First Day of 2016
So I thought I’d get my thoughts out on this last year, and decided, where better than my newly cleaned-out blog? (This used to have my portfolio stuff on it, but that’s now moved to my Pressfolio.)
2015 was the year I entered the big-boy workplace. I started working at a TV station (technically that started in 2014 but it all kinda blends together) as a camera monkey, and learned a lot, mostly about dedication. I had to make time work for me. I had to schedule out when I would write, use my lunches and such to keep up with publishing my pieces. It paid off though, because…
2015 was the year I moved twice, out to Atlanta and back. I got a chance to intern for Paste Magazine, and I had enough saved up from my work at KVUE that I said, “Why not?” It was a great experience – I met a lot of great people, got to spend more time focusing on improving my writing and skills, and I got my bylines seen by a lot more people than before.
2015 was the year I realized my work was worth something. That my pieces have a monetary value. That’s a huge hurdle to overcome when your only entrance into the landscape is writing for free wherever someone will take you, but I can’t begin to tell you how good it feels to get paid for your written work. It’s incredible.
2015 was the year I went from a camera monkey to a freelancer, with bylines at IGN, Paste and Gaming Trend. A sentence that, a year ago, I never would have guessed I would be writing. But 2015 has shown me that I never quite know where the next step is – I just have to be willing to take it when I see it.
What does 2016 hold? Well, I’m going to keep freelancing, and pitch some more outlets that I didn’t have the time to pitch last year. I’m going to keep looking for a full-time gig; as much as I like writing for everywhere, moving to a new city and being super-official sounds great too.
Meanwhile, since this is the season of lists, here’s five things I wrote in 2015 that I’m really proud of. Maybe take a read?
Failure is the Only Way to Communicate in Super Mario Maker
http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/12/super-mario-maker-communicating-through-failure.html
Watch out for Overwatch, the Beta of the Year
http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/12/watch-out-for-overwatch-the-beta-of-the-year.html
More Human Than Human – Read Only Memories review
http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/10/read-only-memories-review-more-human-than-human.html
Rise of the Tomb Raider review
I will rise, again and again — Rise of the Tomb Raider review
Bloodborne review
Eric Van Allen 