Brendan Cottam

@exQUIZitely I fear that what changed was not just the game, or the gamers, but gaming as a whole. Like you mentioned, the addition of addon simplifiers, more advanced third party tools, wikis and spreadsheets demystified MMO gaming so thoroughly it was never the same.

The last "modern" game I ever played was World of Warcraft, from 2004 to 2010, the end of Wrath of the Lich King. I know there were MMORPGs before (and after), but when the original World of Warcraft launched in 2004, it felt closer to "perfection" than any game before or since. Nothing has changed that feeling to this day. What changed was the game itself after the death of Arthas in Wrath of the Lich King. The original WoW felt so vast, so open, and so alive - it’s hard to put into words. There was no min-maxing yet, no speedruns, no parsing records, no gear score requirements. If you were really "pro," you connected with friends or guildies via Ventrilo. There was no WeakAuras, no threat meters, no Questie guiding you. You quickly learned that even the most expensive vendor gear was trash compared to quest rewards. You had to walk from Elwynn Forest to the Redridge Mountains - and if you dared peek across the river into Duskwood, the spiders there would one-shot you (I’m sure we all did that). The first time you equipped a green item! The first time you swapped it for a blue! And the envy of seeing someone with purple gear, omg! Saving up for a mount and the catharsis when you could finally afford one! The first time you entered the Deadmines, the foolish solo attempt on Hogger only to realize instantly it was a death sentence, stepping into Alterac Valley battlegrounds and being in awe of its size, wiping on Ragnaros again and again before finally killing him, and the sheer joy of celebrating together with your guild. The excitement and awe of entering Naxxramas for the first time, struggling to down Patchwerk, the teamwork, the slow progress, seeing Sapphiron dead on the frozen ground and being moments away from Kel’Thuzad… so close! It truly felt like a massive world - not just in size, but in stories. The announcement of The Burning Crusade and the Dark Portal appearing in the Blasted Lands; you couldn’t wait to walk through it. Then the ultimate climax when Wrath of the Lich King launched, eventually facing the most badass character in gaming history: Arthas. World of Warcraft was magic. Until it wasn’t. Just like Blizzard was once the greatest game studio of all - until they weren’t. Warcraft used to be tough, glorious and epic... now it's pink Disney fluff. Nothing has recaptured that feeling from 2004 to 2010. I wonder if anything ever will again. I sometimes watch the trailer of the original WoW. It still hits close to the (gamer) heart…

@BadenChant Congrats, mate. You deserved it! :)

I went to the #aurealisawards tonight...and I won??? That was a genuine surprise. No one goes into these things thinking they'll win so it always takes you off guard. Big thanks to the judges and organisers!

I’m astonished to be shortlisted for an Aurealis Award for ‘What We Sew’. 🤯 Maybe there is something to this ‘Solomon Kane meets Australian Gothic’ vibe … 🤔

@SpencerKlavan Here, I’ll run one for you: Let’s

I want one of these that tests how slow you can read.

@J0hnADouglas @CorpseKings He’s browsing, but he already knows he is going to get the beef chow mein again.

@CorpseKings Chinese menu

What book is this Werewolf Aristocrat reading? 👓

Second short story, “What We Sew”, picked up and published, with @jacarandauq . Feels good to continue clawing my way towards publishing credibility! Maybe I’ll write more colonial Australia era monster hunter stuff.

@ZBK_VVvibes Yes. Yes there… does seem to be a lot of robots on here, pretending to be agents and author coaches and all kinds. That’s unfortunate. 🤖

@StoryGrid “I deserve everything that happened to me.”

“Everything happens for a reason.” Rewrite this line to sound more genuine or personal.

@realmattfalcon “Felix couldn’t beat him to death right now - not if he planned to crucify him later.”

What is the first line of your WIP or book(s)? I’ll go first: “Love, she thought, was a privilege for those who had no worries about their survival.” Now you! Go!

@StoryGrid Certainly; but, for example, an enemy who is inflexibly determined on their path is not struggling with their contradictions or anything like it. Their psychopathic myopia could be the thing that makes them frightful.

@BrendanCottam All characters in your story must have an object of desire. It gives the character a purpose and direction.

Characters without contradictions are boring. If they don’t struggle with their own values, decisions, or desires, they’re not a person—they’re a cardboard cutout.

@Ekaylasimpson What an awful disappointment. I know it’s not much consolation, but the redeeming fragment is that those 10 years aren’t wasted; presumably, they have taught you things about the industry and sharpened your craft in ways that will serve you, when you are ready to begin anew.

It was ten years of almost Almost agented Almost a contract Almost good enough And then it was a yes, and it was edits and book covers and author photos. And now I was supposed to have ARCs in my hands this month. It was almost a book. Almost everything I ever wanted

@AuthorGFAllen It ought to. Since writing (longform prose) is fundamentally an act of communication with its own matrix of logic and conventions, reading is necessary to grow. Necessary, but not sufficient. Right?

Does reading a lot naturally improve writing ability?

@AlyVeenendaal Hey, congrats!

Just got another short story accepted in a lit mag!!

@timdavis640 Haha! Hey, Tim. Well, the one that’s out now is at Specul8 - it’s Kaiju stuff, in this edition. The other two aren’t out yet - Jacaranda Journal in a couple of months, Aurealis some time next year! specul8.com.au/attack-of-the-…

@BrendanCottam Where can I read them boss?!

With one short story published in Specul8 and two more picked up for other Aussie publications, I can finally post and reply without feeling like a huge imposter! Feels good. 😌