Thank you to Jamie & Allison for letting me talk about games! And who can choose just one? I give you my top ten game list (plus a couple)
Board Games:
1. Apples to Apples - so fun with my witty family and great for all ages (just tried a new version with pictures at xmas - hilarious!)
2. Scrabble / Words with Friends - a given, right?
3. Pictionary - but I don't get to play it very often, not enough interest. I tried Draw Something for a bit, but it had too many glitches...eh
4. The Amazing Labrynth - love logic & puzzle games!
5. Blokus - my son and I challenge each other by using two colors each
Video Games:
6. Any Lego video game - challenging, funny, and revolve around my favorite movies! Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Harry Potter!
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| Xmas 2009 |
8. Solitaire games - Mah Jongg, Sudoku, and newer What's the Word (reminds me of one of these things is not like the other...) I was playing Candy Crush, but you have to bother other people to play farther levels - I hate that!
Action Games!
9. Table games - ping pong, air hockey and pool (see how I fit all those in!)
10. Volleyball - can't remember the last time I played, but I love that game. I'd probably break something and definitely would embarrass myself if I tried to play today - but I'm game!!!
Today is also book club day!
BIRD BY BIRD
by Anne Lamott
Based on her voice, I'd say Ms. Lamott is a tough bird! She's offered her challenging life experiences as positive examples of how to write and live. Humor is essential in her healing and dealing process - we shouldn't take ourselves or others opinions too seriously.
Her thoughts on bearing your soul in your precious story, to someone you hope will validate this and that person tells you it still needs more work. You have to, at this point, question your assessment of this person's character...and decide whether or not you want them in your life at all. (p. 163) I love her sarcasm!
I had to stop reading several times to run over to my WIP and apply it! So here I share my favorite tips:
- Her images of letting things distract you while trying to get started reminded me of Spongebob trying to write his essay... She suggests narrowing what we start with to as much as I can see through a one-inch picture frame. (p. 17)
- Love the draft definitions: first draft is the down draft - you just get it down; second draft is the up draft - you fix it up; third draft is the dental draft - check every tooth (p. 25-26)
- Favorite chapter - Character. It is the most important piece of a book. Don't make them perfect - a person's faults are largely what make him or her likable. and perfect means shallow and unreal and fatally uninteresting... (p. 50)
- This was my biggest problem with whether to write: deciding what is interesting is about as subjective as things get. (p. 51)
- Plot concerns Characters. **Find out what each character cares most about in the world because then you will have discovered what's at stake.** (p. 55)
- Dialog has to define Characters. They should not all sound like you; each one must have a self. And good dialog gives us the sense that we are eavesdropping... and tells what is said and what is not said. (p. 66-67)
- Another perfect summation of perfection - perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor. (p. 93)
- Lastly, on jealousy of other writers doing well, historically when people do too well too quickly, they are a Greek tragedy waiting to happen. (p. 128)
I immensely enjoyed reading this and learned a lot about what makes good writing. Now to apply. And next month we will be discussing SAVE THE CAT by Blake Snyder. I'm excited!
I leave you with my "alternative" Sensational Haiku Wednesday...
Bands that go beyond -
Cake, Incubus, Linkin Park,
Muse, Weezer, Offspring
go against the flow
find a better way
im such a rebel
Never say I can't
Try alternative method
Always have options
Bands that go beyond -
Cake, Incubus, Linkin Park,
Muse, Weezer, Offspring
What do you like to play? What's your favorite craft book?
And I'm always looking for a good game of Words w/Friends - find me on facebook!
I played Guitar Hero until I became really good at the real thing. And Apples to Apples is a great party game.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter and I play the kids' version of scrabble. But we use pet shops for the tokens (we've long since lost the ones that came with the game). I swear we take as long picking which pet shop we want as we do figuring out where to put the tiles. lol
ReplyDeleteMy kids got a Wii for Christmas, and I have to say that I love playing the Mario games. :) As far as board games, I love Scrabble.
ReplyDeleteHappy Wednesday!
Now I want to go play something! :) My husband bought me The Walking Dead board game (the one based on the TV show) but we haven't played it yet. I think I need to check out some of the solitaire ones you mentioned, like What's the Word?, although I still like playing Scrabble against the computer...
ReplyDeleteOh, and I love Lamott's line about perfectionism. :)
I think Pictionary is such a fun party game.
ReplyDeleteApples to Apples is a hysterically funny game. Especially when you're very, very drunk.
ReplyDeleteI used to play it in my classroom, too, from time to time. My students got a real kick out of it. And given my first comment, it's also important to note that I was never drunk during those times.
Busy Wednesday, Tara!
ReplyDeleteI adored your article. We seemed to tap into the some of the same highlights...the picture frame, a person's faults...and although I didn't name all of the same things you did (hey, I did fifty of them), the others you mentioned were high on the list.
Yes, this was an excellent book to kick-off the PBC.
Thanks for participating, and I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as I did.
GREAT picture! Minecraft is the game of choice in this house. *sigh*
ReplyDeleteI almost picked Apples to Apples! I love that game. :) But I kind of don't think my family plays it right.
ReplyDeleteI adore ping pong and am - or was - rather good at it, which is surprising since I pretty much suck at most sports. Love the pic of you playing guitar :)
ReplyDeleteSome great alternatives. I did the rock guitar thing for real in the 70s, in a local rock band. A great time it was.
ReplyDeleteGreat analogy:
ReplyDeleteLove the draft definitions: first draft is the down draft - you just get it down; second draft is the up draft - you fix it up; third draft is the dental draft - check every tooth
Love it!
Well, heck. I'm gonna have to read this one after all. LOL Great review. :)
ReplyDeleteThat picture of you playing Rockband is awesome!
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of Halo myself. I completely missed the rockband boat, and now I can't find a squeaky plastic guitar that works... Sigh.
(and I love your haikus. True fact, I went to high school in a town named Ukiah, which is Haiku backwards. For years I thought Haikus were from Ukiah only...)
Don't think my comment posted, probably because of my link being typed wrong...but a good read, you love your favorites...I can tell! Sandy of
ReplyDeletewww.sandysanderellasmusings.blogspot.com
Some great picks there. I have to agree on the Lego games...all are really well made and tons of fun.
ReplyDeleteI'm proud to say that I had pretty much mastered the drums in Rock Band (up to medium level) and always enjoyed playing it.
Excellent post!
I love Apples to Apples! It's a fun game to play, especially when people start debating on why their card is best!
ReplyDeleteNutschell
www.thewritingnut.com
Bird by Bird is one of my faves. I played Apples to Apples for the first time the other nite and it was so much fun. I love Cranuim and Baulderdash too!
ReplyDeleteI still need to read "Bird by Bird". I love to play games. I'd rather play a game rather than watch TV.
ReplyDeleteDon't get my started on Rock Band - every Christmas we play beer rock band (basically rock band but with drinking involved). Great fun :)
ReplyDeleteAnd I adore the LEGO video games. They can do no wrong.
Thanks for taking part in the blogfest!
Jamie @ Mithril Wisdom
Fun list! I like Apple-to-Apples, and Taboo is always a good one too.
ReplyDeleteSome great games in that list. I love playing Lego X-Box games too!
ReplyDeleteGreat job on the book club and Haiku!
Heather
Ooh, such a good list. Rockband is great. Volleyball is probably my favourite sport too! Thanks for joining in the blogfest!
ReplyDeleteAllison (Geek Banter)
Level Up - I can't believe I forgot about Words w/Friends. I play it every single day, but I forget its a game. It's like answering emails or something in my daily routine.
ReplyDeleteBook Club - I am a pretty fast reader, but I couldn't race through this one. I keep stopping and making notes as well. Great post. My favorite chapters was about Characters, as well. Great tips.
I'm a master at monopoly, does that count? I adore scrabble, and while no expert love my pool table!
ReplyDeleteDon't do any of it online though, does it still count?
Apples to Apples is a favorite at our house- we laugh so hard there is usually some sort of inappropriate accident.
ReplyDeleteBook Club- Great list, there are some of my favorite quotes there! I marked my book up so much that it seems to be one continuous underline. :/
Scrabble is my kind of game! Big Fan. In video games I'm RPG crazy, especially for Final Fantasy series. You gave some nice games. And in Haiku I loved the never say can't. Very uplifting.
ReplyDeleteI love Rock Band and Guitar Hero - I bought myself a full band set, just so I could play the drums LOL!
ReplyDeleteI tried playing apples to apples a couple years ago. I was actually quite bored of it so I wonder if my friends and I were doing it wrong??
ReplyDeleteGoodness, I haven't played scrabble in years, maybe because I always win against my other half.
ReplyDeleteAnd Mah Jong rocks.
Options make life usually interesting, don't they? :)
ReplyDeleteApples to apples is a great game with a big group.
ReplyDeleteI really like your haiku, and I love your thoughts on Bird by Bird - it's one of my favorite writing books.
My wife and daughter love to play Apples to Apples. That has become the most popular game at our annual Thanksgiving get togethers.
ReplyDeleteAll the Lego games are so much fun. The tongue in cheek sense of humor for each of them is great. My daughter and I are playing Lego LOTR right now and cracking up regularly.
ooh ohh... I had forgotten about Air Hockey!! Awesome :)
ReplyDeleteI love scrabble and boggle :)
ReplyDeleteRock Band allows me to be a legend in my own mind!! Long Live Rock!!! :)
ReplyDeleteloved hearing about your fave games!
ReplyDeleteand sharing in the book club!
thanks, y'all!
I've never heard of Blokus, I'll have to look that one up. I always loved Pictionary (even though I couldn't draw) And Apples to Apples is a lot of fun too. We don't play enough games.
ReplyDeleteWhen with family we love to play Apples to Apples. Did rock band a bit when our daughter had the game, but not so much any more.
ReplyDeleteI love Bird by Bird and often reference it for writing tips and most of all inspiration. Anne Lamott does have a way of providing plenty of that.
Awesome game choices! I played Rock Band. I could never drum. I just don't have natural rhythm.
ReplyDeleteSorry I am so late, and also that I missed this game hop. We love family games. I have a page out on my top 10 best family games, and only Labyrinth matches from yours, although Apples to Apples is a great game.
ReplyDeleteHello Tara,
ReplyDeleteI agree that the character chapter was the most important and most enjoyable.
A Spongebob take on Bird By Bird. Better than Shakespeare.
As for party games...I agree with all your guests, plus I'll throw in Cranium. I love all those categories.