Comic Transcripts

[[PLORTIKANT paces along what appears to be a waterfront.]]

PLORTIKANT: I just got a GREAT idea for a novel!
PLORTIKANT: Oh man! It’s gonna be SO cool! All these characters and situations! I’ll get to communicate ideas and share my point of view!!

PLORTIKANT: It’ll be hard. I’ll have to put in untold hours. Writing…revising…feedback…editing…I see it as 500 pages at LEAST
PLORTIKANT: Then I’ll send it to publishers. Or maybe self-publish? Either way the bulk of marketing will fall to me…

PLORTIKANT: SOME people probably won’t care for it. THAT’S if anyone even READS it!
PLORTIKANT: Maybe there’ll be a clamor for a sequel…a small but loyal fanbase…but is it enough to really sustain the series??

PLORTIKANT: I could probably write a second. A third would be tough, but I could eke it out.
PLORTIKANT: I hate to see a JOY turn into a DRUDGERY.

PLORTIKANT: At THAT point I’d better hang it up…let it run its course and come to a satisfying conclusion.
PLORTIKANT: Not everything has to be a soap opera! Let the story stand COMPLETE. I’ll look back at the trilogy as an important milestone in my career, but I’m sorry, fans, it is OVER.

[[A bearded man, GRAMBLETHORPE, interjects.]]

GRAMBLETHORPE: You keep talking about how excited you are to write, but I never see you, y’know, WRITING.
PLORTIKANT: If I can cut out that middleman I get all the same gratification in a fraction of the time

{{header: a notional WONDERMARK.COM}}

#1164; Creativity Concentrated transcribed by in

[[PLORTIKANT paces along what appears to be a waterfront.]]

PLORTIKANT: I just got a GREAT idea for a novel!
PLORTIKANT: Oh man! It's gonna be SO cool! All these characters and situations! I'll get to communicate ideas and share my point of view!!

PLORTIKANT: It'll be hard. I'll have to put in untold hours. Writing...revising...feedback...editing...I see it as 500 pages at LEAST
PLORTIKANT: Then I'll send it to publishers. Or maybe self-publish? Either way the bulk of marketing will fall to me...

PLORTIKANT: SOME people probably won't care for it. THAT'S if anyone even READS it!
PLORTIKANT: Maybe there'll be a clamor for a sequel...a small but loyal fanbase...but is it enough to really sustain the series??

PLORTIKANT: I could probably write a second. A third would be tough, but I could eke it out.
PLORTIKANT: I hate to see a JOY turn into a DRUDGERY.

PLORTIKANT: At THAT point I'd better hang it up...let it run its course and come to a satisfying conclusion.
PLORTIKANT: Not everything has to be a soap opera! Let the story stand COMPLETE. I'll look back at the trilogy as an important milestone in my career, but I'm sorry, fans, it is OVER.

[[A bearded man, GRAMBLETHORPE, interjects.]]

GRAMBLETHORPE: You keep talking about how excited you are to write, but I never see you, y'know, WRITING.
PLORTIKANT: If I can cut out that middleman I get all the same gratification in a fraction of the time

{{header: a notional WONDERMARK.COM}}

Really, all actions are either proxies to generate emotions, or attempts to cause circumstances that will create emotions. Emotions -- THAT'S the good stuff

Applications open for Genius Northwest – an IRL gaming competition

Last year, I participated in Genius Northwest, a gaming competition inspired by the Korean gameshow The Genius and its ilk.

It’s a reality show without the cameras — a 3-day, all-inclusive weekend retreat structured around a series of challenges and puzzles, in which personalities and dealmaking matter as much as playing games.

It’s truly a remarkable thing. I came in dead last in the competition, but I still had a great time participating.

The event is held annually in the Pacific Northwest (hence the name) and applications are now open to participate in the 2026 competition!

Learn more — and apply — at GeniusNW.com.


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