My Thoughts on Stephen King's "On Writing"

Stephen King's, "On Writing," is a book that, not only explains some good methods for writing, but also some details into our author's past. The book is divided into three parts: Stephen King's backstory, on writing, and a story of King getting injured in an incident and how writing helped him. Stephen King's backstory sets the groundwork for this book and he describes how he became a writer. On writing is the meat of the book where he talks about his writing strategies. The story of King getting injured wasn't necessary for this book but it was a nice touch. There were many things I learned from this book such as a formula that King mentions: Second draft = first draft - 10%, writing 1000 words a day, and dumping all of your ideas on the first draft. Another good lesson is the quote, "read a lot, write a lot." These are all habits I will try to develop once summer begins. Overall, I found this book really educational. Honestly, the only problem I have is just King's language.

Postcard From the Future!

Ah, videogames. Videogames have been my source of entertainment for over a decade and have been quite an influence on my personality. Naturally, I have been collecting retro videogame consoles for a few years, starting with the Gameboy to the Sega Genesis and the Atari 2600.

But my collection pales in comparison to what I found in Frisco, Texas, home of the National Videogame Museum.


Joe Santulli loved collecting. He collected baseball cards, comic books, etc. But when videogames started to come out in the form of cartridges, he realized he had a new thing to collect.

When discussing collecting videogames, Santulli said in an interview, “It doesn’t take long before, all of a sudden, you’re trying to figure out how many of these things are there. What don’t I have? Where’s the list? And in the days of pre-internet, we kinda had to do it ourselves.”

Image Courtesy of the National Videogame Museum

So in 1991 Santulli and his friend Kevin Oleniacz created an organization called the Digital Press to develop collection lists to see what they were missing in their collection. After the press grew an audience, John Hardie and Sean Kelly joined the team.

In 1999, the team decided to make a show called the Classic Gaming Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada where people displayed their videogame collections. People enjoyed seeing these collections. So much, in fact, E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) invited the team in 2003 to a celebration of E3’s 10th anniversary. From then on, they became a “traveling museum.” They showed up in other popular gaming conventions such as PAX (Penny Arcade Expo) and GDC (Game Developer’s Conference).

In 2005, after quitting his job in the pharmacy business, Santulli opened a videogame store named Digital Press Videogames in Clifton, New Jersey. After many travels to conventions with their collection, the team decided to find a home for their museum. In 2011, the team made a Kickstarter for the videogame museum. Then during DICE (Design Innovate Communicate Entertain) in Las Vegas, Randy Pitchford, president and CEO of Gearbox Software, recommended a place in Frisco, Texas for them to place their museum.

On Sept. 18, 2014, the Frisco Community Development Corporation board unanimously voted for the museum to be built in Frisco. In April 2016, the National Videogame Museum was opened to the public in the Frisco Discovery Center and is America’s first museum dedicated to videogames.

When you enter the museum, visitors see multiple TV’s showcasing commercials of videogames along with golden versions of beloved videogame consoles. The museum is then divided into 16 “Stages.” Of course, I won’t detail all of these stages. But I will talk about my favorite parts of the museum.

Image Courtesy of the National Videogame Museum

Stage 2 is a timeline of videogames where a Mario statue is displayed while being surrounded by multiple videogame consoles over the years. There are also displays that tell you more details on each console. You have to use a giant Super Nintendo controller to navigate which console you want to read more about. Details on each console include fun facts, how much it costs, and what games were popular, were rare, and what were notorious (like “Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon” for the Philips CD-i). I really like this one since it displays many consoles I have never heard of but gives a nice explanation of the console’s history.

Stage 6 (Crash) demonstrates what a game store was like during the infamous Videogame Crash of 1983. It shows a store counter that is displaying many infamous Atari games at the time such as “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” (which is called one of the worst games of all time) along with a clearance dump, a cash register, a sign that says “STORE CLOSING EVERYTHING MUST GO!” and so many other fun details. There is also a display where you can play Pac-Man for the Atari 2600. I really like this one because you can interact with the register and look at what’s in the store. It’s nice to be in the shoes of what game stores had to deal with in this rough time during videogame history.

A favorite in the museum is Stage 13, where you are in a family room that is set in the 1980s. There is a couch where you can watch some Atari footage on the TV. It has some Time magazines, a LaserDisc player, and a retro console (I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it is but I’m assuming Atari).

Right across from that is Stage 14, where you are in a boy’s room during that same era. There are a ton of posters, a bed, an NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) on which you can play “Duck Hunt,” a closet filled with baseball cards, Star Trek books, and Star Wars movies. I just love the detail that’s put into these two stages.

Image Courtesy of the National Videogame Museum

One final section of the museum I’d love to see someday is the arcade they have. They have a ton of arcade machines that you can play with, including Pac-Man, Punch-Out!!!, Rampage, Moonwalker, and Donkey Kong. There is also ’80s music playing and the room is filled with neon colors. As a guy who doesn’t have much experience with arcade machines, I absolutely would love to go to this part of the museum and try out these classics.

This museum, however, is just the 1.0 version. “If things go well here,” Santulli said … , “we do plan on expanding even further and being able to someday have that library and archival facility.”

If the opportunity ever arrives when I can go to Texas, you can be sure I will be checking this place out. Because, as Retro Tony puts it, the museum “pretty much covered everything, and I mean everything, videogame-related. Awesome, awesome museum.”




At a Glance:

National Videogame Museum

Where: Frisco, Texas

What: Learn about the history of videogames and experience it first-hand.

Status: Closed for Now

Official Website: nvmusa.org/

Admission: $12 (General Admission), $10 (Ages 10 or under), $10 (Senior Citizens, Educators, and active Military), ages 3 and under are free.

Tour Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bkSpHS9Tto

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Review

After eight years of waiting for another installment for the Animal Crossing franchise, “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” was released on March 20. Judging by what other players have thought about the game, it seems to have been worth the eight years. The game has won the hearts of many reviewers such as IGN (it got Editor’s Choice in that review, too), Nintendo Life, and Gamespot. So, is the game worth your bells? Or is the game just a chore?

Image courtesy of Nintendo

Congratulations! You have purchased Tom Nook’s Deserted Island Package! You, and two other animal villagers, move into a deserted island. Unlike the previous entries in the Animal Crossing series where you are already in a town with shops and houses, you help make them. This is a deserted island after all. IGN writer Samuel Claiborn did find the game a little slow saying that “it takes too long to get to the good stuff. And by “good stuff” I mean the basics: The museum, shopping, and even access to parts of the island which require tools like the pole and ladder to reach.” I actually didn’t mind this and, in fact, I like the progression in this game where you will eventually explore more of the island as you live in it.


You are then in debt to Tom Nook for the tent you place down on the island and the phone he gives you, more on that later. The gameplay is similar to the previous games in which you have to collect bugs, fishes, and fossils to pay your debt to Tom Nook. Once you pay your debt, you can upgrade your tent to a house that brings you to another debt and the cycle continues. There are a few major additions to this game, however.


The first one is crafting. As you progress through the game, you will collect recipes that will require materials found inside trees, rocks, or even on the beach to craft. The tools you use will also be crafted but will break over time.


The second new entry to the series is the Nook phone. This gadget allows you to access certain apps such as calling other human villagers on the island, viewing the DIY recipes for crafting, and making designs for clothing.


The third addition to the game is the Nook Miles app. This acts like achievements and will award you with Nook Miles. You can exchange these for furniture, recipes, pocket expansions, or tickets to deserted islands. You can invite other animal villagers from these islands and get more materials if you use up everything on your island.

Image courtesy of Nintendo

When interacting with these villagers, I at first was worried I wouldn't be able to do errands for them like in the previous entries. You actually have to talk with them and give them gifts every once in a while to grow a bond with them so they can trust you and ask you to help them. The villagers are very kind and loving. One example is from a critic (Kallie Plagge) from Gamespot who mentioned that "I wasn't sure if I liked Stu, for example, until I stumbled upon him singing an adorable song to himself in the middle of town. I watched him for a very long time, and Flurry even walked up and watched him with me. Now they're my two favorites.”










In New Leaf, you can do projects such as bridges, lighthouses, and other buildings. My issue with that is it was a bit of a hassle dealing with the projects along with your debt to Tom Nook. In New Horizons, you also have projects but they are mainly bridges and inclines. Stuff like lighthouses you can buy using Nook Miles or even crafting which I don’t mind as much.

Image courtesy of Nintendo

Out of all of the Animal Crossing games, this one is the most gorgeous of them all. There is a little introduction video that shows the beauty of this game. The leaves in the trees blow with the wind, the cherry blossoms fall from the trees during the spring, and snowfalls during the winter. In fact, Nintendo Life reviewer, Alex Olney, says New Horizons is “one of the prettiest games on the Switch.”


There is an issue, however, that has angered many fans, including me. You can only have one island per game. If you want another island, you can’t just make another profile; you must buy another copy of the game -- which is $59.99 at present -- in order to get it. Sure, the previous entries had this issue but they were for handhelds. Even the Gamecube used memory cards to store the data (which are only $5 to $10 nowadays. I couldn't find how much they were back in the day).


The soundtrack is, like in every Animal Crossing game, pretty nice. The music changes depending on the weather and time. Before the Town Hall is built, the same song is looped. After it is built, the hourly music begins.


So to summarize, Animal Crossing was never one for its story but, like the previous entries, it has cute and quirky characters. I give the story a B+. The gameplay is as great as the previous entries and crafting is a great addition to the game. The fact that you need to buy another copy of the game to have another island is frustrating though. I give the gameplay an A. The soundtrack is very nice. It is ambient however so I give the soundtrack an A. The game gets bonus points for pretty art-style.


To conclude, “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” is a very fun game. It has great gameplay, charming characters, and a beautiful art-style. It may lack in story, but I recommend this game during our time in quarantine. I give this game an 8.8/10.





At a Glance:


Animal Crossing: New Horizons


Summary: Gather fish and bugs while interacting with animal villagers on a deserted island.


Rated: E for Everyone: Comic Mischief


Price: $59.99


Distributor: Nintendo


Console: Nintendo Switch

Rating: 8.8/10

On Writing So Far

When recommending Stephen King's book "On Writing," I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in writing or Stephen King's life and how he goes on to write his books. 
He begins with a bit of his backstory which can be either funny, interesting, or depressing. One example I found interesting was when he had an alcoholic addition and he was shocked when he was comparing himself to a character from "The Shining." Another story is what he uses as inspiration for his story "Carrie." He talks about two people named Sondra and Dodie. The stories for these two people are quite depressing but it shows how they influenced Stephen King's story.
After explaining his backstory, he will give writing advice like the toolbox. My favorite pieces of advice were finding your own room and door to close and to write 1000 words per day while taking a day off for starters. Finding your own room to focus on writing is, well, good to focus on writing. And finding a door to close tells your brain that you mean business and nothing is gonna distract you from writing.
Another good piece of advice he gives is reading. The reason for reading is to learn other writer's strategies so you can develop your own writing strategy.
So to conclude, I was a little turned off at the beginning because of its language and it's quite depressing. But as I continued, it became quite interesting and educational. It's worth the read.
Now let's see what room to choose...