In the National Post, I’m quoted in this nice piece by Liana Kerzner about empathy focused largely on the good folks at Minority Media.

“Video games and empathy: Should artists be psychologists when it comes to levelling playing fields?”

Smart game writer, Susan O’Connor recommended this book to me, and I’d readily pass on the same recommendation to any freelancer. (Note: Canadians like me need to substitute some of the info, for example tax rates, and the rules that govern RRSPs.) Here’s my GoodReads review:

The Money Book for Freelancers, Part-Timers, and the Self-Employed: The only personal finance system for people with not-so-regular jobs by Joseph D’Agnese

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A succinct, encouraging, good-humoured and easy-to-follow financial system for freelance workers of all stripes.



View all my reviews

The Assassin’s Creed: Freedom Cry team and I have been nominated for a 2015 Writer’s Guild Award for Excellence in Game Writing. This game meant a lot to me, so it’s a thrill to be nominated!

Writers, I made you a board game to help with your procrastination: WRITER, GET TO WORK! It’s free to download and play.

My latest short story, NOTHING BUT MEAT, (or maybe even my only short story? It’s not a form I usually work in…) has been published at Work Stew. Happy New Year, everyone!

I’m leading a week-long game writing workshop with the playwriting students of the National Theatre School of Canada in the new year. The intersection of games and theatre is an interesting one and I can’t wait to see what these talented young artists create!

I write for video games, but for some reason I get asked a lot by my peers whether I actually play games. This never happens in circles of novelists. No one ever asks me, “so do you… read?” But in gaming circles, the conversations go like this:

Colleague or Journalist: So do you… play games?

Me: Yes.

CoJ: Like what? What do you play?

Me: Recently I enjoyed [a couple of games that stood out]. But I play many games, as much as I can.

CoJ: On what platform?

Me: All of them except Nintendo for now.

CoJ: Like what? iOS?

I tend not to enjoy these conversations because I’m not much of a cataloguer, and these conversations mainly occur on press junkets or business trips, while I’m trying to concentrate on the game I’m promoting or making, through a thick fog of jet lag and often some kind of headache. And, I instinctively reject invitations to justify my existence, which can be a real conversation stopper.

Nevertheless, it’s a listy time of year, and testament to my love for this form, the first thing I want to do on my first day of vacation from the game company I work for is reflect on the games I played over the last 12 months, and link out to some games I really enjoyed. I’ll mark my favorites with a loving (*) and reserve the right to add the games I forgot when I remember them as soon as I hit “publish.”

XBOX

• Assassins Creed II
• Assassins Creed: Brotherhood
• Assassins Creed III
• Dishonored
• Driver SF
• Fez (*)
• Just Dance 3 (*)
• Mass Effect 3
• Quantum Conundrum
• Rayman Origins
• Spelunky
• XCOM Enemy Unknown (*)
• Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2012 (* one of mine)

iOS

• Carcassonne
• Civilization Revolution
• Middle Manager of Justice
• Rayman Jungle Run (*)
• Spaceteam! (* not just a favourite, but also the only game I got to test over potlucks, in the developer’s living room.)
• The Walking Dead
• Plague Inc. (it’s like the opposite of Pandemic)
• Ticket to Ride Pocket
• Plants vs. Zombies (I would have thought I’d be sick of PvZ by now, but it’s still on my phone and when I run out of new things to play or read on the subway, I play it over.)

PS3

• Journey (*)
• Papo & Yo
• Super Hexagon

PSVita

• Asphalt Injection
• Assassins Creed III: Liberation (* My baby!)
• Gravity Rush (*)
• Lumines
• Little Big Planet
• Uncharted: Golden Abyss

PC

• The Binding of Isaac
• CLOP (lol)
• Dear Esther

Hybrid

• JS Joust (*)

Paper, Ink, Glue, Wood and Plastic

• Blokus
• Carcassonne (It would have a star, but I’ve been playing it too long)
• Cards Against Humanity (*)
• Pandemic (*)
• Ticket to Ride
• Munchkin
• Dominoes (so very many games dominoes, often accompanied by rum drinks )

On deck, but I won’t get to them before 2013 because I can’t stop playing XCOM

• Analogue, a Hate Story
• Replay Half Life 2 (*)
• Hotline Miami
• That game that’s like Pictionary but with Lego. Someone should get me that for xmas
• Mark of the Ninja
• Mirror’s Edge
• Persona 4 Golden
• Settlers of Catan (I know… what is WRONG with me that I haven’t played this already?)
• Sound Shapes
• Unfinished Swan
• ZombiiU (and other WiiU stuff if I can actually get one. We ordered them at work and then they cancelled our orders at the last minute. The nerve!)

We opened our fourth workshop with a chat about writing routines and practical goals– whether you prefer to set yourself a word count limit, or spend a set amount of time writing every day.

My routine sees me writing every weekday morning, in the same cafe, for one hour, like clockwork. I also write at other times- lunch, in waiting rooms, on trains, etc… but the morning routine anchors me to my practice. For years, I’ve accomplished this by carrying the tiniest computer I can find with me at all times. Right now, it’s an iPad with a keyboard case, and I feel very spoiled.

Canadian novelist Ray Robertson gave me the simple, magic formula that helped me get into a routine. He told our workshop group at U of T that what he did when he started writing, was to promise himself he’d write for, say, 45 minutes, twice a week. When he wrote, he’d mark it down in his agenda. Once he’d met his goal a few times, he’d gently increase either the duration or frequency, congratulating himself with check marks, every time he succeeded. He said he worked his way up to about 3 hours a day this way.

I did the same thing. (Albeit far more loudly, on a wall calendar, with markers and glittery fish stickers… hey, whatever works… you have to satisfy your inner nerd.) It was difficult at first to stay still and just write– not fiddle with anything, get up and clean, play with the dog, fix another hot beverage– and this was before social media exploded all over our lives and writing stations. I had to tell myself “well, you have to sit here for an hour… I bet the time is going to go a lot faster if you’re typing…”

And it did! And by doing that, I also taught myself to let my mind wander– to be happy with typing antyhing just to get the words flowing. To be grateful for any snippet of inspiration or memory that might wander across my desk, and “distract” me from what I otherwise thought of as work.

Of course it was all valuable work. This is what routine has to give us and teach us.  Outer constraints (word count, time limits, quiet rooms with nothing but desks in them) don’t inhibit creativity, they protect and foster inner freedoms by quieting our surroundings so we can draw our attention inward to see what’s already there. 

Last week we discussed the one thing I’ve had to work hardest at in my own writing: plot.

Despite all my hard work, I’ve come to the conclusion that most of us worry too much about plot. There are very few musts as far as plot is concerned.

Plot Musts

1. Have one.

So yes, make sure you have one. But don’t fret too much over whether you’re doing it right.

A plot arc, at its most basic, requires just two points:

1. A character who desperately wants something.
2. The same character, having changed as a result of trying to get it.

In between, the character is acted upon by forces internal and external- his own psychological makeup, and the people and circumstances of his life.

To arrive at a satisfying plot arc, you need to get real about this character and what he or she wants. You need to be honest about your motivations for writing the story. You need to care enough to get to know all the characters of your story well enough that their actions ring true.

Do that, and your characters will generally act and react together to create story. Characters are pretty good at group work if you let them do what they do.

If you don’t, you can really mess up your sense of direction, and make plot practically impossible for yourself. Plot-destroying habits appear in the following forms:

• Overprotecting our characters. Keeping them out of harm’s way, or resolving conflict as quickly as possible.
• Endowing our characters with too many positive qualities. If her journey is complete before the story begins, how can there be any story? For instance, a hero has to overcome something in order for us to understand why his actions are heroic.
• Leaning too heavily on a message or lesson. When was the last time you sat down and thought to yourself “boy, I could really use a talking to. I think I’ll read a lecture on human behaviour.”
• Refusing to make decisions, or rejecting what our characters are suggesting to us.
• In YA, letting adult characters interfere to the point that the young character can’t or won’t do anything.

It comes down to embracing imperfection. Life is messy. A story takes disorder and conflict and builds towards resolution. It takes discomfort and turns it into problem solving. It takes a stagnant situation and fills it with new ideas. That’s what makes it satisfying. Fiction is a tool that lets us explore the great WHAT Ifs of life.

And teenagers crave WHAT IF?! In fiction we can give them a safe place to test out ideas and ideals, even the terrible and impractical ones, via our characters.

We can train ourselves to take decisions that allow plot and story flow more easily.

• Amplify. The thing your character wants– make her want it badly. The hang-ups she has, make them deeply ingrained and hard to overcome. The conflicts she runs into- make sure she has to work to resolve them.
• Push your characters. Test them. Let them fail so we can find out how they recover.
• Nurture conflict. Let your character have a bad day, and snap at his sister. Let your character be awkward and embarrass herself in front of the school bully.
• Make the decision you’d avoid in real life. Step into the haunted woods. Chug that beer. Punch that girl in the face. Yell at the teacher. Ask the guy out. Whatever.
• Look closely at your own motivations for writing. Are you horrified at something that’s happening in the world. Afraid? Angry? Mischievous? Push it. Don’t pre-correct the situation by trying to write a perfect example world. Explore your darker emotions and give them to your characters. Instead of making a character righteous because he’s angry, make him ANGRY, and give him the blindness, impulsiveness or shortness that comes with that anger.
• Let the story just happen. If a character seems to
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We got a lot done in week two.

We began with a discussion of first drafts, and how they’re supposed to be difficult and awful, but you have to finish them anyway to find out what your story’s about, and of course because it’s the only path to the next draft. I won’t share those notes in detail in this post because a lady needs at least a few secrets, and I also have too much to say about Voice.

Much is made of the importance of the authenticity of voice in YA. In reality, voice is important in all writing. It just stands out more in YA because kids have a lower threshold for bullshit. The moment something doesn’t ring true, they stop reading. They won’t soldier through because your reputation preceeds you, you won an award, or everyone’s tweeting about you.

So how do we make stories ring true to young ears?

I build my characters by first listening for them. I start with a bit of context, like “it’s about a tough inner-city girl who breakdances, and wants to win more than anything, but then her parents move her to the suburbs and she has to build a new crew with girls she is initially revolted by.” Then I try to picture this girl. Once she starts talking, I listen to what she says and build everything that. Clothes. Tastes. Her name. Hair texture. How she does at school. Who her friends are. What’s the root and nature of her toughness. Is she for real, or just posturing? What’s she afraid of? In my writing, everything begins with the sound of her voice.

Many writers have told me this is flaky voodoo advice, and not helpful in the slightest. Here’s a set of principles that are a little more practical:

• The point of view you choose for your narrator must be one that allows you to show your story from a teen’s perspective– one that will show the reader things a teen would notice and care about, and one that priortizes a teen’s interest, and approach to solving her own problems.
• If you’re not sure you’re hitting this voice squarely on the head, try rewriting a chapter from a first-person present protagonist-narrator perspective. It’ll force you to concentrate on only those things your teen protagonist would notice and care about.
• “Authentic” voice is a matter of knowing who your narrator is, and inhabiting her world completely– of first learning to look at everything through her eyes, and next, describing it as she would.
• You need to be empathetic to teens. You can try remembering your own childhood. You can take to heart how your children or cousins see the world. You can sit on the Metro with earbuds in, and your iPod muted, and listen to the way teens in groups relate to each other. You can watch their movies and play their video games and listen to their music, trying to hear what makes it important to them.
• You must work hard not to let the portrayal of teens on TV and in movies colour your own idea of what kids sound like, or what the teenage is all about.
• Above all, you must remember that teens are people first and teenagers last. You have to know your character inside out as a human being. Then you can consider how this person’s inexperience and present hormonal and social circumstances might color his decisions and perceptions.

Reading & Class Discussions

We had an interesting discussion about The Hunger Games, and whether the sophistication of Katniss’s vocabulary matches the education level you’d expect her to have. It was generally agreed that she’d be wise beyond her years, forced to grow up fast, and that that could bring with it an unexpected sophistication. But we were unable to come to a consensus on whether her vocabulary is as true to her character as it could be. Food for thought!

We then read the first chapter of Coe Booth’s first book,

Monday night marked the kickoff of the 8-week YA writing workshop I’m leading for the Quebec Writers’ Federation.

I opened the class with a reference to this Ira Glass video I love, about storytelling, and how our amazing taste mingles with our aspirations to both guide our work and inspire self-doubt.

These videos (there [...]

From the voice that brought you writing advice like “get some sleep” and “don’t worry if it takes a long time” comes a writing workshop for aspiring and practicing Young Adult writers Writing YA: Making the A Stand for Awesome.

Yes, it’s a QWF workshop by me, Jill Murray, on Monday evenings in Montreal, starting October 3rd.

Here’s the complete description. If it sounds like fun to you, head on over to the QWF’s website to register. I hope to see you in class!

Eight Mondays, 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. (October 3 to November 28 – no meeting Oct. 10)

1200 Atwater Avenue, Suite 3

Workshop fee: $175; $155 for QWF members.

For more information, or to register: 514-933-0878 or [email protected]

Young Adult literature is a growing market, and for good reason. Encompassing great diversity in the genres it includes and the types of stories it tells, it attracts teen readers and adventurous adults alike.

Whether you aim to tell contemporary stories rooted in the issues that matter to teens you know, or pen the world’s first eight-volume blockbuster dystopian alternatereality zombiemermaid epic, you’ll need the same basic building blocks of the writer’s craft—brains, yes, and coffee, but also memorable and lucid plots, well-developed characters, dialogue that rings true, evocative  settings, finely-tuned voice and point-of-view, action and pacing that keep the pages turning, and of course, heart.

Using writing exercises and examples from current YA literature and notable blogs, this eight-week workshop will cover all the basics, as well as important issues in the YA writer’s life, such as How To Write While Everyone Else is On the Internet, Your Options for Publication, and Trends & How to Ignore Them Without Panicking. The format will be a studio workshop, with a lecture, writing time, and weekly critique sessions. Each participant will submit a 10-20 page  short story or chapter of a novel-in-progress for in-class critique.

In Week 7 (Monday, November 21), Cecil Castellucci, author of, at last count, seven acclaimed works for young adults, including graphic novels, The Plain Janes and Janes in Love, will drop by to discuss the ins and outs of writing graphic novels for teen audiences. There will be a  related writing exercise, and fun will be had.

Writers: some of you are like “woo, outline, then fast but complete hair-pulling first draft, followed by hard-working but clearly sequential 2nd, 3rd (&4th, etc…) drafts.” You can schedule your manuscript to take 4, 6, 12, 18 or 24 months to complete.

I am more like “write 6 paragraphs, reread, edit, write 6 more paragraphs, reread all 12, edit, write a 6 more paragraphs… get to 107 page mark and rewrite whole novel twice…” I can schedule my process to take place 5 times a week at 8 in the morning, and the rest is a mystery.

My way is slower, but for novels, it’s the only way I can work.

I mention this for the others like me, fretting over when your manuscript will be done. Write however you need to, as long as the job gets done. “Your public” isn’t timing you.

I’ll be reading at the Eden Mills Writers’ Festival on Sunday, September 18th, in the Young Adult venue, at 1:30, with Scott Chantler and Natale Ghent. Then we’ll sign books and answer questions at The Bookshelf outside Jenny’s Place.

I’m hoping I’ll also get to hear the second set of readings at 3:30, with Adwoa Badoe, Tish Cohen, and Richard Scrimger.

Doesn’t that sound like a great day? I’m filled with absolute YA nerdy glee- totally psyched to meet all of these authors– and you too. So if you’re near Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo, Toronto, come on out and say hello, and help me savour one of our last great summer weekends in full-on bookish style.

I’ll be reading at the Eden Mills Writers’ Festival on Sunday, September 18th, in the Young Adult venue, at 1:30, with Scott Chantler and Natale Ghent. Then we’ll sign books and answer questions at The Bookshelf outside Jenny’s Place.

I’m hoping I’ll also get to hear the second set of readings at 3:30, with Adwoa Badoe, Tish Cohen, and Richard Scrimger.

Doesn’t that sound like a great day? I’m filled with absolute YA nerdy glee- totally psyched to meet all of these authors– and you too. So if you’re near Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo, Toronto, come on out and say hello, and help me savour one of our last great summer weekends in full-on bookish style.

I made this for dinner tonight and it turned out so great, I had to write it down so we can do it again. Normally, I chase my pasta around the bowl, trying to make sure there’s a noodle in every bite. This dish had me chasing the broccoli instead!

INGREDIENTS:

• salt, to taste
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 1 large head broccoli, Cut into florets, and stems diced
• 1 large clove elephant garlic
• red pepper flakes, to taste
• lots basil, fresh or dried
• 1 medium tomato
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, or more if you like it. I probably used half a cup or more.
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 servings whole wheat rotini

METHOD:

1. Noodles: Put on water to boil for noodles, and put a large saute pan on the burner to bring it up to medium heat. You’ll let your noodles cook while you prep everything else. That way the noodles and the veggies should be done at the same time. Magic!
2. Onion: Dice half an onion and throw it in the pan with a teaspoon of olive oil. Let it saute while you chop the broccoli, stiring it once or twice so it cooks evenly. If the water is boiling, you can add the noodles now.
3. Broccoli: Chop the broccoli into tidy florets, then take the stems and trim them of any tough bits before dicing them finely. When the onions are soft, add all the broccoli to the pan.
4. Garlic: Peel and finely chop one or more cloves of elephant garlic. toss it in the pan & stir.
5. Seasoning: Add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, lots of basil (fresh or dried), red pepper flakes, salt, and half a cup of water.
6. Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional Yeast is an inactive yeast that’s grown on blackstrap molasses and then pasteurized so it stops growing, so its not the same yeast you make bread with. It won’t grow in your stomach, but it is full of b-vitamins and whatnot. It disolves and adds a distinct pungent flavour and pleasant orangey colour reminiscent of certain cheeses.
7. Tomato: dice one and add it to the pan, and give everything a good sir.
8. When the noodles are done, drain, add them to the veggies, and toss. Serve.

SERVINGS: 2

SOURCE: Codejill

I just filed a post on BookMadam.com about what it’s like juggling a fabulous new full-time job and writing novels. If you’ve ever thought to yourself “I’ll write my book when I have more time,” you might want to check it out, for a different (and I hope, encouraging) perspective.

I just filed a post on BookMadam.com about what it’s like juggling a fabulous new full-time job and writing novels. If you’ve ever thought to yourself “I’ll write my book when I have more time,” you might want to check it out, for a different (and I hope, encouraging) perspective.

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19. Writing the 5-Hour Novel

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By: Jill, on 7/16/2011
Blog: JillMurray.com (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Add a tag

I just filed a post on BookMadam.com about what it’s like juggling a fabulous new full-time job and writing novels. If you’ve ever thought to yourself “I’ll write my book when I have more time,” you might want to check it out, for a different (and I hope, encouraging) perspective.

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20. Wrecking Ball 2011

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By: Jill, on 4/25/2011
Blog: JillMurray.com (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  YA, teens, Events, theatre, election, Projects, vote, Add a tag

Last week I wrote a short play called Marc Garneau’s Moustache. It’s about a bunch of teens participating in democracy in one of the few ways they can: by defacing campaign posters.

TODAY! At Mainline Theatre, 3997 St Laurent blvd. at 8pm, there will be a staged reading of Marc Garneau’s Moustache during the Wrecking Ball– an evening of theatre devoted to the question of voting or not voting.

It sounds like it should be fun. There’s music, a few short plays, and a game show. Admission is pay-what-you-can.

As for me, I’ll be voting later today at the advance polling station around the corner from the cafe where I’m working.

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21. Wrecking Ball 2011

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By: Jill, on 4/25/2011
Blog: JillMurray.com (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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**Update! – April 29th, 2011**
The Wrecking Ball was a smashing success. I had a ball, and was just completely giddy and overwhelmed by the awesomeness of the interpretation of my piece by the director and actors who had probably just a few hours to rehearse and stage it. (Whose names I will add to this post in a more organized moment than this one.)

If you’d like to read the play (do it– it’s only a few pages and they’re all silly), I’ve created a pdf you can download. Here it is: Marc Garneau’s Moustache

And if you’re Canadian, GO VOTE on Monday!

Last week I wrote a short play called Marc Garneau’s Moustache. It’s about a bunch of teens participating in democracy in one of the few ways they can: by defacing campaign posters.

TODAY! At Mainline Theatre, 3997 St Laurent blvd. at 8pm, there will be a staged reading of Marc Garneau’s Moustache during the Wrecking Ball– an evening of theatre devoted to the question of voting or not voting.

It sounds like it should be fun. There’s music, a few short plays, and a game show. Admission is pay-what-you-can.

As for me, I’ll be voting later today at the advance polling station around the corner from the cafe where I’m working.

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22. Wrecking Ball 2011

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By: Jill, on 4/25/2011
Blog: JillMurray.com (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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**Update! – April 29th, 2011**
The Wrecking Ball was a smashing success. I had a ball, and was just completely giddy and overwhelmed by the awesomeness of the interpretation of my piece by the director and actors who had probably just a few hours to rehearse and stage it. (Whose names I will add to this post in a more organized moment than this one.)

If you’d like to read the play (do it– it’s only a few pages and they’re all silly), I’ve created a pdf you can download. Here it is: Marc Garneau’s Moustache

And if you’re Canadian, GO VOTE on Monday!

Last week I wrote a short play called Marc Garneau’s Moustache. It’s about a bunch of teens participating in democracy in one of the few ways they can: by defacing campaign posters.

TODAY! At Mainline Theatre, 3997 St Laurent blvd. at 8pm, there will be a staged reading of Marc Garneau’s Moustache during the Wrecking Ball– an evening of theatre devoted to the question of voting or not voting.

It sounds like it should be fun. There’s music, a few short plays, and a game show. Admission is pay-what-you-can.

As for me, I’ll be voting later today at the advance polling station around the corner from the cafe where I’m working.

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23. Ritual Internet Suicide

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By: Jill, on 2/16/2011
Blog: JillMurray.com (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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It's satire, so it's fair use.

Yesterday on BookMadam, I rolled around in gasoline, and then lit a match. Felt kind of tingly.

I both regret the way I said what I said, and I’m glad it happened anyway, because there’s more progress to be gained from speaking, even if it’s completely unsightly and feels, as the BookMadam herself put it, like passing a turd full of thumbtacks. I could well be wrong. But there are worse things than being wrong– like frightened obedience. Silence is not why I got into writing, and if I have to have my nervous breakdowns in public, so be it.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a bunch of research to do on copyright law. I hope to get to it by the weekend.

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24. Ritual Internet Suicide

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By: Jill, on 2/16/2011
Blog: JillMurray.com (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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It's satire, so it's fair use.

Yesterday on BookMadam, I rolled around in gasoline, and then lit a match. Felt kind of tingly.

I both regret the way I said what I said, and I’m glad it happened anyway, because there’s more progress to be gained from speaking, even if it’s completely unsightly and feels, as the BookMadam herself put it, like passing a turd full of thumbtacks. I could well be wrong. But there are worse things than being wrong– like frightened obedience. Silence is not why I got into writing, and if I have to have my nervous breakdowns in public, so be it.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a bunch of research to do on copyright law. I hope to get to it by the weekend.

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25. Ritual Internet Suicide

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By: Jill, on 2/16/2011
Blog: JillMurray.com (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Add a tag

It's satire, so it's fair use.

Yesterday on BookMadam, I rolled around in gasoline, and then lit a match. Felt kind of tingly.

I both regret the way I said what I said, and I’m glad it happened anyway, because there’s more progress to be gained from speaking, even if it’s completely unsightly and feels, as the BookMadam herself put it, like passing a turd full of thumbtacks. I could well be wrong. But there are worse things than being wrong– like frightened obedience. Silence is not why I got into writing, and if I have to have my nervous breakdowns in public, so be it.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a bunch of research to do on copyright law. I hope to get to it by the weekend.

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