Talking about storytelling, part two – Change in (about) 100 words

From a recent exercise in storytelling. Assignment: In roughly 100 words, describe a time when your life changed.

At the last minute, I threw out my first, more serious draft, switched topics entirely, and wrote on the fly –

When we got home, I couldn’t get to my crayons fast enough.

I couldn’t find the black one, so I skipped Darth Vader and drew my stormtroopers in blue-green.

That’s how I remember the first time I saw Star Wars. I was six.

Since then, I have seen better movies. I have read better stories.

But this was more than spaceships and lasers and robots:

Star Wars is what got me interested in science and writing and history and mythology; in authors, characters, symbols, and archetypes; in storytelling and classically-inspired music and film-making.

This was a Big Bang. This was my world blowing up.

Also: spaceships and lasers and robots.

I liked the way it turned out, and it got a good reception. I saved it because I enjoyed looking deeper than nostalgia and remembering the first time someone else’s art really inspired me.

International TableTop Day: What We Played

Spent about five hours gaming on Saturday, in celebration of International TableTop Day.

Started off with a three-person game of Love Letter –

– which we followed with Tsuro.

After that, another friend showed up, and the four of us took on Forbidden Island –

Alas, victory eluded us.

On to Pandemic – another first for me.

Another cooperative game – really enjoyed this. (And we were so freaking close to winning this one!)

Another gamer arrived, and we played a five-person game of Tsuro, and then something none of us had tried before: We Didn’t Playtest This at All.

I think we played three complete games in about 12 minutes. So bizarre and odd and chaotic and fun.