I’m a Jedi, like my father before me.

Posted on November 11, 2011 by Jason R. Peters

Greetings Lomerell,

Your account has been selected to participate in an upcoming Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ Beta Weekend Test. If you have previously tested or are currently participating in an ongoing test, you will be invited again. Additional details for this upcoming test will be announced soon.

As part of this test, we will be partnering with games industry sites to distribute additional beta codes as necessary. This will help ensure we meet our population goals, so we can effectively stress test our servers in preparation for launch. Please do not acquire and redeem one of these codes as it could jeopardize your ability to participate in this test.

As a reminder, should you choose to participate, everything associated with this test (game information, process, forums communication, etc.) is confidential and may not be discussed outside of the Game Testing forum. Additionally, your participation in the Game Testing Program is subject to the Game Testing Agreement.

May the Force be with you,
The Star Wars: The Old Republic Team

Offered two jobs in two hours…what unemployment?

Posted on November 11, 2011 by Jason R. Peters

The morning of November 9th, I assisted visitors with conference room AV. They wore suits and the relaxed confidence of experienced businessmen. I wore blue jeans and my customer service smile. I made them laugh first and projected their content second. I don’t just connect cables and press the right buttons, I explain what I’m doing and why. I provide clear instructions, offer alternatives, pros and cons. I advertise how easy it is to reach me with questions.

“Want to come work in Iowa?” one asked. “We have an IT guy, but we kind of want to choke him.”

Obviously that’s at least half-kidding, but I made a good impression. They remember me as helpful and courteous. If I applied, I’d be ahead of other candidates.

The second offer was more serious. Continue reading →

Reading again at Durham SF/F Writer’s Group

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Jason R. Peters

On Tuesday, November 22 I’ll be reading again to the Durham SF/F Writer’s Group for critical feedback.

The group uses a new format which I love: Each author is given 15 minutes to read, and each member present is given 2 minutes to respond. This forces critiquers to consider what about their feedback is most pertinent and to deliver it in a clear, direct manner. There isn’t time for hedging or meandering. Best of all, there isn’t time for the author to rebutte his work, a practice which should be avoided at all costs.

Authors, amateurs especially, have a tendency to pontificate about how great their work is, to respond how we missed the point, how each criticized element was actually necessary if only we lesser writers possessed a grander vision.

That tendency isn’t eliminated, but it is mitigated. If the writer needs clarification, follow-up emails are easy, and more than one person has grabbed my sleeve after the meeting for additional comments.

Best of all, we’ve been able hear four readers per meeting instead of the previous three. That shortens time between readings and generates more feedback. The feedback we get is more pertinent and we get it more often.

That means we can only improve faster…if we’re listening.

Alloy of Law released today, writer’s group tonight

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Jason R. Peters

Very busy day for me in the world of fiction. Lots to digest.

First WoW-theme shirt SOLD

Posted on November 5, 2011 by Jason R. Peters

You may know I’ve been making a buck from turns of phrase in my preferred industry (gaming), but most sales so far have been Starcraft 2 themed apparel, specifically the “GLHF are the last four words you’ll ever hear” tshirt.

I finally decided to advertise that particular product when I made my first WoW-themed sale:

A t-shirt that says “Don’t tell my guild…I’m <AFK>”.

I don’t know if this is related to the advertising or just that my first WoW-preferred customer found the product, but either way, it was cause to celebrate.

I’m much prouder of my line of “Save a tank, hug a < Healer >” line of apparel, one says “Healer” literally, the others say, “hug a…” Shaman, Priest, Druid, etc.

Sometimes you don’t know what the customer wants until the customer shows you, though. Money talks.

What kind of “play” is more work than work?

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Jason R. Peters

I had to write a short sample for admission into ecopywriters.com. It turned out so well, I thought I’d share it here.

My hobbies include time-travel, dragon-slaying, zombie target practice, and military command. As a child, such opportunities were afforded by books. But books, for all their greatness, have one major flaw: They are static, unchanging. I can add my own interpretation, but not my own ending. I can make the meaning personal, but I can’t determine the hero’s strategy.

This is why I turn to another art form, yet in its infancy:

They’re called ‘video games’. But I prefer to think of them as interactive books. Continue reading →

Jason’s Tshirt on top of Google

Posted on October 27, 2011 by Jason R. Peters

I recently sold another “GLHF”-themed shirt on Zazzle. That’s 8 so far, which is not bad considering I’ve done virtually no advertising or promotion.

Being rewarded for pure creativity. Imagine it.

The sale prompted me to wonder how easy it is to find my shirts; there are several where “GLHF” sets up a punchline.

I typed “GLHF shirt” (without quotes) into Google and was pleased to discover my products form the top 3 results. Awesome!

So now, if you have friends that play SC2 or other RTS games where “GLHF” is a common expression, instead of telling them “my friend Jason has a thing on zazzle if you go there and search open door and go to this store”, you can just say “Google GLFH shirt”.

Did I mention Christmas is soon?