tanderbolt

No Business: Vacant Worlds

_{Application for Writer on production of {WORKING TITLE} Vacant Worlds}

_{P R O F E S S I O N A L S U M M A R Y}

Noor grew up in a middle class household in Windsor, Ontario, the second oldest of five. She read frequently, a habit which her parents encouraged, particularly her father, a paralegal who had at one point aspired to a literary career. She went to University of Michigan where she lived a reclusive life, having only a few loyal friends and devoting herself to her studies. She went on to graduate school where she wrote a few papers she cared about, a lot she didn’t, and taught bored undergraduates who saw English electives as more of an impediment to drinking than an actual opportunity to learn. In between she found the time to read a considerable amount and write a little for pleasure, keeping just to her close circle of friends and penpals.
With careful study and the advice of those more experienced, she refined her eclectic style and started to get her stories published in a few minor journals. They attracted notice for their metafictional elements and philosophical themes, but she remained relatively obscure.

Her first real break came when she wrote her first novel, Psychic Distance, a psychological novel with elements of magic realism that focuses on a man in country in the midst of a revolution. It received good reviews and minor commercial success, enough to increase interest in the rest of her work. She published a few short stories for several years while she worked on the book that would become her best known work. The Folding of Space was somewhere between a collection of related stories and full-fledged novel, but either way it was greatly praised and won awards. Despite being experimental, it was successful enough for Noor to concentrate on her writing career full-time and marked her as one of the newest members of the literary elite. She’s currently planning her next large-scale work and exploring opportunities.

_{A R E A S O F E X P E R T I S E}

• Literature and Literary Criticism, which is quite a broad category. In the interest of providing some more distinctive details, below are some of her favorite genres:
• Patristic writings
• Maqama
• Medieval Morality Plays
• Sturm und Drang
• Speculum Literature
• Science Fiction, but only in a narrow period roughly congruent with the 1960s
• 20th century Latin American fiction

_{W O R K E X P E R I E N C E}

Campus Bookstore, Off campus bookstore, Teaching Assistant, Adjunct Professor, during which she found time to author two novels, Psychic Distance and The Folding of Space, the latter of which won the Man Booker Prize, in addition to numerous short story collections, literary essays and research papers.

_{E D U C A T I O N}

PhD from University of Michigan in English Language and Literature, Bachelors double majoring in English and Math also from University of Michigan

_{P E R S O N A L I N F O R M A T I O N}

^Name

Noor Jurji Bahadur Al-Madina

^Age

42

^{Gender and Preferred Pronouns}

Female, she, her

^{Why You Want to Work With Emerald Studios}

Film is a unique medium. It has the immediacy of like other visual arts, gripping the senses at base level but also offers a totally encompassing experience that more ancient forms cannot provide. The grandeur of the film industry and it’s epic ambitions allow it to explore territory that other visual media struggle with, and the process is inherently collaborative and the sum of many visions to make a whole product. For someone whose own work has acquired a reputation of being unfilmable, a sentiment I agree with at present, joining this project would be a way to experience this world in a way I could not otherwise. It is also true that international tax law is quite complex, and I would like some manner of financial security after I complete the purchase of my new home in Niagara

fav film = Metropolis (the Fritz Lang one)

Fate/esoterica

I realize it's too late join this (and that's probably for the best because I don't have a PhD. in Nasuverse), but I'll have fun reading along and seeing what happens.

Endeavour Records (Always Open)

Made a post that happens in the bar, because there is a lot of people in the studio at the moment already.

Endeavour Records (Always Open)

On the way to the Boneyard, James was trying his best to be objective about the Bernard Zephyr album he was listening to over his car speakers. They were never his style of music, but if Mitch was kind enough to offer him a contract, the least James could do was try to appreciate his music. Some of the stuff on the third album resonated with him (though he couldn’t get into the singer-songwritery vibe of it overall), but after finishing that while working he moved onto their second album and it became more of a slog. There was definitely talent, but it came with layers of production and focus-testing, the kind of stuff that reminded him why he hadn’t paid attention to pop charts in years.

It was said that everyone who knew anything about the Philadelphia scene knew about the Boneyard, and everyone who knew about the Boneyard knew about its money problems. Even though James wasn’t a regular of the place, he was happy to see that Mitch was helping preserve a local institution and keep it operating. Navigating the neighborhood was rough, but once you knew the place you knew it was worth the effort. James found a parking space nearby, noticing that the place was busier than you’d expect at this early of an hour, judging by the cars parked around.

During his brief correspondence with Mitch, James forgot to get the details of exactly what to do when he showed up. He thought while he got his bags out of the trunk of his car, and dragged them along as he walked up to the main door to the bar, not knowing how to get to the recording studio. A sign hung on the door, saying “Be back soon.” The door was unlocked, so James went in and found a seat among the empty tables. The place was quiet, but he thought he heard the faint sounds of a piano coming from somewhere, possibly in the basement underneath.

James liked to work at odd hours and for little periods of time throughout the day, creativity did not operate on a fixed schedule. He pulled out his laptop from his bag and wired up the audio interface, getting his rack mounted Modal and a Korg MS-20 set up to work with it. With everything set up he got to work on an old problem, trying to write a part that used all eight voices of the Modal to create a complex melodic line. It was slow going, but he chipped away at it, headphone on one ear listening to his work while hands frantically moved between the keyboard, the trackpad, and the nobs to tweak the endless parameters in pursuit of perfection. He was lost in his work, almost forgetting the fact that other people were coming here too.

Lavender Radio Tower || Volume 01

Endeavour Records (Always Open)

Jame J. Byrd

║ Name ║
James J. Byrd

║ Birthday & Age ║
May 22nd, 1971

║ Gender & Sexual Orientation ║
Male, Asexual

║ Occupation ║
Software Engineer

║ Appearance ║
He’s middle aged and doesn’t stand out particularly. He keeps off the pounds that come with age thanks to his routine of working with the rowing machine he keeps in the basement. His hair is a little messy, but not enough to be inappropriate in a corporate work environment. Business casual describes his style on and off the job, and for show he dresses up in a nice suit, as he believes that’s how a real musician should dress when performing for a crowd. He often wears a visor or sunglasses on stage, as it helps both him and the audience focus on the music.

║ Personality ║
James is a withdrawn man, and doesn't speak when he doesn't need to. He is stubborn, and doesn't like to compromise. He seems calm but serious, though he is more jovial when he is around people he knows well. He really enjoys learning and teaching, and likes to help those in need, even though he rarely shows it externally. Even though it is hard for him to make friends, he has a positive outlook and doesn’t hold many grudges. When he does have a good friend around he can talk for hours, rambling around, but strangers make him more reclusive. James is also blunt, not often mincing words or hiding his real feelings, which is off-putting at first, when people don’t realize that it’s more out of social awkwardness than contempt.

║ My Dreams ║
"To find my own place to be. It doesn’t matter if anyone else is there, it’s all about being in a space and state of mind where everything comes together.”

║ Autobiography ║
James was technically born in Detroit proper, but his parents moved out to one of suburbs when he was young, everyone could see the decline happening around them. His dad was a jazz drummer that played in local bands, but gave up the hobby as he got older, being an assistant manager took up too much time, but he kept his record collection around. James listened the old greats, and his dad didn’t shy away from the more experimental stuff, Sun Ra, Ornette Coleman and Miles Davis’ electric period were some of his favorites. When he grew up he started listening to radio, paying special attention the few DJs that played Detroit Techno. His family was present, if hectic by the constantly changing jobs and shift-work as both parents had to work just to make ends meet.

He joined his school’s jazz band, but found himself dropping out as all of the extracurricular activities strained the family’s budget. James now turned to making music alone, using a cheap Casio sampling keyboard and tape recorders. In his free time he picked up a hobby of working with electronics, first learning to modify cheap tape players and fix his keyboard, then gradually learning the deeper theories behind it all. In high school he was known as a weird kid, always tinkering but he didn’t bother anyone so he made few foes. He took extra math classes to spend more time in the computer lab, and found that working with numbers or computer code stimulated the same instincts as working with wires; it was all about experimenting within certain boundaries, and finding new ways to solve problems.

Later in high school he did manage to find a place with some of the other musicians. He earned money on the side fixing people’s gear when it broke, eventually scrounging up enough to buy a computer. James’ offers to collaborate didn’t find many takers, so he practiced alone, although there was one group that stayed together. He made beats for a couple of his friend’s attempts at a rap group called “The Overlord Crew”, an era that he is not fond of looking back on. His studies paid off with good grades, and he went on to attend University of Michigan after graduation, becoming the first member of his family to go to college.

It took James some time to decide on a major. Initially he wanted to go into music, but his parent’s advice and his own uncertainty led him to a path with a better guarantee of success, electrical engineering. He worked hard and made a small group of friends across a few different departments, the circle was united by their eccentricity, and some like Noor Al-Medina went on to great success afterwards. Musically, he got involved in the tracker music scene, contributing to a few compilations under myriad aliases, and swapping files over floppies and the early web. This was the first time he released music to the public, the tracks were quirky but well received, however the amount of time he spent on schoolwork meant he couldn’t find the dedication to become a member of any particular demo group.

After graduation he found a niche as a programmer. Having worked extensively with analog circuitry, he became a specialist in writing software to model the behavior of physical circuits. This line of work brought him to Philadelphia and provided him a good income, while still leaving some time for his hobbies. James has kept involved in the music scene, but some of his greatest contributions have come in the form of homebrew plugins and patches, trying to go experiment and go beyond the saturated markets for music software.

In Philadelphia James has kept his day job, making music without much recognition as a hobby. Some people in the small local scene appreciate him, and small as it is, his internet following is growing. One of his buddies told him about Endeavor and put in a good word with him, so James checked it out on a whim. He was impressed with their approach and felt like they could really be on to something new in the music industry, so he gladly signed on when they showed interest.

║ Reputation ║
James has a few fans among the tracker scene, but that era has since faded away. After that, he traded tapes by mail and made a single or two for minor labels, hitting one of his most successful periods in the late 90s when he was asked to do official remixes for some of the bigger names and signed with an indie label. There he released his first official album, Arkestral, which was met with underwhelming sales. After that, he turned to self-publishing his albums online, barely making any money but enjoying the freedom. He’s played at some small clubs but never toured, but also does some work on the side as a sound designer. His latest album was called ZERO//KNOWLEDGE//PROOF and has been his most successful to date, but has garnered little attention outside of a couple blogs and niche publications that cover the experimental electronic scene.

║ Extra information ║

Face claim: Derrick May
Partially joined the label because he’s hoping he can convince to them fund a fancy modular synth.
Typical live rig: Arturia Matrixbrute, Modal 008R, and his laptop

Endeavour Records (Always Open)

Here's my guy, here to bring the weird music.

Jame J. Byrd

║ Name ║
James J. Byrd

║ Birthday & Age ║
May 22nd, 1971

║ Gender & Sexual Orientation ║
Male, Asexual

║ Occupation ║
Software Engineer

║ Appearance ║
He’s middle aged and doesn’t stand out particularly. He keeps off the pounds that come with age thanks to his routine of working with the rowing machine he keeps in the basement. His hair is a little messy, but not enough to be inappropriate in a corporate work environment. Business casual describes his style on and off the job, and for show he dresses up in a nice suit, as he believes that’s how a real musician should dress when performing for a crowd. He often wears a visor or sunglasses on stage, as it helps both him and the audience focus on the music.

║ Personality ║
James is a withdrawn man, and doesn't speak when he doesn't need to. He is stubborn, and doesn't like to compromise. He seems calm but serious, though he is more jovial when he is around people he knows well. He really enjoys learning and teaching, and likes to help those in need, even though he rarely shows it externally. Even though it is hard for him to make friends, he has a positive outlook and doesn’t hold many grudges. When he does have a good friend around he can talk for hours, rambling around, but strangers make him more reclusive. James is also blunt, not often mincing words or hiding his real feelings, which is off-putting at first, when people don’t realize that it’s more out of social awkwardness than contempt.

║ My Dreams ║
"To find my own place to be. It doesn’t matter if anyone else is there, it’s all about being in a space and state of mind where everything comes together.”

║ Autobiography ║
James was technically born in Detroit proper, but his parents moved out to one of suburbs when he was young, everyone could see the decline happening around them. His dad was a jazz drummer that played in local bands, but gave up the hobby as he got older, being an assistant manager took up too much time, but he kept his record collection around. James listened the old greats, and his dad didn’t shy away from the more experimental stuff, Sun Ra, Ornette Coleman and Miles Davis’ electric period were some of his favorites. When he grew up he started listening to radio, paying special attention the few DJs that played Detroit Techno. His family was present, if hectic by the constantly changing jobs and shift-work as both parents had to work just to make ends meet.

He joined his school’s jazz band, but found himself dropping out as all of the extracurricular activities strained the family’s budget. James now turned to making music alone, using a cheap Casio sampling keyboard and tape recorders. In his free time he picked up a hobby of working with electronics, first learning to modify cheap tape players and fix his keyboard, then gradually learning the deeper theories behind it all. In high school he was known as a weird kid, always tinkering but he didn’t bother anyone so he made few foes. He took extra math classes to spend more time in the computer lab, and found that working with numbers or computer code stimulated the same instincts as working with wires; it was all about experimenting within certain boundaries, and finding new ways to solve problems.

Later in high school he did manage to find a place with some of the other musicians. He earned money on the side fixing people’s gear when it broke, eventually scrounging up enough to buy a computer. James’ offers to collaborate didn’t find many takers, so he practiced alone, although there was one group that stayed together. He made beats for a couple of his friend’s attempts at a rap group called “The Overlord Crew”, an era that he is not fond of looking back on. His studies paid off with good grades, and he went on to attend University of Michigan after graduation, becoming the first member of his family to go to college.

It took James some time to decide on a major. Initially he wanted to go into music, but his parent’s advice and his own uncertainty led him to a path with a better guarantee of success, electrical engineering. He worked hard and made a small group of friends across a few different departments, the circle was united by their eccentricity, and some like Noor Al-Medina went on to great success afterwards. Musically, he got involved in the tracker music scene, contributing to a few compilations under myriad aliases, and swapping files over floppies and the early web. This was the first time he released music to the public, the tracks were quirky but well received, however the amount of time he spent on schoolwork meant he couldn’t find the dedication to become a member of any particular demo group.

After graduation he found a niche as a programmer. Having worked extensively with analog circuitry, he became a specialist in writing software to model the behavior of physical circuits. This line of work brought him to Philadelphia and provided him a good income, while still leaving some time for his hobbies. James has kept involved in the music scene, but some of his greatest contributions have come in the form of homebrew plugins and patches, trying to go experiment and go beyond the saturated markets for music software.

In Philadelphia James has kept his day job, making music without much recognition as a hobby. Some people in the small local scene appreciate him, and small as it is, his internet following is growing. One of his buddies told him about Endeavor and put in a good word with him, so James checked it out on a whim. He was impressed with their approach and felt like they could really be on to something new in the music industry, so he gladly signed on when they showed interest.

║ Reputation ║
James has a few fans among the tracker scene, but that era has since faded away. After that, he traded tapes by mail and made a single or two for minor labels, hitting one of his most successful periods in the late 90s when he was asked to do official remixes for some of the bigger names and signed with an indie label. There he released his first official album, Arkestral, which was met with underwhelming sales. After that, he turned to self-publishing his albums online, barely making any money but enjoying the freedom. He’s played at some small clubs but never toured, but also does some work on the side as a sound designer. His latest album was called ZERO//KNOWLEDGE//PROOF and has been his most successful to date, but has garnered little attention outside of a couple blogs and niche publications that cover the experimental electronic scene.

║ Extra information ║

Face claim: Derrick May
Partially joined the label because he’s hoping he can convince to them fund a fancy modular synth.
Typical live rig: Arturia Matrixbrute, Modal 008R, and his laptop

Endeavour Records

I'm up for this.

Let's B!tch. I feel it's a healthy release for our roleplay annoyances 2.0

I see why GMs opt for detailed character sheets, but I think that there are possibilities for refinement. An elaborate CS will cut down the amount of really rough roleplayers (and maybe curtail powergaming if that’s a big concern for the RP), yet I think most of the details that are provided aren’t really useful in the context of the RP. Appearance descriptions have always been something I have difficulty with, especially because the level of detail usually expected in them isn’t something you’d see in the literary world outside of 19th century novels (and those are great but pretty far removed from what’s popular today). The personality sections are even more troublesome. I respect Lady A, but I think that simply listing positive and negative traits is one of the worst ways to describe who a character is, and outside of RPing the only place you’ll find it is when someone is interviewing with a particularly uncreative hiring manager. It doesn’t get into the real interesting parts, the way a character thinks and decides, what drives their emotions and goals in life.

EM Forster has some good insights in his book, “The Art of the Novel”, and I was surprised at how it made me think about roleplaying when I was reading it. There’s a part where he talks about flat characters “In their purest form, they are constructed round a single idea or quality: when there is more than one factor in them, we get the beginning of the curve towards the round. The real flat character can be expressed in a single sentence” Now, in roleplaying most people would like their characters to be round, when the whole point is playing your character we view it as a failure if we don’t have all the details on hand and ready to flow. Yet, Forster offers us insight into why flat character exist “One great advantage of flat characters is that they are easily recognized whenever they come in – recognized by the reader’s emotional eye” When you can tell what a character should be, when you can tell where a writer is going or what they will do when confronted with a new scenario, it makes it easier to react to them, easier to think up an interesting turn of events because the players involved are so simple.

I’m not saying that we should aim to make flat characters, that is not good roleplaying. What I like is interesting characters, and a flat character can be more interesting than a rounded one. Personally, I prefer to start with a flat, simple idea and then build off of it, rather than starting from a complex whole. I’ve tried it the other way and I end with an amalgamation of quirks and personality but no direction, no clear psychology for me to roleplay. Maybe other people know some tricks I don’t when it comes to this method. Going back to character sheets, I wish I saw more character sheets that gave me an idea of what Forster called their “inner life”, what he talked about when he said “ We know each other approximately, by external signs, and these serve well enough as a basis for society and even for intimacy. But people in a novel can be understood completely by the reader, if the novelist wishes.”

This has gotten off topic, and I’m afraid I can’t offer any clear solutions. I’ve seen some CSes include something like “Character Concept”, or maybe a field like Worldview would help, but I am always in search of something that will show me not just what a character is but why they are that way, their thoughts and the creative vision behind them. I fully recognize that some people want to keep those private. Perhaps it’s the mark of a true roleplayer to make a good story without any of this, in life we make do without insight into any of this. I just wonder if there’s a way we can start working more like coauthors of a story instead of passing strangers.

OLD SCHOOL Pro Wrestling RP

Eh, why not?