One Week Later…
If you don’t follow every moment of my life, I quit IGN last Tuesday. I’m probably the worst unemployed person around. After 10 years of hardly taking a break at IGN, I’ve hardly taken a break while unemployed. I’ve been busy on a few different things.
Finding Work
Right now, I have what the kids like to call “juice.” In my head, I know I should just do some freelance and take six months off from a full-time job. But no one ever really knows how long that juice lasts. So there’s a bit of pressure to strike now, take on a new opportunity immediately, and stay in the game. And there are some good things out there, probably more than I’ve looked into. PR, marketing, and a couple of business ventures linger. I’m still very open to new things and might be on the lookout for a while.
Dream job: Writing for games (not about them).
More likely job: Marketing. Done a better job of this from the journo side than some publishers. Makes a lot of sense for me.
Publishing Short Story Collection
A few months back I started putting together a collection of my short stories. Over the past few years, I’ve spent a lot of energy (and money) sending out stories to publications that often have lower readership than this blog. Rejection slips often came back with notes like this: Interesting stuff, good writing, just doesn’t fit our needs. Well, all of these stories fit my needs.
I’ve put off publishing this collection for far too long. All that remains is a final copy edit and a cover (being worked on). It will hit Kindle first, then be available in print a few weeks later. More on that once timing is set.
Working on a Comic Book
More on that soon. This has been something I’ve said I’d do since I was in fifth grade and reading Uncanny X-Men during lunch. Time to make something happen. Got an idea to flesh out, then an artist to find, then magic time.
Games
I might not work at IGN anymore, but I’m still a gamer. I finished up Infamous 2 (it’s okay) and am looking forward to diving into FEAR 3 tomorrow. I know some folks still want to hear my thoughts on games. I might post some stuff here. Not sure yet, but maybe FEAR 3 will inspire me.
I would love to hear a podcast of your journey and things that amuses you and so on. Let’s face it. TRL wasn’t ever about the xbox, but rather about your achievement as an entertainer.
Hmmm… but I am too lazy to record a podcast. This is troubling
GOOD LUCK MAN !
We wish you well…!
I wish me luck too!
Just keep us updated on your short stories and when they reach the kindle because I am definitely interested in purchasing them, and the sound of a comic book series from you sounds intriguing. Remember that you are idolized by many and you are one of top reason I wanted to pursue journalism. So, keep your head up, enjoy FEAR 3, have some time to relax and it will feel like a brand new world outside, if not already.
good luck hil
Well Hil, you’re definitely one of the funniest guys I know, and I can only imagine you’re non-game writing is a reflection of that. I honestly can’t wait to read your short stories, and this comic book project. I know that, whatever it is, it will be bold.
Stay in the game, Hil. Keep pushing forward, rather it be getting a job at BioWare as story writer or continuing with your short story venture. I’d also love to see some more editorials from you on any kind of subject. Good luck and I can’t wait to see some more content from you.
So being unemployed may prove to have been your most productive decision in years.
I was thinking about working for IGN…you just completely changed my mind.
Hilary doesn’t think IGN is a bad place to work. He just feels like moving on to new, but not necessarily better, horizons.
I know that eventually you’ll get by and get an awesome job hil. You were a great worker all those years I read IGN and your articles, so I know you won’t have problems at all
By the way, what are your more solid thoughts about Infamous 2? In the IGN rating scale, did you agree with the 9 or would go with another score??
The good thing about leaving is that I don’t have to care about scores. I know Colin really loved it and he makes valid points. I thought the story fell flat and the gameplay was only marginally better than the original.
would you consider your stories literary fiction?
No, no. I stopped that a long time ago. It’s a mix of sci-fi and urban fantasy.
Just bought a Kindle a few weeks ago! I’ll be adding your collection to my collection as soon as its published. Best of luck Hil.
Go get ‘em Hil!
Is this the nicest thing you’ve ever posted?
Keep doing podcasts with friends, pretty please?
Good luck Hil! I hope you find success in your future endeavors. Also I’m looking forward to reading your short stories, and was wondering if any of them are biographical or at least somewhat true to your own history.
Ooh, I hope none of these are biographical.
Your story reminded me to the ending of Factotum, a movie based on one book from Bukowski, where there is a dude that writes short stories and is a drunk. He sends them to magazines and they answer him the same way you said, so he has to make money having jobs where he gets fired because he is a drunk, making bets, swindling people… and he keeps being a very cocky motherfucker. Although the movie is very slow paced.
monologue (no spoilers) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX6JdynMW-M&feature=related
Anyways, good luck.
Hello Hil!
I chuckled when you said you might do PR and I thought how fun it’d be if you had to work with journalists you know.
I wish I owned a Kindle to read your work! The comic book idea really interested me! I’m so happy you’re doing things you’ve wanted to do as a kid, that’s fantastic. Lets see what you’ve been cooking in your head for so many years.
Also, I don’t quite understand your dream job. Do you want to write the story for games? That’d be great to play a game you scripted. Like an interactive comic book!
Hil,
Have you considered Jersey Devil Press for short story submissions? We publish 5 to 6 stories online a month and I think your work would fit right in. Please submit if interested.
Steve
Thanks, Steve. Right now, got my batch all set for a collection. Perhaps with the next story.
What kind of games do you want to write? Like, Rockstar like games, fantasy, space? Any loose ideas? I’d love to see you work at BioWare.
I’d also love to see me work at BioWare.
You work harder unemployed than I do employed. (I’m at work right now. Hee-hee)
Wow! you really are a gamer!! , that makes me look bad when compaired to you :\ , anyways, i can’t help like the other guy,,but,i don’t know,,i feel good posting here since no-one is,,,gamers should support each others somehow
i never had a comic book like those sold in the EU and USA but i’m buying yours if it fits “+15″
Do you still have ties to IGN as far as friends, or fo they see it as an abandoning of sorts?
you could get Aurther Gies to draw it eh?
look forward to the short story collection, i hope that is sooner than later!
Hil, hit me up on Twitter (though you already did) if there’s anything I can do to help. Don’t know if you’d consider leaving the sweet West Coast for the D.C. area, but I have a lot of connections in PR/marketing here.
I’m down to live wherever, but my wife is a West Coast die hard, sorry!