmael. (Don’t actually. That was just for dramatic effect.) Names are such important things. We take our own very seriously, and I’ve yet to meet a writer who takes their character names less seriously than that. Nonetheless, a character name is an altogether different thing. Most of us, like and use the name…

The Best Music Covers (According to Me) Part 1: (#10-6)

Welcome to another Top 10 List! I really enjoyed putting together the last one, so I thought I would do another. I did learn several things, though, such as splitting the post in half so that it isn’t the longest thing ever conceived. Thus, I give you today’s post on: Christopher’s Top 10 Music Covers…

Don’t Go Undrafted, Part 2

And we’re back! I guess that’s a royal “we,” since there’s only me typing here. Last week I shared a few quick thoughts on single and sandwich drafting. Today, I want to dive into two others: multi and confetti. I know what you’re probably thinking: “Who is this guy?” That question is better answered on…

Don’t Go Undrafted, Part 1

Single, Multi, Sandwich, Confetti. Each of these terms is used to describe a style of drafting, and I wanted to talk a little about them. Side note: if you haven’t heard of the last two, it’s because I coined them. In my time as the research director and managing editor for an international team of…

Cheerio and Characters in Persona 5

So, today, I want to introduce you to something I used to do. It was not a famous or popular thing, but I enjoyed doing it for the brief time I could. You see, I really like video games. After writing, they are my favorite hobby both to relax with and to explore through. While…

Life Needs a Soundtrack (and so do my stories)

The Internet loves “Top 10 Lists,” and depending on the topic, so do I. Given this state of affairs, I thought I would make some of my own and share them here from time to time. Thus, without further ado, I give you… Christopher’s Top 10 Songs to Write To! (At Least Right Now) I…