I've gone and done it. I've bought the core books for 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons.
I have never really got on with D&D in the past. I know that a system should never govern a story but the fact is, D&D attracts the worst kind of player. Ironically, so does Minds Eye Theatre but Vampire remains my all time favourite game despite all the bad memories,

UK Masquerade... *shudders*

Two factors attracted me to 4th Ed D&D. Firstly: the dyed in the wool D&D fans were moaning about it. That can only be a good thing in my book, certainly enough to give it a look. A lot of the complaints have been about the influence of MMORGs on 4th Edition. Now I'm not really a MMORG fan, or rather, I've yet to succumb to the temptation which requires me to pay money for my dope but it's a smart move on Wizard's behalf catering for them in their game. MMORG's have already left their impression on gaming as a whole and it's likely that the next generation of gamers will be talking a language influenced by them.

Secondly, I'm going back to basics to work on my skills at plot structuring and story arcs. I'll be putting a basic game together with some friends fairly soon and hopefully the story will make the most of what will be a relatively mundane plot.

I will say one thing off the bat about the new books, the artwork is lush. As an illustrator working in the roleplaying industry, I think it's the first time I've looked at D&D and been intimidated.

I think I'm going to make more of a concerted effort to keep this journal up to date. I spend enough time reading through everyone else's messages so I might as well.
To aid me, I've decided to add Twitter which links to the journal and is better set up for the casual update it seems.

So, what's been going on in my life... in short, lots

A recap.

Lauren broke up with me just after our first year anniversary in March and up until that point, that was the longest time I've been with someone, including the ex wife. The friend thing didn't work out either as I felt the need to say some home truths and as a result, I've been pretty much disowned. We're still in tenuous contact as I sent her something for her birthday so who knows, we may speak again. Despite being really quite hurt at how summarily I was dismissed, I still miss her. She's also the only girlfriend I've ever wanted to get back with after a break up. The other relationships I've had for better or worse reached some point of natural closure whereas I seem to have been left hanging here.

Still, I'm trying to keep perspective. I'm young, free and single and outside of work, I'm keeping company with people I enjoy spending time with. It's important that I go out and socialise regularly with real people and not just facebook, as I've discovered to my misfortune that it's very easy to badly misread a situation through social sites, this one notwithstanding.

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I've finally taken the plunge into freelance illustration. I've got a few clients and the work is fairly regular if I can just get organised enough to do it in a realistic time frame. I'm working on a book cover at the moment and it's taking far too long, partly because I'm fighting the canvas but mostly because my future as an illustrator of any note depends on the success of this job. In roleplaying book terms, cover work is where the money is so that's the kind of work I want to be attracting.

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I'm finding recently that my condition is hampering social relations. I'm well aware that I have a tendency to say some harsh things from time to time without thinking about how they come across, usually when my normal safeguards are compromised through tiredness, stress or alcohol. In such times, people are really getting a direct feed from my brain without the sensitivity filter switched on.

This was affecting people more than I realised, building up over a number of weeks until it came to a head. I have to say I'm a little non-plussed that no one actually came to talk to me about it before it was too late and when something was said, it fell just shy of being threatened with violence.

The situation's been resolved but things feel somewhat fragile still. We'll just have to see how it all pans out.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/itn/20080515/video/vwl-birdman-takes-to-the-skies-15af341.html

Comment and I'll...
1. Tell you why I friended you.
2. Associate you with something - fandom, a song, a colour, a photo, etc.
3. Tell you something I like about you.
4. Tell you a memory I have of you.
5. Ask something I've always wanted to know about you.
6. Tell you my favorite user pic of yours.
7. In return, you must post this in your LJ.

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=6348300

I've got a commission going on for a mural, the theme which is icons of the music world. Now, I hate top 100 lists usually and I must stress that what I've compiled is highly subjective, a mix of the famous and those who have inspired me musically.
I'm putting the list below because I'm interested firstly to see how recogniseable they are and secondly to see if I've missed any significant ones out. I've tried to be as comprehensive as possible, only including one member of a famous band and trying not to just favour the lead singer.

Anyway, here goes. Good Luck and thanks for participating!
( Icons )

If you haven't seen Phoo Action, check it out before you lose the chance. Those with long enough memories will remember Get The Freebies by Jamie Hewlett of Tank Girl fame, serialised in The Face magazine (it was back in my uni days).

Well, the beeb have made a pilot for the TV series, in all its surreal and insane glory. It harkens back to children's television traumatising its younger audience and providing endless narcotic references for student kind.

And besides, any show that has a villain with a basketball for a head and a girl called Action who can pull a giant easter egg out of her pants formerly owned by Buddha can't be missed.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/page/item/b008yts6.shtml

Well, already had a modicum of success from the new website, plus it looks like some previous work might become sustainable too... currently negotiating for a cover! Need to sort out my prices though.
This week, I will be mostly searching for an agent in between visits to doctors or opticians and visits from the folks and more meetings with local grant bodies.

It'll be a wonder if I manage to get any drawing done!

Stolen from angusabranson

Let me know you better.....

1. Name:
2. Birthday:
3. Where do you live:
4: What are you studying/What are you working as:
5. What makes you happy:
6. What are you listening to now/have listened to last:
7. What is particularly good/bad about my LJ:
8. An interesting fact about you:
9. Are you in love/have a crush at the moment:
10. Favorite place to be:
11. Favorite lyric:
12. Best time of the year:
13. Weirdest food you like:

RECOMMEND
1. A film:
2. A book:
3. A song:
4: A band:

PLUS
1. One thing you like about me:
2. Two things you like about yourself:
3. Put this in your lj so I can tell you what I think of you.

www.gilesmeakin.co.uk

Please feel free to check out this rather spartan page of my work, more will be added later as time and inclination permits.

Enjoy!