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Sum 41, thanks for 30 years.

Greetings reader, Born in the late 80's, I'm a 90's baby that grew up on the West coast and then moved to Hawaii. For some reason California punk rock bled over to the Canadian band Sum 41 when one of my friends introduced them to me by letting me listen to their CD playing Walkman. (Yeah, I'm that old.) It was over after that.      I've been a fan of Sum 41 for the last 30 years and was fortunate enough to see them in Vegas like 15 years ago when they played at Extreme Thing. Fast forward 13 years and I got to see them again at WWWY, and now once again for their final US performance at Planet Hollywood (where I work oddly enough, way to go full circle). I loved their latest album and like a lot of fans wish we could get another 30 years.      I get it though.      I plan on buying Deryck's (lead singer) soon to be released memoir book about all the ups and downs. I expect to be surprised by quite a few details. Check it out if you're a fan. ...

Pentiment - Artful Storytelling

 Aloha! I've been playing my Xbox off and on while I'm working on a couple writing projects of my own. I've been playing a little game called Pentiment, which I'm fairly sure only niche gamers are going to be inclined to play or even hear about. It's one of those games that comes out from a pretty major developer but still falls under the umbrella of "independent."      For those of you who end up reading my blog because you happened upon it while reading about writing tips, what I'm up to or the like, I'd recommend exploring the storytelling artform in other mediums. I've discussed how beneficial it's been to me to experience story's in their myriad forms so if you happen to be a gamer, I'd highly recommend delving into this game's story. It's simplistic in it's gameplay as it is a point-and-click adventure, basically a storybook come to life. A lot of the game revolves around you talking to people and trying to uncover...

Old Friends

 Greetings readers, I've been fortunate in life to cultivate a few friendships that will last the test of time. Not in the sense that we'll always be friends--that's a given for quite a few people I know. These people however are the types that you don't talk to on a daily, weekly, or even yearly basis, the type of people that you seem to only catch up to when something big happens or the moment strikes, but when you finally do connect, it's as if no time has gone between you two.      It's sobering though, of course. A lot has happened in the intervening years. There's a certain level of disappointment associated with all the "what if's" and "what-could-have-been's," but it's also empowering and a whole different injection of energy that I'm completely ready for. There are times when you get stagnant and feel like you're at odds with yourself, but then someone you know comes along to challenge you and remind you that ...

Gardening

 Greetings! I lived a sordid life so far, gone with the flow, seen a few things and done a few others. I'm not sure if it's because I'm approaching my mid-life mark or if the last several years have served to calm me down, but I woke up the other day with the urge-no, the need -to garden. I immediately hopped onto Amazon and got soil, seeds, and text my girlfriend to get to-go cups from where she works because I need to get planting, stat.     I am currently awaiting germination.     I live in a one bedroom apartment in the middle of the desert. Not exactly an ideal location for gardening. There's something therapeutic about it all though, even if the idea is a bit haphazard. I remember my uncle gardening, and by that, I mean I remember him telling me where to dig, which weeds to pull, and where to move everything for him. My aunt and uncle seemed to have some notion in their head that I never wanted to get dirty. It wasn't about that. It was about the work itse...

Short Stories

  My name is Denis Baldwin (for those who care). I've always had a passion for storytelling and have been writing stories in some form or another since I was in first grade. Who knows, those childhood stories might be worth exploring as children's books later. For now, I'm working on getting a manuscript published and have been writing short stories (and a second manuscript) in the mean time. Below is a link to Reedsy and the short stories I've entered there for their writing contests. I like the idea of a weekly contest since it allows me to have fresh ideas--or use one's I haven't gotten around to yet--and keep consistent with my writing. Hope you enjoy! Short Stories  by Denis Baldwin

Cirque-du-Soliel

 Ahoy! Yesterday was my girlfriend's birthday and it went perfectly, thank you for asking. I'm fortunate enough to be dating someone who enjoys things just as as much as they enjoy experiences. Seeing as we both live in Vegas and the Strip itself is five minutes away... we ended up going to see the Cirque show Mystere at Treasure Island. The show was magnificent and I'd highly recommend it for couples or anyone who loves live theater and surreal storytelling. The costumes were superb, the stage was incredible, and the theater itself was large, yet intimate. If you haven't seen Mystere, I can't recommend it enough. Cheers.

Back in the Reedsy

 Howdy! I hope this blog post finds you well (whoever you are). Most of my posts jump from topic to topic although you'll find some consistency in the creative field since I'm a writer. This week I'm typing away at a short story for a writing contest and it's shaping up to be a good one. I've mentioned the website Reedsy in the past, but if you're interested, check it out at: www.reedsy.com You'll find a wealth of writing tools on their platform on the professional side, as well as writing contests that differ from week to week.     This week is "twists." I'm not generally great with twists, because I don't necessarily write with that intention. I've written some scenes that I felt were great and even had an unexpected payoff but that was only because I wrote myself into a corner. I try to retain a degree of believeability, even if it borders on unreal. It still has to make enough sense to work, but like I said, I write myself into a co...